Pays to be 55+ - lol! Finally, it has happened to me - hahaha!
Look at these gorgeous Fall Faces! So pretty!
Victoria, BC, Canada - so full of flowers and Autumn Colors! You'll love it! : )
Butchart Gardens at night - stroll through the gorgeous gardens, just outside of Victoria, in the evenings - and there's a concert, every night, is soo gorgeous! And light out 'til 10pm : )
Oh my goodness, the amount of color in the Gardens, right now - is ah'mazing! You'll love it!
I think this is around 8:30, 9:00pm, the other night - just the perfect temperature for a lovely walk!
Well, not the best pics o' me, but great pics of the Rose Garden! lol!
And here's mah' boy, my new Graduate (!), Aidan! lol!
Aidan's always happy to go along for a walk with me! Yahoo! : )
Oooh, I Love Traveling! So Much Fun! Who doesn't love to jump on a plane, or jump in the car, and head somewhere soo cool? (That's a lot of jumping around - lol! Jump around to different destinations! Yahoo!! Yippee!)
Wow, we're getting a visit from the Royal Family, next week! So exciting! That's
JUST how gorgeous we are, up here (out here? haha!), that William and Kate want to come out for a visit - and bring Prince George and Princes Charlotte! How exciting is that? I really hope they take the kids over to what we call, the Octopus Park - maybe Gyro Park? I'll pop in to see what the real name is, since we rename everything, purely for our own amusement, but this is one of the funniest children's playgrounds I've ever seen - and we've been to about a million parks, over the years - lol!
Yep, just checked - it's
Cadboro-Gyro Park, just down from the
University of Victoria - and maybe they'll take a little walk around the
Gardens at UVic, too - always so gorgeous! Really, everywhere you look, here in
Victoria, BC, Canada - it's all beautiful! No wonder we love it so much!
Victoria's Parliament buildings at night - always so gorgeous - and for Fish and Chips, we always go to Barb's, over at the Fisherman's Wharf - really good food, big fat pieces of fish (we like that! lol!), and we love their Clam Strips - yum!
And Red Fish Blue Fish, in the Inner Harbour - is just harder to find parking, really long lines, but the Fish and Chips are amazing - soo good! And, for sure, try the Deep Fried Pickles - ah'yum!
I'm so excited for the Royal Visit to Victoria, because I know they'll have a lovely time, and it'll be lots of fun for the kids, too! : )
This IS what I love to do - choose a place you would loove to visit, then see if you can get a Work Visa and a job there - in any country - you can usually get a 1 Year Work Visa, sometimes longer - Australia is more open to Youth Travel, America is much harder to get into, but worth a try, especially if you're well-educated, and your Profession is on the list of needed Professions.... but there are so many opportunities out there, for you to try - Discover Your Whole World!
I always feel, if you love it, fantastic, see if you can stay longer, and if you don't particularly love it, look around see where you might like to go, next - have fun with your life - at any age! : )
Walk this way... to Victoria, BC, Canada - this is where we live! We have Palm Trees in Victoria, too how cool is THAT??
This is at Butchart Gardens, about a 15 minute drive from Victoria, BC, Canada - you can take a bus tour out there, or just take the regular city bus - #BCTransit has a new $5/Day Bus Pass - very useful for Tourists (not good for High School Students - why doesn't the School District in Victoria, #61, make a deal with BC Transit - why don't ALL School Districts make a deal with their own local bus or transit system - to give students a bus or transit card, $10/year, $25/year, $50/year... you get the idea... we had this when I was in University, at Queen's University, in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and back then, (okay, you got me, it's a looong way back - lol!), but Queen's University had a deal with the Kingston Bus system, Transit System, where every student paid the $10/year Student Fee, and that gave them a Bus Pass, and you could just use it any time you wanted to - was fantastic.
And it gave the Transit System a huge check (cheque, in Canada! lol!), at the beginning of the year... so, wouldn't this make the cost of going to school much more manageable? I'm shocked they can even CHARGE students to go to Elementary School, Middle School, or High School - all aspects of school should be free, or very low cost, so everyone has very easy access to education - including transportation to and from school, AND school lunches.
(Oh, yes, me gots a lot'o da ideas on how to make all aspects of school easily affordable, and preferably free, for all students, everywhere... lol!) (And, yes, I AM a teacher - how could you even guess? haha!)
