When we got married, in October of 2003, my husband and I decided to go to Victoria, British Columbia, for our short honeymoon.  Hubby had lived in the Pacific Northwest since 1980, and he had never been to Victoria, which is just a few hours away, north of us.  So I contacted Clipper Vacations, who run the Victoria Clipper catamaran and had them do a honeymoon package for us.  They booked us the hotel we wanted (Inn at Laurel Point), and all the normal touristy stuff people do in Victoria.  We went on a tour of the famous Butchart Gardens, had High Tea at the Empress Hotel, and a bus tour of the town.  And we spent the next couple of days just walking all over town and admiring the scenery from our wonderful hotel balcony which had a view of the Inner Harbour.  Every couple of years since then, we have returned to Victoria, stayed at the same hotel, and explored more of the area of Vancouver Island when we went by our own car.  There are many ways to get to Victoria, and we have taken all but one.  You can, of course, take the Victoria Clipper, which drops you right at the waterfront.  You can take the Coho, the Black Ball Line car ferry from Port Angeles, Washington on the north Olympic Peninsula, about an hour’s trip across the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  You can take the Washington State Ferry, which leaves from Anacortes and wends its way through the beautiful San Juan Islands before landing at the town of Sydney, a few miles from Victoria.  Or you can drive to Vancouver, B.C., and take the BC Ferry from Tsawwassen.  Lastly, you can take a float-plane on Kenmore Air, which drops you right in the Inner Harbour (the only way we haven’t gone).

Herewith, a selection of the many beautiful sights of Victoria, British Columbia.

The above photo taken from our balcony at the Inn at Laurel Point.

Below are some of the beautiful sights at Butchart Gardens, outside Victoria.

On the way back to town…

So if you’re trying to find a pleasant, peaceful, beautiful place for a weekend getaway, or a honeymoon, you can’t find a nicer place than Victoria, B.C.  Especially,now that your US dollar goes farther!