One of the most serene landscapes I have ever visited was The Butchart Gardens in Victoria Canada British Columbia. A massive 55 acre estate filled with all types of flora, The Butchart Gardens is absolutely one of the most amazing places to visit at almost anytime of the year.

My wife and I were fortunate enough to visit during the garden’s peak season when its flowers were already in full bloom. We arrived at the park in the early afternoon and stayed until evening to experience the gardens renown Night Illumination display. As you stroll through the park, it is such a tranquil experience that you honestly forget that you are walking through a man made attraction. The park’s beauty is matched only by the delightful fragrances that bombard your senses as you travel through all its meandering paths. I personally enjoyed the Japanese and Sunken Gardens the best, but there are quite a few other sections of the park which are just as serene.

I had heard from others that the gardens were even more amazing during the seasons of Autumn and Winter when its leaves begin to change shades and they put up decor to celebrate the Magic of Christmas. I would really love to experience this if the opportunity ever presented itself.

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A 10 minutes drive from the Inner Harbour, Craigdarroch Castle is one of Victoria Canada’s most legendary landmarks. This Victorian style mansion rises four and a half stories tall, contains most of its original furnishings from the 1890′s, and has some of the most beautiful stained-glass windows and woodwork I have personally seen.

There are two main ways to get there. If you decide to walk, you can go straight to the entrance of the landmark without any problems. However, if you are bussed (what we did), you’ll be dropped a couple blocks away and have to walk the rest of the distance to the entrance. For some reason, buses are restricted from driving through the neighborhood in which the castle is located.

The tour through the castle itself is self guided and took us approximately an hour to complete. Before entering the castle please be aware that all food, drinks, and gum must be thrown away and that they will require you to clean your shoes with a special machine before entering the structure. Once inside, the hosts at the entrance will provide a map to assist you through the many rooms and floors, and you’ll be required to travel about four flights of steps to see everything.

Overall, this is one of those places you’d probably visit once just to say that you’ve been there. Walking through hallways was definitely a very surreal experience. I would suggest however that you leave young children with someone else if you decide to take this tour. There are many stairs which may lead to accidents as well as furnishings that should be handled with care that young children might get their hands on.

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