Heading to Victoria, BC at the end of March. Planning on flying to Seattle on a Wednesday evening , then on Thursday driving to Port Angeles and then taking the ferry to Victoria. May spend a few hours (I know, not nearly enough time) at Olympic National Park as part of that day.
Will spend Friday and Saturday in Victoria and then Sunday is a reverse of Thursday although I could take the ferry straight back to Seattle but it’s a lot more expensive.
Would welcome any advice on the feasibility of this plus any thoughts on Victoria hotels etc. I prefer historic hotels but also am cost-conscious. Planning a visit to Butchart Gardens and afternoon tea likely at the Empress hotel and a visit to some of the historic sites and general downtown strolling.
The Black Ball ferry from PA only has two departures a day, the last one at 2 PM, so if you’re driving from Seattle, you won’t have a lot of time to explore Olympic National Park. You might drive up to Hurricane Ridge, but you probably won’t have much time there either. It’s really expensive and a pain to take a car over, and I wouldn’t, unless you plan on traveling up the island. There are several ways to get to Butchart Gardens without one. Buses still leave from The Empress, I think. If you can drop off a rental car and then reclaim one on your return, you might be happier. Or it might be cheaper to just park the rental in Port Angeles and walk over. If you do take the car, know that you need reservations in advance for the ferry, and that parking is not easy in Victoria.
The American dollar is strong in Canada, so you might think about staying at The Empress. My favorite hotel in Victoria is the Magnolia Hotel, an easy walk from the ferry. Not inexpensive, but lovely. People really like the Laurel Point Inn, as well. But there are oodles of hotels in Victoria that are just fine. If you want to take a lovely walk, go to Beacon Hill Park and then (and/or) take a walk along Dallas Road and the waterfront. Munro’s Bookstore and Murchies’ Tea are great stops, as if the Emily Carr house.
We stayed at the Empress for part of our honeymoon, and liked it quite a bit. It was also relatively reasonably priced. This was however a long time ago. We also quite liked having tea at the Empress.
We did not have a car in Victoria. We got there via a ferry from downtown Vancouver to downtown Victoria, and just walked across the street to the Empress. There is a bus (or was at the time) from the Empress to Butchart Gardens. Another day we walked to a Native American museum that was quite nearby. There were also some nice little shops near the Empress in downtown Victoria. Victoria is a nice compact small city, and I do not think that a car is needed.
When my mother was a little girl she would occasionally visit a relative in Victoria (we took the same relative to tea at the Empress when we were on our honeymoon way, way more recently, but still more than 30 years ago). At the time Buchart Gardens was free (or so she claimed). That was, however, something like 100 years ago.
Was thinking the PA ferry instead of the Seattle ferry because it’s a lot less expensive and supposed to be more scenic and because we also wanted a small road trip component to the trip.
That said, if it makes a lot more sense, we could take the ferry from Seattle instead and forgo the car altogether.
We did a seaplane to Victoria as well, but we did it from Vancouver. It was fabulous! We did the seaplane one way, spent the day in Victoria, and then a whale watching boat on the way back. I believe that’s offered from Seattle as well.
That sounds fun! I actually looooove ferries so am partially planning this trip around the ferry ride. But I do have to get back to Seattle so it would be nice to have options.
I think it’s Kenmore Air, out of Lake Union. If you’re ever around Lake Union in Seattle, you can watch the float planes come and go, landing on the lake. They go right to the Inner Harbour in Victoria, right by the Empress.
Get a reservation if you’re driving onto the ferry in PA and most definitely for driving on from Victoria on Sunday.
From either the Edmonds/Kingston or the downtown Seattle/Bainbridge ferry terminal, you should allow about 2 hours after docking to get to PA. On a Thursday morning, ferry traffic from either Edmonds or Seattle shouldn’t be too bad, but allow enough time in case you have to wait for another boat. Also pay attention to the ferry lines; bypassing and lane cutting will send you all the way to the back. Sundays can be very heavy, so you can’t count on getting a specific ferry. We just start driving and assume that we’ll get on at some point.
The Washington DOT website https://wsdot.wa.gov/ will give current info on ferry schedules and status as well as any traffic alerts.
My kids went to Victoria every year for band and loved tea at the Empress and visiting the history museum.
If you go Edmonds to Kingston, stop in at Butcher & Baker in Port Gamble & pick up a lunch or snack. Delicious food. You can order ahead.
If you go through Bainbridge (Winslow ferry) there’s a nice Town & Country market with pretty good takeaway options.
We don’t have to take the car, I just thought maybe we would want to drive around the area. We could also leave the car at the ferry terminal and just come back for it on our return.
Plans have solidified and tickets have been purchased. Flying to Seattle on a Wednesday evening and then leaving early the next morning with a one -way/one day car rental to Port Angeles. Taking the 2 pm ferry to Victoria and will probably wander the harbor and get a nice dinner on Thursday. Friday and Saturday will be sightseeing , Butchart Gardens, afternoon tea, with a seaplane ride from Victoria to Seattle Saturday evening. Then Sunday touring Seattle (I’d like to see the salmon swim upstream if I can) and then home.
I would welcome any additional suggestions from anyone for favorite restaurants!
Also, still trying to decide on afternoon tea location. The Empress, the one that is actually in Butchart Gardens, and Pendray Tea House are all being considered.
One possibility is to do a tiered-tray breakfast at Pendray which is tea-esque and then just decide between the other two. But I am traveling with my son and I think he wants a heartier breakfast than that!
The best times to see salmon going up the ladder are late summer-early fall. You might not see any this time of the year. But the Locks themselves are quite a thing to see!
If you’re looking for a place to eat with a great view in Seattle, I recommend making reservations at Palisade. Amazing views of the city! Not inexpensive though. Alternatively, Salty’s on Alki has great views of the city skyline. And has a killer Sunday branch buffet - not cheap, but with a young man who likes substantial meals, it might be worth it.
