sunflower
Travel

By Land or Sea Roche Harbor Offers Many Activities

By Leslee Jaquette
Whether you access Roche Harbor on San Juan Island from land or by sea, it offers visitors a beautiful, relaxing setting from which to enjoy the Northwest marine world. Whether you arrive by private yacht, trailer boat or via Washington State Ferries to Friday Harbor, allow yourself to sink into an island time that ebbs and flows like the tides.
Once you get to Roche Harbor, take a deep breath and indulge in an espresso or ice cream bar. Sit for a spell overlooking the marina and, then, consider participating in some of the resort’s many activities.
Whale Watching, Kayaking out of Roche Harbor
You may know that the San Juan Islands are internationally renowned for its marine wildlife, and the orca whales are by far the most enchanting. Three pods with more than 80 whales frequent the waters off San Juan Island primarily from April through October, giving visitors a great opportunity to see them during the best times of the year.
Roche Harbor knows this is amongst the most popular attractions for its guests, and features whale watching excursions directly out of the harbor.  San Juan Outfitters is the exclusive provider for these tours, having guided groups, families and independent travelers for more than a decade to high-quality whale watching experience.
San Juan Outfitters is also the exclusive kayak operator from Roche Harbor, which allows them access to areas where no other kayak company can go. The area’s combination of protected water, wildlife refuges, and access to big, open waters with expansive views of Haro Strait, the Olympic mountains, Cascade mountains, and beautiful shoreline is amazing. In addition, Haro Strait is known as an “Orca Highway”, and any encounter with one of the resident orca whale pods will likely happen here.
San Juan Islands Sculpture Park
A little treasure at the entrance to Roche Harbor is a 19-acre outdoor sculpture park, home to more than 120 unique sculptures by Northwest artists.  San Juan Islands Museum of Art is the steward of this unique piece of land that features gently rolling fields of grass cut to create natural corridors between sculptures.
In addition to the interpretive center, visitors can attend family art days offered on most Saturday afternoons in July and August.
Roche Harbor Gardens
The gardens in the resort center are a lovely place to stroll any time of the day, and make a perfect place to soak in the sun while reading a book on the grassy lawn.
Two areas offer unique experiences: a more formal garden with hedges, roses and flowering perennials hark back to the gardens’ origins in the late 19th century.  The sunken garden features a gently sloping, kidney-shaped lawn canopied by a large maple tree and surrounded by a wide variety of fragrant perennial and vibrant annual plantings.
A corridor separates the two gardens with its signature “ADIEU” sign amidst century-old clematis vines, underwhich meander the slaloming yellow bricks of the old fireboxes from Battery One lime kilns.
Picnic Area & Pool
The playground and barbecue area is a great place for families to let those kids burn off some energy.  Located directly on the waterfront and close to the pool, the play structure offers slides, swings, and a climbing apparatus, all next to an expansive grassy lawn.  Let the kids stroll the tidelands and explore what the sea washes up while you use the park-style barbecue for a family lunch.
The outdoor, heated (86 degrees) pool is open May 10 through September 29, 2013.  The amenity is complimentary for all resort guests, and towels and locker room access included.
Off-Leash Dog Park
Roche Harbor knows dogs are a big part of family travel. So, if you bring them on the vacation the resort features two off-leash dog parks for large and small dogs.
What do you love about Roche Harbor?
San Juan Outfitters: www.sanjuanislandoutfitters.com; 360.378.1962
Roche Harbor Resort: [email protected]; 800-451-8910
Washington State Ferries: www.wsdot.com/ferries/schedule/