Summer's here, AT LAST. Given the gas prices and the fact that you really don't want to leave the PNW anyway, why not head up to Victoria?

Jon and I did just that a few weeks ago. It was a surprise getaway for his birthday. We left on a Friday morning and took the ferry out of Port Angeles. After a leisurely ride, a picnic lunch at the ferry dock and a cruise across the Strait of Juan de Fuca, we were in Victoria and checked into our hotel, the Magnolia Hotel and Spa, by mid-afternoon. The hotel is located just a block off of the main shopping area and the Inner Harbor and we arrived with plenty of time to enjoy a walk around downtown and to have a lovely dinner at a tapas bar we discovered down a side alley.

View from the Magnolia Hotel and Spa

I had been to Victoria a couple of times previously but had never ventured beyond the city itself. This time, with my Hidden British Columbia guide in hand (written by my friend and fellow Seattleite, Eric Lucas), we were determined to visit areas beyond the shops filled with maple candy and fudge. So, we went hiking!

On Saturday, we drove out of town, about an hour west of the city, to East Sooke, where numerous trail heads lead into beautiful forest. We hiked for several hours into the woods on trails that weaved in and out along rocky shoreline with views of the Strait. A "guard" sat in the parking lot until 2 p.m. to keep an eye out for the young thugs who break into cars in the parking lot. That day, the guard was a woman who was enjoying the down time to catch up on reading her romance novels.

East Sooke Park is a 3,500-acre park and, in addition to the hiking trails, includes opportunities for swimming, fishing and picnicking.

The highlight to our little excursion, however, was an unexpected detour that we took. While driving along the quiet road that leads to the Park, we saw a sign at the foot of someone's driveway. "Farmer's Market 11 am. Coffee, tea, muffins 10:30".

Coffee, tea and muffins at the farmhouse

How could we pass that up?

We quickly pulled a u-turn and headed up the long drive until we pulled up to a farmhouse where several other cars were parked and people were milling about. We hopped out of the car and were quickly welcomed to this weekly community event.

The owner of the farm opens her home up each week to her neighbors (and, like us, outsiders) when she offers coffee, tea and homemade muffins for $1 each and then opens up her little makeshift store for everyone to stock up. She bakes her own fresh bread, seasonal pies and muffins. She harvests her own fruits and vegetables and sells those as well. We sat with the neighbors, who were all very enthusiastic to have this opportunity to get together each week.

We spent a leisurely evening walking downtown Victoria on Saturday night and then grabbed the early ferry back to Port Angeles on Sunday morning. Luckily we had purchased a ticket in advance as it was nearly sold out.

Victoria at night

Travel Well!

Please read about my travels on my Wanderlust and Lipstick blog.

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