Remembering Victoria

Six kids, a mom and dad, a grandma and grandpa, boats, gardens, double-decker buses and a great museum--what could make a better trip? Dave and I took Lisa and Kyle and their family to Victoria, British Columbia over Labor Day. We stayed at the Royal Scots Suites, a hotel within walking distance of the harbor, which had a swimming pool, pool table, and even gave free apples, wrapped in red cellophane.
We took a tour of the beautiful Parliament Building, including hearing an actor pretend to be one of the early colonists. We loved the flowers all over the city.

We loved the British Columbia Museum, including its IMAX movie on "Wild Oceans," its totem poles, and the big billboard outside the museum that we could pose behind.

We loved riding the double-decker bus!

We spent a fun afternoon and evening at world-famous Butchart Gardens.

We also loved wandering around the boat show and the artists' market at the harbor. The Flindt kids' favorite was the cowgirl mime, painted copper.

We toured Chinatown, including spending $5 apiece at an Asian import store and taking part in the festival at which a Chinese dragon blessed each business in Chinatown.

Dave and I are now back home in SLC. Last Sunday, we had a late summer supper in the garden with Grandma Rose, Jonny and Jenny, and even Michael, who joined us from BYU with five volumes of spectacular photographs from his round-the-world trip this summer. Dave and I will spend this week at our Snowbird timeshare condo. Hopefully, Grandma Rose and at least some other family members will join us for Sunday dinner and Oktoberfest.