For my husband’s (belated) birthday, we decided to take a trip out to Victoria, British Columbia, with our dog. My husband’s never been, and I’ve only visited as a kid, so this was going to be a fun experience for us!

I started getting back into watercolors so I figured this would be a great opportunity to try out my new kit, pen, and brush.

Victoria is located on Vancouver Island, which is across the water from Vancouver, Canada. We took the ferry from Anacortes, WA. It’s about a 3 hr. ferry ride, sailing across international waters.

My husband napped in our car on the auto deck with our dog because we had to wake up at 4am to get to the ferry on-time. I couldn’t sleep, so I ventured up to the passenger deck and sketched a family enjoying the view outside. 

The neatest thing about sailing from Anacortes to Vancouver Island is that the ferry route weaves through the San Juan Island archipelago. The islands are thickly covered with towering evergreens which transition into rocky cliff sides, with the occasional house or lighthouse peeking out. Mountains or other islands rise in the background, framing them.

As we got closer to Vancouver Island, there were some sandbars. You can spot ships and sailboats clamming off them.

Once we got off the ferry, we stopped at Sea Cider Farm and Ciderhouse in Saanichton. Their ciderhouse is absolutely stunning. I loved its rustic yet clean, modern look.They had a patio that overlooked some apple orchards, with evergreen trees surrounding the farmland. Unsurprisingly, it’s a popular spot for receptions and bachelorette parties. We witnessed 2 hen parties while sampling all their delicious cider. Highly recommended place to visit!

Once in Victoria, we walked to Craigdorrach Castle, which was a nice 30 min. walk from our hotel. It was fun seeing all the historic houses, still in use by various businesses. (Strangely, a lot of law practices.) All these heritage houses reminded me of Savannah, GA, where I went to art school. This one, next to the castle, is in the process of being re-zoned. I think they might be converting it into a cultural center.

We met 2 tourists from CA that recommended Il Terrazzo, an Italian restaurant in Downtown Victoria. The restaurant is located in an alley with a covered, heated waiting area surrounded by brick-lined gardens and a wall of firewood to greet you at the entrance. It was beyond charming, and the food was amazing.

This was the view through the chain-link fence at the Sidney, B.C. ferry terminal while we waited for our ferry to go back home to Washington. We were so spoiled by the sunny and bright weekend in Victoria, it was hard to deal with the overcast Monday morning.

It started to brighten up as the day moved on. This was the last sketch I managed before falling asleep on the ferry ride home. This island had the tiniest lighthouse.

A few things I learned: 

– Living in the Northwest definitely requires a gray paint to be added to my watercolor kit. I found myself mixing the color often for not only the sky but metallic materials, shadows, and windows.

– Always remember to bring paper towels and water OR find the nearest washroom/water fountain.

– Having clips to clip your watercolor tin to your sketchbook is useful.

– Always start light —> dark.

…And so much more…but tools and techniques, that’s another story for another time. Thanks for reading this lengthy post!