Category: 2023 PCWand Canada

I spent last night (Friday) at Lake Crescent Lodge in Olympic National Park in Washington. And, like most National Parks, there was no internet in the rooms. So, for one night I was transported back to the stone age, the time before internet. It was actually quite nice to be cut off from civilization for a night. Well, actually, I could get internet on my phone but there was nothing I needed so I was good with being disconnected.

The ferry ride from Victoria to Port Angeles was only 90 minutes, not the 3 hours I thought, so I got to the National Park with plenty of day light left. Of course, there was no sun, but at least I had plenty of time to do what I wanted before it got dark.

There was a short hike from the lodge but since it was starting to drizzle, I decided walking on a wet path was not the best idea, so I took a pass and hung out by the fireplace in the lodge lobby for a couple of hours.

For dinner I had the hearty Chicken Pot Pie.

I left early this morning to head back to Seattle. I didn’t have to return the car until tomorrow, so I thought about visiting the downtown area for a while but the closer I got, the rainier it became so I decided to go straight to the airport hotel. In spite of it being only 10am, they still checked me in (I love being a Diamond Hilton member) so I took the bags up and went to the airport to return the car.

My afternoon was lazy and included a little nap, which was wonderful. I had delicious clam chowder for dinner and am now settled for the night. Tomorrow’s flight is at 8:30 so I have an early morning.

This week was just what I needed….a little time away for the holiday. Of course, I missed Peter like crazy, but I think it was easier to be out here than at home with all the memories.

My next trip is in January, a long weekend in Palm Springs where I’ll meet my niece and her family. I can’t wait to see them.

Happy New Year!

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.

Sunday to Wednesday

I decided to head someplace different for my first Christmas without my sweetie and ended up in Birch Bay Washington. I am staying in a nice 2-bedroom condo.

Christmas was very quiet and peaceful, which is exactly what I needed. The 26th was another low-key day. All I did was drive south to Bellingham to go to a movie. I saw The Color Purple and enjoyed it very much.

Today (Wednesday) I took a day trip to Vancouver. I’d never been there before and even though it was a bit rainy in the morning it was still a nice day. I spent some time in the Granville Island Public Market before heading across the street to the Net Loft, a small mall filled with artisan shops.

This was outside the market, next to the bay.

After a little window shopping, I got back in the car and headed to Gastown, the historic district of Vancouver. There I saw the only steam operated clock in the world.

I also found Victory Park with its war memorial.

I wandered some more trying to find the millennium arch. I didn’t find that, but I did stumble into Chinatown.

I stopped for lunch at one of the only restaurants I found open and had dim sum. Apparently, Vancouver’s Chinatown is famous for their dim sum. I had pork in steamed buns which were delicious and then some beef, which I didn’t like as well.

After lunch I had a pretty long walk back to the car and then headed to Stanley Park. I originally planned to visit the Aquarium, but by this time I had walked over 6700 steps, which is the longest I’d walked on my new knee. Since it felt good in spite of the steps, I decided not to push my luck. I only drove around the park for a few minutes before heading out.

On my way out of town, I found the city’s Christmas tree. I was stopped at a light, and this was the best pic I was able to get. Not bad given that I took it out of the front window of the car. I’m sure it’s very pretty at night with all the lights.

The backup to cross the border back into the US was crazy long, but luckily, I had my global entry card. I was still in line for more than an hour before I realized that the lane going to the duty-free store split into two…one of which was for global entry. So, that’s 75 minutes of my life I’ll never get back, but it could have been much worse. Given that I only moved about 100 yards in that amount of time, and I was still 1km from the crossing, I would have been waiting at least 2-2 1/2 hours to get through the border. So, I guess I shouldn’t complain too much.

Tomorrow, I head back into Canada (crossing that way is much easier) and take a ferry to Vancouver Island where I’ll spend the night in Victoria. I’ve heard from so many people that it’s a beautiful city so I’m looking forward to it. I’ll let you know how it goes.