The Butchart Gardens is a group of floral display gardens in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, Canada, located near Victoria. The gardens receive more than a million visitors each year. Robert Pim Butchart began manufacturing cement in 1888 near his birthplace of Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada. He and his wife Jennie Butchart came to the west coast of Canada because of rich limestone deposits necessary for cement production. In 1904, they established their home near his quarry on Tod Inlet at the base of the Saanich Peninsula on Vancouver Island. In 1907, 65 year old garden designer Isaburo Kishida of Yokohama came to Victoria, at the request of his son, to build a tea garden for Esquimalt Gorge Park. This garden was wildly popular and a place to be seen. Several prominent citizens, Jennie Butchart among them, commissioned Japanese gardens from Kishida for their estates. In 1909, when the limestone quarry was exhausted, Jennie set about turning it into the Sunken Garden, which was completed in 1921. In 1926, they replaced their tennis courts with an Italian garden and in 1929 they replaced their kitchen vegetable garden with a large rose garden.

Every guidebook will tell you to have high tea at the Empress Hotel in Victoria. You should. It's actually fun and not stuffy at all, which was my fear. They welcomed our three-generation group, including 2 kids under 6, and had hot chocolate for those who didn't want tea. They also had a full gluten-free option, which was a very welcome surprise. I recommend the Empress blend tea with milk and sugar, and the peppermint also got the stamp of approval from our group. The tri-level tray of treats is the fun part: chicken curry finger sandwiches and cake wrapped in marzipan were the faves.

Nearby to the City of Victoria, Mount Tolmie Park offers views of Victoria and the surrounding areas. Stroll through Garry Oaks on one of the many gravel trails throughout the park or just enjoy a drive up the windy road to the summit...

A new hair style isn't a typical vacation souvenir, but when there are puppies involved it's difficult to say no. Lab salon is home to one very wrinkled puppy and a team of master stylists and colourists to tackle everything from holiday makeovers to damage-repair after a weekend spent sailing in the sun.

Yes, my five-year-old was probably the target demographic for this place, but there were plenty of people without kids here, too. Because where else are you going to see an entire working sawmill built in miniature? Where else are you going to find a dollhouse version of the Tara mansion from Gone With the Wind with toilets that actually flush? The Canadian history might be a bit romanticized, but they don't shy away from the realities of war. One of the scenes is of a bombed-out city during WWII. Not really what I was expecting. For the kids, the best part is all the buttons you can push to make the trains go, to lift the car hoods, even to turn on the tv in a dollhouse. A satisfying hour or so that will leave you wondering, who the hell did all this stuff? And why? And why did I have fun?

The Noodle Box started life as a street cart in Victoria and now has eight restaurants on the island alone. The never-fail lunch spot has everything from gluten-free noodle to ghost chillis laced boxes and chilled glasses of mead.

Sailboat is, by far, the best way to discover all the bays and explore the Vancouver Island coastline. Most charters are a full day, but there are some afternoon trips and you can see everything from whales to mountain ranges.

Another Canada Day tradition! At sunset the night market opens on the harbour front, illuminated by the lights on the Parliament building across the water. Favourites include gourmet chocolate, organic honey, handmade soaps and organic cotton satchels.

Out on the beautiful Cordova Bay in the spring for some small boat sailing. We picked a calm day to learn the ropes inside the safety of the bay. If you can't seem to find your sea legs, try lunch at the clubhouse captained by award-winning chef Andrew Dickinson.

The luncheon of scrumptious finger sandwiches and pastries brought me back to my childhood of having our daily afternoon tea with my Avo (grandma). Ours weren't quite this elaborate but it was one part of the day that I always looked forward to!

The Chinatown in Victoria is the oldest one in Canada and full of nooks and crannies to explore. Formerly the gambling district riddled with opium dens, it is now filled with cafes and art galleries.

Every year St. Michaels University School puts on a musical production at the McPherson Playhouse (usually just 'The Mac'), just outside Chinatown. This photo way taken on the opening night of Grand Hotel, but there's always something magical on the bill. Even if theatre isn't your thing, the playhouse is also home to an art gallery and is haunted! The ghost of a woman in a floor-length gown has been sighted on the upper balcony boxes and an apparition of man in a suit has been seen walking between the aisles.

Half way between Chinatown and the Harbour, Wild Saffron is a great place to stop for lunch if you've had your fill of seafood and are looking for another Canadian staple: comfort food. The restaurant is part of a hotel and brewhouse (complete with nightly live music).

Government Street is lined with souvenir shops that stock everything from tulip-cover cookie canisters to paperweight inukshucks. Half way to the harbour we found Jade Mine, a mostly jewelry store, selling jade (or greenstone for people from NZ) pendents. The jade is mined in British Columbia and hand-carved for the store. This three-foot jade eagle might be a bit too elaborate to get in a suitcase, but there are dozens of bracelets, necklaces, rings and earrings if you're looking for something made of a little piece of BC herself to take home.

I don't actually remember what the food was like here, but I do remember the view was superb. Glo has patio seating and a 360 degree bar, perfect for catching up with friends.