As the Black Ball Ferry “Coho” enters Victoria Harbor following its 90-minute crossing of the Salish Sea from Port Angeles, the stately Fairmount Empress hotel — Victoria’s centerpiece — comes into view. The scene is a bit “Oz” in nature: The stunning building is so perfectly placed, it feels as if the bucolic harbor was constructed around this national historic site and acts as the entry gate to a stunning Canadian-themed park.
This, actually, is not too far from the truth. The story goes that the Fairmont Empress, fondly referred to as “the Castle on the Coast,” was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway to complete a nationwide series of grand hotels at points along the railway to encourage passenger travel. My bride and I spent three nights at the Fairmont Empress in Victoria last June and had a wonderful time.
The Trek
For us, from Kingston, the most efficient route was to drive to Port Angeles and board the “Coho,” which accommodates more than a hundred vehicles. Since so much of Victoria is walkable, we decided to walk on (for only $22.75 each adult) for the quick and comfortable passage. The boarding process was very efficient, with customs taking a mere couple of minutes to clear on both the Canadian and U.S. sides.
On board, the ferry offered snacks, prepared sandwiches, beer, soft drinks and more. There was also a small gift shop and a well-priced, duty-free store for tax-free spirits (including a well-priced bottle of the beautiful, purple Empress gin that is produced for its namesake hotel).
There were plenty of parking lots near the terminal. Some noted that the lots were under 24-hour surveillance. Of course, drive-on space was available on the ferry as well, but we didn’t miss our car and used the occasional taxi to deliver us to distant attractions.
Accommodations
The Fairmont Empress is well worth a splurge. Undergoing renovation in 2019, this modern property was updated where it needs to be, yet exudes a classic, understated luxury at every corner. It goes without saying that its location is premier, overlooking the harbor and within 10 blocks of virtually every desirable shopping and dining location downtown. The walk from the ferry terminal is just 10 minutes.
We were staying with friends, so we felt it was worth the additional cost for the hotel’s club level, as it gave us a location to meet for breakfast and after-dinner cocktails. Expansive in size, the club spans the front of the hotel over the famous The Empress sign, with an outside deck that delivers amazing views of the harbor and a rewarding sunset.
A delicious and substantial hot breakfast was offered as a buffet every morning with sweets. Snacks were also set out in the afternoon and heavy hors d’oeuvres in the evening. A very fairly priced, self-service honor bar featured several brands of high-quality spirits, wines and beer throughout the day. There are, of course, other dining options in the hotel, one of which we fell in love with on our last night.
Dining
Our first night took us to one of Victoria’s most popular dining spots, Little Jumbo, an intimate, upstairs location only a 10-minute walk from the Empress. Little Jumbo poured generous and very creative cocktails and had excellent service and a brief but varied and creative menu. We walked away satisfied.
We wanted to take advantage of the local seafood bounty, so our second dinner was at Ferris’ Upstairs Seafood + Oyster Bar. A short, 10-minute-ish walk from the hotel, Ferris’ was excellent. We shared chorizo puffs with rosemary honey, fried smelts with squid ink aioli, and chicken liver pate with truffled butter, red onion jam and crostini. We then all ordered various seafood dishes for our mains, and everything was spot on. The provenance was unquestionable.
We did want to take in one of the restaurants at the Empress, so after loving lunch at the Q Bar in the hotel, we returned that night for dinner. This bar acts as a grand reception area for the two accompanying restaurants. With soaring ceilings and stunning views, the bar was striking and electric with energy as people were effusive with chatter and laughter.
While the food menu in the bar was very brief, the staff offered the menu from the adjoining Veranda restaurant upon request. This was wonderful and enough to lure us back for a third dinner, perhaps our favorite of the trip. The drink menu was very well curated and featured numerous drinks starring the aforementioned purple beauty, the Empress gin. A visit to this property would not be complete without drinks taken at the Q Bar at some point.
Play
A trip to Victoria without visiting the Butchart Gardens would be akin to going to Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower. The difference being that Butchart Gardens is worth the trip. You may not experience anything else close to the beauty that surrounds you there. With 55 acres to cover, more than 900 bedding plant varieties and 26 greenhouses, superlatives are in short supply for describing what you’ll experience.
Given the summer crowds, our timing was ideal. We arrived when the park opened at 10 a.m., toured for two hours and then enjoyed the wonderful high tea in one of the three on-site restaurants. This schedule avoided the rush of cruise-ship tour buses.
The garden offers year-round activities, with over 300,000 spring bulbs, summer live music entertainment and Saturday fireworks, autumn colors and Christmas lights and carols. There is so much beauty there that a trip to Victoria is worth the time even if you only visit Butchart Gardens.
Additional fun included a cab ride back to town that detoured to a stunning viewpoint at the Herzberg Observatory, Beach Drive with its waterfront mansions, and the beautiful Victoria Golf Club. The next day, we visited the ornate Craigdarroch Castle (pack your comfortable shoes for the five stories of stairs) and took a leisurely water tour of Victoria Harbor on one of the cute little “pickle” boats buzzing around the harbor.
With Port Angeles a mere 90 minutes from Central Kitsap and Victoria just another 90 minutes by ferry, this absolute gem of natural beauty, food and fun makes for the perfect long-weekend getaway.
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