We discovered La Conner to be a lovely little town. The Admiral (I told you I’d start using that terminology!) enjoyed a couple of hours Saturday morning browsing the local shops while the rest of us headed to Calico Cupboard for pancakes and bacon. One of us (not me) eyed what looked like a beautiful cinnamon roll but were literally seconds late in making it our own. We watched as it was grabbed and plated for another customer just seconds before our server approached the counter. It was the last one! Apparently they’re pretty good there, and in high demand. I balanced the sad face with word that our second destination was known for fresh donuts at a placed called the Lime Kiln Café in Roche Harbor. So, we finished breakfast and headed across the street to the local bookstore. One new Judy Moody book later and we were ready to make way for our next destination.

We set off from La Conner around 1:30pm heading North through the Swinomish Channel. This path can be extremely shallow and, like its Southernly entrance, demands attention and respect (unless you want to be grounded). Thankfully we left close to high tide and the normally low 6 foot depths was now a comfortable 15-18 feet. We draw only 3 1/2 feet but appreciate as much margin as nature (and the Army Corp of Engineers) can provide.

Our journey toward Roche Harbor took us around the tip of Fidalgo Island West toward the Southern tip of Blakely Island where we turned North and passed between Orcas Island and Shaw Island. The weather was beautiful. Since we were going 25 knots it was difficult to take pictures. So, we stopped! We’re slowly realizing that boating life is different than regular life. When you see things that are interesting, you stop. You enjoy. It’s silly to zip past beautiful islands and bays without taking the time to enjoy them. The efficiency and speed of a fast cruiser like ours has to be balanced with moments of slow, deliberate travel. Twice on our way to Roche we slowed down, came off plane and got out on the front of the boat to enjoy the surrounding islands and water, take pictures and breathe in the fresh air. I’m beginning to appreciate the style of boating that Trawlers enjoy – slow and steady at 7-9 knots.

We navigated through the Wasp Islands and several protected wildlife areas. When we passed sailboats we’d slow down considerably to reduce our fairly large wake. We entered the San Juan Channel and made the 2.5nm crossing fast, skirting around a West-to-East Ferry. Roche Harbor is at the Northerly tip of San Juan Island and we scooted into the Harbor just shy of 4:30pm. A quick radio call to the marina on 78A directed us to slip 27, which we found easily.

Dock attendants were waiting for us and helped us tie up and directed us to power and water.

As soon as we stepped on to the dock it was if we had been teleported to the Ozark Mountain region of Arkansas. This was not what we had imagined for Roche Harbor, a boating oasis known for hosting zillion dollar mega yachts. We were shocked to find laundry hanging from boat masts. There were people carrying on with accents that would make Mater from Disney’s Cars movie sound like the Elocution coach from The King’s Speech. The boat next to us was offering up fresh Possum Punch. Something was up.

We discovered that we had landed smack in the middle of a Tollycraft meetup – with over a hundred boats. Apparently it’s a yearly event and this year’s theme (they have one every year) was “Red Neck.” The costumes and decorations on the boats were hilarious. They were one very festive group of boaters!

We made our way through the crowds and headed straight into the little town that is Roche Harbor. There are a few restaurants and some historic structures related to the lime works that operated here since the late 1800’s. You can learn more about the history of the town here.

Just outside the town and only about ten minutes by foot is an outdoor sculpture garden that’s fantastic. Large, modern, beautiful pieces occupy the three acre park. We spent close to an hour walking among the pieces before heading back into town.

The hundreds of Tollycraft fans were being fed at a tented event across from the marina which meant we able to secure a spot for dinner at McMillin’s Dining Room. We all enjoyed the appetizers and dinner which were enhanced by a stunning sunset. In the middle of dinner the window curtains were all pulled back to expose the harbor and the Colors ceremony that takes place every evening at sunset – a tradition started in the 1950’s. Several flags are lowed ceremoniously including the Washington State flag, the Union Jack, the Canadian flag and, of course, the US flag.

We strolled to the boat just as it was getting dark and prepared for bed. The planned entertainment for the evening was Akeelah and the Bee. Day 3 would bring famous donuts and a quick trip to Victoria, BC. Or, would it?