We didn’t go hungry during our week in Victoria. Watching budget and waistlines, we only ate breakfast out twice, choosing to make use of fridge, toaster, coffeemaker, and microwave in our motel room at Travelers Inn for our first meal of the day. Once we…Read More

We didn’t go hungry during our week in Victoria. Watching budget and waistlines, we only ate breakfast out twice, choosing to make use of fridge, toaster, coffeemaker, and microwave in our motel room at Travelers Inn for our first meal of the day. Once we took off exploring, though, we were fair game for restaurants. Mostly, we chose spontaneously, based on what appealed to us visually, and of course, our pocketbooks.

Online, Victoria Dining Guide offers down-loadable menus (in pdf) of more than 50 popular restaurants. Victoria Visitor’s Choice has a Dining section describing at least as many eateries. Both have ads and photos that will make your mouth water. Both of these guides are in hard copy as well, easy to pick up at the Visitor Centre on the Inner Harbor or wherever you’re staying.

Variety the spice…: We didn’t dine at any really high-end places, but Victoria has its share. Yet even very fancy-looking places often have dinner choices under C$30 per entrée. Victoria’s international feel is enhanced by its eateries, not only the expected selections of Pacific Northwest cuisine, seafood, and English-style pubs, tea houses and fish ‘n chips places, but also Hungarian, Dutch, Caribbean, Chinese, East Indian, Greek, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mediterranean, Southeast Asian, Thai, Nepalese and Tibetan, Mexican, Vegetarian, and Organic.

Pizza in Victoria: Since my husband can’t seem to go even a week without a pizza meal, we were on the lookout for pizza places, and found three promising ones. City-wide (and international franchise) Sarpino’s Pizzeria offers not only specialty, gourmet, and create-your-own pizzas, but lasagnas, spaghetti, ravioli, and tortellini. Twelve-inch pizzas C$14-15. Three Romeo’s, one just a couple of blocks down the street from our motel, would be the place to order for a crowd. Their gimmick is two-for-one priced pizzas, making the average price of one 12-inch pizza between $C12-14. If you create your own, or just buy one, though, the price goes up to C$19 for a basic cheese pizza. Pastas, burgers and other specialty dishes are also available. We ended up getting our pizza at Second Slice, of which there are only two. Not only do they have gourmet pizzas, two-for-ones, and special deals, but their extra-large (16-inch) three-topping pick-up special only set us back C$10. Generously topped with pepperoni, onion and green pepper, it had a decent crust and tasty sauce. Their locations: 1310 Douglas and 1680 Douglas.

Chinatown has lots of restaurants, serving Chinese as well as other foods. While there one evening, we noticed people sitting at the outdoor tables at the QV Café-Bakery, across the street from the Gate of Harmonious Interest. This eatery, a favorite of locals, is open 24 hours, with many appetizing deli and bakery selections on display behind the glass counters. The following morning, we went there for breakfast. Bob had sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs and fried potatoes. I had a fresh croissant with egg and veggie filling—delicious.

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In one week, we barely were able to scratch the surface of the varied and many-faceted neighborhoods of Victoria, but what we saw and experienced delighted us and kept us out there exploring all week long. Not only is Victoria a very pretty city overall,…Read More

In one week, we barely were able to scratch the surface of the varied and many-faceted neighborhoods of Victoria, but what we saw and experienced delighted us and kept us out there exploring all week long. Not only is Victoria a very pretty city overall, but it’s divided into distinctive areas each with their particular charms. This photo tour will highlight some of our favorite places.

Water, water, everywhere: As the Coho Ferry pulled into The Inner Harbour on our arrival, we got our first impressive views of Victoria. Actually, these were Bob’s first views and my second "first" views, since our three-generational (Oma-me-Saskia) cruise ship visit of 1999. Big cruise ships dock at Ogden Point, south of the harbor. Here’s the Holland-America Oosterdam docking late one afternoon.

