A lovely mansion to stroll along in the afternoon with the family. You get to read about the…read morehistory of the home of Bob Moran, who used to be the mayor of Seattle. It's well kept and I got to walk around and explore to my hearts content. Then, I went to the Lounge.

A lovely and peaceful spot, the sunroom was a beautiful place to sit and enjoy a coffee while…read moreenjoying the serenity of the space and gardens. Enjoyed visiting this historic house and watching a video they offered on site. It's a very nostalgic place, definitely gives you a glimpse into history. They have a small gift shop/area where I was able to find a poster I'd been wanting. Thankful that this place is preserved, hope it stays exactly how it is.

Wish it was open this march! My son would have loved to go in. Outside was charming and location…read morewas super close to other attractions

A beautiful place to take a leisurely stroll and enjoy the pleasant smell of flowers and beautiful…read morediverse color variations of flowers. We came on a beautiful day with no rain and sunshine. It was hot but luckily we brought a hat. Very relaxing garden. Came here on vacation and took the ferry from Vancouver. Ate snacks on the boat as well as at the gardens. Pro Tip-make a reservation and buy tickets for the ferry and gardens at the same time. We made the mistake of showing up to the ferry and it being sold out. So we had to pivot our trip. We booked tickets for the ferry and Gardens for the following day and it worked perfectly.

It was a 45 mins drive from the cruise port to the garden. Luckily my friends are smart enough to…read moreuse the public transit route which cost us $6 and it dropped us off right at the entrance to Butchart garden. A short walk and we paid for the entrance which was approximately $45 pp. I think price is a bit steep for a self tour garden. I think it should've been $25-$30 pp but that's my opinion. There's no rides, no shows or attraction whatsoever beside the theme gardens. We entered and saw several souvenir shops and eatery and information desk. Further is the trail towards the flowers garden that lead us to the sunken garden a little to the left. The sunken garden is a beautiful sight from above and below complete with water fountains and pond. The beauty doesn't stop there. Further walk to the right outside of the sunken garden is the rose and dahlia garden. The dahlia is something else! I've never seen so many in quantity and so many variety in one place! Just gorgeous and they're huge! I tried to take photos with my hands for comparison. A little walk further is the Japanese garden and this is what I call serenity, peace, tranquility. It was so quiet except for the trickle of water and the pond. I can imagine meditating in the Japanese garden. At the end we walked through the English garden and stop at the eatery for their huge bowl of chili and a hot dog and refreshment. They do offer complimentary water fyi so bring your water decanter if you have it. I bought a Coke Zero instead Near the exit I stopped by their window garden which is like a greenhouse packed full of flowers. My only disappointment was that I was expecting to see a greenhouse of exotic, tropical flowers and plants. They have an abundance of flowers and plants but they were all common variety. Roses, dahlia, vinca, marigold etc... I was hoping to see tropical orchids, hibiscus, tropical bird of paradise, torch ginger, monstera deliciosa, passion fruit flowers etc... I was also hoping they have a fruit orchard but the only fruit tree I saw was apple tree.

This place is a jewel. Go here. Make sure to get reservations for tea. The garden walks are…read morespectacular. For tea you have a choice of 3 sizes of food - all the food was lovely. Scones - cheddar and currant, profiteroles, sandwiches, tiny tarts, chocolates, creme brulee, and you get a big pot of your choice of tea. Don't miss the gift shop! (Full disclosure - I couldn't eat here with my food allergy to corn and carrageenan but my friends could and my server graciously allowed me to drink a pot of tea and watch others eat the food. I loved the tea so much - royal Abakhazi - that I bought 2 tins of it.)

A delightful High Tea amid gorgeous gardens…read more We had a lovely experience enjoying high tea at Abkhazi Gardens. The grounds are gorgeous and lovingly maintained--it felt like stepping into a hidden oasis. We were especially lucky to catch a rare lily in bloom during our visit, which made the garden stroll even more special. The tea house itself is quaint, but charming in its simplicity. We ordered high tea for three and spent a leisurely afternoon savoring bites alongside the house black tea blend, which was smooth and fragrant. What added an extra layer of richness to the experience was learning the incredible family story of the Abkhazis. It's fascinating and makes the visit feel truly meaningful. ** Donations to support the gardens are requested upon entry. I recommended carrying some cash to drop into the collection box. They take American dollars as well. For anyone looking for a peaceful escape, delicious high tea, and a touch of history, I definitely recommend a trip to the Abkhazi gardens!

