Victoria and Butchart Gardens

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Victoria and Butchart Gardens

Today we had a leisurely start to our day with breakfast at the Café D’Amore next door. We decided that we would start with a city tour on an authentic Britisch Double Decker Hop-On Hop-Off bus. Points of interest on this tour include: exotic Chinatown, Songhees totems, Historia Antique Row, Victoria’s Inner Harbour, Craigdarroch Castle, Oak Bay Village, and British Columbia’s Parliament Buildings.

We took the tour all the way from beginning to end and then stayed on the bus until we got to the Craigdarroch Castle. Craigdarroch Castle was built between 1187-1890 for Robert Dunsmuir, a Scottish Immigrant who made his fortune from Vancouver Island coal. This Victorian mansion, built on a hill overlooking the City of Victoria announced to the world that Robert Dunsmuir was the richest and most important man in Western Canada. Unfortunately, Robert died before he had a chance to live here. His entire Estate, said to be valued at $15 to $20 million U.S. dollars in 1888 was left entiretly to his widow, Joan. She moved to Craigdarroch in1890 and lived here until her death in 1908. There are 87 steps in the this beautiful castle and the rooms are exquisite. You could almost step back in time and envision what it was to like to live here in the late 1800s.

We boarded the return bus back to the Empress Hotel and made plans to catch another tour bus to Butchart Gardens. After talking with a Butchart Gardens representative we decided to catch an earlier bus which meant we had to find a quick lunch which we did in the form of a hot dog stand around the corner. We boarded our bus at 3:15 for the 40 minute drive to the gardens. Ellen and I had been here before, but Sharyn was giddy with excitement and it was fun watching her face when she saw the Sunken Garden for the 1^st time. World famous Butchart Gardens is a wonderland containing spectacular theme gardens, exotic plants, streams and ponds. Ross Fountain, the famous Sunken Garden, Rose Garden and Japanese Garden were all spectacular. My personal favorite is the Sunken Garden. We stopped in the Blue Poppy Restaurant for a lite dinner and completely exhausted boarded our bus for the ride back to Victoria.

A recurring theme has emerged while here in Victoria. In order to get here, we had to pack a bag for the 2 day stay on the island and there was a weight limit as far as our luggage including our purse that we could carry on the plane. We were so stressed about this that we had packed and unpacked and repacked until we weren’t sure what we had brought and what we had checked at Kenmore Air back in Seattle. So whenever we were looking for anything, the recurring statement was, “Oh, I left that in my other suitcase.” After awhile, it became quite comical.

Tomorrow, we catch the Floatplane back to Seattle and I sure hope that they don’t weigh our bags again, because for certain we will be over the weight limit.

We are sad to leave this beautiful city, but we will make a return trip here at the end of our cruise for High Tea at the Fairmont Express.

Tomorrow: Inside Passage Cruise begins.

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Photos

Entrance to Gardens
Georgiana and Sharyn

Comments

[Amy]

Wow! Looks and sounds fantastic there, I'm jealous! Great blogs and I hope they don't weigh your bags too:) Was the pilot cute mom?! Haha=)

[Deborah Fenton]

Love your blogs
Hello :) Your holiday sounds wonderful so far, bet you are enjoying being reunited with the rest of your luggage! Will have to put Butchart Gardens on my list of places to visit. Thanks for sharing, feels like I am with you :) much love xo

[karrie nelson]

Hello ladies! Im so impressed with this great blog, it is so well written! I'm so glad you have this so I can follow along with you. Im enjoying the pictures as well!!! We miss ya momma! Have fun:)