Oosterdam

On the Coho, the captain orders all vehicle drivers and riders below about halfway into the harbor. We dawdled as long as we could. On the departure trip, however, once parked, we were free to scurry up topship. The Inner Harbour teems with constant activity – in the water, above it, and on its edges and bridges. Several times from shore, we saw the Coho coming and going.

Coho Ferry

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The Empress Hotel vies with Parliament for most eye-catching, harbor-front property. Both historic buildings were creations of architect Francis Rattenbury, a colorful and eventually tragic figure in this city’s history. Originally a Canadian-Pacific Railroad hotel, the Empress is now owned and run by mega-luxury resort giant Fairmont. Though its packages and even its famed afternoon high tea were beyond our budget, wandering around the Empress indoors and out is free and enjoyable.

The Empress Hotel

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Buskers in Victoria provide entertainment on the streets to passersby every day. Prime and presumably profitable busking locations are the lower level walkways alongside the Inner Harbor, and along Government Street. We enjoyed viewing balancing acts, jugglers, an elaborately costumed statue-still mermaid who suddenly came to life to play the accordion, a lovable clown in puppy dog slippers, and musicians of all kinds. Certainly worth ridding your pockets of change or even a bill or two.

Buskers in Inner Harbour

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Bastion Square is between Wharf and Langley Streets, overlooking the Inner Harbour. Old Fort Victoria was erected here in 1843. The cobblestoned square is lined with heritage buildings serving as restaurants and shops, and though we seemed to always miss it, street vendors frequently set up booths to sell their wares. We were sorry we didn’t get a chance to sample The Garlic Rose, a Bastion Square restaurant with a big outdoor patio and great views of the harbor. The Mediterranean menu was reasonably priced, and looking at the meals on people’s plates made us hungry.

Garlic Rose, Bastion Square

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A few block north of Bastion Square and directly opposite the blue Johnson Street Bridge lies Market Square. Colorful and quirky, the square houses some unusual shops, most notably, Rubber Rainbow Condom Co..

Market Square

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North of Market Square, you’ll find Victoria’s Chinatown. Chinese immigrants from San Francisco first arrived in Victoria in 1858, drawn by the increasing opportunities associated with both coal and gold mining, and later, construction of the Canadian Pacific Railroad. Despite prejudice and discrimination from the dominant society, the Forbidden City thrived, becoming the largest Chinatown in Canada up until the 1920s. More stringent anti-immigration policies and movement to other locales caused Victoria’s Chinatown to decline until the 1980s. In line with revitalization of Victoria’s historic areas, a beautiful new Gate of Harmonious Interest was constructed on Cormorant Street in 1981, a gift from Victoria’s sister city in China, Suzhou.

Tong Ji Men

This is a fascinating area, full of shops, businesses, schools and rebuilding. Fan Tan Alley, four feet wide, three stories tall, and 200 feet long, is anything but new. But instead of the gambling and opium dens of the past, it’s lined with interesting shops. Further into Chinatown, we weren’t the only ones who snapped photos of this crazy art car.

Gummy art car

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Yet more watery diversions await us in Victoria. We were moteled at the Travel Inn on Gorge Road. We headed out along the Gorge one afternoon, and found it to be a waterway lined with parks and nice homes. As we watched canoes racing, I was amused by the explicitness of a posted sign along the pathway: Dog owners required to move excrement left by their dogs. Use bags provided. Deposit waste in garbage container. I’d like to hear what excuse a violator of this bylaw would give for not following these step-by-step instructions!

Canoe racing in the Gorge

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Another day we checked out posh Oak Bay, taking a scenic drive along the coastline. At Willows Park and Beach, we walked along the Esplanade, where busloads of school kids in red caps and blue T-shirts were frolicking under the trees and on the white sand beach alongside the water. The bay was full of boats, from rubber rafts to kayaks to a group of sailboats out for a sailing lesson. All were basking in the glorious sunshine and invigorating sea breeze.

Sailing lesson

At Oak Bay Marina, the big attraction is feeding the harbor seals. You can buy fish to drop into the water for them; hand feeding could lead to the loss of fingers or worse. These chubby mottled seals are curious and really quite elegant circling one another in the murky blue-green water.

