Day trip to Victoria BC and High Tea at the Empress hotel

Presenter: Esprit Mistress Badge

Victoria, BC, on Tuesday May 12 at 8:00AM

Meet in Esprit Lobby at 7:30 am. Passport or Enhanced Drivers License is required. This excursion will cost you about $180 which is NOT included in your Esprit fee.

This year we will again travel to beautiful British Columbia for High Tea and a full day of sightseeing. You will want to wear your finest frock (the Empress has a dress code) and of course a beautiful hat. An extra bag is suggested to carry walking shoes. When we disembark from the Coho ferry we can engage one of Victoria's finest horsedrawn carriages and tour the area. After Tea you can sightsee and shop the wonderful downtown Victoria..

The Empress

The Jewel of the Pacific, The Empress is one of Victoria's highlights. Cresting the city's Inner Harbour, this 460-room hotel was built in the Edwardian style and recently restored to its original grandeur, with antique furniture and luxurious decor. Considered to be the most photographed attraction on Vancouver Island, The Empress was originally designed by Francis Rattenbury, and opened in 1908.

Rising regally on the banks of Victoria's Inner Harbour, the Empress is the symbolic centrepiece of Victoria and conveniently located adjacent to the Convention Centre, Parliament Buildings, Royal British Columbia Museum, shops and local sites. The hotel has long 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, John Travolta, Barbara Streisand, Harrison Ford and a host of others have passed through its lobby.

In true British tradition, the hotel is famous for its elegant Afternoon Tea - served to over 75,000 visitors annually! Savour tea in the finest tradition, accompanied by berries and Chantilly cream, scones, crumpets, preserves, sandwiches, pastries and tarts, all served with silver service in the main lobby!

Due to increased border security requirements, you WILL REQUIRE at least a PASSPORT or an ENHANCED DRIVERS LICENSE for Customs and Immigration. The Coho Ferry fare is about US$23 each way. The Empress High Tea is about C$130 including tip. A carriage ride is about C$40 per person. We will meet in the Registration Area around 7:30 AM. Note that a small US border entry fee may apply to non-US citizens (see Travel Information, Traveling Across the Border).

In 2004 when the Esprit ladies returned to The Empress after a one year absence, the group was approached at the front door by a sturdy man in a blue blazer and an earphone hanging out of his ear. He inquired "Are you from Emerald City?" and uncertain of his intent, the trip organizer Debra Darling simply answered "yes". He then proceeded to explain how The Empress lamented the ladies' absence the previous year and he escorted the ladies in for a fine afternoon of tea.

Of course, you can simply join the group for the ferry ride to Victoria, spend the day how you like and meet up for the ferry ride back to Port Angeles.

Presenter Info

Jan and Lynn Jefferies - Trip leaders

Cross Dressing 101

Presenter: Suzanne Adams

Peninsula, on Tuesday May 12 at 3:00PM

This is the ideal introduction to cross-dressing for the beginning crossdresser. The class will cover an array of topics in Suzanne's inimitable rapid-fire style. Learn about clothing, sizing, how to discreetly size clothes in the store, basic style advice, recent trends, and more in this popular class.

Presenter Info

Suzanne Adams has been involved within the TG community since the early 1990's. She has been a member of The Emerald City Social Club (one of the three clubs sponsoring Esprit) for over 30 years, serving as a board member for most of that time, eight years as President and currently as Vice President. She was a Facilitator for the Ingersoll Gender Center for 17 years, and worked as the Chair of the Seattle Chief of Police Advisory Committee for Sexual Minorities up until CHOP occurred. Suzanne also spent 12 years as the Citizen Observer on the Seattle Police Firearms Review board, paying forward all of the support that the City of Seattle has given to the LGBTQIA+ Community. She has worked with the Esprit Committee, serving in many of the planning positions and is currently Co-Chair of Esprit along with Stephanie Binschus. Suzanne has been a presenter at Esprit every year since 1993.