The fifth day of our trip involved us getting up very early because we were taking a day trip to Vancouver Island. We got up so early that we weren’t able to enjoy the breakfast buffet at the hotel because we had to leave for the airport before the buffet opened for the morning. We ended up eating at the airport once we were through security. Since the flight from Vancouver to Vancouver Island is so short we flew on a tiny little plane. I don’t mind flying on little planes, but it does always feel a little weird.

We got a little lost in the airport trying to find our gate since the area where the little planes leave is kind of off on its own, but we still had time to have our breakfast before boarding.

The actual time we spent in the air from Vancouver to Vancouver Island was less than twenty minutes. When we were planning our trip, we knew we wanted to go to Vancouver Island but we were torn on how to get there. We look into ferries but eventually settled on flying. I think flying was the right way to go because it maximized the time we had on the island but we did a mistake by flying on a traditional plane. We found out way too late that it would have been much cheaper to take a sea plane. Oh well.

Obviously since we were just spending the day on Vancouver Island, we didn’t have to wait for any luggage so once we got off the plane in the tiny airport we were able to quickly pick up our rental car.

I find renting and driving a car in another country to be a challenging adventure. I actually like the experience of driving in other countries even if I can feel a bit intimidated by it at times. Since I had rented a car during my visit to British Columbia in 2010 I wasn’t that intimidated this time, especially after driving on the other side of the road in Scotland last year.

Our fist stop on Vancouver Island were botanical gardens called Butchart Gardens.

We got there right as they were opening. It was really nice to have the gardens largely to ourselves at first. The gardens were absolutely stunning.

Without a doubt my favorite part of the gardens were the sunken gardens. On a warm sunny day, I could easily spend a big chunk of the day in the sunken gardens.

It’s just too bad they were mowing the lawn when were in the sunken gardens because it prevented the experience from being as peaceful as I would have liked. Our morning at Butchart Gardens was also very cold. That was a mixed bag because it wasn’t fun to be cold, but I think it also made it less crowded. I’m sure Butchart Gardens are packed on a warm summer day. My second favorite part of the gardens were the Japanese Gardens.

Since we got to the gardens right as they opened, we were able to see all of them before too many people got there. We grabbed lunch before getting back in the car.

The next destination that day was the city of Victoria. With only a few hours to see the city we played it a bit by ear. We walked around and took lots of pictures. Victoria is the capital of British Columbia and their parliament building is beautiful.

There were also some great views at the harbor.

We went to see an IMAX film on Cuba before checking out a park called Beacon Hill Park. We saw a lot of this beautiful park.

We made our way up to a high point that allowed us to see Washington State across a stretch of water.

Whenever I come across a border, I am struck by how arbitrary they are, and how a few men deciding to draw a line in a certain place effects the lives of so many people.

After visiting a souvenir shop we began our drive back to the airport.

We had a nice dinner at the airport before getting on another little plane for a twelve-minute flight back to Vancouver. When we arrived back in Vancouver, we decided to take the train back to our hotel instead of a Taxi. I love taking trains in different cities and I’m really glad I got the chance to check out the train in Vancouver.

When we got back to our hotel, we were both exhausted. We had packed a lot into one day. We were a little sad too because the next day would be our last full day in Vancouver before heading to Washington for the second part of our vacation

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Here is a description:

Justin Gomez and his sister, Terri, have never been close. Separated by nine years and distant in adulthood, Justin and Terri have little in common, except for the love of her three children. In the days before they embark on a road trip to visit the father that once abandoned them and their now deceased mother, both Terri and Justin are dealing with unexpected changes in their lives. Justin surprisingly realizes he might want more than a series of one night stands after a first date goes unexpectedly well. After a lifetime of being a strong type A personality, Terri is forced to confront the reality of the end of her marriage. As they hit the road, with Terri’s children in tow, they find themselves forced to rely on and confide in each other following a devastating event. Confronted with memories from the past and challenges from the present, Terri and Justin must dig deep and unearth the truth about themselves and their parents in order to build a new family based on their love for each other.

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