We were on the go early this morning as we wanted to catch the ferry from Vancouver to take us to Victoria on Vancouver Island. We knew we needed to be up early as the ferry left at 8:00 am and it was a thirty minute drive to the ferry terminal. Francois was up shortly before 6:00 and I followed as we had a lot to pack up after staying two days in the same hotel room. This was the first morning we had to wake the kids up extra early and they were slow moving out of the bed. We ate a delicious continental breakfast at the hotel and we were off ahead of schedule.
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| Natalie on the outer deck of the ferry |
We arrived at the ferry terminal at 7:30am and only waited a few moments before boarding the ferry. There was a kids zone area where the kids could watch TV and that is where they hung out for the entire trip. The ferry sailed really close to the small islands between Vancouver city and Vancouver Island and it was interesting to see all the cottages along the waterside.
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| David likes to review the map, just like Daddy |
The ferry ride was 90 minutes, but it went by quickly. It was a relaxing way to travel - Francois didn’t need to worry about watching the traffic or the road and I could have a quick cat nap.
We made our way to Victoria - the capital of British Columbia. Today there was free parking in the streets and the place was so busy - we drove around trying to find a parking spot so we could go to the Visitor Information Centre. Before we made the information desk the kids were delighted to see a float plane come flying into the harbour. The unplanned things they are getting to see on this trip have been great and we love their excitement level when they see something “cool.”
The lady at the Information Centre provided us with some suggestions of what to do and we were off. The first place we wanted to go was to church - St Andrew’s Cathedral. Again the joys of a city as we wasted twenty minutes trying to find a parking spot - because we have a roof rack on the van we are unable to use the parking garages.
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| Interior of the church |
We arrived a few minutes late, but the hospitality minister was quick to find us a spot near the back of the church. It was a bustling area as there were many people pouring into the church - there was so many people they were standing at the back of the church. The priest sang everything - except the gospel and his homily. It was very interesting to hear the entire congregation singing back all the responses. The church building was impressive. It had an upper level for people to sit in and there was a third level where the pipe organ was located and where the choir would sing. I took pictures of the church, but they don’t show the true beauty of the inside of the building.
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| Three levels of the church. Love the pot lights!! |
Next we made our way to Beacon Hill Park for lunch. There were many families having picnics in the park too. There were lots of different activities going on at the park - people playing mini golf, croquet, cricket, a concert and of course lots of kids playing on the playground equipment. While we were at the park we called Grammy just to update her with all our news since we last talked.
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| Caron crew at Mile 0 |
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| Dipping our feet in the Pacific Ocean |
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| Family photo at the West Coast of Canada! |
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| Mommy and David dip their feet in too! |
Next on our agenda was to visit Mile 0 of the Trans Canada Highway - there is even a large sign, which was perfect for picture taking. We also dipped our toes into the very cold Pacific Ocean. Natalie, Andrea and Francois found the water bone chilling and could only stand seconds in the water. David and I were a little tougher - although 3 minutes with my feet in the water is probably all I could handle. Of course we took a family picture of us at the water’s edge of the Pacific Ocean - a once in a lifetime opportunity for us.
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| Plaster man moves for money! |
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| BC Legislature Building |
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| Francois and girls in the gardens of Beacon hill Park |
We made our way to the ferry terminal in Victoria as we decided to head to Port Angeles, Washington tonight. We parked the car in the ferry terminal and paid our passage fee. We were surprised to see children under the age of twelve were free. We were allowed to leave our cars in the parking lot and tour the downtown area of Victoria. We made our way to the boardwalk where the buskers were entertaining the crowds again. Our favorite of the day was Plaster Man who would move when coins were dropped into his bucket. David, Natalie and Andrea were entertained by his antics and so was the crowd as they walked by and realized he was a real person. We also visited the BC legislature building which looks so regal. It is a beautiful building.
Francois knew the kids needed to burn some energy so he had the kids race from one area to another in the front yard of the building. They were more than raring to run as fast as they could.
By times it can be a tad challenging driving in the car with the five of us for extended periods of time. Although Natalie is in heaven with her stack of books in the back seat, David and Andrea struggle sometimes with keeping busy. We aren’t big fans of electronic devices although we have used them some. When it comes to discipline, our options are a little more limited because we can’t realistically leave someone behind while the rest of us do the activity.
David doesn’t like to lose his “electronic” time and Andrea doesn’t like to miss out on anything sweet so we’ve had to resort to those two items when things get really crazy. For the most part the kids have been great travelers but we’ve also had a few moments where everyone has needed to take a deep breath.
Speaking of books, Natalie has been busy reading and re-reading all of her books. Currently she is working on writing a book since she read all of the books (at least three times) in her favorite series - Charlie Bone. She has decided to write another book based on one of the supporting characters in the series.
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| Andrea and the Terry Fox monument |
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| Victoria Skyline |
Now we have boarded the ferry to Port Angeles. This ferry is not as nice as the ferry we were on this morning - it reminds me a lot of the John Hamilton Gray - but a lot more run down however the view of the mountains are spectacular. As we were leaving the dock Francois went up on the deck by himself to see the Victoria skyline. As the ferry was leaving the harbour a group of young people all waved in unison and yelled “thanks for visiting Victoria” and then proceeded to turn and moon the boat. The person beside Francois was quick to snap a few pictures and said that he would be posting them on Facebook tonight. Francois enjoyed seeing the Victoria skyline although he wished the “buildings were a little more shapely (lol)”!
We haven’t done nearly as much research on the next leg of our journey through the states. We know we will be staying with Fran’s brother, Pierre and his family in California - we are not sure what we will do between now and then. Once we arrive, there should lots of visitor guides from all the states we will be traveling through as Francois asked his brother to order them for him. There will be lots of reading later this week.
Take Care
Tanya
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