Today (May 16) is the day that we travel to Seattle aboard The Clipper.
We needed to pack our bags and check out of the hotel by 10 am.
Once finished, we were ready to have some breakfast.
So, with baggage in tow, we headed down Douglas Street to find a Denny's or something similar.
As it happened, we found a place that was part hotel and part diner, called The Ruby.
It was very 60's, with a Volkswagen Camper parked in the driveway.
We found out that they offer their hotel guests free bicycles, while staying as well as discounted meals in the diner.
Too bad we did not find this place when we were booking our accommodations.
After breakfast, we bused to downtown Victoria and trooped over to the dock area where the ship was anchored. We needed to check our baggage, because it would be a drag to cart all of our stuff around Victoria until departure time at 5 pm.
Afterwards, we walked a few blocks over to the Robert Bateman Centre.
The gallery is located in an old steamship terminal, and we took our time viewing all the paintings. He (Robert Bateman at 88) is a living Canadian legend.
His drawings are stunning and so very life-like.
We also spent time, and money in the gallery gift shop.
They had prints,books, mugs, calendars ad song bird recordings.
There was also some art work by a few local artists.
Now it was time for lunch....we worked up an appetite whilst touring the gallery and tourist trap (I mean gift shop).
We found a really nice (read expensive) restaurant nearby with an open-air patio on the second floor of the terminal building.
We settled in for food and wine with a view of the bay.
All too soon, it was time to head over to the docks and prepare to board the Clipper to Seattle.
We booked a five hour wine tour with Canadian Craft Tours for our first day in the city, and we arrived a little early, so we had some refreshments at Santiago's Cafe on Oswego Street.
This was a cute little place, with a view of the street. Inside, the decor was mostly bright yellows and reds.
Since we were vacationing in early May, things were a still a little quiet on the island.
As a result we had personal service from our tour guide (we were the only customers that day). I sat up front with the driver and we had a comfortable ride with great conversations.
Our first stop was at Unsworth Vineyards, on Mill Bay Road.
Here is Leona waiting for a taste of their wines.
The folks were friendly, but to be honest, neither of us liked the wines that we tried.
The second stop was Enrico Winery and Vineyard, and the wines here were yummy, especially the whites.
We were each served a plate of flatbread with cheeses and fruit on their patio, and we chowed it down!
Unfortunately, we could not buy any of the wines that day, because we would be traveling to Seattle tomorrow, and did not want the extra baggage, nor the hassle at the border crossings.
The third and final stop was the Blue Grouse Estate Winery.
The wines here were very good, but we both enjoyed the wines at the Enrico Vineyard a lot more.
All in all, the whole tour was enjoyable, and the weather was clear.
Since we were the only customers, the driver dropped us off at our hotel for a much needed nap!
We decided that it was time to plan our little trek to Victoria and Seattle.
The first leg of our trip was to Vancouver Island on the BC Ferry.
Leona booked the Red Lion on line, in Victoria for our two-day stay.
We packed our bags and took the train to TSwwassen Terminal.
From there, we lined up for tickets, and waited to board the ferry.
My cost was $17 CAD, but Leona's ticket was free, since she was a Vancouver resident....pooh!
We traveled through the Active Pass, and passed by a few of the Southern Gulf Islands, such as Galiano and Mayne.
Unfortunately, we did not see any marine wildlife on the way, but the scenery was great.
Once we arrived at the Swartz Bay (the island terminal), we needed to take a bus to Victoria and our hotel.
We unpacked, had some Chinese food in the hotel, and then did a little exploring.
We found a multi-use trail right behind the hotel (the Galloping Goose Trail). It is a 55 kilometre rail trail that runs from Victoria's Johnson Street bridge, all the way north to the Sooke Potholes Regional Park.
We decided to have a leisurely walk along the trail, and then headed back to the hotel for some rest. Tomorrow is our wine tour.
My sister decided to book a "Behind the Scenes" tour at the Vancouver Museum (MOV).
Note: this is from their web site.
I was impressed with the sculpture of a crab, at the front of the building.....so I took a photo.
Notice, if you will that the claw seems to be grasping the Canadian flag.
Our tour guide met us at the reception desk and we walked through an area where they were creating the next exhibit (Wild Things).
We then went down to their storage facility, which is kept at a certain temperature and the air is filtered to protect everything.
As you can see, the animals were wrapped in plastic. This keeps them clean and dust free.
This cabinet contains a stuffed Puffin and some kind of Tern or sea bird.
Here is part of a dragon costume (the head) that is worn at Chinese celebrations, such as the New Year.
Next we visited an area where a few birds were undergoing some repair work prior to being in the next exhibit.
After the tour, Leona and I sat on a park bench close to the Burrard Inlet to rest and have some lunch.
It was an enjoyable day, cool but sunny; so we walked along the multi-use path to Granville Island.
From there we took a little sea bus shuttle to the Olympic Villages, and caught the Sky Train back to East Vancouver and "The Drive".
Vancouver has so many older buildings to visit, so Leona and I decided to conduct a self-guided tour around the downtown area known as "Gas Town".
We left "The Drive" with its coffee shops and murals for a ride on the #20 bus.
In my mind, the building that has the most "Wow Factor" is the Marine Building (completed in 1930).
By far, it is the best example of Art Deco architecture that I have ever seen.
The terra cotta exterior depicts scenic landscapes, sea life, 1920's state of the art modes of transportation and vessels that were significant to Vancouver's business.
Inside, you will find two very large stained glass windows at each end of the main lobby. The ceiling is impressive and the marble floor has the twelve zodiac signs painted in the centre of the foyer.
The 1980's renovation program restored this unique building's features and upgraded the operational systems.
It seems that these folks decide to keep the old telephone booths...sans telephones.
There are, of course, other heritage buildings, but I did not take any pictures. Instead, we walked around the waterfront and I took a photo of Canada Place.
Last month I booked a flight to Vancouver.
It was time to visit my sister on the West Coast, and it was a nice respite after finishing my Chemotherapy treatments.
Leona met me a the airport and gave me a "Compass" card for traveling around the city (the card, with money on it, was my birthday present).
My sister's little garden out front, on the boulevard was doing well;
especially the Irises.
The first trip we made was on the Sea Bus to the North Shore and the Lonsdale Quay.
I was Cinco de Mayo, and there were celebrations happening in the market, with lively, colourful Mexican dancers.
The next day we went on a bird watching hike with a Nature Vancouver guide, around Trout Lake (to me it was more of a large pond).
This lake is located in a park in Vancouver near Victoria Drive and East 12th Ave., but still has the feel of the country, much like our Don Valley.
After the the walkabout, we stopped by the Farmer's Market that happens on weekends. There were lots of interesting food stalls, including gluten-free stuff, rhubarb, and plants.
At the end of the row of stalls were several food trucks with hungry customers.
