Swiftsure International Yacht Race and Community Activities May 25-27

May 17, 2013 in Travel Victoria by Barbie | No comments

“Swiftsure is part of the beginning of summer in Victoria”,

Ed Life, skipper of ‘Surt’, 2006

Warning you may hear some salty talk like, “If your Spinnaker is luffing you maybe pinching dirty wind…” should you visit Vitoria’s Inner Harbour  when crews from all over the Pacific Northwest are in town for Swifture.

Swiftsure is an International Yacht Race to be held May 25 to 27, 2013.  Sailing vessels of all shapes and sizes come from as far at New Zealand, Russia and the United States to compete in this historic event.

This year will mark the 70th anniversary of the Swiftsure Yacht Race.  Swiftsure is actually six races over four courses and a 2 day in shore regatta.  The longest course is to Swiftsure Bank and back, that is 138.7 nautical miles.

Volunteers have kept a summary of various Swiftsure records for example the fastest and slowest sailing vessels.

2013 Swiftsure Yacht Race poster

2013 Swiftsure Yacht Race

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115th Island Farms Victoria Day Parade May 20

May 14, 2013 in Family Time, Festivals & Events, Travel Victoria by Barbie | No comments

Photo Creative Commons Licensed by Germán Póo-Caamaño

Photo Creative Commons Licensed by Germán Póo-Caamaño

Baton twirling, bag pipes, balloons and more!

One of Canada’s longest-running parades can be found along Douglas Street, in downtown Victoria.

The 115th Island Farms Victoria Day Parade is expecting about 145 entries for the May 20th spectacle.

In keeping with centuries of tradition, the Naden Band of Maritime Forces Pacific will lead the parade followed by Local veterans, regular force members and cadets.

On the heels of the Canadian Forces will be the crowd pleasing School marching bands.  Historically the high school marching bands have come from the United States to entertain Victorians.  Over the years we have seen an increase of Victoria Middle and Secondary schools enter marching bands into the parade.

There will be clowns, balloons, Military and business floats that will parade from Mayfair Mall at 9:00 am and proceed along Douglas Street, finishing at the intersection of Douglas and Humboldt.  It can take up to three hours for the parade to pass.

At noon, the 5th (British Columbia) Field Regiment Royal Canadian Artillery will fire a 21-gun salute from Belleville Street in front of the Legislature to mark the Queen’s birthday.

Be sure to find a spot along Douglas Street earlier than later as last year, the parade drew an estimated 65,000 attendees!

For more information on visiting Victoria for the Victoria Day weekend as well as the parade, visit www.clippervacations.com.

Capilano Suspension Bridge and Cliffwalk

May 9, 2013 in Travel Vancouver BC by Deirdre | No comments

 

capilano

Over New Year’s Eve, I went to Vancouver BC with my family. Before we drove back to Seattle, we went to the Capilano Suspension Bridge. The Capilano Suspension Bridge is a 450 foot long suspension bridge 230 feet above the Capilano River. Once across the bridge, there are a series of walkways and shorter suspension bridges for you to explore. In 2011, Cliffwalk was added, a suspended walkway anchored to a cliff.

After having experiencing fear of heights at St. Paul’s Cathedral several years ago, I was a little nervous of the suspension bridge. However, the bridge felt very safe and I was glad to have experienced it as well as Treetops Adventure on the other side and their newest attraction, Cliffwalk, which was actually more nerve wracking than the bridge. I was not about to take out my camera on Cliffwalk, but I’ve included some pictures here creative commons licensed from flickr so you can see what it looks like:

 

cliffwalk

Cliffwalk photo creative commons licensed on flickr via InSapphoWeTrust

 

cliffwalk2


Cliffwalk photo creative commons licensed on flickr via InSapphoWeTrust 

Capilano is family friendly with plenty of activities and educational information to occupy kids however there are a lot of stairs so those with mobility impairment might have difficulty.

