7/26: El Paso to Vancouver
7/27: Vancouver
7/28: Whistler
7/29: The Buchart Gardens
7/30: Victoria
7/31: Victoria
8/1: Pacific Northwest
8/2: Oregon Coast
8/3: Oregon Coast

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Golf day was here! We awoke early in the morning and drove west to Bear Mountain, a Jack Nicklaus design about five years old. The golf course was centerpoint for a large development consisting of 36 holes of golf, a Westin hotel, condos, and private residential homes.

Despite a horrible start to the round (my one and only mulligan off the first tee) I was happy with the way I played. Due to construction, the first hole was a short par 5, and after the mulligan I reached the downhill hole with a 3-wood and an 8-iron. I missed the 15 foot eagle putt to settle for a tap in birdie to put me 1 under par on a Jack Nicklaus course!

My score quickly moved to over par, and I ended the day with a 98. I was happy with the score, especially since I lost about four balls resulting in numerous penalty strokes. I also took an unplayable lie on the eighth hole, which ended up being the smartest decision of the day.

Additional highlights included parring the tenth and eleventh holes. The later hole was a par 3 very like the 17th hole at TPC of Sawgrass. I played a 9-iron to a kidney shaped green, but with water surrounding the green it was a pressure shot.

The 14th hole was a severe uphill par 5. Upon reaching the green we were rewarded with an amazing view of Victoria, the Pacific Ocean, and the mountains of Washington state.

Another interesting feature of the course was the 19th hole. Usually reserved for the end of the round, Bear Mountain had a 19th hole on the course in between holes 14 and 15. The hole was a short par 3 on the edge of the mountain overlooking Victoria. We skipped the 19th hole, but if I'm ever back at Bear Mountain I will play it the next time.

We finished our round just before the rain came. I finished pretty strong despite going in the water on 16 and getting caught in a deep, greenside bunker on 18. I saved bogey on 16 with a great putt from just off the green, and I salvaged double bogey on 18 with another 15-footer from just off the green.

After golf, Alicia went with her mom and grandma to afternoon tea at The Empress hotel. The three enjoyed their tea along with sandwiches, scones, and deserts.