Hop on, hop off in Victoria BC

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Geo: 48.4219, -123.367

Location, location. You can't beat it. Perched right on the Inner Harbour in Victoria it seems that all roads lead to The Empress. The boats, yachts, skiffs, ferries, kayaks, paddle boards and cruise lines, the sea planes, the buses, the bikes and scooters, the cabs and even the horse drawn carriages are at our front door. And right across the road is the Visitor Centre. And after doing a very very happy dance because we have an IRON at last (who would have thought this would be so special!) the Visitor Centre with the very helpful Ted was our first stop.

Tried our best for room service team to be out by 10 am but it was closer to 11 before the day was under way. We opted for a two day Hop on Hop Off Bus and after a breakfast lunch combo at the The Bay Centre Mall we were on our way soaking up the sun and the history in the open air bus. We do like a bus ride with a commentary. The 90 minute full route cook's tour was our overview and then did a double lap to get us back to Beacon Hill Park.

Victoria is the garden capital of BC. With a moderate climate, that classifies meltdown heat wave conditions at 25 degrees, a meagre 50 cms of rainfall per annum, perhaps surprisingly the city and suburbs are rich with green all year round and a myriad of flower varieties are in a constant cycle of bloom.

Tall conifers mingle with azaleas and pines, in fact, the background information to the park indicated there are some 10 000 different plant species at Beacon Hill.Trees dominate the park landscape. Native and exotic trees of all ages (some 400 year olds), sizes and shapes are intermingled with beautiful water features. There was a petting zoo and wandering everywhere were ducks, geese, sea gulls, peacocks and to top it off there was even an enormous watering can. Beacon Hill Park is a free gift to the people of Victoria and to lucky visitors like us!

We headed off road to climb up to Lookout Point and then headed cross country (complete with back pack) to see the tallest free standing totem pole in Canada. Over the road and down to the beach for a walk to Clover Point. The beach was a hive of activity with a mix of cyclists, dog owners and kite surfers. The water is a year round consistent 10 degrees. No sandy beach here, just a slippery mass of pebbles all shapes and sizes littered with water smoothed logs. Such a different look and feel from our Australian expectations of "a beach". And yes, it was the Pacific and very slowly the sun was sinking on the western horizon over the ocean.

It seemed as if we could reach out and touch the shores of the USA from here. A constant presence on the horizon, Washington State is a mere 140 kms away and the Cascade Mountains, featuring Mt Baker soar as snow capped peaks that rise to 3 300 metres. We could jump on the Victoria Clipper and be in Seattle in just three hours.

Our walk for the day rounded out at Clover Bay and we hailed the last bus of the day with some relief and settled in for the ride home as the only intrepid passengers still out and about for the last pick up on the Hop On Hop Off bus.

We were on a mission this evening determined to beat closing times for dinner (unlike like our dinner efforts the night before). Earlier in the day we had spotted from the bus, the Harbourside Restaurant sign advertising a steak and lobster dinner and that was our goal. What a choice. Mac outdid himself and had it all. We had prawns, oysters, steak and lobster and apple crumble all washed down with rums and a Harbourside coffee liqueur. And yep @Aunty Gail, they served cheese on toast....and it was not as good as yours.

Maintaining faith with our mountain adventures in Whistler I did suggest a kayak paddle for tomorrow but Marathon Man has claimed continuing injury issues so we will need to stick to the bus and the feet!

Dinner was done at 8.30 and the next challenge was to catch the sun as it set over the Inner Harbour. Our timing was perfect and we jostled with the other photographers on the viewing platform outside The Empress.

This part of BC is all about tourists and visitors. The bus driver told us that Victoria is BC's capital of "flower beds, newly weds and nearly deads!" It seems as if it is an accurate assessment because two out of three people you meet are grey haired travellers - Mac looked around the restaurant and declared that were were the youngest patrons...by far!.

A great day as independent tourists. And an "early" start is planned for tomorrow on the 9.30 bus. I wonder if we will make it?

Tuesday
Temperature: 22
Pedometer: 14 710
Bear Sightings = 0

Total Bear Sightings = 2

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Comments

[Aunty Gail]

Great memories.......it is the most beautiful place....and you guys are certainly seeing it all !!.....xxxx