Another perfect day with beaming blue skies, great temperatures and no humidity greeted me yesterday. After a lovely strengthening breakfast and some business issues, Clare and I set off by car to explore British Columbia’s capital Victoria.

We started by parking our car pretty close to “Mile Zero”, right next to Beacon Hill Park. This expansive city park is right next to the waterfront and at its southern end you have a perfect view across the Juan de Fuca Sound to Washington State’s Olympic Mountain range.

Beacon Hill Park has beautiful landscaping, hundreds of flower beds, a petting zoo with screaming peacocks, serene shady ponds hosting various families of ducks, an assortment of totem poles and a great variety of shade trees, many of which I have never seen in Toronto. The whole waterfront around Beacon Hill Park reminded me very much of California and seeing the odd palm tree just reinforced that image. I had to remind myself that we are still in Canada here.

Our next step was to explore the waterfront to the east along Beach Drive. We moved past lovely well-kept houses and various inlets and bays and about 3 km east of downtown we arrived in the Oak Bay area. When we saw the Tudor-style gables of the Oak Bay Beach Hotel we decided this needed further exploration. We stopped the car, went through the lobby and outside the back door and saw one of the most beautiful patios and backyards on the ocean. The hotel, just like so many other places in Victoria, has gorgeous landscaping and a multitude of brilliantly coloured flower beds, right next to the Pacific Ocean.

Coming up next we checked out the Oak Bay Marina and then turned inland towards the quaint Oak Bay shopping area, bedecked in hanging flower pots, and featuring many outdoor patios. We knew an exploration of the Empress Hotel and the Provincial Parliament Buildings was on our menu, so we started heading downtown on Yates Street. We turned right at the waterfront and to find a parking spot in this bustling neighbourhood, we ended parking on Johnson Street, right in front of a retail store that had large mechanical doll dressed up as an old lady with a big hat in front of it. The doll was able to open and close its eyelids and move its head from side to side, much to the fascination of the local tourists.

We filled up the meter and made our way along the waterfront along Victoria’s serene Inner Harbour Area. Past various buskers, mimes and outdoor performance artists we slowly made our way towards the Empress Hotel, a gorgeous chateau-style grand hotel dating back to 1908. Just southwest of it are the intricately styled Parliament Buildings, built between 1893 and 1898. With expansive lawns and flower beds out front and introduced by a statue of Queen Victoria, they offer an impressive visual delight.

Having strenghtened ourselves with a tasty turkey sandwich and a delicious ice cream, we slowly walked back past the Empress on Government Street and checked out the various retail stores. This area is just hustling and bustling with people, and we saw several street musicians and bands. Many of the retail stores are located in historical buildings that have been painted in bright colours. Just as our meter was expiring we briefly checked out Market Square, an outdoor market area with many ecclectic little shops.

Back in the car we crossed the bridge at the north end of the Inner Harbour and checked out the west side of the harbour which features a beautiful boardwalk, flanked by upscale condominium buildings, most of them retirement homes, surrounded by luscious landscaping and fragrant flower beds. Sea planes were landing and taking off, and the tiny local harbour ferry boats were zipping around on the water.

After gazing at the Empress Hotel and the downtown area from the west side of the Harbour, we decided we were going to explore Victoria’s next-door neighbour: Esquimalt, a much more basic area that is home to a large naval base. Esquimalt is definitely not as scenic and dressed up as Victoria, but it still appeared to be a pretty tidy place. We continued to head west on suburban roads and ended up having a beautiful nature experience at the waterfront of Albert Head Lagoon. We drove in through curvy roads in a shady forest, parked our car, and walked on the beach, besides hundreds of stranded wooden logs, to a shady corner at the west end of the lagoon where Clare and I had a beautiful chat about life, human relationships, changes in lifestyles and mentalities in the new China and other esoteric topics.

Around 5 pm we decided to head even further west and we decided to find another hidden lagoon, called Witty’s Lagoon which is part of a regional park system. We found the entrance and parked our car since only a footpath takes you down to the lagoon. Sheltered from the heat by a lovely overhead forest canopy, we walked down a steep slope past the Sitting Lady Waterfall. Along the way we saw hundreds of wild blackberry bushes that were just getting ripe, and we sampled some of nature’s bounty. After about 20 minutes of walking beside a marsh on the left hand side, we finally ended up on a beach at the Southern tip of Vancouver Island that offered a perfect view of the majestic Olympic Mountains range.

