I left the condo before 7am to get back across the border to the ferry for Vancouver Island and the city of Victoria. I’d heard a lot about it, so I thought I go for the day.
I had a bit of an adventure at lunch as the hotel clerk said Fisherman’s Wharf had some nice shops and good fish & chips. It was a bit of a hike (30 minutes) on my new knee, but I saw a few nice things along the way.
When I finally got to Fisherman’s Wharf, I found out that virtually everything was closed for the winter except for the whale watching cruise (no thanks) and the Mexican Seafood take out restaurant (absolutely not). Needless to say, I was not happy. I wouldn’t have minded the long schlep if it had been worth the trip. But all I did was take a few pictures before hopping on the water taxi (C$12.50) for the ride across the bay as I knew I wouldn’t be able to walk that far back.
Once back on the other side of the harbor, I had to climb at least 30 stairs to get back to street level. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but I haven’t done many stairs since my surgery. I made it, but it took a bit of time.
I stopped to inquire about afternoon tea at the Empress Hotel but didn’t want to pay C$95 (US$71) for sandwiches and tea. So, I took a couple of pics and went on my way, again, searching for lunch.
I found a pedestrian street lined with shops but not a ton of restaurants. I wasn’t desperate enough to eat at Burger King, so I kept walking until I finally found the Bard and Banker. There was a long wait for a table, so I bellied up to the bar and enjoyed my fish and chips. Yes, it turns out I didn’t have to walk to Fisherman’s Wharf for fish and chips. This place was a 5-minute walk from my hotel. Not a happy camper was I.
After a very filling lunch I went back to the hotel for a rest before taking the car to the ferry terminal. I wasn’t able to get a reservation for the ferry to Port Angeles, so I queued up for the 15-20 first come first serve spots. Luckily, I was number 6 so I was able to get a confirmed ticket for Friday’s 1030 ferry.
As it was getting dark, I strolled past the inner harbor and back to the pedestrian area to look at the lights. This first picture is of the harbor and the legislative building. It was so pretty.
I picked up a native carving by a local artist in one of the shops then headed home. By the time I got back to the hotel I had walked over 10,000 steps!! That’s the most I’ve walked in one day since our Epic European Adventure last year. My knee held up pretty well, but I’ll rest it a bit tomorrow. I need to walk back to the ferry terminal but that should only take about 10-15 minutes. After that, it’s sitting in the car for 90 minutes until I can board the ferry for the 3-hour ride back to Washington. So, my knee will have time to recover.
Time to get ready for bed….I’m exhausted.