Victoria, BC

Taking the ferry from Port Angeles, WA to Victoria, BC - nice ferry ride and it was beautiful outside....
crisp, clear fall day - ferry ride took about 1 1/2 hours.    

Grand Pacific Hotel - where we stayed.  Very nice hotel right across from ferry and overlooking harbor... very pleasant and kid friendly and the pool was excellent.  

Looking out across the harbor from our hotel - towards the 'Empress Hotel'

Several ducks that accompany the hotel - that are fed and they let kid's feed them in the mornings. 

The Parliament building

'The Empress' Hotel - the hotel we would have liked to stay in... I love the foliage
growing on the outside of the hotel - especially in the fall time.

The narrowest shopping area in N. America - it does open up a bit more in the middle -
I'm not sure we would have found this on our own.  

Peacock at Beacon Park - right in downtown Victoria only a few blocks from the harbor and our hotel.
It had a petting zoo, all kinds of animals roaming around the park (mostly peacocks, ducks, deer, squirrels and birds from what we saw).  The kid's loved this park...and there was a nice play park area for the kid's. 

Our fall hike in Goldstream - looking for the salmon run... only saw a few baby salmon but
had wonderful weather and nice fall colors. 

Bailey's find - a jellyfish when we were checking out one of the coastal
towns - Sooke; looking into the waters with view of the Olympics. 

When leaving British Columbia, we took a ferry out of Sydney
to Anacortez, WA.  This ferry first stopped at Friday Harbor and made it
a 3 hour ferry ride.  But it was perfect for the kid's who napped (Parker) and
it was beautiful outside so we were able to soak in some sunshine and read.  Bailey
met a friend on the boat and they played the entire time.  

Last stop - outside Seattle visiting the Spraetz family.  Bailey isn't in the picture (she was mad).
My last hurrah before heading back to work tomorrow - after my almost 6 week sabbatical.  It was
so nice!!!  I enjoyed spending time with the kid's....mostly.