Island Parent Pre-Summer 2023

See the Sights in the CRD
With so much to do in the Capital Regional
District, your biggest challenge will be narrowing
down your options! To help, here’s
a list of favourites. From “star” gazing (both sea
stars and the stars in the sky!) and chasing butterflies
to cooling off at the Potholes and stretching
out at Sidney Spit. Hint: No matter what you
choose, you can’t go wrong!
Plan Your Escape
Victoria Escape Games offers both indoor and
outdoor adventures. Watch for Raiders of the Lost
Tomb coming soon! Indoor and outdoor adventures.
victoriaescapegames.com
Dominion Observatory & Telescope
Star Parties are back this summer at The Centre
of the Universe. Take a Dome Tour, get involved
in children’s programs and see the night sky
through the Plaskett Telescope (weather permitting).
Specific Saturdays throughout the summer.
From 7:30–11pm. Gates open at 7:15pm.
centreoftheuniverse.org
Meet SUE the T-rex at RBCM
Royal BC Museum’s SUE: The T-rex Experience
starts in June and runs until January, 2024. Meet
SUE, the most complete and best-preserved
Tyrannosaurus rex ever found. Learn how SUE
survived their challenging and dangerous world,
living to old age despite the odds. Don’t miss
Angkor: The Lost Empire of Cambodia where you
can marvel at 120 spectacular artworks and original
artifacts from ancient Angkor, never before
seen in Canada. royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
See a Show at IMAX Victoria
Escape the heat—or the rain—and watch the
Super Mario Bros. Movie, Guardians of the Galaxy,
Animal Kingdom or Wings Over the Water to name
a few. There’s nothing like the big BIG screen to
make you feel like you’re part of the action.
imaxvictoria.com
Roam Around at Fort Rodd Hill
Tour through secret bunkers, military command
posts and original 19th century buildings at Fort
Rodd Hill, a west coast artillery fortress on active
duty from 1895 to 1956. Learn the personal stories
of soldiers and their families. Camp overnight
in a group-friendly oTENTik. Grab the wheel as
a “master mariner” at Fisgard Lighthouse, the
oldest on the Canadian west coast and wander
through a rare Garry Oak meadow.
pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/bc/fortroddhill
Think Small
Miniature World, located within the Empress
Hotel, is open Wednesday through Sunday from
10am-5pm. The Greatest Little Show on Earth
features over 85 miniature scenes. At Miniature
World it is as if you suddenly became a Gulliverlike
giant among the tiniest of villages, or has the
world itself shrunk? You be the judge, it is a question
Alice must have asked herself many times in
Wonderland so enter now this miniature wonderland.
miniatureworld.com
Stroll the Wharf
Fisherman’s Wharf is a hidden treasure waiting to
be discovered. Peruse food kiosks, unique shops
and eco-tour adventures in a working harbour
setting. Buy seafood fresh off the boat, check out
the unique array of commercial, pleasure vessel
and float home moorage, watch the commercial
fishing vessels unload their wares, become a
pirate and see the seals. tourismvictoria.com
Play in the Park
Beacon Hill Park offers 200 acres to play in, just
steps from downtown Victoria. Explore the trails
meandering through meadows, gardens and
trees, the 18-hole putting green (bring your own
clubs and balls), spray park and playground. Stroll
past the duck ponds, over bridges, through gardens
and find what was once the world’s tallest
free-standing totem pole. beaconhillpark.com
Gallop Along the Goose
The 60-km partly paved Galloping Goose Trail
winds from Victoria to Sooke with access points
along the way. It also intersects with the E&N
Rail Trail-Humpback Connector, the 17km cycling
and pedestrian trail. Start the Goose in the heart
of the city or drive out to a rural access point for
more of a country experience.
gallopinggoosetrail.com
Lose Yourself on the Lochside Trail
The 29-km Lochside Regional Trail starts in Saanich
and ends at the ferry terminal in Swartz Bay.
In some places trail visitors must share paved or
gravel public roads with motor vehicles and farm
vehicles. Trail maps and suggested access points/
day trips are available from the CRD website:
crd.bc.ca/parks, then select “Find a Park.”
Loop Swan Lake
Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary
features both marshy lowlands and the rocky,
oak-forested highlands of Christmas Hill. The
12,000-year-old lake is home to a variety of
birds and wildlife including muskrats, river otters
and mink. Circle the lake along a 2.5-km trail
and cross the floating walkway then stop in at
the Nature House (open on a limited schedule).
swanlake.bc.ca
Stretch Out at Sidney Spit
Sidney Spit Marine Park is a great destination
for a day trip. The foot-passenger ferry service
has re-opened so now you can book your trip to
Sidney Island (25 minutes). Explore the sandy spit
at the northeast end or hike around the whole
island. Walk-in camping is also available.
For updates on the ferry service, visit
sidneyspitferry.com.
12 Island Parent Magazine IslandParent.ca