Whale Watching • Seattle + Victoria

Hey y'all! I hope Monday was good to you and Tuesday was kind. We are nearly half way through the week already, and as much as I've accomplished, it feels like it should at least be next week by now! Ha! Anyway, I am excited you are here today. Like yesterday's post, I'm including this with Seattle + Victoria, because you can take this tour from both locations. Today's post is all about my absolutely favorite bit of our Seattle + Victoria trip—orca whale watching!

Yes, you read that right, we went killer whale watching! And NOT at Sea World, but in the wild! Along with whale watching in Maui, Orca Whale watching in the San Juan Islands was one of the most amazing experiences I've had in my life. To see these majestic animals in their natural habitat is nothing short of magical, and a true pinch me moment.

For our whale watching excursion, we left from Victoria shortly after arriving on our ferry, so from one boat to another. Like I mentioned earlier, this is also something you can do from Seattle as well. The San Juan Islands are accessible by car and boat from both Seattle and Victoria, so you could even elect to drive to the island and whale watch from there.

Five Star Whale Watching and their wonderful guides took us on a wonderful excursion filled with wildlife sightings. For weeks before our trip, I had been praying that we would see these elusive whales. Then our guide told us that there had been no sightings in the last several days of any whales of any species. I amped up the prayers right away! And, boy, did God bring his A-Game, as he always does. We saw a large pod of 27 including males, females, and even babies. It was absolutely breathtaking! You'll also notice some kayakers in the distance with the whales along side them—yes, you can kayak with the orca whales! Can you even imagine!? Adding that to my bucket list! ;) Along with the whales, we had the pleasure of seeing puffins, a bald eagle, and harbor seals that looked like little bananas huddled up on their little island. :)

You'll notice that my photos of the whales are not the greatest. I elected to focus my eyes on the prize per-say. Rather than miss out on seeing them with my own eyes, I just snapped the camera without paying too much attention to it. Yes, capturing photos was important to me, but I also did not want to regret only seeing them through the camera lens. I think we miss out on so much of life by doing that. Focusing on the perfect shot, we miss out on what is actually happening in front of us. Though I hate the photos aren't perfect, I LOVE that I experienced this and saw these beautiful creatures with my own eyes even more!

Clipper Ferry • Seattle + Victoria

Hey there! I hope y'all had a great weekend! Mine was the perfect mix of work (travel to do list & house work), relaxation, and a little fun. We visited a super neat store in Fort Worth, which I'll be blogging about later, that was jam packed with antique furniture and old home goodness! Great little last minute addition to the weekend. Of course it could have been longer, but alas it is Monday again. Anyway, I'm excited to start transitioning to sharing a new city today. Let's take a journey from Seattle to Victoria aboard a ferry.

During one of my weekend stays in Seattle, we decided to take a journey to Canada. I rushed my passport a few weeks ahead, and we hopped on a boat for Canada! We could have driven, but decided on a passenger ferry instead. We took the Clipper Ferry to the beautiful town of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The ferry was a passenger ferry that left Seattle for Victoria early in the morning. We elected to go to Victoria, then return to Seattle later the next day, but there is an option to go there and back. However, there is way too much goodness in Victoria to not spend at least one night there, but more on that later!

Anyway, more on the ferry itself. Like I mentioned, it is a passenger ferry, so no cars, but we were able to reserve a rental car while on the boat! The attendants can reserve rental cars and book excursions/tours, which is a very nice feature! Along with that, it was really nice to not have to do the 5 hour drive it takes to get to Victoria from Seattle. With the ferry we were able to sit back, relax, and enjoy the scenery. The ride was less than 3 hours, but we enjoyed beautiful sights along the way. Not to mention, we saw the city of Port Angeles and the Olympic peninsula in the distance. Any Twilight fans out there!? We also enjoyed talking about our time in Seattle, plans for Victoria, and napping a bit. The ferry also serves light refreshments to keep you held over until you reach your destination.

We booked a ferry cruise & hotel stay package with Clipper Ferry, and were incredibly pleased with the entire process and trip. This was a wonderful addition to our Seattle stay, and I would definitely do this again! If you're on the fence about adding this to your Seattle or Victoria (to venture to Seattle) vacation, hopefully this will help you decide!

