Category: Canada

September 17, 2024 – Wednesday

Given the poor weather forecast for the Strait of Juan de Fuca today, we decided to stay in Victoria. The outlook for Wednesday is much more promising, so we plan to leave early in the morning and return to Port Townsend by the afternoon. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed our time here, enjoy our pictures

Pictures from Sidney to Victora BC.

The Olympic Mountains are located directly south of Victoria, British Columbia, on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula.

Victoria Golf Club, founded in 1893, is the oldest 18-hole golf course in Canada in its original location, and second oldest in North America. The course began as 14 holes but quickly expanded to 18 in 1895. There have been at least three different layouts – the one played today was finalized in the mid-1920s (after a decision in 1923 to end the practice of hitting tee shots on two holes across the ever-busier Beach Drive).

Staines Point in the southern tip of the Trail Islands in the Strait of Juan de Fuca
0.5 miles from Victoria

A group of cormorants is called a gulp. A gulp can decimate whole reservoirs of fish; one cormorant can eat about 500g of fish a day.

Early Dawn: Pictures of the Waterfront from Paradigm Lost

Pictures of Fisherman’s Wharf

Fisherman’s Wharf is a vibrant and colorful area that offers a variety of attractions. You can enjoy delicious food from the kiosks, browse unique shops, and embark on eco-tour adventures like whale watching and kayaking. The wharf is also home to a community of distinctive float homes, which add to the charm of the area. Residents here enjoy a close-knit community and the unique experience of living right on the water.

Pictures of the Waterfront from Paradigm Lost

Pictures from Causeway Marina to Esquimalt via the West Bay Walkway

The West Bay Walkway is a boardwalk and walking path that connects Esquimalt to downtown Victoria. 

I love this mural because it beautifully combines elements of air and sea transportation with notable architectural features, reflecting local landmarks and historical elements significant to Victoria.

August 7, 2017

In our travels, several people highly recommended that we visit Niagara-on-the-Lake, a charming 19th-century village in the heart of Canada’s wine country. Niagara-on-the-Lake, originally a Native Indian village named Onghiara, is located where the Niagara River flows into Lake Ontario. However, the town played an important part in Canada’s history, it was the first capital of Ontario and played a significant role in the War of 1812. Americans captured Fort George and occupied the area for seven months during the war, but abandoned the fort in December 1813. Re-occupying Fort George the British attacked and captured Fort Niagara and took strong control of the Niagara frontier.

We had a great time exploring the area and learning more about our history. As with so many Canadian towns, the flowers that line the streets were just stunning.

 

 

 

 

 

August 6, 2017  Sunday

When we lived in Seoul, Rick got hooked on Flashpoint, a show that focused on a fictional elite tactical unit based in Toronto, we loved the show and decided this would be a great time to visit the city. First stop, CN Tower the tallest tower in the Western Hemisphere, completed in 1976 the CN Tower held the record for the world’s tallest free-standing structure for 32 years from 1975–2007.

Our personal foot tour then took us to the Toronto Waterfront. Toronto is home to one of the longest urban lakefronts in the world, ranging from Etobicoke Creek in the west to Rouge River in the east. What a great people watching place, activities here range from biking, kayaking, and lake cruises to the nearby Toronto Islands.

Going north we visited Queen’s Park which was opened in 1860 in honor of Queen Victoria. Along with striking grounds full of monuments and flowers, it is the home of the Ontario Legislative Building and is surrounded by the University of Toronto.

Heading back to the waterfront we wandered through Kensington Market, a National Historic Site of Canada. The Market is a long-standing area for independent shops/cafes, plus produce, meat & fish and is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Toronto. We spent several more hours enjoying the waterfront and then headed for our hotel in Kitchener. This was a major holiday in Canada and finding an affordable hotel in Toronto was impossible.

 

 

August 5, 2017  Saturday

The next good weather window for moving west on Lake Erie is Friday, August 11th so we decided to take a side trip to Canada. On our way, we stopped at Dunkirk to video the lake, we wanted you to see why we are staying in port, going out would certainly be a bumpy ride.

We crossed over to Canada via the Peace Bridge that we had cruised under on Wednesday. We stopped in Canada to see the famed Niagara Falls, created by glacier activity around 10,000 years ago. Rick’s third visit and my first, Niagara Falls is breathtaking. It is actually composed of three falls: American Falls, Bridal Falls, and Canada Horseshoe Falls. Four of the Great Lakes: Erie, Huron, Michigan and Superior supply the water to the Niagara River that creates the falls. Once over the Niagara Falls, the water flows for 15 miles where it empties into the fifth great lake, Lake Ontario.

Daredevils have always been drawn to the falls. In 1859, the Charles Blondin walked a tightrope suspended above the rapids to become the first man to walk across the Niagara Falls. The first recorded person to survive going over the falls in a barrel was 63-year-old American school teacher Annie Edson Taylor.

Today the easiest, albeit a bit pricey, way to get up and personal with the falls is to take a trip on either the Hornblower in Canada or the Maid of the Mist on the US side of the falls.