From Mammoths to Miniatures

Victoria, in every part I visited, is a charming town.

Charming Victoria

They have put forth a definite effort to maintain the historic buildings, repurpose them, and keep the city a place for locals, business, and tourists.

Most Looka Appealing

Tourists and Locals

The Hudson Bay Company was the first business on Vancouver Island. Some of its buildings have been repurposed into other retail, but this department store is still vital shopping that anchors an urban mall. I even bought a new piece of luggage here.

Hudson's Bay Company

I had to do some research to find out if there was a relationship between HBC and Hudson's Department Store in Detroit (now Target stores). There is not. HBC was started by two Frenchmen on the actual Hudson Bay; Hudson's was started by an Englishman by that surname in Detroit.

The Royal BC Museum has excellent natural history displays in addition to the human history I described previously.

Lyuba the 40,000 YO Baby Wooly Mammoth

Many Bones from Colorado

True to my interests, I spent hours in the other wing, looked at the mammoths, and walked past the geology exhibits.

Miniature World

Today my mission was to visit Miniature World.
There are so many dioramas, it almost becomes overwhelming.

Lots of World War II

More WWII

American Civil War and Many Napoleonic Battles

Oh enough of these battlefields!

Trains Trains and More Trains

One of my favorite was an exact replica of a working saw mill. It had a label:
"Due to the extreme fire hazard, Miniature World is now prohibited from demonstrating the actual functioning Push the button to watch the video explaining and showing the operation."
The video has the gentlemen who was created the miniature explaining and demonstrating each step., His employment for all his adult life was to maintain the blades in an actual mill. As a hobby, he built this replica.
I didn't take any pictures. I think it was one of those things where "you had to be there."
There were dozens more displays of doll houses, story books, Camelot, on and on and on and .........
Here are just a few photos:

Circus Parade

Working Amusement Park

Push the green button and watch Jack swing his axe and hear the giant bellow "Fee, Fie, Foe, Fum!".

Jack and the Beanstalk

Buffalo Bill Wild West Show