Gates of Harmonious Interest in Victoria by Destination BC and Tanya Goehring

Canada’s Oldest Chinatown

Gates of Harmonious Interest by Destination BC and Tanya Goehring
Photo by Destination BC and Tanya Goehring

Standing 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. 

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Douglas Wurster and Vance Conway Eastsound Customer Service Agents

Customer Service Agents Douglas Wurster & Vance Conway

Douglas Wurster and Vance Conway

Joining 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.

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Executive Chef David Healey

Executive Chef David Healey of Wind Cries Mary in Victoria

Executive Chef David Healey of Wind Cries Mary
Photo by Andréa Conforti 

Wind 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. 

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couple walking on the dock with a de havilland beaver

Top Romantic Getaways in the San Juan Islands

couple and a de havilland bever

While 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.

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Washington State University Campus in Pullman, Washington by redfishweb

How to Plan a WSU Football Weekend from Seattle

The campus of Washington State University in Pullman, Washington by redfishweb

There’s nothing quite like cheering on your home team in person. But for WSU football fans, making the trek to Martin Stadium can be a slog. Luckily, a charter flight to Pullman, Washington, means less commuting and more tailgating. 

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Museum of Glass Cone by Gagliardi Photography

Tacoma’s Museum of Glass

Museum of Glass. Image by Gagliardi Photography

If your travels take you to Tacoma (which they should because Seattle’s sister-city is filled with underrated gems), do yourself a favor and visit the Museum of Glass. It’s a celebration of art, history, and the science of glassmaking. The captivating institution is home to the largest and most active museum glass studio on the West Coast.

Displays feature works by some of the most renowned glass artists from the 20th and 21st centuries. While exhibits lean towards contemporary art, classics are also on display. But the real draw here is the museum’s Hot Shop.

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Whitney Page and Melanie Trygg of Smörgåsbord on Orcas

Two Moms. Endless Style. Smörgåsbord on Orcas Island.

Whitney Page and Melanie Trygg of Smörgåsbord

Fashion has a tendency to come with waste. New styles encourage new production and the inevitable casting off of yesterday’s trends — whether they be a wardrobe update or a home decor refresh. It’s only natural to feel the conflicting juxtaposition between discovering a new sweater or prized vase and protecting Mother Nature. At Orcas Island’s Smörgåsbord, located in the heart of Eastsound, two moms challenge this status quo. 

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Klahoose Wilderness Resort

5 Luxury Resorts on Vancouver Island & the Sunshine Coast

Klahoose Wilderness Resort
Image provided by Klahoose Wilderness Resort.

Whether it be a remote wilderness lodge, a comfortable resort on the beach or a refined hotel in the city, there is getting away and then there is truly escaping. Being open to new experiences, whether that be trying new local foods, stepping out of your comfort zone by kayaking through a deep fjord or being brave and pulling up a chair to connect with strangers over a shared meal are all certain to make your experiences richer.

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Whale Museum in Friday Harbor

The Whale Museum on San Juan Island

Friday Harbor Whale Museum

Few things are more thrilling than seeing an orca in the wild — except, perhaps, protecting them. Protection comes in all forms at Friday Harbor’s Whale Museum. Visitors are introduced to orcas, invited to learn about their habitat, and encouraged to participate in the preservation of these gentle giants. 

Founded in 1979, the museum is located on First Street. It’s just one block above the Friday Harbor Marina in downtown Friday Harbor. This year-round activity is housed in the historic Odd Fellows Hall. Constructed in 1982, the two-story wood structure served as a hub for the community’s social life.

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de Havilland Beavers docked in Desolation Sound

The Origins of the de Havilland Beaver

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de Havilland Beavers in Desolation Sound

Known to some as the Harley Davidson of the sky, the de Havilland Beaver’s squat-nosed appearance has a rugged handsomeness.

With its pug-nosed fuselage and no-nonsense radial engine, this is a go-anywhere machine. In fact, unlike the majority of fixed-wing aircraft, the Beaver can get out of pretty much any situation it can get itself into.

The preferred choice of nearly all bush pilots, Beavers have been flown to small mountain lakes, glaciers, and remote beaches. They’ve carried torpedoes and delivered parts to stranded boats. They’ve been used as crop dusters, passenger caravans, and sightseeing apparatuses. You think of it, a Beaver can probably do it.

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