Come Out and Play

road trip - where in the world is Tor?

My husband has always wanted to go whale watching. The islands that surround Victoria, British Columbia are wonderful feeding and breeding grounds for Orca whales. So off we went in search of whales to come out and play. First, we had to find a boat fitting for our adventure. None of this sissy over-sized rubber raft stuff for us.

Nope, we went for the big guns ~ 750hp and a top speed (in land terms) of 75mph. Translation = fast!
We weren't disappointed. While the whales were too busy feeding to do much playing, they were a marvel to see, especially when they got up close and personal near the boat.

It's amazing to me that God put His creatures in our hands.

And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let the birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky...Let the land produce living creature"...Then God said, "Let us make man in our image."...God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number...Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground. (Genesis 1:20-31)

By "rule," God did not mean to destroy, plunder or ignore; He meant us to be caretakers of this earth.

Pictures Continue to Tell the Story

road trip - where in the world is Tor?

The Butchart Garden tour continues ....










Clue: Tomorrow it's off the land and onto the water ~ my husband fulfills one of the dreams on his bucket list.

Pictures Speak a Thousand Words

road trip - where in the world is Tor?

What? Another line? Yes, and this one is well worth the wait.

We are at the world famous Canadian national treasure ~ the Butchart Gardens in Victoria.

My words are pitiful and lifeless in attempting to describe the beauty of this place, especially in the spring. So instead, I will share a Bible verse with you and then let you take a tour with your eyes.

See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin...If this is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and (gone) tomorrow, will He not much more clothe you? (Matthew 6:26-29)













And that was just a brief tour of the entrance and the Secret Garden. There was so much more to come.

Not in Kansas Anymore

road trip - where in the world is Tor?

What are we in line for?
The ferry, of course!

We're not in Kansas anymore! Having crossed the US/Canada border, we headed for a ferry that would take us to Victoria, British Columbia.

I had envisioned a smallish, quaint island with lovely gardens washed in sunshine and surrounded by ocean. What we found was something quite different. Gardens - yes. Sunshine - yes. Surrounded by ocean - yes.

Capital of British Columbia with a distinctly British flair located at the south eastern end of a a 600 mile island - what? We were on a delicious adventure indeed!

Surrounded by so much water, getting around took the form of boats, sea planes and water taxis.
Food was plentiful but one of our favorite spots was the local fish and chips "joint" down by the pier. Yes, we stood in line for over 20 minutes waiting to place our order. Yes, it was worth every finger-licking bite.

Clue: Our next stop is one of Canada's national treasures and perhaps one of the most beautiful places on earth. We don't even have to leave the island to see it.

Typical Tourists

road trip - where in the world is Tor?

To date, Seattle was Tor's favorite spot on our trip. From the underground tour of the city which he begged us to do but we didn't get around to doing ~

to the ever-present space needle built for a world fair and never taken down~

to Tor's new BFF ~
and world famous Pike's Market loaded with fresh fish, flowers, fruits and vegetables along with junk food favorites and tourist trinkets.

The tourism council ordered spectacular weather for our visit; even the locals were amazed at our good fortune. Tor walked (well, hitched a ride in our backpack) up and down the streets and waterfront of downtown Seattle, and was sad to leave until he saw the clue for our next destination.

A State in Bloom

road trip - where in the world is Tor?

Oregon was a blur. Stopping and taking in the sights was not on the agenda for this part of the trip, however, the state did make an impact on us. Spring is a most lovely time of year to travel as the after-winter flowers are in full bloom, and with it, the eternal hope of the life cycle renewed.

The hillsides were strewn with bushes heavily laden with brilliant yellow flowers ~

unlike California, azalea's and rhododendron grew like eye-popping weeds ~

and dogwood's white flowers danced in the breeze.

We even passed through the self-proclaimed grass seed capital of the world.

Clue: But it was the water that heralded our adventure to come.