Golf only needs to be a fraction of the family vacation on Vancouver Island. There is virtually every outdoor activity available here: mountain biking, rock climbing, skiing, snorkeling, fly fishing, ocean angling, shopping in any number of small villages, or just lazily tubing down one of the many rivers.

The Quality Resort Bayside Hotel was average in its accommodations, but spectacular in its location on a cliff at the water’s edge of a large bay. Wonderful beachcombing, but not nearly as memorable as the WildPlay Element Parks on the drive from Parksville south to Victoria.

WildPlay was originally opened when entrepreneurs built a bridge for bungee jumping. But as that craze ebbed, they hit on a new, better idea supposedly originated in the forests of France. Tree-Go is basically an obstacle course built 70 feet above the ground, with swaying ladders, Tarzan swings, tightropes and zip lines running from tree to tree.

Scary it is at first, but after getting get the hang of maneuvering through the challenges with two safety tethers, it is an absolute blast. The full adult course can take as long as two hours to complete, and there is a smaller course perfect for kids.

Then there's Victoria, the Hotel Grand Pacific at dusk and first view of the inner harbor.

It’s a storybook city with its white lights rimming the Parliament Buildings, the yachts swaying calmly in the harbor, and the horse-drawn carriages clicking down Government Street. Everything you could possibly hope for, from the street performers to the Royal BC Museum to the many restaurants and pubs of downtown, is within easy walking distance.