Victoria Victorious!
Written: Mar 23 '01 (Updated Feb 05 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Lots to do. Pretty decent weather.
Cons: It's a little touristy.
The Bottom Line: The flavor of Olde England combined with the spectacular northwest scenery makes a pretty good combination.
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| LordBalfor's Full Review: Victoria |
Care for a taste of "Jolly Olde England" but live west of the Rockies? Maybe you should consider a trip to the Canadian City of Victoria in British Columbia. Victoria offers double-decker buses, English gardens, and high tea - all in one of the most spectacular settings anywhere. Situated on the tip of wild and rugged Vancouver Island, Victoria is totally unlike either Seattle or Vancouver, with a much less cosmopolitan feel and far more English flavor. In addition, because of it's location in the "rain shadow" of the Olympic Mountains of Washington State, it has probably the mildest climate of any Canadian city and is by far the sunniest location in western British Columbia. Compared to Seattle or Vancouver, Victoria is a very small, with a population of around 300,000 (including the suburban areas) - still, what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for in flavor.
Getting there:
Because Victoria is situated on an island, getting there can be somewhat of a hassle - of course, it can also be viewed as an opportunity to have a little adventure along the way - especially as the scenery you are likely to encounter is just beautiful. Most folks get to Victoria via one of the following:
BC Ferries: There are 3 main BC Ferry routes from the mainland to the Victoria area, all of which use vessels large enough for any vehicle. The first leaves beautiful Horeshoe Bay (just north of Vancouver) and drops you off in the vicinity of Nanaimo, the second leaves Tsawwassen (in the delta region south of Vancouver) and also delivers you to the Nanaimo area, while the third leaves Tsawwassen and takes you to Swartz Bay. The first 2 options require a pleasant drive down highway 1 to Victoria, the last drops you off much closer to the city. We took the Horseshoe Bay/Nanaimo ferry a few years back and enjoyed it tremendously. The boat was a little larger than any of the Washington State Ferries and offered pretty decent dining facilities. I believe all of these routes take about the same amount of time (2 hours for a 1-way trip). Below is the link for the BC Ferry system:
http://www.bcferries.bc.ca/
Washington State Ferries: This is a wonderfully scenic route on vessels large enough to take vehicles of any size. The boats begin the trip at Anacortes (an hour north of Seattle) and thread their way through the gorgeous San Juan Islands to Sydney on Vancouver Island (a little north of Victoria). This archipelago is made up of 428 islands (743 during extreme low tide), of which only 172 are named, including the four largest: Orcas, San Juan, Shaw and Lopez. The islands (actually the tops of a chain of submerged mountains) are famous for their unspoiled beauty and the abundance of wildlife (including bald eagles, sea otters, porpoises and several pods of orca whales). The one-way trip takes about 3 hours and makes stops at Orcas Island and Friday Harbor. During the busy summer months these ships fill up fast (especially on the weekends) so be sure and arrive early. Below is the link for the Washington State Ferry system:
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/index.cfm
Victoria Clipper: These super fast passenger-only jet boats provide 2 departures/day (3-hour one-way trip) from the downtown Seattle waterfront. From mid-May to early September there is also 1 round trip/day that travels from Seattle to Victoria via Friday Harbor in the aforementioned San Juan's. This is a slower but much more scenic route (5 ¼-hour one-way trip). There is a small fleet of these ships, the newest of which can carry 330 passengers at speeds of up to 40 knots. They are fast and very comfortable. We took the quicker route a couple of years ago and our vessel (the newest of the fleet) provided aircraft style seating and large plate-glass windows. It REALLY moved, and left a rooster tail at least as long as the boat itself. An additional nice thing about traveling aboard these vessels is that they will take you directly to the downtown waterfront. Below is the link for the Victoria Clipper:
http://www.victoriaclipper.com/
The Coho: This ocean-going ferry makes 2 round trips (4 during the summer season) a day from scenic Port Angeles (on the rugged north shore of Washington State's Olympic Peninsula) and delivers you directly to the Victoria waterfront. This is about a 2-hour trip and the vessel can take automobiles and campers. Below is the link for the Coho:
http://www.northolympic.com/coho/
It is also possible to fly to Victoria from either Seattle or Vancouver (either by conventional aircraft, seaplane or helicopter).
Among the sites to see in Victoria:
The Empress Hotel: This grand place, newly spruced up thanks to a recent $45 million restoration, is a local legend in the Pacific Northwest. Dominating the Inner Harbour waterfront, it's a favorite place to stroll or take in a spot of afternoon tea. Even if you decide not to stay there (it's quite pricey) you should at least take a peek inside. It is a masterpiece of Old World elegance.
Crystal Gardens: Just behind the Empress Hotel, under the graceful canopy of a beautiful Victorian conservatory, lies a lush tropical wonderland, filled to the brim with exotic flowers and cascading waterfalls. This is a really nice display and a great place to sit and take a break. Along with the waterfalls and flowers, the Crystal Gardens hosts a fine collection of tiny primates who never fail to delight visitors. There are also beautiful tropical birds and a fine butterfly house. If you can, you should definitely check this out - any visit to a butterfly house is a great experience - especially if you are fortunate enough to have any of the tiny creatures actually land on you. When we were there, one of our traveling companions found himself to be a powerful magnet for one particularly beautiful "electric blue" butterfly. Having landed on his hand, it simply refused to leave, and even when he did finally lure it onto a nearby flower, it soon returned again. The rest of us in the group were so envious - of course what comes around, goes around - a short time later, while strolling in one of the small gift shops near the downtown waterfront, an errant bird fluttered inside, panicked, and made a quick banking turn to head back out. In the process it left a juicy parting gift on the side of our friends face. Talk about GROSS. He was absolutely mortified, but we had a good laugh. I have to admit to some admiration for the bird - that was one shot in a million! The link to the Crystal Gardens web site is below:
http://www.bcpcc.com/crystal/
The Inner Harbour Causeway: The very heart of Victoria, this waterfront promenade offers beautiful views, wonderful nearby shopping, and loads of free entertainment (at least during the tourist season) from a wide variety of strolling musicians, mimes and magicians. Festooned with flowers and framed on one side by the Empress Hotel and on another by the ornate BC Legislative Building (built in 1897), it is very beautiful (especially so at night when the "fairy tale" lighting of the Legislative Building gives the whole area a "Disneyland" look). Here you can catch a double-decker bus for a tour of the city or a motor coach for a trip to beautiful Butchart Gardens. Mainly though, it's just a wonderful place to stroll and watch the people passing by.
Royal BC Musuem: A fabulous natural/human history museum located near the Inner Harbour, this place is huge and definitely worth a look. Though some of the displays change from time to time, there are several that are pretty much permanent, including fascinating sections on the local Indian peoples and another on the ancient (now extinct) wildlife of the area. My favorite display however, has to be the full scale mock up of an old western town. Taking up pretty much a whole floor, this display is really cool in a "Twilight Zonish" kind of way. The ceiling of the room is painted dark to resemble a night sky and the illusion is remarkably convincing. Under this canopy, lay cobblestone streets and a fine collection of brick and wood-framed buildings - all of them furnished as they would have been in the late 1800s. Flickering streetlights provide natural-looking illumination, and music and voices drift through the air - but there is no one to be seen. It is as if all the people had suddenly vanished, leaving behind the echoes of their presence. My most vivid memory of this place is standing outside the kitchen window of a pretty Victorian home. The window was open and the lace curtains fluttered in the "breeze". It seems to me that an apple pie sat cooling on the windowsill (am I just imagining that I could even smell the pie?). From the kitchen came the sound of a woman humming a tune, while in the distance unseen children laughed and played. It was soooooo creepy and soooooo cool. This would be a VERY eerie place to be a night watchman - and great place to visit during the day. Even if you are not ordinarily a fan of museums, this display is worth a look! The link is provided below:
http://rbcm1.rbcm.gov.bc.ca/
The Butchart Gardens: These 50 acre gardens are justifiably world famous. Started in 1904 on the site of a worked-out quarry, the gardens draw almost a million visitors each year, displaying over a million bedding plants (over 600 different varieties). From April to October, the explosion of color is non-stop. There is also a beautiful "dancing waters" display set against a lovely wooded backdrop and fireworks at night throughout the summer season. I've been there twice and loved it each time. Also -though I have not seen it myself, I understand that their Christmas display is absolutely beautiful. All in all, these are world class gardens, and no visit to Victoria is complete without a stop there. The link to their web site is below:
http://www.butchartgardens.com/
Victoria Butterfly Gardens: Open from the beginning of March to the end of October, this glass-enclosed display hosts perhaps the largest and most beautiful butterfly garden I've ever seen. Flittering among the leaves, and branches and stalks of heliconia and orchids are hoards of delicate butterflies collected from around the world - many of them exceptionally large - in every color you can imagine. This attraction is located near Butchart Gardens and makes a good stop along the way. The link to their web site is below:
http://butterflygardens.com/
Craigdarroch Castle: This is an imposing Victorian home less than 10 minutes (driving time) from the waterfront. Open for tours from 9am to 7pm during the summer season and 10am to 4:30pm the rest of the year, it's a pretty interesting place. Built in the 1890s, it is over 20,000 square feet in size and boast 39 rooms. I've been there twice and found it interesting both times. As you would expect of a Victorian mansion, it is incredibly ornate. The link to their web site is below:
http://www.craigdarrochcastle.com/
Anne Hathaway Cottage/Olde English Inn: This is a recreation of the Tudor birthplace and home of England's Anne Hathaway (William Shakespeare's wife), fully furnished with 16th century antiques. Also located nearby is the Olde English Inn, an absolutely gorgeous Tudor style inn and restaurant set among a collection of recreated historical buildings. The grounds of the place are just beautiful and the buildings very nice indeed. I have never stayed there but it sounds terrific as the rooms are all made up with furnishings and decor of that era (including enormous 4 poster beds). I have eaten at the restaurant and I highly recommend it. We had perhaps the best brunch I have EVER eaten (anytime/anywhere) at that place. This would make a terrific place for a romantic getaway (I'm serious about this, folks) so check it out! The links for both the Anne Hathaway house and the Old English Inn are below:
http://www.bctravel.com/annehathaway.html
http://www.englishinnresort.com/hotels_resorts/main.html
In addition to these sites (all of which I've been to) there are number of addition things to see (that I haven't been to), including:
The Royal London Wax Museum
The Maritime Museum
The Undersea Gardens
Miniature World (actually I've been to this but I'm not sure I liked it)
Victoria's Chinatown
As you can see, there is really a lot to do during a stay in Victoria - and my list is not even complete. For more information, you might want to take a look at the official City of Victoria web site. The link is below:
http://www.city.victoria.bc.ca/
In conclusion, the only negative I can say about Victoria is that it is definitely a "Touristy Place" and absolutely feels that way. This lends a sort of "fake" feeling to the city. Whereas Seattle and Vancouver feel like "real" cities, with a "real" reason for being there, Victoria is so geared towards tourism that it feels like the city would disappear completely if not for the visitors. This is a little sad when you remember that it IS the seat of the Provincial Government - a fact that seems to get completely overshadowed by the tourism business. In fact, I think it's kind of humiliating that the Parliament Building is all lit up with Christmas type lighting - as it gives the place a kind of "Disneyland" look - though admittedly it IS beautiful. Still, as a place to visit, Victoria has it down pat, providing a perfect combination of old world charm, great shopping and terrific dining. When you combine this with a wonderfully scenic location and pretty darned nice weather, it's no wonder that Victoria is one of the most popular vacation spots in the Pacific Northwest (and all of Canada).
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Jun - Aug
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Epinions.com ID:
LordBalfor
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 - Top 1000 |
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Member: Ken Klein
Location: Seattle, Wa
Reviews written: 36
Trusted by: 109 members
About Me:
I am in love with the tropics (especially the South Pacific).
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