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Whenwecheckedinto Pan Pacific Vancouver for two nights we were sur- rounded by panoramic views of the Coastal Mountains, Stanley Park, Coal Harbour and city sky- line. It was fun to watch the float planes land- ing and taking off to the west of us. We could see snow covered Mt. Baker in Washington from our ho- tel room. We noticed that each day the rug in the elevator was changed. We arrived and it read Sunday. When we left it was Tuesday. Jan Shillingburg and I were going to be room- mates on this trip pre- sented by Mt. Lassen Mo- tor Transit. We were late deciding to go, so the only accommodations were upgraded and ele- gant. Then Jan became ill and couldn't make the trip. She graciously said to get someone to take her place, that had a passport. Within 36 hours, daugh- ter Kendra was told by her husband and boss at work, "go," and she was on the bus heading for this ad- venture. Pacific Club Vancouver was very nice. There was a bottle of Merlot, with a tray of hors de oeuvres waiting for our arrival. A pair of binoculars for en- joying the view from our room on 22nd floor, and each night the beds were turned down, and choco- lates on the pillow. As a guest of the Pa- cific Club, there was a con- tinental breakfast, as well as all day coffee and tea services, evening hors d'oeuvres, private check in and check out service with our concierge, and an as- sortment of international and local newspapers. The lobby on 3rd floor had a beautiful outdoors patio overlooking the cruise ships, and a stream of water gently flowing. When we looked closely, the water represented Sal- ish Sea and Strait of Geor- gia with names of the is- lands or cities along the coast. The first two floors was the Vancouver Conven- tion Centre with the hotel lobby on the third floor at Canada Place. The build- ing's exterior is covered by fabric roofs resembling sails, and at night they changed colors from gold, to pink, green and blue. The white sails in daylight make it a prominent land- mark for the city. It is also the main cruise ship ter- minal for area. The struc- ture was expanded in 2001 to accommodate another cruise ship berth and in 2009/10, for the 2010 Win- ter Olympics, Canada Place served as the Main Press Centre. We walked around the Canadian Trail that sur- rounds Canada Place in the evening, with other tourists and locals. There were food shops still open, and benches for enjoying the view. Instead of a bare roof top or parking garage, you viewed a grassy area from the hotel. Along the Canadian Trail by the wa- ter there were bits of his- tory of Canada represent- ing the 10 provinces and 3 territories. Noticed people gazing upward, and the moon was dark in the eclipse over the eastern area of Vancouver. Next morning we were boarding the motor coach for our ferry trip from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay. The highway has a tunnel of one mile, 60 feet under the Frazier River. There were acres of farm- ing on the delta, with corn, potatoes, beans, blue berries, strawberries, cab- bage and hay. The city landfill is on a compressed bog. Pipes take off the methane gas, and the gas heats the green houses plus the warm water for green houses. The Hot House Grow- ers raise the cucumbers, bell peppers and tomatoes we see in the market, from Canada. The pumpkins were ready four weeks early be- cause of the long, hot, dry summer with eight weeks of 90-degree tempera- tures. In 45 minutes, you reach the ferry terminal from the hotel. It is on an artificial island after trav- eling 2 miles on the man- made causeway off the mainland at Tsawwas- sen and is less than 550 yards from the 49th paral- lel, Canada's border with the U.S. There were many things of interest for sale inside the modern terminal. Jew- elry, clothing, souvenirs, and food, but there would be a gift shop on the ferry, and at Butchart Gardens. We were on the Spirit of Vancouver Island, 549 feet long, and carries 470 cars, 2,100 people. Didn't note how many big trucks and busses on deck 2. The crossing took 1 hours. The BC Ferry is part of the highway system and op- erates every day, except if the wind is stronger than 30/35 knots. The cruise speed is 19.5-22 knots, and 1.1 mile per hour equals one knot. I can see why "selfie sticks" are banned at many amusement parks, after encountering the young people and their sticks on the BC Ferry and at Butchart Gardens. They were rude as they smiled and made faces for their photos in the best photo locations. When we reached Swartz Bay terminal, the busses immediately drive off the ferry. Gord, our bus driver told us Vancouver Island is 280 miles by 80 miles wide, with a popula- tion of 800,000 on the is- land. A sub-tropical cli- mate with vineyards and lemons. Butchart Gardens