Harbor seals

On Ross Bay, closer in to downtown, people are flying kites, beachcombing among the driftwood, and engaged in other pursuits, such as the two guitarists below being accompanied by percussion of pounding surf, accented by seabird calls.

Bayside concert

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Far from being all-inclusive, this pictorial tour offers just bits and pieces of our impressions of a few Victoria neighborhoods. In this kaleidoscopic city there are countless more.

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The roaring '20s gave birth to this classic structure, long a Victoria landmark, on the block behind the Empress Hotel. It was one of Francis Rattenbury’s last works, in conjunction with architect Percy James. Initially conceived of as a public amusement center by Victoria city…Read More

The roaring '20s gave birth to this classic structure, long a Victoria landmark, on the block behind the Empress Hotel. It was one of Francis Rattenbury’s last works, in conjunction with architect Percy James. Initially conceived of as a public amusement center by Victoria city fathers, the Crystal Garden was not the first joint effort between Rattenbury and James. Reminiscent of ancient Grecian and Roman temples, the architects designed Crystal Garden in the tradition of the great glass halls of Europe, with modernistic touches. A steel and glass roof provides continuous skylight throughout the building. Exterior walls are composed of red brick and white molding. White Ionic columns frame the entrance.

At its completion in 1925, Rattenbury and James were no longer on speaking terms. Though Rattenbury conceived the design, it fell to James to work out countless details and negotiate with Canadian Pacific Railroad, who funded the project. James did not receive the recognition he was due, much less the pay, and never worked with Rattenbury again.

Victoria society, however, couldn’t have been more delighted with their newest playground. The centerpiece and main attraction of Crystal Garden was a huge, tepid saltwater pool. There were changing rooms, lockers and showers for the swimmers, and bleachers for observers. Tea could be enjoyed on the mezzanine level. Separate men’s and women’s hot Turkish baths were on the north end, gymnasium, dance floor (complete with alcoves for orchestra), and banquet hall on the south end. A beauty shop and soda fountain rounded out the Garden’s offerings.

For more than 40 years, Victoria citizens enjoyed swimming lessons, play, and dancing in their pleasure palace, but by 1971, humidity and time had taken their toll, and a new municipal pool was built on the outskirts of the city.

In 1980, under the management of the Provincial Capital Commission, Crystal Garden, reconstructed and revitalized, was reborn as a "tropical paradise under glass." At the re-named Crystal Garden Conservation Centre, endangered species of birds, mammals and reptiles resided among luxuriantly growing exotic plants in this oversized greenhouse. While in Victoria in 1999, my daughter and I visited the conservatory, particularly to experience the butterfly room, housing 60 varieties of colorful butterflies. In the open, airy environment, both plants and animals seemed to be thriving.

Little did we know that, much to many Victoria residents' sadness and disapproval, only five years later, this second incarnation of Crystal Garden was to end. During our stay in Victoria in summer 2005, we learned that the bathhouse/zoo/botanical gardens were being replaced with a multi-media attraction, the BC Experience. Promoters describe it as an innovative, interactive, multi-sensory geographic tourism attraction that will incorporate high definition theatre, relief maps, object theatre, performers and children’s learn and play areas. This newest incarnation of Crystal Garden is due to open early summer 2006.

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Springtide Victoria Whale Tours 950 Wharf St. Victoria 250/386-6016 www.springtidecharters.com We hadn’t planned to take a whale-watching tour when we came to Victoria. My cousin Chris arranged it for us since he had never gone on one himself and thought it would be a nice way to spend a morning…Read More

Springtide Victoria Whale Tours
950 Wharf St.
Victoria
250/386-6016
www.springtidecharters.com

We hadn’t planned to take a whale-watching tour when we came to Victoria. My cousin Chris arranged it for us since he had never gone on one himself and thought it would be a nice way to spend a morning - nice doesn’t begin to describe the adventure.

Whale-watching tours are big business in this part of the world, and, if you get the chance to take one, I can’t recommend it highly enough. I wasn’t prepared for the adrenaline rush you get from your first sighting of these magnificent orcas breaching the water.

