Sailing Trimaran Wind Strider: 27-28December, 2013: Butchart Gardens

Weather: Cold and dry. Winds: N/A. Waves: N/A

Butchart Gardens during the Christmas Season exceeded the internet hype. Amazing place. For Christmas, the Garden had set up a '12 days of Christmas' theme and the displays were clever. For instance, the 4 calling birds were a macaw, cockatoo, toucan and a parrot...with cell phones! The 5 golden rings were lighted, floating on a pond. The 9 ladies dancing were nursery rhymes/story characters on a carousel: Snow White; Cinderella; Little Miss Muffet (and spider) etc. Also, inside the main area, carolers sang on the hour, and a brass band played played on the half hour.

We could not find the 12 drummers drumming. Finally, we asked at the information center. The conversation was something like this:

"Where do we find the 12 drummers drumming?"
"Did you drive in?
"No"
"Did you take a bus?"
"No"
Puzzled look, "Did you walk?"
"No. We came on a boat from the Cove."
"Oh! Well, walk out that way, past the skating rink, and you will see them. The drummers are on top of arches over the road on the way out!"

We strolled through the place in daylight, starting around 3pm. We then sipped peppermint (not schnapps) hot chocolate during sunset and then went back through after dark. A singing family was near us as we went through the second time. At each 12 days station, they sang the song from that point. They were pretty good and harmonized well. Very entertaining. I asked them what they were going to do for the 12 drummers and they said they were going to stop the car and sing!

The light displays draw so much power part of Butchart, the Japanese Garden, is closed after dark. However, the path from the main area of Butchart back to Strider in the Cove is through the closed Japanese Garden. So, we had to stop by the information desk and ask for an escort. Two supervisors showed up, opened gates and escorted us back to an frosty dock.

Pictures being worth a thousand words: