Places to go to Victoria Is, BC

Last summer we flew to Vancouver and had a great time. This time I was
thinking it would be fun to go to Victoria. Are there things for a
family to do? Are there good places to go airport hopping?
I'm not looking for "aviation" stuff to do, but rather fun things for a
9 and 10 year old to do. Is there any kayaking or snorkling available?
Is the island itself worth just driving around? Is there anything to do
at TOFINO? Where should we stay?

-Robert

On 21 Jun 2005 11:32:35 -0700, "Robert M. Gary"
wrote:

Last summer we flew to Vancouver and had a great time. This time I was
thinking it would be fun to go to Victoria. Are there things for a
family to do? Are there good places to go airport hopping?
I'm not looking for "aviation" stuff to do, but rather fun things for a
9 and 10 year old to do. Is there any kayaking or snorkling available?
Is the island itself worth just driving around? Is there anything to do
at TOFINO? Where should we stay?

If the kids can be read to without squirming, here's an idea.

Fina a copy of The Curve of Time, by Muriel Wylie Blanchet. Published
in 1961, it describes the author's summer-long trips with her 5
children (she was a widow) in the 1920s and '30s in a 25-foot
motorboat through the waters between Vancouver Island and the BC
mainland. Blanchet wrote many articles for Canadian magazines over
the years and she has the ability to give a strong sense of place.
And tell the kids one of the stories is abouts a spooky visit to a
Haida burial island.

Don

One more time....Victoria, BC, is situated on Vancouver Island. If there is
a Victoria Island, it is not in BC.

I thought you had decided to go to Cataline...

Anyway, Victoria is a little slice of England, transplanted to North
America. The airport is at Swartz Bay, about 20 miles away, so you will need
transportation to and around Victoria. There is a miniatures museum and a
naval museum that might hold interest for the youngsters. Taking a Gray Line
tour is always a good idea. Downtown centers areound the Inner Harbor (just
right if you are on floats...) with lots of seaplane and marine activity. It
is a very pretty city.

Tofino is well north of Victoria on the west coast of the island and has its
own airport. I'm not sure that it offers anything other than walking on the
beach. My wife and I spent a weekend at Wickininish Lodge and did not feel
that we got value for our money.

If you are an artsy guy, there is a native serigraphist named Roy Henry
Vickers who has studios/sales outlets in both Tofino and Victoria. Knock
your socks off. My bride and I bought a print at the Tofino site.

Bob Gardner

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
ups.com...
Last summer we flew to Vancouver and had a great time. This time I was
thinking it would be fun to go to Victoria. Are there things for a
family to do? Are there good places to go airport hopping?
I'm not looking for "aviation" stuff to do, but rather fun things for a
9 and 10 year old to do. Is there any kayaking or snorkling available?
Is the island itself worth just driving around? Is there anything to do
at TOFINO? Where should we stay?

-Robert

wasn't there a Russian attack submarine that could be
visited?

--Sylvain

Might be...my last visit was to Butchart Gardens and we didn't hang around
the Inner Harbor. Saw Russian subs alongside the Queen Mary in Long Beach
and at the museum in Portland, OR.

Bob

"Sylvain" wrote in message
...
wasn't there a Russian attack submarine that could be
visited?

--Sylvain

As Bob mentions, there is plenty of fun to be had in Victoria. Kids
probably won't enjoy it, but Butchart Gardens (near the airport) is a
beautiful place to walk around. On my blog, I have some pictures taken
there on Mothers Day 2003 after a flight up from Seattle.

Tofino is a lovely town and a nice flight. The Wickininish Lodge is
lovely and in addition to walking on the beach, you can kayak around the
inlets. A fun trip for the whole family is to visit the hot springs on
the north end of the sound that Tofino sit on the south side of. The
spring water is incredibly hot, but mixes with seawater in tide pools.
You start out in a pool nearest the ocean and then move to the next
pool, which is hotter. Great fun and very relaxing and out in the
middle of nowhere.

There are travel packages available from a number of vendors that can
get you to the hot springs by floatplane or boat. We went up by boat
and came back by floatplane. You get dropped off over a mile away, and
it's a great hike through dense forest to the springs.

E-mail me if you want more info.

Charles Oppermann, Copper Software
http://www.coppersoftware.com/

-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Gardner ]
Posted At: Tuesday, June 21, 2005 3:27 PM
Posted To: rec.aviation.piloting
Conversation: Places to go to Victoria Is, BC
Subject: Places to go to Victoria Is, BC

One more time....Victoria, BC, is situated on Vancouver Island. If there
is
a Victoria Island, it is not in BC.

I thought you had decided to go to Cataline...

Anyway, Victoria is a little slice of England, transplanted to North
America. The airport is at Swartz Bay, about 20 miles away, so you will
need
transportation to and around Victoria. There is a miniatures museum and
a
naval museum that might hold interest for the youngsters. Taking a Gray
Line
tour is always a good idea. Downtown centers areound the Inner Harbor
(just
right if you are on floats...) with lots of seaplane and marine
activity. It
is a very pretty city.

Tofino is well north of Victoria on the west coast of the island and has
its
own airport. I'm not sure that it offers anything other than walking on
the
beach. My wife and I spent a weekend at Wickininish Lodge and did not
feel
that we got value for our money.

If you are an artsy guy, there is a native serigraphist named Roy Henry
Vickers who has studios/sales outlets in both Tofino and Victoria. Knock

your socks off. My bride and I bought a print at the Tofino site.

Bob Gardner

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
ups.com...
Last summer we flew to Vancouver and had a great time. This time I was
thinking it would be fun to go to Victoria. Are there things for a
family to do? Are there good places to go airport hopping?
I'm not looking for "aviation" stuff to do, but rather fun things for
a
9 and 10 year old to do. Is there any kayaking or snorkling available?
Is the island itself worth just driving around? Is there anything to
do
at TOFINO? Where should we stay?

-Robert

Hi Robert

This will help you:

http://www.islands.bc.ca/

Tony

--

Tony Roberts
PP-ASEL
VFR OTT
Night
Cessna 172H C-GICE

In article . com,
"Robert M. Gary" wrote:

Last summer we flew to Vancouver and had a great time. This time I was
thinking it would be fun to go to Victoria. Are there things for a
family to do? Are there good places to go airport hopping?
I'm not looking for "aviation" stuff to do, but rather fun things for a
9 and 10 year old to do. Is there any kayaking or snorkling available?
Is the island itself worth just driving around? Is there anything to do
at TOFINO? Where should we stay?

-Robert

Bob Gardner wrote:
Might be...my last visit was to Butchart Gardens and we didn't hang around
the Inner Harbor. Saw Russian subs alongside the Queen Mary in Long Beach
and at the museum in Portland, OR.

Bob


which reminds me, I'll have to get back there sometime soon; that's
the closest place I found (from California) with a British/JAR AME
who can renew my British license... last time I flew via Alaska, next
time it might be a lot more fun to fly myself there :-))

--Sylvain

Isn't the Aviation Museum still open at the Victoria airport?

Dan

Just got back from Victoria (May '05).

We did Buchart Gardens, whale watching, harbor cruise, IMax, BC Museum of
Natural History, great food. Ran out of time.

Stayed at the Hotel Grand Pacific. Nice treat.

--

Thx, {|;-)

Victor J. (Jim) Osborne, Jr.
"Bob Gardner" wrote in message
...
Might be...my last visit was to Butchart Gardens and we didn't hang around
the Inner Harbor. Saw Russian subs alongside the Queen Mary in Long Beach
and at the museum in Portland, OR.

Bob

"Sylvain" wrote in message
...
wasn't there a Russian attack submarine that could be
visited?

--Sylvain