At the Coombs Fair, Vancouver Island

Rented a car (and was given a minivan) and headed off across the island for the weekend.





The guy who rented us the car (minivan) had suggested we visit Coombs for their annual fair. We were quite pleased to be greeted by the line dancing seniors decked out in western gear. The fair was an adorable collection of good old fashioned wholesomeness. (Wasn't until after we left that I learned that this fair has been going on since 1913!)



A "Celebration of Agriculture," the 4H club had an impressive array of poultry on display.



It was as if the whole island came out to show off their projects.



Just in case you were wondering what you should feed your worms. If they're stinky, you might be overfeeding them.



The prize bird and his ribbons.



Girls lounged in the barn with their cattle, inviting visitors to pet their cows.



Tee hee! Snoozing pigs!



The riding team put on a nice horse show. Hung around the arena and barn were handmade informational posters that detailed various aspects of horses and horse care.



On the way out of town, we passed the Country Market whose tagline is "Goats on the Roof".



No joke, there were goats on the roof!



And finally, a random picture that doesn't really fit with the rest of the post. During one of our guest trips, the power went out for several hours and, not able to continue in the laundry, I crafted little paper animals as turndown gifts for the guests.

Strathcona Park, Vancouver Island

We eventually docked on Vancouver Island and on our day off, we rented some cars and drove towards the center of the island to visit Strathcona Park.



Along the way, there are many little hikes that take you along various routes of interest. This one in particular was .6 kilometers and took us through the trees to a little waterfall.



Another short trail offered a glimpse of the water...



and opened up to offer gorgeous views from the shoreline of Campbell Lake.



Farther into the park we stopped along a bridge. This is the in-camera panorama my camera pieced together of one direction.



And this was the other. Not a bad feature for my little point and shoot.



Nibbled at a picnic lunch and enjoyed some wine.



Myra falls was another impressive hike.






The scenery was epic.



The boys went swimming in the icy water while we all poked around to explore.



Icy!

Vancouver Island and Desolation Sound

Cruising along the costal waters of Vancouver Island has been really pretty.





One afternoon, the crew went to the beach...



And set up a beach BBQ lunch for the guests in style.



This was my first Canadian beach experience and was surprisingly warm with loads of sand dollars and jellyfish in the water. The big boat anchored way out in this picture is home.



Many others were out enjoying the beach as well.



Our talented chefs whipped up yet another culinary delight (including kangaroo kabobs!).



Back on the boat, the view from my porthole on our way to our next destination, Desolation Sound.



Curiously dubbed, Desolation Sound was breathtakingly beautiful.



Pictures don't really do it any justice.



Every chance I could get, I tried to look out the window as we moved through the Sound. Most of my work is inside so I don't often get to see where we are unless we're anchored somewhere for a while.



Heading towards our anchor spot for the night.



And here's another late afternoon view out the porthole.

Victoria, BC and Buchart Gardens

Just a bus ride North from Victoria lies the Buchart Gardens.



Originally started in a limestone quarry by the wife of cement manufacturer, the gardens that were once intended to merely cover up the expanse of the quarry have grown to become an immense tourist attraction.



The sculpted gardens seem endless and surreal as you wander them.



There were many very interesting types of flowers that required a closer look.





These guys were my favorite.



Some gardens were high, some gardens were low.



A Japanese garden, too.





I think our visit to the gardens proved that one can actually be "gardened out". It's possible. We felt it.



Back in Victoria, we enjoyed plenty of shopping and the little artists/farmers markets that pop up along the main drag. This building along the waterfront is the Empress Hotel where we planned to have afternoon tea, but unfortunately never had the time.



Victoria has many very interesting and very tasty hip eateries. And a very young, attractive crowd. This was the microbrewery the Canoe Club that we visited frequently. One bar even had beach volleyball courts on its rooftop.



It was here in Victoria that I had the best hot dog ever from a street vendor. Grilled for me on the spot on a homemade whole wheat bun it was simply to die for. Heaven. And street art.