- Empress Hotel
During a particularly hot weekend in August, my luv and I started dreaming of cooler destinations where we might actually experience a bit of fall. We settled on a long weekend in Victoria, British Columbia in mid-September (neither of us had previously been). We flew into Vancouver and after six different modes of transportation, we finally arrived on Vancouver Island, specifically the city of Victoria, to find much cooler temperatures! Victoria is the capital of British Columbia, the largest city on Vancouver Island and one of the oldest cities in the Pacific Northwest. We spent a few hours exploring the city, including the Fairmont Empress Hotel which opened in 1908. I already want to go back to experience their Afternoon Tea!
We stayed at the Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa, which is located in the mountains about 20 minutes from downtown Victoria. It’s a great property with beautiful views, especially on the golf course! There are several hiking options directly connected to the hotel and a lot of opportunities to see different wildlife. Since we were flying out of Seattle, we took the Queen Victoria ferry to Seattle on Sunday afternoon. My only regret is we didn’t have longer to explore more of Vancouver Island!
Looks gorgeous!