Rick & Carol's Journey (DL)

[Be sure to click on the photos for larger versions.]

This installment covers Wednesday (August 20) and Thursday (August 21).

Wednesday started out sunny, but changed to a light drizzle by late afternoon. We again caught a bus downtown for another day of sightseeing. We started at Craigdarroch Castle, the house built by a Victoria coal baron. He died before the house was completed, and his widow and daughters lived in the home for many years. It later served as a hospital, school, and administration building before it was restored as a historic site.




Looking Up 4 Flights of Stairs


We spent the afternoon visiting the Royal BC Museum. The museum had exhibits on war brides, the people of British Columbia, the native peoples, natural history, and BC history.



Thursday was a mostly sunny day. This morning we drove to Betschart Gardens, a large complex of gardens started by the wife of a limestone mine owner. The present gardens include a sunken garden in the old limestone pit, a rose garden, a Japanese garden, and a Mediterranean garden.






We then drove across town to visit Fort Rodd Hill, the site of a series of coastal defense batteries. Although they were manned from the late 1800s to the mid-1950s, they never saw action.




There is also a working lighthouse located adjacent to the fort.


Today is our last day in Canada – tomorrow we catch the ferry to Port Angeles, Washington. After eating lunch, we bought gas for the car with the last of our Canadian dollars.