Category: Day Trip

Victoria day tripping, 4

The Victoria Parliament is one of the first buildings you’ll see after you get off the Coho ferry. This beautiful marble building began its service in 1898. Take a look at A Powell River Photo Blog and scroll back to March 8th if you’d like to see some nice photos of the interior.

Okay, I know I’m titling this “day tripping,” but on this particular trip we stayed overnight. And we had an unexpected night view of Parliament from the back. I’m including this shot because it allows you to see a golden Captain George Vancouver, the British naval officer and explorer after whom Vancouver Island is named. He has a good view of Victoria from his perch atop the building.

Victoria day tripping, 2

Here are more Victoria harbour snapshots, taken in my pre-blog days. Above is one of the first sightings of land as you enter the harbour.

And this is a view of Victoria as it appears near the Johnson Street Bridge.

And, as the ferry moves toward the dock, there is the quintessential view of the Empress Hotel, a Victoria landmark since the early 1900s. Afternoon tea is served in the lobby. In the summers they serve up to 800 a day. I love afternoon tea, but I’ve not had it here.

Victoria day tripping

End of a long winter, bad weather, and a weeklong bout with the flu: what better time to look back on trips to Victoria, B.C. and post some pictures of a favorite neighboring city?

The Black Ball MV Coho ferry runs daily from Port Angeles across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Victoria’s Inner Harbour. The passage takes about 90 minutes – pretty painless for international travel. A passport is needed, though an “enhanced” Washington driver’s license may also be used. Until mid-May there are two daily departures from Port Angeles, and two returns from Victoria. There are more sailings during the summer months.

I’ve posted one of the early sights in the harbour, the blue Johnson Street Bridge, which is located at the west side of the entrance. It is a “bascule,” or counterweighted type drawbridge designed by Joseph Strauss, the same man who designed San Francisco’s famous Golden Gate Bridge. You can read about its history here, but after no lack of controversy it was finally decided that this deteriorating span would be removed and replaced. Work has recently begun. A new bridge is being built to the north of the blue bridge, which will remain in service until its replacement is completed. There are live views of the work progress here.

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, 3 of 3

The downside of making a day trip to the Skagit Valley from Sequim is that the schedule – and thus the light – is subject to the ferry crossings from Port Townsend to Whidbey Island. And this, regrettably, meant no soft angles of morning light nor honeyed evening kiss on the flowers. It’s a day trip worth making and as we left we began planning a “next time” in which there would be an overnight stay that would allow pictures at either end of the day.

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, 2 of 3

Two of the larger Skagit Valley growers, RoozenGaarde and Tulip Town, host formal exhibits and tours of their facilities and charge an admission fee. Above is a shot of a display at RoozenGaarde. Because it was a warm day and our dog Chord was not allowed on their guest list, we opted to explore on our own.

We began our day in LaConner, a sweet little town on the western edge of the valley, then zigged and zagged around the fields. The website for the festival has a map of the valley, a calendar of events, and descriptions of the activities throughout April. When our LaConner breakfast scones wore off, we followed signs to the Kiwani’s Salmon Barbeque in Mt. Vernon and fortified ourselves for the trip home.