18 minutes of uphill hiking later and we were back at the car, ready to drive downtown where we were picking up Haishan, Clare’s husband, for dinner. The perfect meeting place was the Empress Hotel, of course. We picked him up and drove back over the Inner Harbour Bridge and reached our dinner destination: the Spinnaker Brew Pub at the Western End of Victoria’s Harbour. On the outdoor patio we had a gorgeous view of the Victoria Harbour, looking down at the condo buildings, ships and sea planes that were still going back and forth. It was a little chilly outside at that time, but the restaurant supplied us with blankets to protect us against the evening cold.

Having strengthened ourselves after a long day of sightseeing we arrived back at the house at about 9 pm and given the fact that I had pretty much been awake since 4 am due to jetlag, I thanked my gracious hosts for their hospitality and made my way to bed.

It’s now just about 2:15 am, that means I get another 3.5 hours of sleep before I have to get up, pack my bags, eat a brief breakfast and then get dropped off by Haishan on his way to work at the Victoria Bus Terminal. From there I’ll have to say goodbye to pretty Victoria and make my way back to the mainland by ferry and bus, to check out my next destination: Vancouver. I am already excited…

Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a website called Travel and Transitions(http://www.travelandtransitions.com). Travel and Transitions deals with unconventional travel and is chock full of advice, tips, real life travel experiences, interviews with travellers and travel experts, insights and reflections, cross-cultural issues, contests and many other features. You will also find stories about life and the transitions that we face as we go through our own personal life-long journeys.

Submit your own travel stories in our first travel story contest(http://www.travelandtransitions.com/contests.htm) and have a chance to win an amazing adventure cruise on the Amazon River.

“Life is a Journey Explore New Horizons”.

The interview with photos is published at Travel and Transitions – Interviews

Ladysmith BC on Vancouver Island is only a 85 km (53 mi) drive north of Victoria BC on Hwy 1…a short trip filled with ocean and mountain views. Ladysmith BC is 26 km 16 (mi) south of Nanaimo BC. South of Nanaimo, closer to Ladysmith is Cassidy, home to the Nanaimo Airport and the Duke Point Ferry Terminal providing various easy access points to the Ladysmith BC area.

Recreation includes water sports such as kayaking, canoeing, swimming, fishing, diving, boating, and water-skiing. The archipelago of islands around the Ladysmith area makes it one of the most popular paddle sport destinations in N. America. There are three marinas: two are public, and one is commercial. Attractions include Skateboard park, par 3 golf courses.

Transfer Beach Park is a popular spot for swimmers, picnics and large gatherings. Popular attractions are the amphitheatre, logger sport facilities, horseshoe pitch, barbecue huts, kids playgrounds, sand volleyball and basketball courts, concession stand, and kayak rentals. It is a well-planned and attractive park with acres of grass and flowerbeds, surrounded by big trees.

Behind Ladysmith in the hills is a 4-kilometer hike through a rainforest with bridges, wildlife and waterfalls. This area includes Stocking Lake, one of the two main sources of Ladysmith’s drinking water.

Ladysmith has focused its interest on attracting tourism by setting up world-renowned annual festivals and events. In spring there is a two-day festival which attracts hundreds of paddle sport enthusiasts for boating fun, food and music. On Canada Day there is cake, fun and music on Ladysmith’s historic waterfront. On BC Day there is a daylong weekend parade, a soapbox derby, logger sports, games, rides, music, entertainment and fireworks.. Ladysmith Fall Fair in late August or September, showcases Ladysmith and area talents in horticulture, arts and crafts, home economics, beer and winemaking.

There are two main shopping areas: the First Avenue in the downtown area and the modern Coronation Mall on the Island Highway, with a wide variety of shops, services and eateries.

Ladysmith, with its downtown heritage buildings, was named one of the ten prettiest towns in Canada by Harrowsmith Country Life magazine. Ladysmith has been given the National Communities in Bloom Award with a 5-Bloom rating, with a special mention for Heritage Conservation.

