I’ve lost count now how many times that Karen and I have travelled to Victoria. It’s our place. This time though, we met some good friends on their overlapping trip.

Chinatown for dim sum and Fan Tan Alley was of course on our agenda.

We began the trip per our usual routine, staying the first night at The Edgewater Hotel next to the pier where we would board our ferry in the morning. There’s a giant cruise ship over my shoulder in this photo, just outside our room.

While the girls enjoyed high tea, Chris and I focused on locally crafted brews at a nearby pub.

No trip is complete without a visit to the Butchard Gardens. The start of October was too late in the season for the rose garden.

My favorite is always the Japanese Garden, for the seclusive shady spots.

Karen always looks pretty in flowers.

We ended the trip, again on the ferry, back to Seattle. The GOP-led government shutdown delayed our flight home the next day, but we enjoyed every minute of our trip.