Victoria Express

Summer is the season for exploring, so take the passenger ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria, and hop aboard a Harbour Ferry for a fun adventure in the Inner Harbor of Victoria.  These jaunty little boats offer a fun and unique experience.

The Ferry Captains are extremely knowledgeable about the waters around Victoria and the history of Victoria. They will lead visitors on Old Town Shopping Hops, Westsong hop and walk, Victoria Harbour and Gorge Waterway Tours, and various group tours and charters.

Ask your captain to lead you to Fisherman’s Wharf and check out the eclectic collection of float homes. Stop for lunch. Have tea at Point Ellice House. Stare in awe at the reversing waterfall, and make a list of areas to revisit after the 45-minute tour.

Even if you decide not to  hop aboard one of the Harbour Ferries, while in Victoria you should definitely plan to be near the Inner Harbour on Sunday morning at 10:45 AM to watch the Harbour Ferries perform a water ballet to the music of the Blue Danube Waltz.

The Victoria Express also offers overnight packages in Victoria that allow ample time to explore the rich history in and around this amazing travel destination.

As of June 26, it will be possible for folks to ride a passenger ferry from Friday Harbor to Victoria Fridays through Mondays (through September 7). This is a great opportunity for the islanders of the San Juan Islands to travel directly to the beautiful international city of Victoria B.C. and even continue to the natural wonders of the Olympic Peninsula.

Twilight in Forks

You’ve read the books and seen the movie; now visit the places that inspired it.

Victoria Express is offering special Twilight Tours; take the passenger ferry from Victoria to the land of Vampires & Werewolves, where you will experience a full day of adventure, discovery, romance, surprises and more. Your morning will start with a scenic cruise from Victoria to Port Angeles, WA. There you will board the Twilight Shuttle, which will take you to the center of the action, Forks Washington. Visit and photograph all of the places Bella and Edward fell in love. Then cross the Treaty Line and explore La Push. The Twilight Shuttle will return you to Port Angeles, where you can visit where Bella discovered Edward’s true identity.

It does not matter if you are Team Edward, Team Jacob or Team Switzerland; you will have the time of your life. – Call 250-361-9144 for details and tour dates.

Deadwood Revival plays the Concerts on the Pier August 5

This summer, take the passenger ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles and enjoy free concerts on the city pier. Wednesday evenings, June 24 to September 2, great musicians will be playing between 6 and 8 PM. Bring a blanket or a lawn chair and sample various food vendors on the pier. Or grab an early dinner in town before heading over to listen to the music.

The ferry between Victoria and Port Angeles offers several overnight packages: arrive in Port Angeles in the early afternoon, listen to great music that evening, spend the night at a hotel in the heart of Port Angeles, and return home the next day. You don’t need to deal with your car, since shops, restaurants, the pier and hotel are all a short walk from the ferry dock.

Few venues in the state are so beautifully situatued. The pier juts out into the Straits of Juan de Fuca, providing immense views of the Olympic Mountains in one direction, and a vast, open, sunset over the water in the other direction.

Following is the schedule of performers for the 2009 Port Angeles Concert on the Pier series:

June 24: Big Fine Daddies Rock & Roll

July 1: Luck of the Draw Bluegrass

July 8: Lynn Peterson & The Phat Kattz Jazz Cabaret

July 15: Green Light Situation Island Rock

July 22: Jim Hoffman Band Country Rock

*July 29: (6-7pm) Peninsula College Jazz Ensemble Jazz

*July 29: (7-8pm) Dixi Blue Jazz

August 5: Deadwood Revival Bluegrass

August 12: Tune Stranglers Swing Era Jazz

August 19: Nakai’i Hawaiian Music Hawaiian

August 26: Electric Wood Soul/R&B/Reggae

September 2: Howly and Da’ Boyz Country

Should terrible weather prevail, the Gateway Plaza is the alternate venue.

For more information, please call 360-452-2363 ex 11.
Remember, passports or enhanced driver’s licenses are now required for travel between Canada and the United States.

Victoria's Open Space Chapel offers a less traditional wedding

June is the perfect time for a wedding, and Victoria is a perfect place for one. That’s the running philosophy at the Open Space Chapel. On Saturday, June 6 from 7:30 pm until 1:00 am, the folks at Open Space are offering their chapel to anyone who wants to get married. Admission to a ceremony is $5 and non-binding marriage license will be available with a donation.

More important to these folks than the legality of the union is the fun to be had at a wedding. With that thought predominant, musicians will be on site. Victoria’s dearly beloved ballroom swing band Meatdraw will set the mood. The Revolucionary Cyborg Wedding Band of course has to be there. And Bu?an Bu?an, the newest Eastern European sound in Victoria, is guaranteed to set a fine mood. In addition, there will be performances and karaoke and photo portraits.

So grab your sweetie, or a friend, and hop on board the ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria. Once there, get married, or attend a marriage, or just join in the festivities at the Open Space Chapel. Why not? The Victoria Express ferry between Port Angeles WA and Victoria BC offers many special travel packages, many of which include overnight accomodations.

Remember, as of June 1, 2009, an enhanced driver’s license or passport is required for travel between the United States and Canada.

This weekend, ride the passenger ferry from Port Angeles WA to Victoria BC and be among the first to check out Giant Landscape: British Columbia Landscapes Exhibition. Beginning Saturday, June 6th, 2009 and running until September 7th, 2009, this exhibit will run seven days a week at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, which is an easy walk from the passenger ferry terminal in Victoria.

British Columbia is an area graced with magnificent physical beauty on a very grand scale. Much of the land is undeveloped. To stand in the wilderness of British Columbia is to experience humility in the face of Nature. Artists over the years have found the vastness of the wilderness, the size of the trees and the proximity of the Pacific both alluring and intimidating; a hardy few have captured some of the extreme beauty of the place – their work forms the basis of this exhibition.

According to the museum’s website, the exhibit “explores how approaches to the monumental and richly varying topography have changed from the romantic visions of early visitors to the region to interpretations by those living here such as Emily Carr, Fred Varley, E.J. Hughes, Sybil Andrews, and B.C. Binning.”

Amazing British Columbia Landscapes

There are a number of specials offered by the passenger ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria. Many include lodging and enough free time to explore the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria at your leisure. The Victoria Express is a great way to travel across the Salish Sea.

Certainly not everyone goes wild over bugs, but you have to admit that they are fascinating little creatures. Or not so little, as the case may be. The Victoria Bug Zoo has some pretty big bugs on hand, and while you are there you may even hold a few in your hand. If you feel adventurous, consider taking the scenic passenger ferry to Victoria this summer, and spending an afternoon at the Victoria Bug Zoo. You won’t be disappointed.

There are creatures from all around the world at this bug zoo. From giant walkingsticks to glow-in-the-dark scorpions, you will be stunned at the wide variety of insects and spiders that have made their way to Victoria. Canada’s largest ant farm is here, along with a 400 leg millipede as long as your forearm. Really. The fact that you can put that millipede on your forearm makes it truly worth a visit.

The Victoria Bug Zoo is an easy walk from the Victoria passenger ferry dock. This would make a great day trip from Port Angeles, or part of an extended Victoria getaway. The Victoria Express offers a variety of overnight specials in Victoria that include round trip ferry tickets, lodging, and fun activities in Victoria.

Remember that passports or enhanced drivers licenses are now required for travel between the United States and Canada.

Victoria Bug Zoo