There are several ways to accomplish the sighting. You can take a Zodiac and suit up in waterproof gear. This is totally unsuitable for anyone with back or neck problems. They intentionally ride the wake and give you a ride you won’t soon forget.

We opted for a much more luxurious form of transportation, the 61-foot cruiser, Maurader IV. There is seating both inside and out, washroom facilities, fresh coffee and cookies, and a crew of three women. Cheryl and Liz are marine biologists while Angela is the pilot. Together we headed out of Victoria for a 3-hour cruise - and you can imagine having to listen to Al singing the theme from Gilligan’s Island. Cheryl and Liz answered questions and did a running commentary on what we would see. They are very knowledgeable and added immensely to our enjoyment. Our first sightings were of the porpoises. They looked like miniature orcas. We then went out by the lighthouse where we saw hundreds of sea lions and seals. They literally covered very open space on the rocks. We were all outside now shooting photos and climbing up onto the front of the boat.

The tension level began to rise, and, when the first whale breached the surface, there was a general burst of activity on the ship as everyone jockeyed for a position where they could view the whales the best. It was the most exciting thing I have ever done. They are so beautiful; they seemed to be dancing above the water. We watch a mother and her baby swim by. We had to sit still and literally wait for them to come to us. While they were passing, there was a microphone in the water recording their calls. We could hear them talking back and forth. It was an unforgettable experience.

We moved two more times to put ourselves in their path, and, at one point, they got quite close to the ship. I tried very hard to get a picture and didn’t succeed very well; they move so fast and you have no warning where they are going to come up. We are not allowed to move closer to them or chase after them.

The cost of all this excitement is C$95, but there is no guarantee that you will see any whales. We must have seen 30 or 40. The ones we saw were a transient pod. Every day there are lookouts watching to see where the whales are. They have a local group of whales, but these were not around on the day we went out. Where the boat travels that day is determined by where the sightings are. Whale watching tours are available April through October.

The tour is appropriate for people of all ages. There were no children on our tour but it was a school day in September, so that is probably why. Certainly children 5 and older would enjoy this immensely. A certain amount of mobility is necessary if you want to climb up to the front deck of the boat; you can, however, remain seated for the entire trip.

No one on our tour suffered from sea sickness at all. The ship was very stable, and, other than getting a little splashed with water, there were no ill affects. In fact, just about everyone took advantage of the coffee and cookies.

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As we flew from Seattle in one of those small propeller planes that gives one pause, I knew that the view below was a harbinger of a terrific time. Water and islands were everywhere. We landed on Vancouver Island a short drive from our marina.…Read More

As we flew from Seattle in one of those small propeller planes that gives one pause, I knew that the view below was a harbinger of a terrific time. Water and islands were everywhere. We landed on Vancouver Island a short drive from our marina. When we landed, it was raining, a light drizzle. The next morning the skies were clearing and for the remainder of our stay, the weather was wonderful. I have been known to become very seasick, but either my determination or the patch I wore behind my ear saved me from that fate. One of our friends was sick for a while crossing the Strait of Georgia to Vancouver, but she was a real trooper and recovered rather quickly. We did not spend time on all the tourist attractions but enjoyed instead the splendor of the water and of the islands from our boat. We thrilled to the sight of an eagle. There were many sea otters that would suddenly appear beside the boat and just as quickly disappear as I tried to take their picture. The ferry boats and large ships that appeared out of nowhere were special each time we encountered them. I wish that we had been able to spend more time in Victoria and to have been able to see the west coast of Vancouver Island which I think must be spectacular. My husband had promised to cook and clean, and he did. In fact he was neater on the boat than he normally is. I guess it's his love of boating. We slept in sleeping bags on the boat and were quite comfortable. Our friends were lovely traveling companions and never complained. The Canadians appear to be pet friendly, and many of the boaters had dogs. They certainly seem to have a love of flowers. We returned safely with many wonderful memories and hopes to travel northward again.Close

Afternoon tea, served daily from noon to 5PM, is a memorable experience at the Fairmont Empress in Victoria. Reservations are definitely required. It is served in the elegant Tea Lobby in the older part of the hotel overlooking the Inner Harbor.Tables for two line the…Read More

Afternoon tea, served daily from noon to 5PM, is a memorable experience at the Fairmont Empress in Victoria. Reservations are definitely required. It is served in the elegant Tea Lobby in the older part of the hotel overlooking the Inner Harbor.