Clipper Vacations offers two tours originating in Vancouver that visit Capilano, a Sunset Tour of Capilano Suspension Bridge and Grouse Mountain offered May 18-September 3 and a year round Grouse Mountain Capilano Suspension Bridge Tour. Either of these tours can easily be added on to any of our Vancouver vacation packages.

Tour Victoria in a Bus that Floats with Victoria Hippo Tours

April 26, 2013 in Travel Victoria by Guest Post | No comments

Victoria Hippo Tour

Henrietta Hippo entering Victoria’s Inner Harbour

Guest Post by Carolyn from Victoria Hippo Tours

Have you ever ridden a bus that floats? Ever wanted to?

Victoria’s newest attraction is making a splash this season with a captivating amphibious city tour. Victoria Hippo Tours offers a unique ride around town that takes passengers past all the major attractions and landmarks of the downtown area. But it’s not just a city tour. As hippos live both on land and in the water, the Hippo Tour wouldn’t be complete without a splash right into the Pacific Ocean! Read the rest of this entry »

Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Gainsborough: The Treasures of Kenwood House, London at Seattle Art Museum through May 19

April 15, 2013 in Uncategorized by Deirdre | No comments

Thomas Gainsborough Mary, Countess Howe

Thomas Gainsborough
Mary, Countess Howe, ca. 1764
Oil on canvas
95 x 61 in.
Kenwood House, English Heritage; Iveagh Bequest (88029039)
Photo courtesy American Federation of Arts

I recently went to see Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Gainsborough: The Treasures of Kenwood House, London at the Seattle Art Museum and it turned out to be one of my favorite exhibits I’ve seen at SAM. I went on the guided tour which I would highly recommend, especially if you are unfamiliar with the history surrounding the pieces. After the tour I went through the exhibit on my own. The tour is about an hour long and covers the history of the Iveagh Bequest as well as information on several of the paintings included in the exhibit. The paintings are mostly from the 1600s and 1700s and include portraits, landscapes, marine scenes, several portraits of people as characters in Shakespeare or in other fictional settings, and etchings by Rembrandt.

Kenwood House in London usually houses the Iveagh Bequest, but since it is currently under renovation, the paintings are being exhibited and SAM was one of the museums lucky enough to host it. Edward Cecil Guinness of the Guinness Brewery sold his stock in the brewery and retired, becoming 1st Earl of Iveagh. He amassed a collection of Old Master paintings including pieces by Gainsborough, Rembrandt, Hals, Romney, Van Dyck and others which was later donated to Great Britain as the Iveagh Bequest and is usually displayed free of charge at Kenwood House in London. The exhibit at SAM also includes a section of pieces from European Masters collected by people in Seattle giving the show a local touch. Read the rest of this entry »

Discover Forage, the New Sustainable Restaurant at The Listel Hotel

April 9, 2013 in Clipper News, Travel Vancouver BC by Deirdre | No comments

forage Vancouver

forage Vancouver

One of the best parts of traveling is the opportunity to try local cuisine. With Earth Day less than a month away, the start of spring is a great time to get a taste of sustainability at a locally sourced restaurant. The Pacific Northwest is famous for being one of the early pioneers of Farm to Table restaurants and any trip to Vancouver, BC should include a stop at a restaurant serving food provided locally and working to reduce waste all while providing a great meal. Our Vancouver hotel partner, The Listel Hotel, is committed to sustainability through their Environment Matters initiative. The Listel Hotel is zero waste and utilizes solar panels as well as a heat capture program and now their commitment of sustainability has extended to forage, the brand new restaurant on site, longtime dream of Chef Chris Whittaker. Read the rest of this entry »

Gray Whale Watching Tours from Seattle Begin This Weekend

February 25, 2013 in Day Trippers, Travel Seattle by Clipper Staff | 2 comments

Gray Whale outside Everett WA

Gray Whale in Everett, WA Photo Creative Commons Licensed by Joaquin Uy via flickr

In our area, one of the first signs of spring is the arrival of Gray Whales to Washington waters on their long annual migratory journey from Baja Mexico to Alaska  And if we are paying attention to the whales, spring has arrived. Starting in February, reports of sightings started to trickling in and now Gray Whales are being spotted daily!

