Milner Gardens Art & Photography in the Garden

Milner Gardens Art & Photography in the Garden
July 17th & 18th from 10:00am to 5:00pm (last entry at 4:30pm)

Meet, mingle and be inspired by local artists at work, painting, sketching, carving and photographing the beauty of this Artist’s Garden. Bonsai artists, potters, and live music. Artwork silent auction in support of the Gardens. Hand stamp allows re-entry Sunday.

The Tea Room opens early from 11:00am to 4:00pm for homemade soups and scones.

For more information call 250-752-6153 or http://www.milnergardens.org/

See photos on facebook

Milner Gardens & Woodland Music in the Garden
August 14 & 15 2010,

Classics on Saturday and Jazz on Sunday. Music from 12:30 to 4:00 p.m., rain or shine.


Tickets may be purchased at Milner Gardens in person or by phone, and in person only at Vancouver Island University Main Campus Bookstore and Turley’s Florists in Nanaimo, and the Parksville, Nanoose and Qualicum Beach branches of the Coastal Community Credit Union.

Single day: Regular $30, Members/youth/VIU student $25

Both days: Regular $55, Members/youth/VIU student $45

Gate opens at 11:30 a.m. Please show your Milner Gardens membership card for discounted tickets.

Wine, beer and food sales available. No off site liquor permitted.

Tickets are non-refundable, and may be purchased at gate. Sorry, on August 14th and 15th the garden is open only to ticket holders. No pets permitted except guide and assistance dogs.

For more information call 250-752-6153 or www.milnergardens.org

Botanical Beach Port Renfrew west of Victoria on Vancouver Island

Botanical Beach is one of my favourite places on Vancouver Island. At low tide a whole shelf of the rocky coastline is exposed leaving hundreds of large tide pools. We took Don, Betty and Dan there to share it with them. It is such a phenomenal place you have to see it to believe it. Check out my pictures. Click Here. The scenery is spectacular and you are standing on the west end of Juan de Fuca Strait looking out into the Pacific Ocean. Across the Strait you will see the American shore of Juan de Fuca Strait around Neah Bay. The scenery is spectacular. There is generally lots of wave action and the tide pools are amazing. You need to go on a low tide, the lower the better. You can go on any tide below 3 feet and you should see lots. The spring and summer are the best times because the low tides occur during daytime. Have fun and be sure to look at the pictures.

Blackfish Tours aboard the Aquatania to Fort Rodd Hill

Blackfish is the newest tour company in town. If you would like a truly unique and interesting tour from Fisherman's Wharf to Fort Rodd Hill aboard a 45 foot ocean going canoe, this is the tour for you. Captain Al is fulfilling a dream with his new tour company. The Aquatania is sea worthy and will take you for a tour of Fort Rodd Hill and the oldest lighthouse on the west coast, the Fisgard Lighthouse. There is so much to see along the way, you will be amazed. This is a great tour, so check it out. If you live in Victoria, you will still be amazed. Not often do Victorian's get to see this view of their harbour and shoreline. Give Al a call. To see a pictorial of the tour, click here.

Chateau Victoria - A Great Victoria Hotel worth a visit

Whether it is Clive's Classic Cocktail Lounge you stop by for one of their legendary cocktails, or the Vista 18 for dinner, you will be thoroughly impressed by the great food, the selection of drinks and the helpful and friendly staff at the Chateau Victoria. We just toured the hotel and I would certainly recommend it to any of my friends and acquaintances. The rooms are reasonable priced but the services in the hotel are second to none. They have great chefs that produce quality and very tasty items. If you click here you will be taken to our Facebook site for a photo pictorial of the hotel. The views from the rooms and especially from Vista 18 are the best in the city. Check it out on your next visit to downtown Victoria. The location is great, only two blocks from the Inner Harbour and all the action downtown Victoria has to offer. At the very least, drop by Clive's Classic Cocktail Lounge for a drink after work. Tell them Ron sent you.

Habour Ferries - Victoria BC - Get out an see our Inner Harbour

Escape to Victoria's Harbour for 2 days of unlimited harbour hops and discounted Harbour experiences with the new Harbour Holiday Pass. These guys do such a great job of the harbour tours. They know the harbour intimately and are oh so friendly. You can get on and off and see all the sights along the way. Be sure to include this water experience when you are in Victoria. They also do a cool "ballet". Five skippers dance their boats through a charming rendition of the Blue Danube in the Water Ballet which is performed in Victoria’s Inner Harbour every Sunday at 10:45 am, from May to September. The performance can be seen and heard from the Inner Harbour causeway. In fact, most Sundays we find hundreds of people waiting for the boats to appear. Check out Victoria's Harbour Ferry.
For more pictures, Click Here.

Victoria Taste - Festival of Food and Wine

Victoria's first annual festival of food and wine... a local taste of Vancouver Island and the wine regions of British Columbia. July 15-18.
Taste uncorks Thursday July 15, 2010 with an evening tasting of more than 100 British Columbia wines and local cuisine prepared by top Vancouver Island chefs. Not just a wine festival, Taste is a culinary tourism experiences all around downtown Victoria, as well as farms and vineyards throughout the Saanich Peninsula... an extra long weekend of tastings, seminars and events Thursday July 15, 2010 through Sunday July 18, 2010.

They also offer special events and tours. Check out Victoria Taste. For more pictures Click Here.