And if you love cycling, you are in for a treat on Vancouver Island, or anywhere in BC - we have amazing bike paths all over the place - we love our bikes! And Kayaks, and Canoes... and Paddleboards.. you get the idea! And we have the BEST walks and hikes! : ) We love the outdoors!
Gorgeous GIANT Blossoms - so pretty! Finnerty Gardens, in UVic,
Victoria, BC, Canada
These gardens are so pretty - there are soo many gorgeous and free parks, all over the City of Victoria, BC, Canada : )
Soo pretty! We love the Finnerty Gardens - if you love flowers, and love a nice walk, or a lovely stroll through the gardens, you'll love Victoria! : )
So pretty!
Blossoms, galore, Baby!
Haha! The Finnerty Gardens is located on the grounds of UVic, the University of Victoria, a beautiful, beautiful university campus, and a great university - and Parking is Free on Sundays, in Parking Lot 6, the last parking lot as you go around the circle road (ring road? lol - Finally, a ring? hahaha!)
The UVic students - they so funny! That makes a big difference, when you're travelling as a family : )
What's in your future? Is it a Trip? hahaha! Oooh, and Lots of Love and Money?? haha! Some Sun??
Tofino, BC, Canada
(Sometimes you're better off getting your Hotel and Flight booked separately - check it first, to see where you can save the most money : )
So gorgeous, right? We love BC - that's why we moved here! lol! We choose where we live by where we really want to visit, then I research it, see if it's viable, then, Whammo, we move - there's nothing that says you have to live in the same place, all your life... you can feel free to live anywhere in the world, you just have to figure out how to do it, then go ahead and give it a try, right? Sure, why not?! Or at least take a nice little trip, there, see how much you love it!
Tofino is about a 6 hour drive from Victoria - I'm just gonna Google Map it, to make sure that's right - maybe it's 3 hours there, 3 hours back? Will go look for you!
Okay, so I was wrong on both my numbers - it's about a 4 and a half hour drive to Tofino, BC, from Victoria, BC - straight up the 1, Highway 1, cross the island at Nanaimo - a very pretty drive, and lots of nice things to do along the way, too - plenty of places to stop and look at the views, stop for lunch or overnight... we do our trips very slowly, stop wherever it appeals to us, really get to know the area - and what's the rush, right? lol!
And you can take the ferry from Victoria, BC, over to Port Angeles in Washington - we love Port Angeles - best fish & chips, ever... and I looove when the ferry pulls into Victoria, from either Seattle or Port Angeles - is endlessly pretty - flowers everywhere, looks like you've just arrived, magically, in a European city, is so pretty. You can take the Anacortes Ferry, too, from Anacortes, Washington, to Sidney, BC, or take the many ferries over to Vancouver, or to the islands.. it's all good - you'll love it! : )
Spring in Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC, Canada - ooh, so gorgeous! I hardly have any pictures where we're not all in them - lol!
But I thought this was such a gorgeous picture - I think this was in late April, early May : )
That's me - lol! I love Butchart Gardens - is, literally, my favourite place in the whole wide world, and that's how we chose to move to Victoria, BC, Canada.
The roses are probably up, right now - we were out at the gardens, a couple of weeks, ago, and it was just a little bit early for the roses, but July and August, going right into September, are all great months for the roses - but you will love Butchart Gardens any day of the year that you get the chance to go - I always wanted to be their Educational Director - wouldn't THAT be a fun job? lol!
Turns out, they don't have a position like that - but most of the main gardens do have Educational Directors, if that's the sort of thing you might like to check out, for yourself, or for your class, if you also happen to be a teacher, or the parent of a student - lol!
It's always great to get the opportunity to travel anywhere that appeals to me, and to get a great deal, too? Fantastico, right? lol!
I love to travel, and I've been to many, many amazing places, thanks to a wonderful childhood where my parents took us on great trips every year, and since my Dad was a teacher, we always had March Breaks, long Summer Vacations, and all sorts of other holidays to discover North America and beyond. I always thought it was really important to truly know your own Country, so I am particularly fond of Road Trips, and I used to love camping, but now, frankly, I love the Driving Holidays, but we always book ahead into a great hotel so we know we'll be happy and comfy each night. Makes a big difference every where we go!
Some great options for all my Canadian Friends : ) (And me! lol!)
