Collin and I took a day trip to Canada while on vacation.

We woke up bright and early to catch the ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria, BC and settled in for the 90 minute trip. Once we disembarked we were famished. There happened to be a marathon going on that day which was quite surprising. We meandered our way through the very athletic patrons and found a quiet spot for breakfast.

After stuffing ourselves for the long day ahead we popped in a few shops. Our favorite was the massive Converse store full of nothing but wall to wall Converse sneakers. Interesting idea for a store.

The scenery around Victoria was amazing. Beautiful architecture, streets, and storefronts.

We found an amazing art gallery full of pieces by Robert Bateman. We walked around the empty gallery taking in each piece. No rushing or bumping into people. We weren't able to take pictures but if you ever visit Victoria we definitely encourage you to go to the gallery.

We strolled around and popped into the visitor center to see what day excursions the city had to offer. I had researched a bit and found that there was a well-renowned botanical garden nearby. We booked two tickets on the tour bus and decided to walk around the harbor before hopping on the bus.

The Empress Hotel is breathtaking. I told Collin that's where we should stay next time. We snuck in the lobby to take a peak for a few minutes.

Much to Collin's dismay our bus driver was one of those that talks. A lot. He told us some really interesting facts about Victoria and the Butchart Gardens we were headed to see. But he also told really corny jokes which I thought was hilarious. Collin and I kept exchanging looks every time the driver would tell a joke to the less than enamored audience.

Driving into the gardens we knew it was going to be amazing. It is a definite must see.

The weather was great. Being from Texas we don't get enough rain or cold weather so we were in weather heaven. Most people apologized for the rain and said we should come back in the summer when it's sunny. We're Texans. We get plenty of sun. Bring on the rain baby!

Each bloom we saw was unbelievably perfect.

We ended our stroll with a cup of steaming hot cocoa and headed back to the bus to grab dinner in Victoria. We ate at a charming restaurant where they seated us next to a roaring fire which was a lovely comfort after the wonderfully cold and rainy day.