A Day Walking in Victoria, Part 3--Water Taxis, House Boats & More! (+7 insets!)

(+ 7 insets) (best at full size!)

Trip Talk: Where Would YOU Most Like to Travel?

I wonder if you are like me…if asked that question, I simply can't answer with a single destination. How do you prioritize a favorite place to go when the world is simply bursting with incredible locations! Maybe that's an easy question for some of you but I am very interested in so many things that it's really hard to say. So basically, when Steve tossed "Vancouver Island" into the air as a place we should visit in our RV, I immediately said, "LET'S GO!" :)

Vancouver Island is such a cool place because it has basically everything I love! Unspoiled nature and wilderness, quaint little towns, fun touristy places, a deep history of indigenous people and also of explorers and settlers. There are simply endless activities to be involved in--basically you name it and you'll be able to find it somewhere on the island! I'm not kidding…think about something you're interested in--I bet it's available!

Our walking adventure in Victoria really couldn't have been nicer. The biggest requirement was that we didn't make any hard-fast plans--except for making sure we visited a few places that couldn't be missed. Then we just started to stroll.

I didn't get any pictures of the lovely street fair we stumbled upon but we really enjoyed visiting and chatting with the many talented artists there.

Walking along the harbor, we found ourselves wandering into Victoria's Fisherman's Wharf. There we discovered another surprise! Along with being a traditional place to dock fishing vessels and sell the catch of the day, this place is also home to dozens of adorable house boats! I'd seen pictures and read about the boats but I wasn't prepared for just exactly how fun it would be to see them in person!

Steve and I strolled up and down the docks and enjoyed looking at the quirky, unique, and colorful houses. Both of us agreed that it would be really fun to sleep overnight in one of these homes but thinking about living in a place like this had us shaking our heads…how would you like to live in a place where thousands of tourists are peering into your windows every day? NOPE! But it sure was fun to visit!

There was also a regular stream of darling water taxis which picked up and dropped off passengers. We simply couldn't get enough of these little boats and their fun paint jobs. The green taxis were cute but the ones we were crazy about were the yellow ones with the black and white checks! We wanted to OWN one of them! :D

Today's Pictures

Taking the main picture today was one of those instances where you say, "Quick! Raise your camera, it's perfect!" I'm glad my reaction was fast enough because I got a great angle of a water taxi (and a view of one coming up behind it!) and also a few house boats and their reflections. Lucky me!! How could I resist making this my Picture of the Day?! :D (To be honest, I would have loved to pick most of the insets as main spotlights but I could only choose one! *cry*)

Inset 1: This was perfect to turn into a selective color image because otherwise the picture was too busy. I was so happy with the way it turned out that I wish I could have made it my main shot!

Inset 2: The green water taxis were really cute too but they really couldn't compare to the yellow ones with checks! Having to ride in a green one would be like going on a carousel and being forced to ride a stationary animal instead of the ones that goes up and down!

Inset 3: Would you just LOOK at all of those fabulous boats?! WOW! So pretty!

Inset 4: Another boat picture complete with more reflections!

Inset 5: This serious fishing boat made me think of the Orca II from Jaws…though these two boats are completely different.

Inset 6: This was our first view of the house boats at the wharf…aren't they amazing to see?!

Inset 7: I took a picture of this crazy character while Steve and I were visiting the house boats. At the time I didn't realize that there were three others hidden around the area which represented the other Winds. After I got home and looked at my pictures, I noticed this artwork and saw there was a group of pictures under it which showed what the other Winds looked like, along with descriptions of each Wind:

The Four Winds: They represent the main four winds and weather conditions around Vancouver Island

South West Wind (Pineapple Express): This wind originates from an "atmospheric river" which affects the West Coast of North America. It is a strong and persistent flow of atmospheric moisture and is associated with heavy precipitation from the waters adjacent to the Hawaiin Islands. Atmospheric rivers are typically several thousand kilometers long and only a few hundred kilometers wide, and a single one can carry a greater flux of water than the Earth's largest river, the Amazon. (Artist: lvise Dogloni Major)

North West Wind: This wind is considered to be the more violent and dangerous than the rest. It brings frigid air from the continent, which moves over the coastal inlets and fjords. In the fall, it becomes a dense fog, espeically in the inside passage between Vancouver Island and the Mainland. This wind brings fog, that's why he's blowing a horn.

North East Wind (Squamish): This most well-know arctic outbreak wind on the British Columbia coast. It bursts out of Howe Sound, past Bowen Island and onto the Strait of Georgia. Locals named it the Squamish after the small town that lies at the head of the sound's inlet. Common conditions associated with arctic outbreaks include gale or storm force winds, moderat to heavy snowfalls and squalls, and, over the waters, severe icing, high waves, rough seas and poor visibility. This wind brings cold weather and fog, that's why he's wearing a fur hat and holding a lantern.

South East Gale: Can cause very high seas and severely affect boats.

Pam, would you like to live on one of these house boats? They are so darn cute and full of character. I think it would be really fun for a while...but I like my peace and quiet so I think it would get really old after a while. Plus...the wharf smells as it should: like FISH...so *wrinkles nose* ... I wouldn't want to be there for too long! Love to eat the fishy. Don't love to smell the fishy! :D

It's raining here today...hopefully you are having nicer weather! *BIG HUGS from southern Oregon!

Explored on 9/22/19; highest placement #1.