Ladysmith was originally known as Oyster Bay, formed in the late 1800s…then came the coal mining and logging industries. In 1986 the logging industry pulled out, and in 2003 Ladysmith introduced the Festival of Lights, which displays thousands of lights, from the last Thursday of November till the New Year, attracting over 10,000 people in one night and continuing to the present day. An official light -up ceremony includes a parade, spaghetti dinner and fireworks.

James Dunsmuir, owner of the mines, was laying out his new township of Oyster Harbor in 1900 when he received news that British troops under the command of General Buller had broken the four month siege of Ladysmith in Natal province, South Africa and decided then that his new town would be named Ladysmith to honor this British victory of the Anglo/South African war of 1899 to 1902. Ladysmith was used as a dormitory and recreation complex for the miners and their families and as a shipping port for coal from the Extension Mines in Nanaimo. It was incorporated in 1904 and the town grew rapidly over the next few years mostly due to the coal industry, but also because of copper excavated from Mount Sicker, which continued ’till 1912. The following year the coal miners up and down the Island went on strike. Bombs targeted equipment and homes, prevailing for over a year when the military was called in and the riots were crushed. Ten years later the mines were shutting down as the demand for coal was dissipating and the coal getting harder to find. The areas residents turned to logging and other forms of employment after the mines closed in the 30s, but in 1933 1000s of trees toppled in a massive windstorm [known as the Big Wind] and the logging industry was born when the Comox Logging & Railway Co used the harbor as a shipping port.

Trail Guide: The Holland Creek Loop, The Heart Lake Loop, The Stocking Lake Loop, The Rotary Lookout Trail, The Estuary Trail, The Marine Walk. Developed through the collaboration of volunteers, government grants, and staff.

by Margot B,

About the Author

Web site designer and writer
http://margotbwritersforum.com

Regardless whether you manage a small business, charitable organization, or Fortune 500 company, choosing the right web design firm can quickly become a full-time research project. With thousands of design firms to choose from, what factors truly determine which design firm is best for your business?

The primary considerations for choosing a web design firm are:

* Price

* Customer service/access to support

* Credibility indicators of the design firm

* Portfolio and design experience

* Other services offered (domain renewal, hosting, SEO)

* Turnaround time

Let’s take a closer look at each consideration in detail, and explore how to identify and qualify the right design firm.

Price

Like many products and services we purchase, both personally and professionally, deciding on a web design firm can often come down to price. But the value of the services rendered is really what’s important. A $200 web site usually turns out to look, feel and perform like a $200 web site.

The price of your site’s development will depend on three factors: the features of the site, the amount of content, and the service options included with the design package, such as hosting.

Because pricing varies by firm, here are several principles to use when determining the validity and value of a web design quote:

* Does the quote state one all-inclusive price for the entire project?

* Is there a reoccurring monthly fee for hosting?

* Is the site custom-built, or is it customization of an existing template?

* Is there a separate fee for content development, such as writing sales copy?

* Is domain registration/management included in the package?

* Will the firm provide multiple design concepts, prior to actual development?

It’s important to compare quotes from at least three firms to, determine the value of the services offered. Looking for the best value is important in a competitive service market.

Customer Service

There’s nothing worse than signing with a firm that offers a great product, only to find out they are impossible to contact. Consistent, open contact with your web design firm is important for ensuring success before, during, and after your web site is developed.

Throughout the design process, you may identify text, photos, or contact information you’d like to change before the site goes live. If you have immediate questions regarding your site’s development, you’ll be glad to have immediate contact with customer support staff by e-mail, telephone, or live chat.

If you are limited to e-mail technical support, consider other firms that offer a wider range of customer service options such as telephone and live chat support. E-mail is great for convenience – when it’s convenient.

Credibility Indicators

Identifying “credibility indicators” can help ensure a firm is trustworthy, and will be around after your deposit or full payment is sent. Credibility indicators include, but are not limited to:

* Toll free telephone support

* 24 hour customer service

* Better Business Bureau affiliation

* Human e-mail address contacts

* Google PageRank of 2 or above

* Presentation of a hard-copy quote/design contract

Design Experience/Portfolio

Does the design firm have experience in working with similar types of businesses? Even if a designer doesn’t have a web site in their portfolio related to your industry, the firm you select should have a strong working knowledge of how to develop an effective site for your business type. Product and service web sites are not the same. Your designer should have a plan of action for developing a site that reaches the maximum number of prospective customers in your target market.

