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From our condo at the Canadian (WorldMark the Club Resort) in downtown Vancouver, we drove to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal, where we boarded a ferry for the 1-hour and 35-minute trip to Swartz Bay at Vancouver Island. The fares were $8.25 per adult, $4.25 per child, and $25 per car. After disembarking, we drove south to the world-famous Butchart Gardens, where we toured the 55-acre property with its many extraordinary gardens and, Benvenuto, the Butchart home. After a few hours, we left and drove south through some beautiful scenery to Victoria, the capital city. We went directly to the Inner Harbour, where we parked and took about 50 digital pictures of the quaint, historical city before going i
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After disembarking, we drove south to the world-famous Butchart Gardens, where we toured the 55-acre property with its many extraordinary gardens and, Benvenuto, the Butchart home. After a few hours, we left and drove south through some beautiful scenery to Victoria, the capital city. We went directly to the Inner Harbour, where we parked and took about 50 digital pictures of the quaint, historical city before going into the Empress Hotel's ornate dining room for high tea. As evening was rapidly approaching, we began to realize that there was far too much to see and do in 1day. We knew we would want to return soon to enjoy more of this wonderful destination, including the Royal London Wax Museum, Miniature World, Crystal Gardens, a replica of Anne Hathaway's thatched-roof cottage, Craigdarroch Castle, the Royal BC Museum, Government House, the Maritime Museum of British Columbia, Chinatown, and a ride around town in a horse-drawn carriage or a double-decker bus.
With all those things to see and do, we would need a base on the island, preferably near the Inner Harbour. We decided to check out the new WorldMark the Club resort under construction nearby. A quick tour convinced us that it would be a perfect location to use as a base to see the rest of Victoria on our next visit. We probably wouldn't need a rental car, as almost everything is reachable by walking or by renting bicycles. On this trip we returned to Vancouver the same way we came, by ferry. The day had been a long one, but it was also most enjoyable.
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