As a relatively new resident to Victoria, in June I decided to play tourist in my own home town. I started off with a free tour of the parliament buildings, followed by taking in all the IMAX shows with my new 2006 Annual Pass ($37). Each visit was costing $10.50 so

I found a bargain there!

Enjoyed a self-guided tour of Craigdarroch Castle at 1050 Joan Crescent off Fort Street. This home with four floors was built in 1887-1890 for Robert

Dunsmuir, a Scottish immigrant who made his fortune from Vancouver Island coal. The castle is currently owned by the Craigdarroch Castle Historical Museum Society who is handling the incredible restoration work, funded by fees gained at the door and purchases from the gift shop. There are 87 stairs to master, but there is no rush or schedule to maintain, so they are not as intimidating as they sound!

The woodwork is top notch!

July 7th saw my granddaughter Andra turning three. Her Mom and Dad threw a large backyard party for her with a zillion other kidlets. Great fun. Here she is getting first dibs on the icing on her cake! It was purple, her favourite colour!

Then on July 15th, I drove up to Coombs BC to the Whiskey Creek Music Festival. The performers are impersonators and have talent galore. Many have even performed in Las Vegas!

I could only stay around for the Neil Diamond and Tina Turner impersonators but they really impressed me. Tina was a tiny ball of high, high energy! She pranced around the stage non-stop, singing at the top of her lungs!

Another July highlight was the Luminara that happened in Beacon Hill Park on the 22nd. This was a first for me so I was not sure what to expect, especially the amount of walking needed to take in all that was going on in the park, including elaborate sculptures, costumes, performers, and more. It actually wore me out!

August brought along the Symphony Splash on the 6th, just down the street from my apartment. Holy macheral. Seems like all of Victoria attended this event, including me. I never knew the Victoria Symphony could be that good! Delightful!

See you at the Snowbird RV Show at Tradex, Sept. 21 - 24? The $5 admission charge goes to charity and the Show is open Thurs. - Sat. 10-9, Sun. 10-5:30. Oh, and bring along an extra $3 to pay for parking. Check out the Show’s ad on page 19. I’ll be looking for you!