Over the last two decades, I've traveled to Vancouver Island several times. This website shows a collection of my images taken over those visits. Why visit there and not head south with the snowbirds? As a friend who recently moved there put it:

I like the feel of places and people here, the old-world charm of Victoria, the Saanich Peninsula, the small town feel of Sidney, the restaurants and markets – little rural stands with produce and eggs out for sale on the honour system left over from my grandmother's time, most food grown on the Island. Wonderful.

And I would add these: the nearby islands, the small harbours like the wharf at Nanaimo, west coast beaches, countrty roads for us tourists while those having to get somewhere in hurry have the freeways, forests with great trees, many small places to walk and good bicycle trails coupled with a reasonable climate for doing both, and some big places to hike, the West Coast trail and Strathcona Park to name but two. I could add the boating and kayaking, but I don't do either.

~ Ray Rasmussen, 2014

copyright 2014: All images are copyright by R. Rasmussen. None may be used in any way without written permission from the photographer.