Curious and Interesting Names Near North Saanich ...
As we travel, we always see a community with a name that gives pause. While there are names which are interesting or familiar, some catch our attention or strike our fancy. We always wonder about such a name. If time permits and the community is not too far, we'll usually try to make a side-trip.
We spend a lot of time looking through Gazetteers & Almanacs that were published in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Many of the Gazetteers include the distance from a community such as North Saanich to various places of note, such as Parliament Hill.
With a nod to our favorite Gazetteers, the straight-line distance<2> beginning in North Saanich and extending to:
Victoria, which is the Provincial Capital of British Columbia, lies 13 miles [20.9 km]<2> to the south (S). If you could walk a straight line from North Saanich to Victoria, with an average speed<3> of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour, it would take 6 hours to make the trip. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take four to five hours.
The National Capital at Parliament Hill (Ottawa, ON) is 2,220 miles [3,572.7 km] to the east northeast (ENE). Driving, with an average speed of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, would take 5 days, a buggy would take 87 days and walking would take 127 days.
The shortest distance<4> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 6,723 miles [10,819.6 km] and it lies to the north northeast (NNE).<5>
The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 7,483 miles [12,042.7 km] and it lies to the north northeast (NNE).<6>
The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 5,626 miles [9,054.2 km] and it lies to the north northeast (NNE).<7>'
Footnotes ...
<1>
While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<2>
Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- North Saanich) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
<3>
While we have tried to pick reasonable speeds, the rate of travel is very theoretical - obstacles like fences, hills, lakes, river crossings and rest stops have been ignored. When we say 'Days' of travel, we're assuming 8 hours of travel per day.
<4>
The shortest line can be visualized by stretching a string on a Globe from Point A to Point B - this is known as a Great Circle Route. Where you might expect the shortest route from North Saanich to the Middle East to be East and South, the Great Circle Route actually lies to the North and East.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in North Saanich. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 48.6191, Longitude: -123.4166
<5>
The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 341.818 degrees.
<6>
The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 343.572 degrees.
<7>
The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 328.399 degrees.