We were invited to join Ruhiyyih and Matt for a getaway at Cannon Beach, Oregon on New Years. We considered loading up the canoe and joining them, hoping to have some outdoor recreation. But it was too cold for canoeing. In fact it was too cold to do anything outside, even walk on the beach. The resort where they were staying was $200 a night, way out of our price range. For someone who loves primitive accommodations, a resort with a pool, spa and sauna is not my idea of fun. Improvising - getting down to the basics - is more challenging. I told George to do some research, and come up with a getaway for the weekend.
The Plan: Drive to Port Angeles, a 2 1/2 hour drive northwest of Tacoma; secure a room at the Downtown Hotel for $55 a night; and take the Ferry over to Victoria, B.C. the following morning. We'd spend the day at the Royal BC Museum, savoring the history of British Columbia! When we went to register at the Hotel, the manager wasn't there - he was enjoying New Year's festivities elsewhere. Since all the doors to the rooms were unlocked, he advised us (over the phone) to put our things in room #8, settle in, and he'd drop by later. We hauled in extra pillows, a comforter, a wool blanket, a coffee-maker, coffee, and dinner, which was in two thermoses. We closed the door, and headed out for a late lunch in the cafe downstairs.
The hotel cafe reminds me of 'The Brick' in Northern
Exposure, filled with locals, cheery, and offering the preferred American diet - heavy food layered with sugar, salt, and grease. (For Flitzy Phoebie viewers, I can just hear you say, "Finally, she's featuring a decent meal!") It is a shame it gets such bad press.Although it was bitterly cold outside, we walked around a local park, and along storefronts. The city was pretty dead, no traffic, just a few youth hanging around a nearby arcade. At the hotel, I think we had the entire second floor to ourselves - not a bad thing when your toilet and shower are down the hall!
I made coffee the next morning at 5:30, and we had a hearty breakfast in the cafe at 6:30. Again, scrumptious heart attack food enjoyed by the locals, one of which could fit four of me inside his overalls.
Then we took the ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria.
Once we arrived we headed over to the Empress Hotel, then to the Royal BC Museum, where we'd be spending the day. Admission for adults is normally $14, but it was 'donation only' that day.
We spent the next 5 hours exploring exhibits, galleries and artifacts featuring BC history - fur trading, gold mining, lumber mills, salmon canneries. The First Peoples and Natural History galleries were exceptional, with hands-on projects, a pit lodge, a long house, and walk-through displays.We spent several hours engaged in wonderful conversation with friends Joe and Gwen on the ferry ride back to Port Angeles.
What a pleasant surprise, to end our weekend with close friends!Before leaving town we stopped at a restaurant that offered 'A Festival of Indian Curries', a banquet of appetizers, chutneys and curries, tandoori chicken and lamb curry, naan, vegetable korma, rice and dessert. After studying this cuisine for over a year, everything was familiar, and I noticed that significant modifications were made to accommodate the American palate.
We arrived home about 9:30 Sunday evening, quite pleased that we'd packed in so many interesting experiences on this first weekend of the New Year. George will post photos in our Flickr account when time is available.
