Our day of travel began by arriving at SFO in time for our early 7:30am flight. With priority status from splurging on First Class (using points), we checked our backpacks at the Virgin America luggage counter and breezed through security since we both also had TSA Pre. We got to our gate comfortably with thirty minutes to spare, but unfortunately our flight was delayed for about an hour.

When we reached Seattle, we then had to wait in a very long line and for what seemed to be an inordinate amount of time for a taxi. Not sure what was going on, but it seemed that Uber/ other ride sharing services was still prohibited from operating at the Seattle airport.

And though we already had several breakfasts at SFO, both sharing a bacon-and-cheese croissant and a breakfast burrito, and another snack (Virgin’s Protein Pack, first-class style) on the plane, Danny thought we should go immediately to lunch. As it was nearly lunchtime, and considering that we had nowhere else to go, really, until our 3pm Clipper Ferry departure, I thought this was an ok plan.

We chose a Tom Douglas restaurant – Dahlia Lounge — near the Port of Seattle in Belltown where we would eventually catch our ferry.

Though we were dressed in our hiking clothing and schlepping two relatively large backpacks, the host who greeted and seated us was more than gracious and offered us a nice cozy booth in a corner where there would be less traffic.

We had a spectacular lunch that included cocktails (I had a nonalcoholic balsamic strawberry shrub; DD the Scandinavian Reviver) a dish of Tibetan dumplings (Momos, cooked by a chef who cooks for the Dalai Lama) and a fantastic Crab Cake. The Crab Cake was especially tasty – the chef had perfectly captured the essence of crab in its preparation, and there seemed to be minimal fillers which usually muddy up the briny-sweet taste of the crustacean.

After lunch, we walked to the Port of Seattle to see if we could drop off our packs. We checked in and the woman at the counter offered to weigh our bags before sending them off for storage. Mine was 23 lbs and DD’s weighed in at 24.5. We knew that we were definitely on the lighter side but it was always good to get a reminder. She was definitely impressed that the weight.

We wandered around the Olympic Sculpture Park for a bit before returning to line up for our departure. It was a glorious, sunshiny day, and it made me smile to see several dog owners out and about walking their charges. 

Whether we had purchased our tickets relatively late, or because we had checked in late (an hour before?), we were in the 200-250 boarding group. Having an earlier group is key in getting a good seat, it seems – especially the ones by the windows. There were some groups/ couples who were not able to sit together. Danny and I were lucky to get seats side-by-side, but had to share it with others in a small, cramped space in the middle of the boat.

Overall the experience seemed a little too crowded and disorganized. We waited for a long time prior to getting on the boat, milling about the designated port area where boarding group signs had been posted on walls and posts.

There was food and duty free liquor available for purchase. Duty-free booze, especially, seemed to be a popular item. Restrooms were thankfully fairly clean. As for me, I snoozed for a bulk of the ride, and got up outside on the very small observation deck for a brief moment to snap some photos.

Thankfully the jaunt through the waters was only about 2.5 hours long, and we reached Victoria in short order. Exiting the boat, we joined a line to gather up our bags and pass through immigration. No stamps for our passports, though.

The Royal Scot Hotel was only a short, 5-minute walk from the pier, and we checked in to drop off our stuff. It was a decent hotel, and while there was a freestanding floor fan, our room did not have air conditioner, and it was a warm night. We were actually very lucky with the weather forecast for the week, which showed fairly warm temps, and no rain. We hoped, for the trail, that the predicted climate would hold true.

On the agenda for the evening: pick up fuel cans at MEC (Canada’s REI) before closing; withdraw cash for the trail; get dinner; buy snacks for the 6-hour bus ride to the trailhead, and go to bed at decent time for our 6:45am bus departure the next day. Our visit to the MEC was smooth (downtown Victoria appears to be very small, and quite walkable), except for the fact that we didn’t realize that one needed to be a member in order to purchase anything. Thankfully membership fees were only about $5 CAD, and some kind soul had left the next customer — who happened to be us — the remainder of around over $1 in gift card funds.

DD found a great place for dinner – a tiny closet of a food stand nestled in a teeny corner of the Market Square shopping complex. Market Square seemed all but deserted on a Monday night. We managed to saunter up 15 minutes before Ayo Eat officially closed at 7:30pm. There is a small menu where we opted for Nasi Goreng and Beef Rendang.

While the Nasi Goreng was tasty enough, it was the Beef Rendang that truly shone, complex and redolent with spice. The Chef, Ali Syahbana, serves it with rice topped with coconut sauce and fried shallots, spicy pickled vegetables (I spied and tasted bits of chile), and house-fried potato chips and a kind of tomato chutney.

After dinner, and a quick last beer at the Drake Beer Parlour next door, we ambled back to our hotel, picking up snacks at a 7-11 along the way.

West Coast Trail Posts

• WCT Trip Planning
• WCT Day Zero + Flickr Photos
• WCT Day One + Flickr Photos
• WCT Day Two + Flickr Photos
• WCT Day Three + Flickr Photos
• WCT Day Four + Flickr Photos
• WCT Day Five + Flickr Photos