A few good questions to ask about a firm’s design experience include:

* Does the firm offer a number of diverse, finished web sites available for review?

* Will the firm conduct research regarding my competition?

* Will my web site highlight the features, benefits and value of my product or service?

* Has the firm outlined a plan of action for creating an effective site, start to finish?

Design experience need not always relate to the type of web sites the firm has previously developed. If you have a specific look in mind, ask the firm if achieving a similar design is possible. The ultimate goal is to know you’re going to get a tangible benefit out of your site through effective, affordable web design.

Additional Services

Many web design firms offer design, but do not provide other required services such as hosting and domain name registration. Ideally, your web design company should be a full-service firm, offering at least basic hosting, domain registration and search engine optimization services tailored to your needs. Research each firm to determine other key lines of business, so that any future expansion of your site will be seamless as your business grows.

Turnaround Time

An effective website should take 30-60 days to go live, from the start of production. Unless you’re offering hundreds of individual products or services on your web site, the entire development process, start to finish, should take no longer than 60 days. Turnaround time should include:

* Upload of your web site to the hosting provider

* Configuration of any scripts or forms on your site

* Domain propagation (accessing your web site and e-mail via yoursite.com)

Hiring the cheapest, fastest, or most elaborate web design firm does not always equate to hiring the right web design firm. A limited amount of front-end research can save time and money in the long term, and maximize the sales revenue from your web presence.

Jim D. Ray is a seasoned web developer and president of Web Presence, a national web design firm serving the small business market sector. To learn more, or for a free quote for your own web site, visit the Web Presence at http://www.web-presence.net.

Using leaflet distribution services are one of the cleanest ways to gain upper hand over your rivals. How? Direct Mailing is the answer. By employing a never-ending leaflet distribution campaign you can achieve maximal
exposure via the letterbox. Its a very over looked advertising scheme which turns very well, that is ofcourse is using leafleting

If your product is made to appeal to a general market and you want to focalize on a really unique country, letterbox campaigning is a good, dirt cheap way of contacting your direct market.

But careful in the readying of your leaflet distribution efforts as this is essential if you are to make the most of your investment.

Leaflet distribution permits you to yield specified reaction from directed groups of customers. It’s a peculiarly
multipurpose instrument for small business enterprises because it allows you to focus finite resources where they are most probably to bring about result and quantify the success of campaigns accurately by analysing responses. Just remember that the outcomes of leaflet distributoin aren’t secured. A badly planned or targeted campaign will be a waste of your hard earned money

There are a number of new methods in which leaflet distribution has been utilised in a governmental way. Several of these causes are as follows. One of the most frequent functions of leaflet drops is to supply people with info to counterpunch information that has been delivered by the opponent. The booklets can also be utilised to threaten people with an attack. This is particularly probably in conflicts in which ground forces can inform enemy troops that they will occupy if no follow up action is made. The leaflets in war situations are often used to encourage the opposition to surrender and if how to go about surrendering without facilitating a retaliation.

If you have made up your mind that a leaflet distribution will be a easy form of advertisement in order to bring in some much necessary possible patronage, then you need to set about the task of picking out the most acceptable business to conduct the promotion for you.

In That Respect there are many factors to be debated when doing this, these are essential in getting the most acceptable effects from your distribution.

You need to think where you are going to target your leaflets and the coverage and penetration that you want to attain. If you are just thinking of a decreased distribution in the localised area, it may be prudent to select a small local company who just manage the little promotions in one region. They are quite in all likelihood to be cost effective, and have smaller lead times. Accountability may be a problem if matters do not go according to plan, so this needs to be considered against the quantity of financial spending.

So you finally decided to invest in a web presence or upgrade your current site? There are many available choices in “web designers” to choose from. This decision is an important one! You may have a relative or friend of a friend who will do your web site at a very low cost from the comfort of their house. At the same time you receive a quote of a higher price from a professional design house. Who do you choose? The first instinct is to always assume the lower price is a better choice. This article will discuss why this isn’t always true, and why “YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!”

After 5 years of web site development, I noticed a reoccurring response when I did project estimates. That being, “My sisters’ neighbors’ cousins’ daughter has a friend who will do it for $300!”

