Victoria 101

Here is a picture from our recent trip to Victoria. We are on top of a scenic lookout called Mt. Douglas. It was quite cloudy and cool on this day. Doesn't Malcolm look adorable in his gloves and touk? Our family will be relocating to Victoria, B.C. later this winter as Clint will be going back into full-time youth ministry work. We are excited about getting to know the brothers and sisters at Oaklands Chapel in Victoria and being partners with them as servants of Christ. Below is a picture of the building where a lot of the meetings take place. Of course there are so many things to do beforehand and we are really treasuring the time we have remaining in Waco with our family and friends here. That said, here are a few points of interest for those who are curious about where we are headed.

1. Victoria, which is the capital city of British Columbia, is located on an island -- Vancouver Island. It is 74 mi from Seattle and 24 mi from Vancouver though you do have to drive about 20 minutes from downtown Victoria to get on that ferry. It is only 22.5 mi from Port Angeles, Washington where Clint lived a few years back.
2. Vancouver Island is 50 miles across and 286 miles long and is the largest island in the North American Pacific. It takes about 8 hours to drive from one end to the other.
3. Greater Victoria which includes Victoria and all its surrounding areas has a population of over 330,000.
4. Victoria has been influenced by Great Britain and is named after the famous Queen Victoria. It was established as Fort Victoria in 1843 by Hudson's Bay Company. Afternoon tea is a popular pastime in many places and much of the architecture has a distinct British mark.
5. Clint and I honeymooned in Victoria. We spent part of our time here at the Empress Hotel.
7. Victoria is known as the "City of Gardens" and we especially like the Butchart Gardens. In the mild temperate weather, flowers bloom year-round. Victoria hangs baskets of flowers on its downtown lampposts as well. 8. We are excited about the vast outdoor recreational activities the area has to offer-- sea kayaking, biking, skiing, birdwatching to name a few. There are bike paths everywhere. Many folks ride their bikes to work even miles away because the trails are so awesome. Notable points of interest include Mt. Washington, Pacific Rim National Park, and Strathcoma Provincial Park. And yes, our home is open for any Waco vacationers. Please come see us!