I am a big kid and I love a museum that offers me multi- sensory "hands on" experience where I can occupy all of my senses (sometimes simultaneously) while learning! These memories remain vivid for long after because I carry the most away from the moment.

I love regional museums and recently visited two outstanding ones. In Victoria (close to you) the Royal British Columbia Museum is spectacular, in fact it's one of my all time favorites. I spent an entire rainy day there and barely scratched the surface. They have several IMAX theaters as well, I can't wait to go back. I'll take any excuse to visit BC over and over and over.... http://rbcm1.rbcm.gov.bc.ca/

I just returned from the Columbia River Gorge area and visited the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Wasco County Historical Museum with my family, we had a blast. It's another great regional museum, with several smaller focused museums inside (Wasco County, Lewis & Clark's Cargo, and Childrens Discovery Museum. They have Pioneer and Oregon Trail displays outside including several covered wagons, a pond, and river access. You can also walk down to Lewis & Clark's Rock Fort campsite from the museum, so there is a lot to do to occupy the entire family. We saw a demonstration on blood letting, I found a family of frogs at the pond, and we all dressed up as a pioneer girls, wearing the moccasins we made. My daughter-in-law, granddaughter, and I all ran through the museum in full costume looking for "our boys" giving them a giant laugh when we found them! It was a Kodak moment. As a bonus, the restaurant was fantastic, we all enjoyed eating lunch there. http://www.gorgediscovery.org/

Well, these are my favorites this year! Amelia Chatsworth, California