Victoria

Oh, beautiful Victoria... where to start?

Victoria was the main stop for our vacation. We stayed there two days but I could have happily spent longer. Unfortunately (and much to the shock of our children), we are, in fact, not made of money so two days it was.

A little geography: Victoria is on Vancouver Island, which is separated from the city of Vancouver by the Salish Sea and from Washington State by the Juan De Fuca Strait. And it may possibly be the most beautiful place I have ever seen.

The first thing I noticed about Victoria was the overabundance of flowers. Driving into town, there was a roadside embankment covered in roses. It didn't appear that anyone actually tended them. Quite the miracle for this girl living at the intersection of the Great Plains and the foot of the Rockies. More on the flowers of Victoria later.

THE FOOD
 
One of the most memorable things about our stay was the food. Have you ever tried fresh-from-the-docks salmon? No? Then I pity you. Here's a clue: it tastes nothing like the previously frozen stuff we get in the middle of the country. Quite possibly the best meal I have ever eaten was a maple glazed salmon fillet here.

I would have snapped a picture of my meal, but it was so beautiful when it arrived, it somehow jumped off my plate and into my mouth before I had a chance. The next day, however, we managed to get a picture of Chris' salmon fish and chips.

Isn't it lovely? You would never guess it came out of a shipping container converted into a food stand named after a Dr. Suess book (Red Fish, Blue Fish). It was an amazing experience sitting right on the harbor eating the bounty of the sea.

This little piece of local culture is called a Nanaimo bar.

I admit that we probably didn't partake of the best Nanaimo bar on the island, but I'm really looking forward to trying to make more of this recipe at home because I believe it has some real potential.

THE VIEW

Victoria is seriously beautiful. We stayed on the inner harbor in a lovely hotel

with an amazing view. 

In our two days of exploring Victoria, we never found a view that was anything short of picturesque.

THE WHALES

Our trip planning started out with the idea that we would like to see whales. See whales we did. We were able to watch a group in a resting pattern and another group hunting.

This is one instance where photography truly fails to capture the coolness of the moment. We were able to see a couple whales stick their heads out of the water and a couple throw their tails in the air. It was an incredible experience to see these creatures in the wild.

THE FLOWERS

From now on, when I picture the Garden of Eden, it will look like Butchart Gardens. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves here.

I have never seen anything that rivals Butchart Gardens and I'm not sure I ever will.

Even as we were doing our respective king of the world impersonations on the ferry back to Port Angeles, Washington, we were sad to leave Victoria.

I will never forget Victoria.

Next stop: The Olympic Peninsula, where I saw Bigfoot when Chris was in the bathroom.