Vancouver Island, B.C., Canada.
3 of us are off to an early June mini-vacation. After researching various hotel and flight choices online, we decided to book with WestJet Vacations. WestJet is offering 30% off the hotel booking plus the fourth night free. I also noticed that once you book the package, you can choose any flight and the package price remains the same, whether you book the seat saver or most expensive fare. We are booked for 4 nights at the Oswego Victoria. We also booked our trip cancellation and medical insurance online through the WestJet site.
Vancouver Island attractions, sightseeing and things to do
We arrive early Monday morning and it is a beautiful sunny day. We get off the plane and actually get to walk on the tarmac to the terminal building to pick up our rental car.
Sidney, BC
Marina at Sidney by the Sea
Scenic coastline tour
Trans-Canada Highway Mile 0, Victoria, BC
Oak Bay marina
We drove along the southern coast of the island, starting at Fisherman's Wharf and Dallas Drive. This is only 2 minutes from our hotel. There are many points of interest along the way, starting with the TransCanada Highway "Mile 0" and Terry Fox memorial in Beacon's Hill park. The road follows the coast and some residential areas but most turns are well marked "scenic route". At the other end, Cordova Bay Road runs into Highway 17 and we followed it south, back to our hotel.
Butchart Gardens
Butchart Gardens, Brentwood Bay, BC
The
Butchart Gardens is located on Vancouver Island, 23 km (14 miles) north of Victoria. The street address is 800 Benvenuto Avenue, Brentwood Bay. The gardens are 55 acres and now a National Historic Site of Canada. Getting there is easy by car or by tour bus.
We arrived at 10 A.M. and parked the car very close to the entrance, no crowds! The gardens are beautiful and it is a definite must-see if you're in Victoria. Words can't really do it justice, so visit our
Vancouver Island photo gallery for more pictures.