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ABIGAIL'S HOTEL IN VICTORIA AND WILLOWS LODGE IN WOODINVILLE
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, 06-25-2010 at 10:03 AM (3546 Views)

With my 25th wedding anniversary rapidly approaching and no ideas what to get for my wife, I spent hours scouring Luxury Link and other websites for ideas. When the Willows Lodge in Woodinville, Washington appeared as an auction item, I placed a bid and was elated to get the package. Not only are we getting four nights in a nicer suite with a fireplace and oversized whirlpool, but we're getting a welcome wine tasting, breakfast for two every morning, a lunch basket one day, $100 credit towards spa services or the restaurant, and full use of bicyles for riding nearby trails and wineries. There are close to sixty wineries in the vicinity and we're going to have a great time winery hopping. The deal clincher is that the Willows Lodge is located next door to the Herbfarm, arguably the top restaurant in the Pacific Northwest and one of the finest dining establishments in the country. We celebrated our tenth anniversary at the Herbfarm, and it will be great to celebrate our 25th there as well. Eating at the Herbfarm isn't a meal; it's an experience.

Shortly after buying this, I noticed an auction for a three night stay at the Abigail Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia. Aha! I could buy this and make our anniversay celebration a full week long. I bought this package, too, and it includes a bottle of champagne, chocolate-dipped strawberries and fresh flowers upon arrival, breakfast for two each morniing, appetizers each evening and a 60-minute couples massage.

I'm still working out the logistics of our trip, including the dates and whether or not we'll drive to Victoria from Oregon or take the ferry from Seattle, but it's going to be a great trip and I'm really looking forward to it. A trip such as this, with all of the amenities, should be very expensive, but thanks to Luxury Link, it's extremely affordable.
Message Edited by thepiranha on 06-25-2010 10:04 AM

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kyshel - 06-28-2010 08:43 AM
Ferry from Seattle!!! It's such a great trip and you don't have to have a car to get to the hotel in Victoria.
Buchart Gardens is special any time of year but if your anniversary is in the next few months, it should be spectacular--you don't even have to buy her flowers; just give her the whole garden to breathe in and enjoy!
elyse66 likes this.
thepiranha - 06-28-2010 09:05 AM
That's exactly what I was thinking. I love taking the ferry, especially oon a warm summer day. Do you know if there's parking at the ferry dock in Seattle? We might want to have our car with us so we can get to Buchart. We were there a few years ago and you're right, it's spectacular. Great idea about the flowers, but our anniversary was last week and I bought some for my wife. Any suggestions on restaurants in Victoria or any other sights we should see?
kyshel - 06-30-2010 04:11 PM
Aw--flowers--that's so sweet!
I'm sure there's still long-term parking at any of the major ferry ports.

You won't need a car just for Buchart--they have shuttles town to gardens.
If you're into the la-di-da, High Tea can be quite the thing to do!
ngallag - 07-03-2010 02:07 PM
I had the high tea at Butchart Gardens and really enjoyed it. It's not one of the things we get much of in Texas.
ShiningLight - 07-11-2010 07:48 PM
Your plans may already be complete by the time you read this, but we can highly recommend the Sooke Harbour House, >http://www.sookeharbourhouse.com
thepiranha - 07-11-2010 09:03 PM
Thanks for the Sooke Harbour House recommendation, shininglight. Friends of ours stayed there a few years ago and highly recommended it. We may take a drive out to the restaurant for dinner one evening. As of now, we're not sure when we're going to Victoria, but it will probably be in the fall.
ShiningLight - 07-11-2010 11:35 PM
Sounds good!

BTW - here's a romantic way to mark an anniversary, which didn't work out for us, but may some day.

As you may be aware, many of the anniversary years have themes attached to them, such as Silver, for 25 yrs. Probably a long time plot of the greeting card and jewelry companies.

Two years before we went to the Sooke House, we were on the Olympic Peninsula in WA. We had the most amazing time at Ruby Beach, where the stone cliffs, indeed turned to sparkling 'rubies' in the late day sun and sunset, after a day of typical rainforest drizzle.

So when our 40th anniversary came up 3 years ago, Mr SL suggested we go to Ruby Beach! WOW!! Unfortunately an event came up, which precluded that trip, but what a neat idea to try to find someplace to go which has, for example, 'silver' in the name.

Just hope that if we make it to #50, it's not the Golden Age Nursing Home!
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thepiranha - 12-16-2010 11:36 AM
Great idea, Shining Light! Maybe I'll do that for our thirtieth and subsequent anniversaries.