New Year's Eve at Sooke Harbour House

Stay at Denniston by the Sea and you are only a short hop from Sooke Harbour House.

Inside Butchart Gardens - A seasonal display

If you are looking for something special to do during the holiday season, please go to Butchart Gardens. If you get there about 3, you can take in their wonderful high tea. It starts with a signature candied ginger scone served with strawberry jam, whipped vanilla Devon-style cream and maple butter. Then come the hot traditional delicacies like Cornish pasty, roasted vegetable and cheese quiche, and chicken and mushroom vol-au-vent. Then sandwiches and savories and topped off with house made sweets and very delicious tea! It doesn't get any better than that. While there for some great fun go ice skating and ride the fantastic carousel. The lights are truly amazing and the colors are dazzling. Be sure to watch for the twelve days of Christmas starting with a partridge in a pear tree and ending with 12 drummers drumming. This is truly a captivating experience that everyone should try. Expect nothing less at this world class attraction, undoubtedly Victoria's best!

IOEA Lighted Truck Parade Victoria BC

This spectacular event took place Saturday evening. It is one of the best food drives on the Island and is attended by thousands of people who line the streets from Dallas Road and all the way to Speedway Park in Langford. The rigs are really well decorated and thrill the throngs lining the roadways. Then at 7 pm one of the three lighted boat parades took place in the Inner Harbour. Quite an evening in Greater Victoria.

DINOSAURS ALIVE and THE ULTIMATE WAVE TAHITI at the IMAX VICTORIA

(Photos courtesy of Imax Theatre Victoria)

DINOSAURS ALIVE is a global adventure of science and discovery -- featuring the earliest dinosaurs of the Triassic Period to the monsters of the Cretaceous "reincarnated" life-sized for the giant IMAX® screen. Through the magic of Imax we were able to journey with some of the world's preeminent paleontologists as they uncover evidence that the descendents of dinosaurs still walk (or fly) among us. From the exotic, trackless expanses and sand dunes of Mongolia's Gobi Desert to the dramatic sandstone buttes of New Mexico, the film follows paleontologists as they explore some of the greatest dinosaur finds in history. Through the magic of scientifically accurate computer-generated animation, these newly discovered creatures, and some familiar favorites, come alive on screen in a really big way in a big way! It is narrated by Michael Douglas. Take it in as it is very worthwhile!







THE ULTIMATE WAVE TAHITI plunges into the stunning beauty of an island paradise on a quest to find the perfect wave-riding experience. Nine-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater and Tahitian surfer Raimana Van Bastolaer are amazing as they seek out the best waves breaking on the reef at Tahiti's famed surf site Teahupo'o. As the quest unfolds, we are plunged beneath the surface of things, to explore the hidden forces at work shaping ocean waves and the islands that lie in their path.
Amidst playful surfing action, the film navigates the cosmos and an ocean storm in a search for the source and nature of a wave's energy. Exploring mountainous Tahiti, the film thrusts into the turbulent volcanic past of the island and its neighbors and discover the seagoing, wave-riding roots of the islanders themselves -- a culture still rich in the music, dance and lore of the sea. Beneath the ocean, swimming with our surfers, the film explores the stunning, fragile beauty of the reef habitat -- a turbulent, wave-shaping interface that envelops the island and nurtures the ocean's multitudes in motion -- fish, dolphins, sharks and whales.
When the truly big surf arrives at Teahupo'o, surfing play becomes surfing survival as the riders artfully tackle some of the heaviest surf on the planet -- spectacularly captured for the giant screen for the first time. Very educational and well photographed. Check it out at the Imax Web Site.

For what else to do in Victoria, click here.

Springtide Whale Watching Victoria BC - at its best

The very first time we went whale watching the three resident pods were all in the same place at the same time, just off Henry Island near Roche Harbour. We could not turn our heads fast enough to see all the action. It was truly amazing. I have said many times that being on an island with out a boat is like being bird poo on a rock. To experience Vancouver Island you need to get out on the water. There is no better way to do that that with a charter like Springtide Whale Watching. They have a large fast yacht with a washroom and plenty of viewing space inside, on the top deck, back deck and bow. They are skilled and knowledgeable, but your still need nature to cooperate. The photo pictorial can be seen at: Click Here

For more information about whale watching in Victoria, click here.
For a great place to stay in Victoria, click here

Victoria Harbour Ferry Experience Victoria's Inner Harbour

Victoria Harbour Ferries provide a great opportunity for a marine experience while visiting Victoria. You will get a great tour of our beautiful Inner Harbour and Gorge Waterway. The drivers are all very knowlegeable and give a great commentary throughout the trip. It is a fun and exciting way to see Victoria. You can visit Fisherman's Wharf and have Barb's famous fish and chips and wash that down with an ice cream cone from Jackson's. Or you can go to Spinakers Pub and have some beer from their famous brew pub and restaurant. The complete tour is really worthwhile and there is a version where you can hop on and off as much as you like. Give it a try. You will be glad you did. For more info, click here. For lots of great pictures of the Harbour Ferry experience, click here. For a great place to stay in Victoria, just a short distance from the Harbour Ferry dock, visit Denniston by the Sea B&B.

Helijet Service Victoria to Vancouver - Helicopter Travel

We recently flew by Helijet from Victoria to Vancouver and stayed overnight in Vancouver with friends before catching our train to Whistler early the next morning. Flying with Helijet is an experience that should be on everyone’s bucket list. This is such a special experience. It starts when you enter the Helijet Passenger Lounge. The Passenger Lounge offers complimentary beverages and snacks, telephone, television, and wireless internet access. The assortment of snacks and beverages offers healthy options, something for everyone. The crew is efficient, courteous and helpful. They can easily connect you with ground transportation options to meet your needs once you are in Vancouver or back in Victoria. Our bags were checked in and all we had to do was walk to Helijet's Sikorsky S76- Spirit of Vancouver - waiting for us on the tarmac. There is no time consuming security check.

We slipped in the complementary ear plugs and lifted off. As we ascended over Victoria’s Inner Harbour we quickly realized how special this trip was going to be. The scenery was spectacular. Our course to Vancouver crossed directly over Greater Victoria. We flew over Esquimalt, View Royal, Victoria and Saanich and then on to the Gulf Islands, taking pictures as fast as we could! We seemed to be floating over the landscape and then the sea. The ride was incredibly gentle. This is the way everyone should see our beautiful city and the surrounding islands and ocean. It is so beautiful from the air. We feel so lucky to live here.

Give it a try....sooner rather than later. Top photo courtesy of Helijet. To check out more about our trip, go to our Travel Magazine. While in Victoria stay with Denniston by the Sea.