We recently had friends in from Alberta and decided to introduce them to Oak Bay.  In Oak Bay Village there is a cultural experience waiting to be experienced.  There are seven galleries withing about three blocks of each other.  They are all worth a visit.  The picture above is the Winchester Gallery which is at the east end of Oak Bay Village next to Ottavio's bakery and deli.  Ottavio's serve some great Italian gelato amongst other things.  There are lots of other shops and restaurants in the village worth visiting as well.  We then took our guests to the Oak Bay Marina for a wildlife experience.  There are five harbour seals that call the fish cleaning table at the Marina home.  Thousands of people come there to see and feed these seals.  They are well fed and seem quite happy.  The do0 disappear for a short time each spring to have a family.  Oak Bay also has some amazing real estate and homes, particularly in the Uplands.  Cattle Point is a favourite spot for the tour buses to stop and look towards the spectacular Mount Baker.  There are also several very good lookouts with some of the best views in Great Victoria in Oak Bay.  On your next visit to Victoria, be sure to check out Oak Bay.

This company does and excellent job so we are sharing their change plan with you.  If you have transportation needs while in Victoria, check them out.  

CVS Sightseeing located at the corner of Government & Humboldt St. Information: 250-386-8652  www.cvscruisevictoria.com

Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort and Spa is Rennovating

Discover their exciting new guest rooms coming in April 2012!  Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort and Spa has just announced that all 240 guestrooms are being completely renovated with completion by April 2012. Each element of the new guest rooms have been chosen to reflect comfort, convenience and thoughtfulness for  guests. Visit http://www.deltavictoria.com for more information.

This beautiful hotel is right on Victoria's amazing Inner Harbour.  It is just steps from downtown shopping, restaurants and attractions and is serviced by the cute little Harbour Ferries and water taxis.

Check out their magnificent, spacious rooms with views of the Inner Harbour and lighted legislative building.  It can't get any better than this.  They have great food services and an excellent spa.  You will not be disappointed!

For more pictures of the hotel and surroundings, check out our Facebook Page.

Looking for fun- try Adrenaline Zipline

photo courtesy of Adrenaline

Have you ever wanted to fly or overcome your fear of heights while soaring over a majestic West coast forest? At Adrena Line Zipline Adventure Tour, experience an exhilarating ride up to 60km/hr as you soar up to 150 feet off the ground on eight scenic zipline courses ranging from 150 feet to an unforgettable 1000 feet. Give these guys a try and you will have the time of your life. It is safe and lots of fun. Take it from a guy who does not like heights. I had a blast, soaring through the tree tops. You can learn more about them at

http://tourismmall.victoria.bc.ca/victoria-attractions.html
For more pictures go to our Facebook Page.

Here is what I found.  When you are standing on the tiny platform, you have to walk down a small incline and when you do, the cable supports you before you step off in space....this really makes it easy for people like me who would never jump off a plane or bungy jump.  It really was a whole pile of fun.  The staff are there to assist you in take off and landing.  There is a breaking system as you approach the landing pad.  Give it a try, you will be really glad you did.

Tourist Season is just starting - Get Ready

My web site statistics just started their spring surge.  Over 50,000 people a month are looking for vacation information for trips to Vancouver Island and that is just on my web site.  So, it is time to remind ourselves as residents and business people on the Island that guest are arriving and they need to be treated like our "best friends", each and everyone of them.  Tourism is a staple of our Island economy, so we must do it right.

So here is my 20 second course on Customer Service.

Just focus on two things when you meet guests from off island....

# 1 Create good feelings.....ask yourself, how can I do that....it could be as simple as a smile and a warm greeting.

#2 Find Solutions to Problems...if you see some holding a map, ask them if they need, if they look lost on the streets, ask them if they need help....and so it goes.  

If you have a business, brainstorm with your staff and create a list of each.....many times, it is something easy to do and doesn't cost anything but a few moments of time.

This was not done to insult your intelligence but as a reminder.   Just blogging it made me do some thinking.  Have a great year.   Ron

Seachange - An Art Exhibit

Looking for something different,...try Seachange....

CACGV Gallery at the Cedar Hill Recreation Centre
3220 Cedar Hill Road


runs Tuesday evening, March 27 until Sunday, April 1st
Opening reception - Thursday night, March 29th 7 pm

Seachange transforms the gallery into a drowned post-global-warming living room now overgrown by a "coral reef" of creatures created entirely from recycled clothing and household junk. The work is composed of hundreds of individual corals, "fish", and bizarre marine creatures fabricated from doilies, hair curlers, brushes, plastic scrubbing pads, feathers, bath mats, shower caps, baseball cap mesh, crocheted tuques, plastic "jelly" sandals and other cast-offs--there's even a boys' rigid black plastic athletic cup "crustacean." The breeze from an electric fan keeps the plastic shower cap medusas and the feathery tendrils of the reef gently moving. In short, lots of fun!

