I think we are finally caught up on sleep! After two days of feeling like zombies, we treated ourselves to a relaxing morning at the Empress (as one should do when staying at such nice hotels =) We slept in, went for a swim in the pool and spa (we had it all to ourselves!), then packed our bags and left them with the porter before setting out to explore the town.
We were told that Beacon Hill Park was a nice place in town only a few blocks from the waterfront. Indeed, it was a nice place for a walk with numerous duck ponds, fountains & flower beds. We sat down to eat lunch (and perhaps feed the ducks) and I pulled out my “walking tour” list that I printed out at home. It said something about a scenic overloook nearby where we were. We figured we’d give it a try and my oh my, what a wonderful surprise it was.
After cresting a hill, the trees opened up and one could see snow-capped mountains in the distance (Olympic NP in Washington). As we got closer, we noticed the cliffs that dropped out to the beach. We hiked down and scrambled over rocks; what a neat hike! We ended up at water-break that juts several hundred feet out into the ocean to protect Victoria’s inner harbour. We saw all sorts of marine life (purple sea-stars and an octopus!) while out there. We treated ourselves to ice cream and headed back into town to catch the Clipper back to Seattle.
The boat ride back was also rewarding with views of Whistler, Olympic Mtns, and Mt. Rainier. Pulling 30 knots, we made it back to Seattle just before dark, caught a quick dinner then caught the bus back to the hotel. What a fantastic day!
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