David and Karalee Celebrate 40 Years of Marriage
April 24, 2022
Like many milestone events, nothing feels different at the start of our big day. We first dated in the fall of 1979 and got married on April 24, 1982. Our marriage day was a beautiful one and Victoria delivered a beautiful Spring Day after the fog burned off the Inner Harbour.
Our day started with a lovely early breakfast at the Empress Hotel overlooking the Inner Harbour. As we looked out a 10K race started with hundreds of people running past our viewpoint. Karalee and David missed the excitement of 10K races that were canceled due to COVID. This was the first Victoria 10K race since 2019. Everyone looked like they were having a good time.
The previous day, our professional photographer Jade Mutter shared with us that when she was a teenager she was a driver for the horse drawn carriages. After lunch at a pub on Government Street, we took a horse drawn carriage ride. While we had been to Victoria many times, this was our first time in a horse drawn carriage.
Our driver took us up Government Street past the Royal BC Museum and the BC Legislative Assembly. As we continued on, she pointed out the house where renowned Canadian artist Emily Carr grew up. She also drove past the house where Emily Carr passed away on March 2, 1945 at the age of 74. We continued on to Beacon Hill Park and from there to the waterfront looking over the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We continued all the way along the waterfront, past the cruise ship terminal, until we were once again by the west side of the BC Legislative Assembly. We enjoyed all the Spring flowers, before walking back to the hotel.
We had a rest, before dressing up for dinner. We took a taxi to a recommended Italian Restaurant where we had a lovely meal in a casual setting. The whole day was relaxed, comfortable, a nice mix of new experiences and old ones, including time to look after each other and us. We've learned that these are the things that make our relationship special.
We have celebrated many anniversaries by going away. We have celebrated many by going out for a lovely meal. One thing that made our 40th anniversary stand out is that it was the first time since we were married that we had professional photographs taken of the two of us.
Fog Over Victoria's Inner Harbour in the Morning
Start of the Victoria 10K Race
Thrilling to See So Many People Together After COVID Restrictions Cancelled 10K Races
Lunch on Government Street
Karalee Getting to Know the Horse for our Carriage Ride
Driver for Our Horse Drawn Carriage Ride
Our Driver's Dog Keeps a Look Out
Heading Between the Royal BC Museum and the BC Legislative Assembly
David and Karalee with Big Smiles Celebrating Forty Years Married
Views of Juan de Fuca Straight and the Mountains in Washington State
Looking Past the Breakwater Marking Victoria's Inner Harbour
Spring Flowers with Part of the BC Legislative Assembly in the Background
Karalee Happy to Enjoy the Sunshine
Our 40th Anniversary Dinner
40th Anniversary Photos
To celebrate 40 years of marriage, David arranged for Victoria-based Professional Photographer Jade Mutter to shoot and produce a professional set of 40th anniversary photos. Below is a selection of the best photos we created together outside Empress Hotel and along Victoria's Inner Waterfront.
