#31 Mar 2014 Never enough Time!

Everywhere we visit we find more points of interest than we have time to explore. Even with “retirement time” there is never enough. Now the difference is that we can plan to return and check out what we missed.

Friday we explored the Nanaimo museum and learned about the history of coal and herring in the area and much of the geology. Nanaimo is well known for it Bathtub Races.

It’s also the home of Nanaimo bars, although the exact origin is not certain. How can one confection become so famous?

There is a classroom display including primary school readers. Who remembers Dick and Jane? We do, and so do 80 million other children who started school with them and learned to read and absorb basic moral and family values.

We headed south to Chemainus and more history. This time I felt almost as old as some of the museum exhibits when I saw an old adding machine similar to one I used in accounting at Jasper Park Lodge in 1972.

Shortly after I started there the machines were “updated”.

Chemainus history is told in over 40 murals around town.

In Victoria we stayed with Peter and Lorraine who live in Oak Bay. We walked along the shore and were treated to a lovely ocean rainbow.

Saturday Peter gave us an in depth, very knowledgeable tour of Victoria including points we didn’t even know existed. Abkhazi Garden is hidden in the heart of Victoria and rivals Butchart Gardens in beauty if not in size. We savoured high tea, spring flowers and an art display in the garden.

Victoria's Chinatown is home to Fan Tan Alley the narrowest commercial street in North America.

Fisherman’s Wharf is quaint and lined with float homes.

Arbutus trees have very dramatic coloring and shed their bark.

Sunday Ralph and I headed for Sooke, a new area for us. The walking pier has posted signs with clear pictures and descriptions of many west coast wildlife species. I photographed all of the signs and will keep them for reference. In the future I hope to be more specific about the wildlife we see in our travels.

This home is certainly unique and appropriate to the west coast.

We continued north to Jordan River and enjoyed watching surfers brave the cold waves.

Monday morning we caught the first ferry to Vancouver. We were treated to a spectacular sunrise behind Mount Baker, something we don’t often see – sunsets are much easier to catch.