Lets cover a few examples of the difference between an inexpensive, inexperienced “web dude” and a professional developer.

Quoting:

Throughout my experience in estimating websites, I have learned some valuable lessons. It’s easy for the customer to look at the bottom line number on an estimate. What’s more important however, is that the customer knows and understands exactly what they are getting for their money. There should never be any misunderstanding between a developer and a customer in regards to what exactly the project entails. The experience of the designer affords him/her to accurately estimate and communicate every aspect of the project to the customer. This avoids the very common customer concern of, “I thought that was included in the price!”.

Understanding:

The relationship between a developer and their customer is very important. The more the customer understands and knows about the technology, methodology and limitations, the more comfortable they will feel. A professional developer understands that their customers are not “techies” for the most part, and beyond “surfing” the internet, they may not be aware of their options, or understand development terminology. A professional developer will offer terminology definitions, explanations, and details. The customer should understand every aspect of the scope of work, and understand why certain programming languages or methods are used.

Planning:

The success of the project lifecycle and its implementation is a direct reflection of the planning and pre-development decisions made.
A professional developer focuses on the “big picture” from the very beginning stages. A developer should never assume anything in regards to what the customer wants. Professional planning encompasses documentation, flow charts, site layouts to name a few, and most importantly, inclusion of the customer throughout the planning. Knowing what the customer wants and expects is the key factor. This can be accomplished through surveying of the customer for information, including getting to understand their business, their mission, their vision, their likes and dislikes about other sites, and who their competitors are. The time spent on this is invaluable.

Communication:

Communication between the developer and the customer is critical for the success of the project. A “web dude” will assume too much without consulting the customer, or involving them in decisions. A professional communicates and documents every aspect of the project life cycle. This gives the customer the ability to be involved as much as they want, giving them a feeling of inclusion and reassuring them they made the right decision in hiring a pro. Detailed communication and documentation of conversations and decisions, ensures that all involved are “on the same page”. This helps to derail issues and misunderstandings upon completion of the project.

Design:

Every “web dude” thinks they are great designers. Professional developers prove they are! This proof comes with vast experience, successful project completions, and a history of customer satisfaction. There are many different variables to consider when designing the “look” of a web site. Consideration is given to the company branding, or visually showcasing their “vision”, and most importantly, understanding what the target market is, and what that market likes. A “web dude” will generally use the same methods and design basics for all the sites he/she does. This is all good and dandy, except that they don’t reflect the image of their clients. You wouldn’t expect a doctor’s website to have the same “look and feel” of a high-energy nightclub, would you? Great design gives character and individuality to a web site.

Behind the scenes

Ok, so the “web dudes” tell you they are done with your website. Everything looks to be in order and working. However, what happens if you type in a page name that doesn’t exist? How come the website is not appearing in any search engines? How much traffic am I getting, and how did they find my site? Where is the privacy policy, what is it, and why do I need it? What about copyright issues? Why am I receiving spam all of a sudden? Is my site secure? What about standards for visually impaired or cross browser display? These are just a few of the “behind the scenes” questions that professionals address with every site. These are the factors that will make the web site a success and give the customer a truly satisfied feeling that their investment was worth while.

Choosing your developer – summary

A couple key notes to remember when decision time comes are:

• Look beyond the estimated price before making your decision!
• How long has the developer been in business and will they be in business when support is needed?
• Every developer MUST have a portfolio of completed work! Take the time to view the portfolio and the success of those sites.
• Who are/were their customers? Has this designer ever done a project similar to the size and scope of yours?
• Is the developer easily accessible for questions, meetings, or general concerns?
• Will the developer be available in the future for support?

Comparison:

Although the analogy may be overused, I submit a comparison between a web site development project and the construction of a house. Although two houses may look identical in many ways on the outside upon completion, the real level of quality is apparent in what lies within. Solid construction, infrastructure, and quality of material are what give the home its true value. Just like a web site requires solid programming, functionality, dependability, management, and ease of scalability.

About the Author:

How do I know so much about this? My career in web development started 6 years ago, and by all respects I was a “web dude”. Through trial and error, and over 50 web sites later, I have successfully become a professional developer by following these standards.

Greg Priemer
Professional Web Developer