Tables for two line the windows and larger tables are set further back. Many groups are seen here and multigenerational families all seem to enjoy socializing and relaxing while the soft piano music is heard in the background. Everyone is smartly dressed and quite a few men are seen in sport jackets.

Your experience begins with the serving of seasonal fruit - we had fresh sweet strawberries with whipped cream. Two silver pots of tea - one black and one green - are placed on your table. Champagne and wine are also available at an additional charge.

A Royal Doulton china serving tier is then presented - five tea sandwiches on the lower tier- thinly sliced cucumber on white bread, carrot and cream cheese on grain, a pinwheel of smoked salmon and cream cheese, egg salad on a toasted crouton and my favorite - curried chicken on whole wheat.

The second tier holds melt in your mouth scones with strawberry preserves and clotted cream. Ready for dessert?? Four small selections of pastries created by the in house award winning pastry chef - a puff filled with white chocolate, a short-bread butter cookie to dip in tea, pound cake with dried fruit and plum topping and a rich Valronah chocolate cup.

This room exudes a true feeling of elegance. It is a substantial presentation that served us well for lunch. Follow this by a walk along the Inner Harbor just across the street where you can wander along to peruse the craft market or find a bench in the shade and enjoy the ongoing street performers and musicians. Even the boat traffic, ferries and float planes will keep your attention for hours.

The price is dear - $58 per person not including wine or champagne - but the memory is forever.....A not to be missed experience.Close

Each Sunday morning, I meet with a group of fellow bicycle enthusiasts for a healthy jaunt via two-wheels. On one particular sunny Sunday during the summer, one of the group decided we should go biking in Canada. Just a day trip, mind you, as we…Read More

Each Sunday morning, I meet with a group of fellow bicycle enthusiasts for a healthy jaunt via two-wheels. On one particular sunny Sunday during the summer, one of the group decided we should go biking in Canada. Just a day trip, mind you, as we are just a short ferry ride away from the very British city of Victoria on Vancouver Island.

We left on the 8am ferry. As a dozen of us approached the Customs agents with our bicycles in tow, I’m not sure they knew what to think of us.

"We’re biking to Sidney for lunch!" one of the bikers said. "Yep, us too!" another biker couple smiled. But the agents handled us efficiently, despite their thoughts of our insanity, as did the ferry employees, who told us where the bike rack was as we boarded the boat. After all, don’t those crazy Canadians do the same thing? One Victoria biking club I know comes over once per year to bike from Port Angeles to Sequim – and I bet they go to lunch and then head back home.

Well, we filled that rack up with bikes, and headed inside to overwhelm the other passengers with our spandex outfits. (Side note: why so much spandex? I guess I haven’t been biking long enough to have the answer to that yet… I’ll keep ya posted!)

The boat slowed as we entered Victoria Harbor. The city is extreme beautiful as we arrive by boat – with the marina and float planes landing, the Empress Hotel covered in ivy, and the impressive Legislative Building. We file off the boat, strap on our helmets, and follow the leader over the Johnson Street Bridge, which is big and blue and we can see it from the dock, so figure we can’t get lost.

The trail starts on the right just after we cross the bridge. After just a few minutes of pedaling, we first see this really great industrial looking apartment complex which was very hip, I must say. Shortly beyond that is the 100-meter Switch Bridge, then is a trail junction, where the trail heads west to Sooke and is called the Galloping Goose Trail (see separate entry) or east to Sidney and Swartz Bay, which is where we head.