The installation is made up of hundreds of component parts, mostly held together with unseen straight pins, so it takes several days to create this magical little world. Surreal, gently thought-provoking, and quite lovely, this particular work is, to quote one reviewer, "so damn much fun to look at."

For further information contact Joyce Kline: 250 595-0944 or 250 891-6350

j.littleworlds.kline@gmail.com

Rave Reviews for All Shook Up! Chemainus Theatre

This musical comedy follows a small-town girl who dreams of hitting the open road. Everything gets turned upside down when a guitar-playing roustabout rambles in, introducing her to romance, rebellion and rock 'n roll.
"... the joint gets rockin' with what's possibly the theatre's best-ever musical romance"
Peter Rusland, Cowichan Newsleader Pictorial
"All Shook Up ... you get a whole lot of fun"


Lindsay Chung, Ladysmith Chronicle
"... infused with enthusiasm ... delivered with gusto."


Adrian Chamberlain, Victoria Times Colonist
"This musical comedy follows a small-town girl who dreams of hitting the open road. Everything gets turned upside down when a guitar-playing roustabout rambles in, introducing her to romance, rebellion and rock 'n roll. "


Diane M., Victoria
If you are looking for an evening of toe tapping, body swaying music, this is an evening not to miss. All Shook up, by Joe diPietro, is loosely built around Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and musically on solid footing with the music of Elvis Presley.... Their harmonies and the musical dynamics, under the music direction of Nico Rhodes, are moving. This show has some twists that will make you laugh, some that might make you cry, but like many of Shakespeare's comedies, resolve in the end to make you feel warm of heart.


Trip Advisor Review, Edmonton
"...delicious theatrical event .. a few twists that keep the excitement going right to the final number"


- Lexi Baines, Cowichan Valley Citizen




Book Your Tickets Now »

BC Maritime Museum - A Great Place to Visit

Here is what is coming up at the Maritime Museum

Everybody is Irish�on St. Patrick’s Day!

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day a day early with the Maritime Museum of BC! Friday, March 16^th from 7:30-9:30pm enjoy an evening of song, dance and refreshments as we take you to the Emerald Shore with Cookeilidh and special guests, the O’Connor O’Brien Irish Dancers.

Set in the Museum’s beautifully restored 19^th c. Courtroom, Music from the Shamrock Shore; A St. Patrick’s Day Celebration will be sure to delight all ages and have everyone feeling a little Irish! As in the words of an old Irish toast, “May the sound of happy music and the lilt of Irish laughter, fill your heart with gladness, that stays forever after”.

Doors open at 7:00pm. Tickets can be purchased in advance in the Crow’s Nest gift shop of the Maritime Museum. Cost is $12 General admission; $10 for MMBC Members, Students and Seniors and children 12 and under are free.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please call 250-385-4222 or see our Events Calendar at www.mmbc.bc.ca

Also at the Maritime Museum of BC!

Attention Parents and Grandparents! Does your child love being on the ocean? Do they love the beach? Are they crazy about art? If your child is 5 to 12 years old, the Maritime Museum of BC needs you! We are accepting artwork − be it a drawing, painting, picture of a sculpture or photograph − that represents what it means to live by the ocean in a maritime city.

The artwork must include reference to the water or something nautical, such as kayaking or beach-combing, boating or fishing, etc. It can even be about the environment, as long as it is related to the ocean. The chosen art will appear in our 16-Month School Calendar which will be printed and available for sale through the Museum.

Two top prizes of an Eagle Wing Tours Whale Watching Adventure and lunch at Barb's Place at Fisherman’s Wharf will be given. Submissions may be dropped off, mailed or emailed to the Museum no later than June 30th, 2012. Winners will be announced in July, 2012.

Partial proceeds of the sale of this calendar will go to the SALTS Sail and Life Training Society, a nonprofit providing youth with life-changing adventures. All entries will temporarily be on display at the Museum after June 30th. To electronically send in a submission, or for more information please contact mdieno@mmbc.bc.ca or call 250-385-4222. You can also visit mmbc.bc.ca.

If you want to check out the museum, please go to our Facebook Page to see our photos.  It is a great place with excellent exhibits and programs.  Check it out. 

Today we posted a new addition to our web site.  This page is a self-guided tour of the marine drive scenic tour.  All you need is wheels and you are off.  Detailed descriptions of what you might find are in this addition.  If you live here, you might find something new.  If you plan on visiting, you might want to do this tour.  It is far better than you could ever get on a paid tour.  You will see more and fill your digital camera with amazing sites.  All you need is transportation and a blue sky day.   Enjoy.  You can see it by clicking on this link. 

Today was the Federation of Canadian Artists Spring Show at Goward House.  Above is artist Sandy Terry with her latest painting.  It received the Award of Excellence.  For more pictures of the event go to our Facebook Page.

When you are on Vancouver Island you need to get out on the water.  There are lots of ways to do that.  You can rent a boat, charter a guide, take a 3-hour sail, ride the BC Ferries, go whale watching etc.  The more you do, the more you will see.  Here is a video that will give you an idea of some of what you can see.  Enjoy.