CHRISTMAS AT BUTCHARTS

Seattle To Victo= ria Overnight December 9^th and 10^th=

3D"Seattle Seattle to Victoria Route Map

“Experience Victoria With An Overnight Vacation Package”

An exciting overnight getaway to Victoria, Briti= sh Columbia! You can spend your time exploring a new city that is steeped in British tradition and trimmed with aboriginal culture. This picturesque hamlet is just what you need to create memories you'll never forget!

“Set Sail On The Clipper To Begin Your Victoria Vacation”

Your exhilarating Victoria vacation begins when you board a Victoria Clipper high-speed catamaran at Pier 69 in downtow= n Seattle. As you t= ravel through Puget Sound and into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, your sights will be filled with the glorious Olympic mountains, quaint island villages, and blue skies!

Victoria Clipper in Inner Harbor

Relax and enjoy a champagne continent= al breakfast served at your seat*. You'll arrive in downtown <= st1:State w:st=3D"on">Victoria's Inner Harbor where the sightseeing begins as you step off the bo= at! The historic Fairmont Empress, Parliament Building<= /st1:PlaceType> and other Victoria attractions are located just yards from the dock! Check into your <= span style=3D'font-family:Verdana'>downtown Victoria hotel and then spen= d the rest of the day exploring the city and surrounding areas. The n= ext day, you'll catch an evening Vi= ctoria Clipper cruise back to Seattle completing your Victoria vacation.

“What Does My Overnight Victoria Vacation Include?”

Round-trip Victoria Clipper cruise from Sea= ttle to Victoria Leaving 8:00 am Friday the 9^th of December and arriving in the downtown Victoria’s inner harbor and returning Saturday the 10= ^th of December at 5:00 pm arriving at 7:30 pm Seattle <= /li>
1 night's accommodation in downtown Victoria at= the Empress Hotel

Luggage handling to and from the boat.=

Transfer between hotel and pier in Victoria* <= o:p>

Continental breakfast onboard Victoria Clip= per*

Christmas lighting at Butchart Garde= ns on Friday night

Transportation to and from the gardens=

All applicable taxes

Price for all of this with a City View per couple at the Empress is $394.00<= /o:p>

If you want a Harbor view that would be $440.00

What else does our weekend Include?

Time to Shop and Sightsee Friday morning and afternoon and then meet for

Late afternoon lunch/dinner in downtown Victoria before we head out to Butchart Garde= ns

Saturday breakfast at the famous (havenR= 17;t worked that one out yet)

Shopping and Sightseeing the rest of the morning and afternoon before we head back to the US=

A group Horse-Drawn tour through some of Victoria= 217;s most picturesque neighborhoods’

CHRISTMAS AT BUTCHARTS

December 1st 2005 marks the start of the nineteenth season of festive Christmas display. Christmas at The Gardens gr= eets visitors with favorite traditions and holiday magic continuing through Janu= ary 7, 2006.

The Gardens dress up for Christmas in glorious style. They are transform= ed by a remarkable display of thousands of twinkling lights and seasonal decorations. Miles of fresh evergreen swags and wreaths, holly and ivy and winter berries adorn the walkways and lamp posts. Traditional holiday music adds to the magic.

The Twelve Days of Christmas displays are tucked into the landsca= pe as a surprise for our visitors.

Outdoor Entertainment lively performances featuring traditional carolling and music in the evenings.

The Dining Room Restaurant in the Butchart family home, decorated= in holiday finery, opens daily at noon for delicious Afternoon Tea and wonderf= ul dinners.

The Blue Poppy Restaurant filled with poinsettias offers a variet= y of tasty main dishes and desserts (menus). Family entertainment is featured nightly.

The Coffee Shop offers a light meal and hot beverages in front of= a glowing fire after a stroll through The Gardens.

The Seed & Gift Store presents an array of gift ideas for everyone on your Christmas list.

The Fairmont Empress

During the summ= er months, The Fairmont Empress in Victoria, British Columbia, serves Afternoon Tea to more gues= ts than most hotels in London, England. = More than 800 people per day come to enjoy a tradition that has been part of the hotel since she first opened her doors in 1908.

The hotel has l= ong been accustomed to entertaining Hollywood celebrities; Rita Hayworth, Jack Benny, Pat O'Brien, Douglas Fairbanks, Katherine Hepburn, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Tallulah Bankhead, Roger Moore, J= ohn Travolta, Barbra Streisand, Harrison Ford and a host of others have passed through its lobby. Shirley Temple arrived accompanied by her parents amid rumors that she had fled from California because of kidnapping threats, a story borne from the presence of two huge bodyguards who took the room opposite hers and always left their door open.=

In 1965, there = was much debate on whether to tear down what was becoming a faded, dowdy hotel,= to make room for a more modern, functional high-rise hotel. One local newspaper warned that, 'Without this splendid relic of the Edwardian era, literally t= ens of thousands of tourists will never return. This is = the Mecca, this is the= heart and soul of the city.' The decision was announced on June 10, 1966: The Fairmont Empress would not be demolished. Instead she would embark on a $4 million campaign of renovation and refurbishment, playfully dubbed 'Operation Teacu= p.'