cov- ers more than 55 acres, with 130 gardeners in the summer and 70 in the win- ter; a total staff of 500 since there are two res- taurants, a coffee shop, ice cream shop, plus the seed and gift store. Bill and I were there in July when the roses were in bloom, when we visited his cousins on Salt Spring Island. Late September and early October saw the roses past their peak, but the fibrous begonias and dahlias were lovely. Was told there are 250 varieties of roses among the 2,500 plants. My photos also show colorful salvia, white zin- nias with red penstemon, lobelia, marigolds, cycla- men, orange geraniums, to name a few plants, and red dogwood leaves in the Sunken Garden. The gar- deners were busy plant- ing bedding chrysanthums to replace the flowers past their prime. The col- ors of the flowers and the green lawns were worthy of many photos. In 2004, the Butchart Gardens were designated as a National Historic Site of Canada, with a million visitors an- nually. The path leads you to the Sunken Garden, and the beds of annuals, flow- ering trees, and shrubs with Quarry Lake in the center, while at the far end is Ross Fountain with the water rising 70 feet in dif- ferent patterns. From there the path sloped upward where we saw the carousel, the bronze horse, and the to- tem poles. Then a mag- nificent bed of dahlias enroute to the Rose Gar- den as we walked past some apple trees with three feet wide borders of fibrous begonias. On to the Japanese Garden with the tall trees for shade on a sunny, warm day. Before we reached the gift shop there was the Star Pond with 12 points on the star, the Italian Garden with a bronze statue of Mercury. Past the ice cream location was the Piazza featuring the Flo- rentine bronze statue of Tacca the Boar. Back to the bus, and a sight seeing tour of Victo- ria. There was Chinatown, Craigdarroch Castle, Bea- con Hill Park, the wharf with two cruise ships, and the Government buildings. To the right as we circled the park was the Juan de Fuca Strait, and USA to the south. We were let off near the Fairmont Empress Hotel, and the Inner Harbour. I have always wanted to have Tea at the Empress, but it would take more than the hour we had for late lunch (and $ 63.00 Ca- nadian per person was a little high for a couple cat- tle ranchers.) Instead we had lunch in the Bengal Lounge, with tiger skin above the fireplace, and large In- dian fans slowly moving the air. A delicious Maha- raja's Salad with smoked salmon, prawns, cucum- ber, tomato, quartered eggs, slivered almonds, and iceberg lettuce with a blood orange vinaigrette. Beautiful shops in the hotel like Kendra and I had seen at the Fairmont Banff Hotel in June. While we waited for the bus to pick us up, the group debated if the por- poise or whale leaping out of the bed of flowers had eyelashes. It was a large green topiary. Covered with small succulents set in burlap covered frame. JeanBartonhasbeen writing her column in the Daily News since the early 1990s. She can be reached by e-mail at jbarton2013@ gmail.com. JEANBARTON VancouverandbeyondonPacificCoasttour Tehama County Agricul- tural Commissioner Rick Gurrola announced Friday the walnut buying period will begin Nov. 1 pursuant to the county's walnut theft ordinance. The walnut buying pe- riod is the declared conclu- sion of harvest of the Chan- dler variety of walnuts by the Agricultural Commis- sioner, after consultation with a committee of walnut growers, during which non- processing walnut buying operations within Tehama County may lawfully pur- chase and receive walnuts that have not been dried or processed. Walnuts are the highest valued agricultural com- modity in Tehama County. According to the Tehama County 2014 Crop Report there were 24,560 har- vested acres in Tehama County with a market value of more than $169,000,000. "The walnut industry is particularly vulnerable to theft due to the manner in which the nuts are har- vested. Typically the wal- nuts are shaken from the trees and left unattended in windrows until they are col- lected by harvesting equip- ment," Gurrola said. "Un- fortunately some people steal them from orchards and sell the walnuts ille- gally. The Walnut Theft Or- dinance is intended to deter such activities." In addition to establish- ing the buying period, the ordinance establishes re- quirements regarding the transportation and iden- tification of walnut crops. For further information, call the Tehama County De- partment of Agriculture at 527-4504. AGRICULTURE Tehama walnut buying period announced COURTESYPHOTO The view from Pan Pacific Vancouver of Stanley Island, Lions Gate Bridge, the float planes, North Vancouver and the grass covered west promenade of Canada Place. PLEASERECYCLETHISNEWSPAPER. Thank you! 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