On Things Along the Way 27

For photos:  http://willemcoetzee.blogspot.ca/2014/07/fotos-31.html

We were up at 5:45 am to be at Port Angeles at 7:30 and the ferry departed at 8:30 with the truck in the hull and us blanketed in fog upstairs until we got close to Victoria harbor on Vancouver Island. Susan’s flight from Chicago was due in at 1:30 pm so the threesome drove to Fisherman’s Wharf, which is a pleasant spot at the harbor   https://www.google.ca/search?q=Fishermans+Wharf+Victoria+BC&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=4WHHU77KAtC9oQSR3oLwAg&ved=0CEUQsAQ&biw=1251&bih=598. We planned to go to the Butchart Gardens   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butchart_Gardens   for the afternoon from the airport, which we did after Susan’s delayed flight arrived two hours late. These gardens turned out to be a definite highpoint of our trip https://www.google.ca/search?q=Butchart+Gardens+Victoria&noj=1&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=xWLHU7yvBtH3oASL9oGYDQ&ved=0CE8QsAQ&biw=1251&bih=598 and certainly not to be missed by anyone going to Victoria. It is a great deal more than merely an extension of the Canadian love of flowers and their abundant use in decorating private and public property allover Canada.

Three hours later our feet couldn’t handle it any longer; all of us had an early start that morning, so we headed out on Vancouver Island for dinner in Mill Bay and to Shirley’s Cozy Nest Bed and Breakfast, where we secured accommodation months ago http://www.shirleyscozynest.com/. Shirley and husband Bob are great hosts who know how to run an upscale place and provide a terrific breakfast. They were also most helpful in directing us to places worth visiting that one day we’ve earmarked for Vancouver Island: Cowichan, Chemainus (An historic lumber exporting harbor town, which when the industry slumped seriously, was convinced by HR MacMillan to embark on a serious mural painting project as a tourist attraction. It saved the town from turning into a ghost town and the spirit grew to encompass additional attractions, including cottage industries resulting in a lovely place to visit.), Ladysmith, Cassidy, Dundee and Nainamo, capped with a Chinese dinner in Cowichan.

 Our last day in Victoria was spent mostly downtown with visits to the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Gallery_of_Greater_Victoria, The Museum of Victoria http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_British_Columbia_Museum , the British Columbia Parliament http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Columbia_Parliament_Buildings  and once again, Fisherman’s Wharf for Susan’s benefit. The ferry sailed at 7:30 pm and we were in Port Angeles at 9:00 pm and back at Sequim Bay State Park at 9:30. The refrigerator was in good shape and after a snack we turned in, quite exhausted. The house was full again and we looked forward to moving on to Manchester State Park for two days.