Vancouver Island Camping, Victoria, & Butchart Gardens

So, I would certainly recommend camping on Vancouver Island. As for camping with a 9 month old ... yes & no. Overall we had a great time. However, Ethan is at that stage where he wants to get into everything and his only means of mobility is crawling. So, you can imagine how time at the camp site was with him crawling all through the dirt, rocks, and pine needles and trying to follow Maddie around and getting tangled in her leash. So, time was spent trying to keep him busy and exhausted with hiking, playing in the ocean and rivers, and entertained in his stroller as he watched the other kids at the camp grounds.

We spent one night at China Beach which was your bare bones campground, with pit toilets and occasional water spigots. While I prefer a few more amenities, the grounds were very well maintained and the scenery was amazing. We were a short walk from the beach which was beautiful, but very cold. Despite the cold water, Ethan was eager to play in the ocean and played until his little toes and lips were purple. Our first night in the tent was restless, as Ethan is used to having his own sleeping space, so he had a very difficult falling and staying asleep. Luckily he figured out that we were all going to be sleeping together and decided that was OK and slept well the remainder of the trip.

Our next two nights were spent at Goldstream campground which had flush toilets, showers, and sinks for washing dishes. What a treat! Here we found lots of beautiful hiking trails, waterfalls, and warm (compared to the ocean) streams to play in.

All showered and clean, we decided to take a day to visit Victoria. In planning our packing for this trip I decided to save one 'nice' outfit for Ethan for our day trip to Victoria so we wouldn't look like complete vagabonds. As soon as we arrived we had a picnic lunch on the front lawn of the parliament building and Ethan unleashed serious furry in his pants! Jairo was so kind to offer to change him, but as it seemed there was some struggle I decided to go help. Too late! The blowout was of epic proportions and we ended up 'bathing' Ethan with baby wipes on the front lawn for all to enjoy. So, needless to say, I didn't get to make the impression on the Victorians that I hoped for and Ethan spent the remainder of the day with just diaper bottoms. After a 'poopy' start to the day, we had a great day in Victoria. Beautiful architecture, wonderful ocean views, parks, museums, and GELATO (we had some after lunch and dinner)!

On our last day we spent the afternoon at Butchart Gardens ... GORGEOUS!! I'm so glad we finally visited. The gardens are beautifully designed and the flowers were so colorful and fragrant. Ethan seemed to enjoy all the color and fountains as well. While there, we ran into a group from Colombia so Jairo took time to reminisce about home with them. Also, for gelato lovers, there is a super tasty gelateria just as you complete the tour of the gardens. A perfect way to end your visit.

On the ferry ride home through the San Juan Islands our trip ended with an awesome sunset. So, my recommendation for anyone planning to visit Canada, I would say, skip Vancouver and go straight to Vancouver Island.