Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Sailing, Sailing over the Ocean Blue - Victoria, BC


Day 41 - Victoria Clipper - Seattle, Washington to Victoria, British Columbia

Rob continued to be determined to never retrace steps so we were in a quandary on how to complete the last leg of our trip.  We brainstormed different route options and decided that a leg on the Victoria Clipper from Seattle to Victoria was the answer!

We booked passage for 2 and reserved space for our bikes.   We had a few hours to spend in Seattle before our sailing time....so of course, we decided to cycle.  Seattle has a fantastic bike path along the ocean front and we jumped at the chance to explore the City by bike.  We even managed to find a section of beach where we could dip our tires in the Pacific....our celebration of sorts!

Tire dipping celebration - Pacific Ocean - Seattle

Cruise ship terminal - Seattle, Washington

View of the Space Needle from the Seattle bike path
The Clipper is the way to travel between Seattle and Victoria...it is fast, the on board service is superb and the views are terrific!  

Victoria Clipper boarding area

Victoria clipper leaving downtown Seattle for Victoria

Our plan was to disembark and cycle to visit with the A Team.  (our amazing family).  We patiently waited for our bikes, cleared customs and exited the building ......and then we got the SURPRISE of a lifetime.  Standing at the exit doors were our kids, Ian and Emma, Rob's folks, sister Nancy and brother-in law Paul.  I was so excited and thrilled that I was literally shaking.  Rumour has it that I let out a scream of joy, but I am convinced that I was calm, cool and collected!

It was Father's Day and I can't imagine a better gift for Rob!  We hugged and laughed and hugged some more.  The A team put on the most amazing dinner as we celebrated Father's Day x 3, Emma's birthday, Marco's birthday, our trip and last but not least we celebrated our nephew Luc being certified as a Commercial pilot.  In fact, in order to pull off the surprise of the century, Luc flew Emma and Ian from Boundary Bay to Victoria.  Unfortunately, Adam and Marco weren't able to be with us due to work and school commitments, but we are sure they were there in spirit and we thought of them often.

Welcome Back Party with Tourism Cafe team - Victoria, BC

Giggle of the day:

The giggles were plentiful that night and as we sat back and watched the gang chatting and laughing we reflected on our trip.  Being surrounded by family and laughter was the perfect end to our tour and a poignant reminder that .....there's no place like home!



......even if it is laundry day!

1 comment:

  1. Yah team! It was so great you swung by Victoria and we could enjoy the first batch of stories, hot off the trail! It was great to see you, fun to have a super family gathering live and by skype for those that couldn't be there, and eat, drink and be merry! We look forward to following your next journey! Congratulations!!!

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