Go on a Gray Whale Watching Day Trip with Clipper Vacations from downtown Seattle with a 2 hour stop in Coupeville on Whidbey Island! Read the rest of this entry »

Travel to Canada’s Most Romantic City for Valentine’s Day

February 11, 2013 in Travel Victoria by Clipper Staff | No comments

Couple in Victoria, BC

Photo: Tourism Victoria

Valentine’s Day is a great excuse to shower the significant others in our lives with love and affection!  Getaway to Victoria, recently deemed “Canada’s most romantic city” by Amazon.com, to show your special someone just how much you care.  Whether a daytrip for Afternoon Tea at the Empress or a weekend getaway at one of Victoria’s beautiful hotels, Clipper Vacations can help you “feel the love” this Valentine’s day.

Want a 4-star getaway for Valentine’s Day, but don’t want to break the bank?  Receive a special rate on the 4-star Hotel Grand Pacific when booking a Victoria Overnight package!  The package includes round trip on the Victoria Clipper, overnight at the Hotel Grand Pacific, and all applicable taxes.  One night starts at only $122 per person/double occupancy through the month of February!

Couple in Victoria BC

Photo: Tourism Victoria

Clipper Vacations also offers romance packages at several hotels in Victoria, including the Hotel Grand Pacific , the Fairmont Empress, and the Inn at Laurel Point!  Adding that extra something special to an already fabulous weekend will be sure to impress the one you love.

Travel with Clipper Vacations to Victoria, “Canada’s most romantic city” for a Valentine’s Day you won’t forget!

Visit www.clippervacations.com or call 800-888-2535 for more ideas about Pacific Northwest Valentine’s Day getaways.

All photos courtesy Tourism Victoria.

New Year’s Eve Events – Seattle, Victoria & Vancouver

December 28, 2012 in Festivals & Events, Travel Seattle, Travel Vancouver BC, Travel Vancouver Island by Deirdre | No comments

Seattle Space Needle fireworks

Seattle Space Needle New Year’s Fireworks / Photo: Wonderlane Creative Commons Licensed via flickr

2012 is coming to a close and what better way to celebrate a chance to start over than by ringing in the New Year with one of these fabulous New Year’s Eve events! Whether in Seattle, Vancouver or Victoria there are plenty of options no matter your taste to find an event to usher in 2013 with style!

Seattle:

Vancouver:

Victoria:

 

Victoria, BC Holiday Lights Displays 2012

December 18, 2012 in Festivals & Events, Travel Victoria by Barbie | No comments

Butchart Gardens Holiday Lights

Photo: Butchart Gardens

Both my husband and I celebrate our birthdays in December. Growing up I thought holiday lights and trees were just as much as my birthday celebration as the rest of the communities chance to light up the dark days of December.

What is more festive than a shimmering display of lights and ornaments.

Please come and visit us on Vancouver Island this year to take in the great holiday displays.

Downtown Victoria – from the Inner Harbour to downtown the city is dressed up! The Harbour is lined with twinkling trees. The official Christmas Tree for British Columbia is on the lawn of the BC Legislature. This Sequoia tree was planted in the late 1800′s and is over 100 feet tall. The Parliament Building is lit up year round with 3,000 sparkling bulbs, and during the holidays there are additional brightly colored bulbs added to the building. Centennial Square, Victoria City Hall has an impressive light display. This year they are also featuring an interactive lights and animation. Every day from 4 pm until midnight, bring your smart phone with you to interact with a 20 foot by 16 foot claymation story projected on the back wall of the McPherson Playhouse. Two custom created holiday characters are sure to delight and captivate when you communicate with them via text message to the number 250-800-2814. At the top of Centennial Square, another interaction is waiting for you to make some noise! See if you can find the special tree with lights that move and change with sounds. Read the rest of this entry »

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