Bellevue, Washington

We went on a little stop to Bellevue and shopped a lot at a great mall. We ate at the CheeseCake Factory and went up to Marsville outlet malls. The sky was blue and a perfect anniversary. Well time is running and we need to catch our flight home

Butchart Gardens (Winter secret)

It may seem that we missed all the flowers and we missed out on everything. Well we did miss that, but what we got was a tour only given in the winter months of the home. They set out old photos and items of the Butchart family that tells a great history. Something we never would of seen if there was flowers everywhere

Pike Street Market

We strolled down Pike street Market and saw the fish fly, and lots of little shops. The market was not crowded at all.

Pan Pacific Room

The View from our room was quite nice

Pan Pacific our last Hotel

I loved this hotel the most. Very contemporary. These pictures are of the lobby

Space Needle

Today is our 8th anniversary. You could not ask for better weather (hot, sunny and almost in the 60's.) We had the most romantic time at the Space Needle. The sun was settting on the city, and candle light dinner while our restaurant rotated around.

Victoria's Craigdarroch Castle (Craig-Derrick)

I love castles and had to take a tour. Very beautiful wood work done in this home. No hauntings of any kind. It was built by Robert Dunsmuir (a very wealthy coalworker) for his wife Joan who would only live in Victoria if it was in a Castle. Before it was finished Robert died and Joan lived in it until she died a long time later. The kids were left with it and did not want it. The eldest son decided to build his own castle and moved out. The kids tried to sell it and nothing, they tried to sell furniture inside and some sold. They eventually raffled it off for $1 a ticket and made more that way then they thought. A fur trader won it for a dollar and moved in boarding himself up in only one room since it costs so mujch to heat it with six fireplaces. He eventually lost the castle and all of his money to it, and over the years it eventually became a historic site and the furniture sold before was either bought back or re-donated. Very well restored and a great story.

Butchart Gardens

What a beautiful place even without all the flowers in bloom.

Onward to Canada

I lived in Toronto, Ontario before, some coming to Canada felt like going home :)
We took the Victoria Clipper to Victoria, BC. Once here we saw The Empress Hotel, the Parliment Building, Rogers Chocolates, China Town, and Fan Tan Alley in China Town (made famous from the movie "Bird on a Wire"), also we took a city tour and stopped off to see the Marina to see wild Seals.

Our Hotel Edgewater on pier 67

What a view. Our room located right on top of the water. I also loved the cabin feel in the lobby. Look at the trees and how they are connected by hinges. To move up or down. Very cool Hotel

First night in Seattle

Seattle seemed like a great place to get away for our 8th anniversary trip. Our first night in Seattle we saw Candice Olson a Canadian designer who talked on design tips(lots of paint), befores and afters of a room makeover, and ups and downs on her design show "Divine Design". You can she her stuff on HGTV.com, or candice olson.com

(pictures from HGTV.com, and Candice Olson.com)