exploring victoria

We took the ferry to Victoria out of Port Angeles. It's a 22 mile trip across the Strait of Juan de Fuca and it takes about 90 minutes. Here are our first glimpses from the ferry at Fisherman's Wharf and our hotel peeking out in the middle.

We stayed at the Inn at Laurel Point. It was a really pretty hotel. They have a restaurant that's quite well known - mostly because it has outdoor waterfront seating. There is a pretty little Japanese garden on the grounds and the people who worked there were extremely helpful. We had valet parking as part of our package. So not used to that.

Our room was nice, very modern looking. It was so much bigger than our room in Seattle the night before!

The bathroom was all marble tiled. The tub was divine. The shower is on the opposite side.

We had a little private balcony with some lounge chairs. Here was our view of the harbor. There were water taxis going back and forth all the time and planes taking off and landing right in front of the hotel. The one thing I loved about Victoria is that there is a really nice walkway all along the water and you can get pretty much anywhere by taking it.

After we got settled in, we went out for a walk. The Parliament building was amazing. The grounds are so beautiful. You can take tours inside, but we didn't do that this trip.

Just around the corner from the Parliament building is the Empress Hotel. Oh man, this place is just magical. That's how I like to describe it. It's like stepping back in time. We did go inside and saw a small part of it. There were some fancy shops and the dining room where they serve high tea. 

We had dinner at an English pub style place called The Flying Otter. Phil got himself some fish and chips and I had a club sandwich. When we came out, this was what we saw. . . the Parliament building all lit up. So pretty.

We also were just in time to see these two put on a little strength show. He was lifting and balancing her and then she lit her shoes on fire. They drew quite a crowd and it was a heck of a lot cheaper than Cirque de Soleil.

And that, my friends, was our first evening in Victoria.