Trip to the San Juans: Day 2 Part 2: Roche Harbor

Welcome to Roche Harbor  

When I was a kid, our family took boat trips during the summer and this was one of our very favorite places to stay. This flourishing little port is filled with so many memories. It was amazing to go back and relive it all.

Trips to the company store and ice cream cones on the wharf...(although this time we enjoyed a cup of hot clam chowder. Mmmm, mmmm, good.)

{image: Roche Harbor Wharf  © ShannonSews}

Walks through the hotel gardens and brick lined paths...

{image: Hotel de Haro: Roche Harbor © ShannonSews}

Meandering along the docks, admiring all the boats. I have always loved reading each boat's name, wondering the meaning behind it, and seeing where they're from and how far they've traveled.

{image: Roche Harbor Docks © ShannonSews}

Views of the harbor and elegant dining at the seaside restaurant

{image: Roche Harbor marina view and dining © ShannonSews}

Always a favorite to walk up to the the little white church on the hill

{image: little white church Roche Harbor © ShannonSews}

And the reason we came that night, to enjoy the color guard lowering of the flags. The flag lowering is timed according to when the sun sets, and on this particular night it was around 8:23pm. It was something we always looked forward to as a kid, since it is only something they do during the summer.

The color guard marches out and lowers each flag, as they play the national anthems for Britain, Canada and the U.S, and at the end of the ceremony all the boats blow their horns with pride. It was such a great experience to be able to relive this.

This time, after all the flags were folded and put away and the ceremony was complete, they surprised us by jumping off the deck, one-by-one into the icy ocean waters below. Brrr! What an exit!

{image: Flag lowering ceremony Roche Harbor© ShannonSews}

As the night sky filled with oranges and rosey pinks, we walked through town, making our way out to the McMillin family Mausoleum (a must see if you visit). By the time we figured out how far away it was from the docks, though, it was getting a little on the dark side, and quite frankly, I opted not to get creeped out by walking through a cemetery at night. I remember getting spooked as a kid going out there after dark, so we decided to wait til day light. J

What's next? Our visit to the Mausoleum, and another fun-filled Day 3!

previous posts:

[San Juan Trip Day 1]

[San Juan Trip Day 2: Part 1]

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