Quick Tip: I just discovered this on our trip to Canada... if you get to the Hotel, and you chose it because you are like us and love to go for a swim in the evening, or first thing in the morning, but you get there and their pool is in-operational (yes, freezing cold water counts as 'in-operational'!), you can ask the person at the front desk if they will give you a discount off your bill because of the situation with the pool. Sometimes you will get a discount off the total of your bill, and sometimes they will comp you a little something. Better than nothing, and it's their job to provide the services they say they have, right, so it's okay to ask.
I check all the Travel Sites... you know I love a great deal! I am constantly surprised at how incredibly different the prices are from site to the next, so take a few extra minutes to shop around, save yourself some money.
Teacher Tip: I just found out that some hotels offer a discount for 'Government Employees', and I had never really viewed myself (a Teacher!) as such, but Teachers are considered to be Government Employees because they are paid through the State. Good to Know, right?? Always ask for a Discount. Why not??
Oh, and if you happen to be a Triple AAA Member, or CAA in Canada, BCAA in BC, Canada, be sure to ask if they have a discount for that, too : )
Last Minute Deals: Everyone loves a last minute deal... Sometimes it's just fun to pop in there to have a wee look to see what 'last minute deal' you might see for the future. At least you'll have an idea of how much a certain Travel Package might cost for when you do happen to have a window of opportunity for a little travel adventure, right?
More Ways To Save on Travel!
Make sure you have all your Travel Documents up-to-date and handy whenever you are travelling -- it'll make your trip that much easier. Make sure you have your Passport up-to-date, and any other paperwork you might need to carry... and share your travel plans with the important people in your life, so other people know where you are going, and generally what you're up to - lol - not too much sharing, though, fo' sures : )
We all know how expensive Amusement Park Tickets can be, so do your shopping before you go to get the best deal possible. I'm gonna 'post this' to the internet, then pop in myself to see how much the Disneyland, Legoland & Universal Studio Tickets are... oooh, can't wait to take another vacation!
More Ways To Save on Travel!
Let's say you go to Great Britain and you love it, and now you want to stay for a year or so.... (or you are lucky enough to already live there, and you've had it with your Roommate, and you're looking for a replacement...
How about a Working Holiday? I love a working holiday, and they have special Work Visas to many countries around the world (where else? Mars, soon, maybe... lol!) A great Opportunity if you want to work while you Travel. But, for sure, if you have somewhere you would really love to go to, and really get to know the country, you might want to look into getting a Work Visa, see if you can qualify to work in their country, and go ahead and take the plunge - you'll love it - I love the idea of taking a whole year, see how you like it, and then see if you can extend your stay, if you love how your new life is going : )
Find great links for all your vacation needs -- there was a little someone who used to refuse to book our Hotels in advance ("How could ALL the good rooms be full in Vegas -- there's 5700 rooms for each hotel...!" Of course, by the time we got there, they were all full -- who knew other people might also want to go to Vegas, huh??). And so, now that we're on our own, I always book ahead...
And when we're on the road, and not completely sure where and when we'll stop for the night, we just quickly look up hotels in the next few towns, or so, see what looks good - is a great way to get your best deal at any hotel : )
We used to go to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina every March Break when I was a Teenager, so I really love it, there -- and the Azaleas in Georgia in the Spring -- gorgeous!! And we've been back many times, as adults - is always a great time, in beautiful Myrtle Beach : )
There's a new-to-me mall in Myrtle Beach, and they have THE best Pralines - omg, delicious. Expensive, but delicious - so deeelish, they're very hard to share (but you still should - hahaha!).
Oooh, and Benjamin's - omg, is THE best Buffet restaurant - leave room for the dessert - delicious little Lime Mousse - yum! Deelish! Oooh, AND, Benjamin's in Myrtle Beach has THE best Hushpuppies...yum!!
I used to Fly Alaska Airlines all the time when I lived in L.A. -- they were always great!
Oooh, and you know what always really appealed to me?
Those All-Inclusive Resorts in Mexico - or anywhere - you had me at 'All-inclusive' - lol!
Recipes -- Cheesecake ,Cinnamon Buns, Salsa Chicken , Macaroni Salad ,Chicken Noodle Soup, Taco Spaghetti , Easy Pie Crust , Creamy Peach Pie , Great BBQ Marinade , 'Pass da' Pasta, Rosemary Steak, Onion Barley (an Aphrodisiac!),Stuffed Green Peppers, Fruit Puffs , BBQ Veggies, Apple Crumble for One , Barbequed Meatballs, Everything Else!!
