Victoria, BC

We got up early yesterday, drove to Port Angeles and took the 8:20am ferry to Victoria, BC. We took our bikes and spent the day touring around the city and harbor. I was sitting on the ferry trying not to think of the last time I took my bike to an island! I thought of our ferry ride to Hong Kong and Disneyland with Kyle, Heather, Samantha and Emily instead - better memories!
The ferry is huge and the hull was full of cars, trucks and RV's - it's about an hour and a half trip. We were expecting a small, quaint town on the harbor - imagine our surprise to see a big, bustling city! We started the day with breakfast at an outdoor restaurant overlooking the harbor. It was fun watching the yachts, sailboats and seaplanes come and go.
The annual "Classic Boat" show was going on this week-end so there were vendors, musicians and food booths all along the wharf. Many of the boats were open to board - all different sizes and shapes but most had beautiful polished wood surfaces.
We took a city bus out to "Butchart Gardens" in the afternoon. Jennie Butchart started making gardens at her home in 1904. The home now a National Historic Landmark and has restaurants and gift shops but it is still owned by the family. The grounds are incredible with a Sunken Garden (made in a nearby abandoned quarry); a Bog Garden; a Japanese Garden and a Rose Garden. In addition to the gorgeous flower gardens and hanging baskets all the different trees and shrubs make it a lovely place for an afternoon stroll. There is also an antique, hand carved carousel by a lake.
We ended a perfect day with a perfect dinner of grilled salmon at another waterfront restaurant!