The thing with Valentine’s Day is that everyone has their own idea of romance and the way we like to celebrate is very different from couple to couple. What doesn’t vary is that we all like to feel appreciated by our spouse, partner, boyfriend, girlfriend, or significant other and there are many ways to show that you care. To add a little extra special touch this year, surprise them with a getaway that really reflects who they are, what they love and that thing they just wouldn’t splurge on for themselves. With travel, whether it is just a daytrip or a weekend getaway, you also get the added bonus of some extra quality time together. Read the rest of this entry »
When my husband and I learned that our friends Cristel and Steve had never been to Afternoon Tea, we knew what we had to do; we booked Afternoon Tea at Victoria’s Fairmont Empress during the Festival of Trees. We, (mostly my husband) also lacked Christmas spirit – Bah Hum Bug! – But I knew we could find some there.
So, last week we boarded the Victoria Clipper at 8:00 am on a frigid Seattle morning. We had coffee and bagels onboard, played cards and laughed all the way to Victoria. Once we arrived we took a walk around the Parliament Building which, in addition to its customary white lights, has festive red and green Christmas lights for the holidays. Though it was cold, it was a beautiful day. No rain and a glimpse or two of blue sky. White horse carriages with Christmas wreaths on the sides clip-clopped along the streets and the Victorian Street lamps were adorned with bells and holly. Read the rest of this entry »
It’s hard to believe that Christmas is just around the corner. As a kid I remember that Christmas felt like the day that would never arrive. However, as I get older it seems to come faster and faster every year. And while it might have something to do with the fact that department stores seem to be putting up Christmas decorations right after Labor Day, as we are deep into November there is no denying that Christmas is almost here.
High Tea at the Butchart Gardens (photo copyright the Butchart Gardens)
I don’t know about you, but I know that I can get a little cranky when I’m hungry, and most people have noticed that a bad mood can often be cured with a snack. It turns out tea has a very interesting history that involves the need for an afternoon snack and a little bit of feminism. Historically, there is actually a pretty big difference between Afternoon Tea and High Tea (although this is not always the case in current times where Afternoon and High Tea are more interchangeable). Today I’m going to share with you the history of Afternoon and High Tea, the difference between Afternoon Tea and High Tea and some great options for Afternoon and High Tea in Victoria, BC. Read the rest of this entry »
I am a self-identified nerd. Specifically, I am a museum nerd. Everywhere I travel, whether it is a major cosmopolitan center like Vancouver or small seaside town that lines Washington’s waters, I want to know what museums are in the area and start mapping out my visit. In no particular order, I love art museums, science museums, history museums, museums of unique collections, large national museums, and tiny museums tucked into single rooms of old homes. You get the picture, I enjoy museums!
Located high in the Cascade Mountains,Leavenworth is a Bavarian themed town that hosts one of the largest Oktoberfest celebrations outside of Munich. For three consecutive Fridays and Saturdays beginning on September 30th, Leavenworth will be filled with live music, German food, arts and crafts and plenty of beer. Every Saturday at noon, a parade travels through the town with Leavenworth’s own Musikkapelle onboard a brightly decorated blue and white band wagon playing traditional polkas and marches. Other highlights of the parade are a traditional bier wagon and a wagon carrying the mayor of Leavenworth who will perform the ceremonial tapping of the keg to kick off the day’s events. This ceremony is modeled after the traditional festival opening in Munich. This truly is the next best thing to traveling to Munich! Read the rest of this entry »
Summer is winding down and it’s time to start thinking about fun fall activities to do with family and friends. The first activities that come to my mind are: pumpkin patches, corn mazes and hay rides! Washington has countless farms that provide all of these activities! A great farm to keep in mind is:
Biringer Farm Corn Maze and Pumpkins – 3.7 mile trail
It has been another fantastic summer of Orca whale watching at Clipper Vacations and we are always a little sad to see the season come to an end. September 25 marks the last day of this year to get a glimpse of these Northwest residents (and some visitors), so if you have not made the trip yet now is the time to do it. So far this year, our boat has reported whale sightings on 97% of the sailings and there have been some spectacular shows. Read the rest of this entry »
Summer finally came to Seattle over this last weekend, which happened to be my dad’s birthday and his activity of choice was flying us down to Friday Harbor for lunch and ice cream. It was sunny and warm out, and we did an island loop in the plane before landing in Friday Harbor, so I got a lot of aerial photos of the islands as we were flying in (if you look really closely, you can even see the Clipper in one of them!). We arrived in the early afternoon, and walked around Friday Harbor before stopping for lunch, enjoying the view of the harbor from the outdoor seating area at the restaurant. After that, we walked around the marina and got a scoop of ice cream before stopping in a few of the shops and heading back home.
If you look really hard, you can see the Clipper III
Victoria is famous for the Butchart Gardens, Afternoon Tea and the Parliament Building. While those sights are exciting to see, a lot gets written about them, so I thought I’d mention some less well known ideas for how to spend your time in Victoria.
The Times Colonist in Victoria, BC is currently doing a series of stories on 8 great walks. If you have a couple of hours to spare and want to enjoy the outdoors, one of these Victoria, BC walking tours would be a great activity.
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