The walls of the hotel contain stories of unusual guests and employees. In 1987, a woman wro= te about her wonderful stay at The Fairmont Empress and asked if other guests = had received a similar late night visitor: a little girl who had watched over h= er bed and then floated across the room. There are also the stories of an early 20th century maid, who shows up now and again on the sixth floor to help wi= th the cleaning.

Throughout its history, The Fairmont Empress has played host to kings, queens, movie stars= and many famous people. In 1919, Edward, Prince of Wales, waltzed into the dawn= in the Crystal Ballroom - an event considered by Victorians to be of such importance that almost 50 years later, the obituaries of elderly ladies wou= ld appear under headlines such as, 'Mrs. Thornley-Hall Dies. Prince of Wales Singled Her Out.'

In 1989, over $= 45 million was spent in the Royal Restoration; all the guest rooms were renova= ted, and a health club, indoor swimming pool and guest reception were added. Wit= h an emphasis on craftsmanship, no attempt was made to give the hotel a new imag= e. Instead, the goal was to restore The Fairmont Empress to her original elega= nce.

The strong emot= ions The Fairmont Empress evokes in many of her guests and protectors is exempli= fied in the statement made by an irate gentleman, as workers raised the sign abo= ve the front entrance: 'Anyone who doesn't know this is The Empress shouldn't = be staying here.'

Victoria Brit= ish Columbia Canada

Victoria, British Col= umbia is always in season! Victoria has the mildest climate in Canada,= and is a place so green all year that flowers fall out of the sky and even= the lamp posts bloom. It is no wonder that it is called The Garden City!&n= bsp; The wild beauty of the Pacific coast and the adventure of the great outdoors are within the city limits and ocean and mountain vistas will follow y= ou wherever you go.

Victoria remembers its colorful history= with First Nations totem poles, heritage architecture and afternoon tea, and bus= tles with the energy of a university town, having the University of Victoria, Canada within its limits. Shop windows are full of British imports, Native art and the latest trends. Restaurants and cafés ser= ve the freshest cuisine. The harbor is alive with the romance of an era when t= all ships moored alongside the wharf and evenings glitter as lights twinkle and cast their magic from atop the landmark British Columbia Legislative Buildi= ngs.

The Garden City is a year-round tourism destination that offers a friendly, safe haven for all visitors. Getting here is very easy, and, once here, you will feel a million mil= es away. With a clean environment and charming ambience, it is no surpri= se that Victoria, BC is one of the world's favorite destinations.

Shopping in Victoria is fabulous! Whether you are = just window shopping or on a major shopping spree, in Victoria you can browse quaint shops, = local markets and major shopping malls to find your heart’s desire. Victoria offers everything from antiques to the wares of local artisans and the designs of = the hippest trendsetters. The city’s layout encourages strolling and exploring the many side streets at an easy pace.

From the Inner Harbor, wander up Government Stree= t to find the perfect gift or souvenir. Victoria’s British heritage is apparent in the store windows along Government Street, which display wo= olens and bone china from England, tartans from Scotlan= d and Irish lace. Stop to sample handmade chocolates or the perfect cup of te= a or coffee. Native art, jewellery, fashion, Christmas and souvenir shops also abound along the bustling sidewalks and interesting byways.

Four blocks along Government Street, turn right into Trounce Alley, one of Victori= a’s best-kept secrets. European fashions and gift shops await. Across the street from Trounce Alley, find B= astion Square; once the site of Victoria’s Court House, Law Cham= bers, a brothel and several hangings, Bastion Square is now alive with shops and restaurants= . In the summer, take in the Bastion Square Festival of the Arts; a bustling mar= ket, vendors and local artisans sell their hand made arts and crafts.

Just beyond Bastion Square, turn left off Government Street onto Johnson. Wander among heritage buildings restored to maintain an old-t= own ambience and visit Market = Square. With over 40 merchants, Ma= rket Square offers one of the best selections of specialty shops.

Enter C= anada’s oldest Chinatown through the Gate of Harmonious Interest, at the corner of Fisgard and Government Streets. Shop = for art, curios, home furnishings and Asian wares. Walk down Fan Tan Alley, North America’s narrowest street, between Fis= gard and Pandora Streets. Once notorious for its many opium dens and gambling houses, Fan Tan Alley is now lined with shops and restaurants.

Only in Victoria will you find a street devote= d to antiques and collectibles. Fort Street, a one-way street leading out of downtown Victoria= , is known as Antique Row. Shop after shop lure the antique collector away fr= om the downtown core and into a world of rare china, silver, toys, furniture a= nd other treasures.

Victoria’s shopping experience also extends beyond famous Government Street storefronts and the downtown core. Off the beaten path and just minutes from downtown, shoppers will find several major suburban shopping centers with hundreds of stores to browse.

Please see the Tourism Victoria member businesses for Shopping in Victoria. For a complete listing of all Tourism Victoria<= /st1:State> businesses, please visit our Business Directory.

Links

Downtown maps:

http://tourismvi= ctoria.com/Content/EN/1066.asp

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