Home on Whidbey: BC

Home Sweet Home!

Our flight back from Victoria was calm, easy and uneventful, thanks to Fred's planning. He got us home before the storm, prepared our customs arrival in Friday Harbor for the greatest of ease, and piloted us with calm expertise.

We arrived back in Langley at Porter Field (now called Whidbey Airpark), not very far from Whidbey's famous Mulikteo Coffee Company, where one can drink excellent coffee and eat fabulous food, which we did immediately after touch down.

Whidbey Airpark

The views we enjoyed returning to Whidbey were of clouds (sometimes we were in them), gray skies and changing, windy weather conditions. Not the same beauty, or cold, of the previous day, but beautiful nevertheless although more volatile. The northwest seems to always have amazing light and ever changing weather patterns.

Langley Boat Harbor

Victoria the Beautiful

Why is the horse drawn carriage so romantic?

We've all seen these images hundreds of times but who can resist just one more photo shot. The romance, beauty, splendor and history of Victoria captivates our minds and imaginations while stimulating our visual impulses. Victoria is a splendid city!

Reflections

An up close shot of an ornament, with the unintended and unplanned reflection of Ed and Fran. With better planning Ed's arm would not have been in front of Fran's face, but who planned?

The Empress Hotel

Numerous businesses sponsored theme Christmas trees with tree after tree lining the hallways of the Empress Hotel. This construction tree, with machines and hardhats, was sponsored by an equipment company. I needed to jump right in and ham it up in honor of Brad's love of big equipment. The hallways were crowded with people -- parents, children, couples, old and young -- viewing the trees. It was like an Italian promenade throughout the entire hotel.

The Empress lobby had this huge beautiful Christmas tree set up center stage in the lobby, providing a lovely back drop for a picture of Fred and Sharon.

The Empress lobby tree with a small sampling of companion display theme trees on the upper level.

The Empress! What a beautiful old building in remarkably good shape. We had never stayed at the Empress Hotel before but were glad we did and loved our stay there. The low hum of this huge old building was like the heart beat of a big gentle beast. A friendly beast with a kind mother's heart emitting low contented murmurings that soothed her visitors throughout the night.

It was delightful to stay at the Empress, in the hub of Victoria, during our short one-night stay. The Empress was a wise suggestion of Fred. Thanks Fred!

A Christmas Trip

A couple of days before Christmas we were invited to join Fred and Sharon on a flying trip to Victoria. On the flight up the view was unbelievably beautiful. Blue, blue water and sky; snow capped mountains; and clear vistas for hundreds of miles.