Seattle Trip Wrap Up

Happy Friday y'all! I hope you've had a great week, and are looking forward to the weekend. I'm here at my craft retreat making pretty things and working on travel goodness. Today I'm back to finish up with our trip to the Pacific Northwest with a Seattle Travel Guide. Essentially, you'll be able to find all of my Seattle posts in one spot!

We journeyed all over Seattle and exploring The Underground, Boeing, waterfalls, Mt. Rainier, Pike Place Market, and beyond!

Oodles & Oodles of Tulips at Pike Place Market

Our view from below the Seattle Space Needle

Dream Lifter plane that transport aircraft parts at the Boeing Factory

Fields of Tulips at Roozengaarde near Mt. Vernon

Mt. Rainier from Paradise Visitor Center inside the National Park

Stairs to the Seattle Underground

Totem Pole in Pioneer Square

The Spruce Goose in McMinnville, Oregon

Fred Flinstone's Car at America's Car Museum

Seattle Gum Wall in Post Alley

Chihuly Glass Gardens Indoor Installation

The Great Wheel

We enjoyed all of these places & more! Check out the full posts below.

 Trip Highlights
One Day in Seattle, Washington

Snoqualmie Falls 

Museum of Flight
Seattle Aquarium
The Great Wheel
Chihuly Garden & Glass
The Gum Wall
America's Car Museum
Pioneer Square
The Underground Tour
Mount Rainier National Park
Roozengaarden Tulip Fields
Future of Flight Museum + Boeing Factory Tour 
Seattle Space Needle
Pike Place Market

 The Spruce Goose • Oregon

Pike Place Market • Seattle

Hey there! I am packed up for my weekend of fun work (really it is good stuff), and ready to tackle that long to do list. I'm feeling motivated, and can't wait for a refreshing weekend of crafting, travel work, and, most importantly, time with great friends!  While I'm waiting for it to be go time, I wanted to share the last place on the itinerary for our time in Seattle, Pike Place Market.

I've been saving the best for last as the market was the creme de la creme of Seattle for me! The flowers, the exotic fruits and veggies, eggs & cheeses of every kind, an extensive array of baked goods, and just goodness after goodness. For this post, I thought I'd do a short little list of my tips for visiting one of the world's most famous markets!

My Tips for Visiting Pike Place Market

1. Go early.
Before 8am is a great time to visit. There aren't a lot of people out and about yet, but the vendors are already open. If you wait until later in the morning, you'll be packed in to get glimpses of some famous spots like Pike Place Fish Co. & their fish throwing show.

2. If you want to visit the original Starbucks, go late.
If the original Starbucks is on your must go in list, go in the evening or be prepared to wait in a long line outside. Remember, Seattle is known for it's rainy weather, so if standing in a long line outside in the rain isn't your thing, opt for a trip there in the evening. For myself, I just got a look of the shop from the outside, and that was a-okay with me. Lovely had to go back to Seattle later in the year, and he visited the market another time with colleagues later in the day after work. He was able to go inside the Starbucks when there was no line. He even brought me home the coveted Pike Place Market You Are Here Collection cup. Since he went later in the year, so he also enjoyed the market being decorated for Christmas.

3. Go hungry. Or maybe don't. 
If you love good food, go hungry! Enjoy pastries, fruits, coffees, donuts, cheeses, cookies as big as your face, and so much more! If you don't want to overindulge, better eat beforehand so you aren't tempted. :) You could be like my mother-in-law. She literally went CRAZY buying yummies at the market! She packed an entire box full to carry back home of peaches, Rainier cherries, and baked goods. It was a hoot watching her!

4. Buy the damn flowers.
Ok, the flowers...they are UH-MAZING!! Like THE most beautiful flowers you have every seen, and they are CHEAP! I am talking 15 bucks for a bouquet that would cost you $100 from a florist! Buy them! Put them in your hotel room. Love them. Enjoy them. When you visit, you'll see just what I mean!

Hopefully these quick tips help you plan your trip. Take a look at my photos to get a better idea of my tips. See you back tomorrow with a Seattle Trip Wrap Up.