During the winter the majority of Vancouver Island is the envy of the rest of the Canada, throw on a jacket and maybe a pair of light gloves and get on with your day. Thick-skinned locals such as Canada Post delivery staff, couriers and joggers sport shorts twelve months of the year. Plants often get confused with warm boughts of weather. Rhododendron and other hardy plants can produce spring buds and even start to bloom in November through February. In particular, the city of Victoria loves to brag about its mild climate. Rightly so when they can have an average spring day temperature as … [Read more...]
The Salmon Run At Goldstream River
The Goldstream River is just one of the many places on Vancouver Island where you can witness a salmon run. Just 17 km's from downtown Victoria you can see this fascinating event from mid October through to early December. It's quite an experience and highly educational for children to witness. Goldstream Provincial Park is well worth exploring. Lush ferns cover the ground and the towering trees of an old-growth temperate rain forest have branches that hang with thick moss. It's a popular hiking area for locals and tourists. The fish can be seen working their way upstream, the numbers … [Read more...]
The Butchart Gardens, A Fairyland Of Flowers And A Photographer’s Dream
There are few gardens in the world that can top the magnificent landscape of the Butchart Gardens. If you love gardening you will be amazed by the stunning show of flowers, shrubs and trees in this immaculately tended 55 acres. Even if you are not a flower fanatic it would be hard not to be impressed. The groupings of textures and colours are truly a photographers dream! What started as a limestone quarry on a family property in Tod Inlet was transformed into what is the most notable part of the estate, the Sunken Gardens. After this vision of the wife, Jennie Butchart was created it was open … [Read more...]
Beacon Hill Park, Yet Another Reason To Love Victoria
Beacon Hill is a two hundred acre park of both natural and manicured beauty. It is located within easy walking distance of the inner harbour of Victoria, British Columbia. It is a quiet place within the city to come for a stroll, a run or a picnic. The park offers views of the ocean and mountains along the wooded and shoreline trails. On a clear day you can see across to the Olympic Mountain range in Washington State. There is something on offer for everyone, a playground, a water park, playing fields, a cricket pitch, lawn bowling and a petting zoo. The fountains, ponds, and gardens make … [Read more...]
Picturesque Houseboats of Fishermans Wharf
Fisherman's Wharf is a colourful float home community located just ten minutes walk from the Inner Harbour of Victoria, B.C. We've been to Victoria dozens of times. I don't know why it took us this long to discover this eclectic village of house boats and shops. … [Read more...]
Afternoon Tea At The Empress
The Empress Hotel has been serving Afternoon Tea for over a century. It is served in the relaxing atmosphere of the Tea Lobby. This elegant space overlooks Victoria's picturesque harbour. The Fairmont Empress Hotel was originally built over one hundred years ago. Throughout the last century Afternoon Tea has been enjoyed by guests of the hotel which have included royalty, dignitaries and celebrities. … [Read more...]