VIVACIOUS VICTORIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND BY DARCY NYBO
T
hose looking for a getaway with something for everyone should head over to
Vancouver Island. There is so much to see and do, you will want to go back again and again.
Getting there is easy. Kelowna International Airport has several flights to Victoria on Vancouver Island. Westjet has a direct flight every day at 6:00 pm; while Air Canada and Air Canada Jazz have numerous daily flights connecting through Vancouver.
The city of Victoria has several attractions, from the historic Empress Hotel to the beauty of the Butchart Gardens. The locals love being a tourist in their hometown.
Susan Christman has lived in Victoria her whole life. She often takes a walk down Government Street and through Inner Harbour with family and friends to enjoy the Buskers. “There are magicians, fire-eaters, musicians; it is quite varied and it’s great for adults and kids alike. If you’ve never seen the ocean you must go to the Undersea Gardens there.”
Victoria’s Royal BC Museum takes a half day to peruse. They also offer behind the scenes backstage passes. Christman loves it. “It’s a great place to visit on rainy or really hot days and it has the IMAX theatre.”
Sometimes the places you stay are as breathtaking as the places you visit.
Quintessentially Victoria. Rates from $129.00
Reservations and information (250) 384-8111 ║
www.fairmont.com/empress
Other museums include the Maritime Museum, where you can climb the ratlines to a ship’s crow’s nest; Craigdarroch Castle, once home to the rich and powerful in the 19th century; and an Aviation Museum in Sydney. If you like bugs, you’ll like the Victoria Bug Zoo. Christman explains, “One of my kids is blind and she loves going there because she gets to hold the tarantulas and other bugs. There’s a petting zoo in Beacon Hill and the kids have a great time feeding the animals.”
16 | YLW CONNECTION
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