Seattle 1978

Seattle 1978

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Trip to Victoria

I was asked yesterday if I was Canadian because of the way I say "bag".  I said, "No, but my Mother is".
My Mom and I have been messaging back and forth about a trip from Seattle to Victoria aboard the Princess Marguerite that she didn't even get to go on but her parents took my sister and me when we were very little.
I don't remember very much about it except for being in a little stateroom and my Grandma making up a fizzy, fruity softdrink for us by dropping a pastel colored tablet in a glass of water.

"The Princess Marguerite" Photo by J. Barnard "Cruising the 115.2 km (72 miles) between Victoria, B. C. and Seattle, Washington, the turbo-electric vessel Princess Marguerite carries 50 cars and 1800 passengers on her 4 1/2 hour journey across the Juan de Fuca Strait and Puget Sound."

I only have three photos of the trip - I don't know if there are any more but my Grandma isn't in any of them.  Victoria was Grandpa's stomping grounds.  I don't think my Grandpa was shy but he appears camera shy.


Howard Johnson started his lifelong hotel industry career as a page boy at the Empress Hotel when he was a teenager. When he left that job, he got his younger brother, Thomas Johnson a job there who then went on to be their first (only?) 50 year employee.



"EMPRESS HOTEL Victoria, B.C. The stately Empress Hotel, a well known landmark in Victoria, as seen from the lawn of the Parliament Buildings." AVT-1031 Color Photo by W. J. L. Gibbons, AMPA


This is my Great Grandmother Ida Bookhout Johnson (1885-1968).  I think this might be the only photo I have of her and me together.  The other thing I remember about this trip is the matching pink and white tops my mom had sewn for my sister and me.  The inset at the neck could snap in and out.


I wish I remembered more about the trip I took with my Grandparents and being exposed to my family history there. I'm certainly glad I have a few photos.