Our escapades & adventures... visiting the World...: Seattle/BC Day 5

BC Ferries (Tsawwassen, BC to Swartz Bay, Sidney): A cold ferry ride from Vancouver mainland to Vancouver Island.

Scenic Marine Drive: Provide excellent view of Mt. Baker and the Olympic mountains. Lot of small communities and beaches along the way.

Olympic Mountains

Mt Baker

Victoria Downtown: A pretty little downtown, can be easily covered by walk. Lot of entertainment and activities (horse chariot rides, vintage cars, whale watching, sea lions etc). Victoria is the capital of BC.

Undersea Gardens: An unique adventure for the whole family, the undersea gardens provides the world with an exciting and convenient way to view the marine life of the BC coastal region. Visitors to the lower level display area of the vessel descend 15 feet beneath the ocean to watch a variety of marine plants and animals. Through the many viewing windows,visitors can look right into the underwater world of the Pacific Northwest.

British Columbia Parliament Buildings: The Neo-baroque buildings face north on Belleville street facing the Inner Harbour and diagonally across from The Empress Hotel. A statue of Queen Victoria stands on the front lawn as well a statue of a soldier.

Fairmont Empress Hotel: One of the oldest and most famous hotels, it is well known for its classic Victorian afternoon tea service. During the summer months, the hotel serves tea (along with tea sandwiches, fresh scones, preserves and clotted cream known as Empress cream in its 'Tea Lobby' to more than 800 guests and tourists daily. Afternoon tea is approximately CAD $60 per person,and reservations are often required one or two weeks in advance.

Butchart Gardens: Clearly the most romantic things to do, our primary purpose of visiting Victoria. The gardens is one of the world's premier floral show gardens. Jennie Butchart began to shape this magnificent landscape to evoke a range of aesthetic experiences. An abandoned limestone quarry was transformed into the dramatic Sunken Garden. Through successive generations of the Butchart family, The Gardens has retained much of its original design, and continues the Victorian tradition of seasonally changing the outstanding floral displays.