VICTORIA, B.C. :: Kristie had been to Victoria several times before, a long time ago with her high school drill team, but this was my first visit to the city. We had a lot of fun together, checking out the sights and enjoying the nice weather. We stayed at the Victoria Marriott Inner Harbor and were lucky to be upgraded again into a deluxe suite on the 11th floor. It wasn't as lavish as our last hotel upgrade in Canada, but the room had a large balcony with great views overlooking the Fairmont Empress and the cruise ships in the harbor.

From our hotel, we walked around the Inner Harbor, perusing the First People craft carts while being entertained by talented buskers. Dinner on the sunny patio at Milestones was perfect for people-watching and enjoying a decent platter of fish and chips along with a pint (or three). There were plenty of touristy shops along Government Street, and within Victoria's tiny Chinatown district, we saw the narrowest street in all of Canada, Fam Tam Alley. We also joined a free tour of the Parliament Building and shot some photos of it lit up and pretty at night.

A little ways outside of downtown, at Fisherman's Wharf, there's a colorful hodgepodge of houseboats, small shops and salty-sea cats lining the docks. This is also where we met to embark on our exciting orca watching tour - the highlight of our trip!