Days 11 and 12 – Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Oh Canada.  If you ever have the chance to visit Victoria, everyone in the choir recommends you take it.  After a visit to the Dungeness Spit, a very cool spot to see the ocean, we left the bus and bells on American soil and boarded the Coho ferry to Victoria.  On the way over, and back, we dealt with 36 ferry tickets, 36 coast guard forms, 36 immigration forms and 36 people with passports going through customs.  It all worked!  Our hotel was beautiful and the city is lovely.  We had rooms mostly down one hallway with Darlina at one corner and Janeric across the hall so we had the perfect place to gather for group breakfasts and snacks and to listen to CP and Wes play the new song they wrote on the guitar and mandolin. 

While in Victoria we visited Butchart Gardens (amazing!) and Craigdarroch Castle (very interesting).  Both were great experiences.  Half the group went on a sailboat tour, and the other half a sea kayak tour (both awesome!).  The food was great and the locals friendly.  It was a great refreshing and relaxing couple of days. 

Reflections from Ringers:

I have enjoyed all of the wildlife and all of the plants we have gotten to see. The redwoods were really cool and getting to see all the ocean life such as jellyfishes and sea lions has been amazing. Going kayaking in Canada was another highlight of tour so far. Have tons of new memories and pictures to share with family and friends when we return home. – Corey Knapp