October 4th;  Sail from Seattle on the Spirit of Columbia.  Settle into our stateroom Walla Walla, then step out on deck as we cruise through the Ballard Locks to Elliott Bay to view Seattle’s skyline. 

 

October 5th  La Conner An Old Northwest feel pervades today’s port call in Washington State’s Puget Sound. La Conner is an artist’s colony perched on the edge of the lush Skagit Valley, whose downtown streets abound in art galleries, antique shops and craft stores. A sightseeing tour features the lovely rural landscape surrounding the town. 

 

 La Conner, the jewel of the Skagit Valley, is surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery in the State of Washington, from the North Cascades Scenic Highway to the awe-inspiring Rainbow Bridge and San Juan Islands. La Conner itself is a town filled with incredible art galleries, great restaurants, antique shops and, best of all, the only Quilt Museum in the Pacific Northwest. La Conner's docks, bait shops, galleries and museums embody the classic sights and sounds of a late 19th-century fishing port. Many historic buildings remain intact, including a log cabin built in 1869 by Magnus Anderson, one of the area's first settlers. La Conner is in western Skagit County, facing Fidalgo Island across Swinomish Channel.

 

October 6th Vancouver, Cruise Indian Arm The Spirit of Columbia cruises under the Lion’s Gate Bridge this morning to dock at Vancouver’s Inner Harbor, in the shadow of the city’s gleaming glass towers. An included tour highlights Stanley Park, a lovely old-growth forest that boasts an impressive collection of totem poles, and the Capilano Suspension Bridge in North Vancouver. We had a few spare hours to visit Vancouver so we went to see Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park  This afternoon, cruise east through Burrard Inlet, then north into Indian Arm, a spectacular mountain-ringed 13-mile long fjord. Later, cruise west past Vancouver’s skyline as you head northwest into the Straits of Georgia. 

Stanley Park: Vancouver's first, is an evergreen oasis of 1,000 acres close to the heart of Vancouver's downtown core.  Its natural west coast atmosphere offering a back drop of majestic cedar, hemlock and fir trees embraces visitors and transports them to an environment rich in tranquility.  The park abounds in wildlife and its features appeal to the naturalist, the plant lover or one who would do nothing more than relax in beautiful surroundings.  The Nature House, located on Lost Lagoon's south side, offers educational materials as well as seasonal walking tours.  Lost Lagoon is the haven for many varieties of birds including swans, ducks and Canada geese.  The rushes and small islands in the lake make a natural nesting place for the various species that live here.

 

The Totem Poles:  Situated just off the seawall beside the Brockton Oval cricket pitch are eight totem poles. Each has a story that breathes life into it. Each is connected to the land on which it stands in more than just a physical sense.  In 2001 an interpretive center was established by constructing a separate structure housing working areas, lots of signage, a gift shop for related items and a refreshment outlet. The totem poles themselves were treated to un upgrade in the landscaping around them. More signage was put in place to deal with the stories related to each of them individually

 

The Capilano Suspension Bridge spans 450 feet across and 230 feet above North Vancouver's spectacular Capilano River. But don't worry, even though it sways and creaks, it's very, very strong. Strong enough to support the weight of ten heavy-duty military fighter planes. Strong enough to handle the 850,000 visitors each year. Even strong enough to handle a classroom full of kindergarten students! Walking across the Capilano Suspension Bridge, you will cross over Capilano River and enter the spectacular "wild side" which features the Living Forest display.

 

October 7th;  Princess Louisa Inlet Today’s exploration is wilderness cruising at its best, in waters usually accessible only by private yachtsmen. Princess Louisa Inlet, streaming with waterfalls and lined with encircling cliffs, has been named one of the top ten most beautiful places in the world by readers of Condé Nast Traveler. We will spend hours cruising slowly under the walls of the fjord, and  at Chatterbox Falls near the head of the fjord. We stopped for a couple of hours at MacDonald Island and the boat did a beached bow landing. Very Cool. After leaving Princess Louisa, we had time for Captain’s Choice Cruising, seeking out wildlife and beauty spots.

 

October 8th;  Nanaimo on Vancouver Island is surrounded by astonishing views. A cannon booms from the Bastion, an 1853 Hudson’s Bay Company fort. Red-uniformed constables of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police – the famed Mounties – welcome us on the pier. An included walking tour shows us the Cameron Island Promenade, the old city quarter, and the Nanaimo District Museum. Later that afternoon we sailed Dodd Narrows

 

October 9th;  Butchart Gardens and Victoria Today’s tour in Victoria features a short trip out of town to the famous Butchart Gardens. Here we had plenty of time to walk the lovely pathways that thread around this quarry turned world-class showplace. Return to Victoria proper and enjoy an afternoon and evening of civilized amenities at very-British Victoria.  We toured the Conservatory and the British Columbia Parliament this afternoon – although we didn't have High Tea at the Empress Hotel, ( been there done that) but we did have a drink at an English pub.  The shopping at this one-time marketplace of the British Empire is particularly diverse and inviting. Our base aboard the Spirit of Columbia is within convenient walking distance of all the major downtown attractions.

 

October 10th  San Juan Islands A port call at Friday Harbor and the Whale Museum. An optional island excursion took us  to the 19th-century Pig War site of English Camp, and the turn-of-the-century marine resort at Roche Harbor. This evening we visited Rosario Resort on neighboring Orcas Island, the one-time country estate of a noted Seattle shipbuilder. We enjoy a special organ recital by Christopher Peacock, in the lavish library of the original mansion.

 

October 11th Arrive Seattle Transfer from the Spirit of Columbia to the airport. Long trip home..but had a great time!!!