Though Victoria offers all kinds of big city perks like high-tech WiFi and a thriving food scene, this quaint capital has maintained its small-town charm – which makes it an ideal destination for stress-free holiday shopping. With an impressively high walkability score and a collection of eateries perfect to take a rest, you’ll have as much finding gifts this season as giving them.
Read moreSurrounded by 12,000-foot mountains, the sleepy town of Ketchum, Idaho, is the birthplace of American ski resorts — Sun Valley.
The quaint destination has yet to be taken over by skyscrapers. The world-renowned ski slopes and fresh, dry powder are the main draws. And while luxury touches can be found in farm-to-table restaurants and high-end accommodations, echos of the mining-turned-farming town remain.
Read moreHistory, elegance, and kindness: a timeless recipe, readily available in British Columbia’s quaint capital. Nestled at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Victoria, BC is closer to America than its own mainland. But don’t let its proximity to the USA fool you — it’s rife with old-world charm and cultural diversity. Comfort abounds in this urban jewel, where a temperate climate offers strollable streets and a seasonal bounty that spans all four seasons.
Maximize your time by catching a direct flight to Victoria’s Inner Harbor or Victoria International Airport.
Read moreThe Butchart Gardens didn’t earn its rank among the top display gardens in the world during the cool months of winter. But should you happen to be in Victoria, the quaint British Columbia capital at the southern tip of Vancouver Island during the dormant ‘off-season,’ The Gardens are well worth a visit.
Read moreThanks to its old-world elegance, walkable streets, and temperate weather — Victoria oozes romance. Here, mundane tasks, like grocery shopping, can feel like a date. But it’s not just the city’s day-to-day living that’s filled with couple-worthy activities. There’s an impressive selection of romantic things to do in Victoria, BC.
Read moreStanding 38 feet tall and spanning a full city street, the Gates of Harmonious Interest is an eye-catching red and gold beauty. Featuring three arches, each of the pedestrian pathways is guarded by a stone lion. It was erected in 1981 and marks the entrance to Victoria, B.C.’s Chinatown.
However, the historic destination wasn’t always so ornately decorated and lovingly maintained. Chinatown was founded in 1859 by Chinese merchants from San Francisco. They’d come north for the Fraser River Gold Rush, building simple wood shacks that served as homes and businesses. Initially, the new settlers were connected to the city center by three narrow footbridges that spanned the Johnson Street Ravine — a natural waterway that was used for waste disposal.
Read moreJoining the Kenmore Air family wasn’t the original plan. The husband-duo simply had their sights set on moving to Orcas Island — a life-long dream for Douglas Wurster who vacationed in the Salish Sea as a young boy.
Read moreWind Cries Mary is truly a hidden gem in Victoria. Opened in 2019, just eight months before the Covid shutdown, the restaurant has become both a favorite for locals and a destination for those traveling to Victoria. Located downtown in Bastion Square, Wind Cries Mary is in the downstairs of the historic Law Chambers building.
Once you descend down the stairs you’re met with a dark and moody candlelit space. The canopied bar at the center of the room filled with local and international wine and spirits lets you know that this is the right place to come for a good drink. Explore farther into the restaurant and you’ll find an even cozier brick-walled room that, for some, will bring back memories of Camille’s, a Victoria staple that occupied the space for 27 years.
Read moreWhile dinner out and a dozen roses are nice, we like to think a quiet fall getaway is the ultimate in perfection. Quiet getaways say, “I want to focus on you.” They offer a level of intimacy you don’t get with a staycation. There’s no laundry to wash or dishes in the sink. No one has to worry about vacuuming or mowing the lawn.
It’s just the two of you, together, in a little slice of heaven. Whether you want to stay in and lounge or get out and explore all that fall in the San Juans has to offer, the following are a few of our favorite romantic San Juan Island getaways that let the two of you be you.
Read moreIt’s not convenient from anywhere. A 4.5-hour drive from Seattle, Washington, and a 3.5-hour drive from Portland, Oregon — Walla Walla isn’t a pop-over destination. (Unless, of course, you’re catching a Seattle to Walla Walla charter flight.) But the renowned Walla Walla wineries are well worth the trek.
Nestled in the southeastern corner of Washington State, Walla Walla wine country spans nearly 3,000 acres. It stretches into the northeasternmost tip of Oregon. And, it offers the ultimate girls’ weekend destination for those who want to unwind, relax, and sample some of the best wine in Washington.
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