Miniature World has some truly impressive displays, and there were several miniatures that were…read moreincredibly detailed and beautifully crafted. It was clear that a lot of time and talent went into many of the exhibits. That said, the experience felt a bit inconsistent. Some areas were much more engaging than others, and a few of the displays didn't have the same level of detail. At times, multiple audio narrations were playing at once, which made it difficult to focus and became a little overwhelming. We also noticed that several of the interactive buttons and TV displays weren't working during our visit. For $19, I don't regret stopping by, but it just wasn't quite what I was expecting. For me, it's more of a one-time attraction than somewhere I'd visit again. If you enjoy miniature art and displays, it may be worth checking out, but it ultimately wasn't the right fit for my interests.

We had scoped out this as a place to stop with our 4 yr old. We walked over and her entry was free…read more She enjoyed all the buttons to push and the displays, the beginning part through "space" and all the castles and trains. We appreciated the stop. In general, I'm not sure if I would go out of my way to come back but with kids who like small things, trains, dioramas, it was worth doing! I think we were in and out in about an hour. I bet some kids could zoom through in less time (then maybe not worth the price?) and some kids might take 1.5-2 hours, so maybe try to gauge if you think its something you/your family would enjoy. Some displays had buttons that didn't work but for the most part if you looked or read the placard you could figure out what was going on.

Canada Parks and Lighthouses [Victoria BC]…read more The beautiful grounds of Fort Rodd Hill was once an active 19th-century west coast artillery fortress from 1895 to 1956. We arrived with just enough time to explore before they took the last visitors in at 4:30p (the grounds close at 5:00p). There is an $8.50 (CAD) admission fee which came out to U.S. $6.25. Wether you like history or not the Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Site is worth a visit. I used to fall asleep in History class during high school but as I got older I'm more and more drawn to the subject. We explored all three gun batteries, underground magazines, command posts, guard houses, and barracks. The defensive walls with rifle slots in the Upper Battery were built to fight land assaults. And our self-guided tour was not even enough to cover the entire grounds. There are interpretive signs to read for each point of interests. Clear directional signs are sprinkled throughout to help guide visitors. We spent the last 30 mins at the lighthouse before heading back. One of the best landmarks in Victoria, it used to be in an island but now a causeway was built to join the lighthouse to Fort Rodd Hill. The short hike to the light tower presented beautiful coastal views. Fisgard Lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse on Canada's west coast. We were able to go inside and explore but the stairs to the light was not accessible to the public. Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse was about 20-25-mins drive from downtown Victoria. Review #3171

A nice place to see and visit the lighthouse and the nearby military battery. It's a little walk…read moredown the hill from the military site to the lighthouse. We enjoyed both places but I really like visiting lighthouses.

Finnerty Gardens in on the University of Victoria campus in Victoria, and is free except for a…read more$1.25 per hour parking fee. It consists of a about 6 or 7 acres of trees, shrubs, and flowers in a setting that is more natural if less spectacular than Butchert Gardens. You can easily wander around its shaded pathes for an hour, encountering (in season) a pletheora of beautiful plants in natural settings. We were a bit late for the rhododendrons, which appear to be well represented here, and only a few still had flowers. I bet its really gorgeous when they are in full bloom. I went about ten minutes out of my way to see Finnerty Gardens and was very glad I did.

If you are looking for an usual experience on Orcas Island do not forego visiting this very special…read moreprivate museum that has over 800 works of art from 250 San Juan Island artists. It features the largest collection of HELEN Loggie's work and an extensive collection from James Hardman all in an exquisite architectural setting on the water with breathtaking views complete with follies. It is breathtaking and will provide you with inspiration and awe along with thanks that people like Leo Lambiel exist in this world.

Leo Lambiel's guided tour of his awesome home cum museum is awesome, and well worth the $20 fee per…read moreperson. His taste in art by San Juan Islands artists is eclectic -- inspiring, humorous, ironic, abstract, representational -- in a range of media. The house reflects his own craftsmanship in construction and decoration, and grew from its origins as a cabin to a mansion of many rooms, soaring ceilings, windowed walls, and outdoor stairways. Leo's folly is the grotto, which he continues to work on after 17 years. Wine also is his passion, and his wine room has patterned walls made of used corks. Altogether, a wonderful tour.