By Joanne Reid It’s early morning in the beautiful city of Victoria, British Columbia, and already we are on our way to The Butchart Gardens, located in the Brentwood Bay area. The gardens are on 55 acres of land originally purchased and used by the Butchart family to build a cement factory (due to its rich lime deposits). However, once the area was depleted of lime deposits, … [Read more...] about Plan to Spend the Day – Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC
british columbia
Short Stop Big Reward: Victoria Butterfly Gardens
By Joanne Reid Up by Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, just a 25-minute drive from downtown Victoria, blossoms a garden of up to 70 species of tropical butterflies and more than 200 varieties of tropical plants in a very humid rainforest environment. These butterflies -- or, as my daughter more appropriately termed them, “flutter-byes” -- adorn the air and leaves of this … [Read more...] about Short Stop Big Reward: Victoria Butterfly Gardens
Songs of a Soiled Dove: Reliving History at 3 Valley Gap, British Columbia, Canada
By Bill Peeler She had a body that would take more than one solid punch to knock down. The pink feathers on her more-than-ample bosom were having a helluva time staying put. Her fire-engine-red mouth was as well meant for shouting as singing. The upright piano tinkled in the background as she belted out raucous songs about life in British Columbia’s mining towns. Like … [Read more...] about Songs of a Soiled Dove: Reliving History at 3 Valley Gap, British Columbia, Canada
The Sea to Sky Gondola
By Ken Forsberg Only half the distance from Vancouver as the Whistler/Blackcomb peak-to-peak gondola, the new Sea to Sky Gondola, just minutes south of Squamish, British Columbia, makes a nice day trip for those of us who don’t want to spend the entire day traveling. Less than an hour’s drive from just about anywhere in Vancouver, this new facility offers easy hiking trails … [Read more...] about The Sea to Sky Gondola