This portion of trail is called the Lochside Regional Trail. Most of the 29km length of it stays in urban and suburban areas following an old railroad grade. Actually, I was a little surprised to see that a huge section of it just follows a neighborhood road. Granted, it wasn’t a super busy road, but I would have felt safer on a true trail. Lochside Regional Trail has lots of signs, but they are sometimes small, so we had to make sure to keep diligent watch for them so as not to get lost. Occasionally we had to whistle to the front man (aka Speedy) to come back, as he wasn’t paying attention and missed a turn.

Before reaching Sidney, we got some great views of the water. The day was so clear, we had a surprisingly stunning view of Mount Baker. Surprising because I didn’t know that we would end up facing that direction and because the view was especially clear that day.

When we reached Sidney, we didn’t know where we were going, but naturally ended up following roads leading to the waterfront. There were a plethora of restaurants to choose from, most in about the same price range (not cheap, but maybe I just thought so because of the crappy exchange rate). We ended up at Pier 1 at the bottom of Beacon Street on the waterfront. With so many of us, we worried about overwhelming the waitress and cooks – but they were fabulous and served us with speed and accuracy, and good food to boot! Most of us had grilled sandwiches and cold iced tea. The salads were also very good.

After lunch, we started pedaling back in a lazy manner. But as the ferry departure time approached, and we were no where near back to Victoria, we kicked it into overdrive! There was no slow cruises past painted murals – we were simply blurs going by the artwork. I’m sure some of us have never moved so fast! Being careful not to run over any walkers on the trail, and then careful but fast in making it through downtown traffic back to the dock, we made it with only 5 minutes to spare. We all grinned in relief, happy we didn’t have to wait 4 hours for the next boat.

We laughed and joked at our adventure all the way back to Port Angeles, looking for dolphins and whales out the windows. I was just happy to know such great, nice, fun, badass friends who liked to the same crazy things as me!

For more information, check out these websites:

Lochside Regional Trail

Sidney

Coho Ferry

Washington State Ferries

BC Ferries

The Lochside Regional Trail traverses the Saanich Peninsula. It goes through Sidney, which also has the Washington State ferry to Anacortes on the U.S. San Juan Islands. Beyond Sidney, the trail also goes to the BC ferry dock in Swartz Bay – with the ferry giving access to Tsawwassen and the Canadian Gulf Islands.

Another note about the trail is that I found a distinct lack of toilet facilities – be warned!

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At the end of an hour bus ride, a parking lot full of flower displays and perfectly manicured trees welcomes you. Beautiful green lawns border a stone walkway that winds its way around a huge rock that seems to reach up into the sky, covered…Read More

At the end of an hour bus ride, a parking lot full of flower displays and perfectly manicured trees welcomes you.

Beautiful green lawns border a stone walkway that winds its way around a huge rock that seems to reach up into the sky, covered in ivy. Then a lake peps out as I make my down the path. There is so much to see. A water fountain dances 35 feet up into the air. As I keep walking I find myself standing under is the only tree of its kind in the Northwest, referred to a handkerchief, or dove leave, tree. Mrs. Butchart brought this tree over with her. I love to see this tree in bloom.

I keep walking past another lake, past more flowers, and down to the rose garden. There are so many colors and varieties to smell and see. I can’t pick just one favorite. I could spend all day in the rose garden. My husband pulls me along to see the rest of the garden. He loves the bamboo fountain in the Japanese Garden, and I know that is where he would like to walk to. Walking from one garden to another seems to flow like water in a stream. As we come up out of the Japanese Garden, a set of stairs sits alone in the middle of a beautiful green lawn. I think to myself how I would love to run across the grass with bare feet.

We make our way through the Italian Garden, past the fountains, as we take a moment to take in the surroundings. We walk underneath the Butchart House and into the Blue Poppyseed to get something to eat. The food is good, and the restaurant is enjoying sitting in among the flowers. It is an hour and half till the fireworks show. I keep telling my husband how it’s not just another fireworks display. Just wait and see.

My husband decides to head to the viewing area; we walk back through the garden again. I’m up for that; I could walk though the garden over and over. Coming out of the Sunken Garden, the quietness is lost to the noise, noise of hundreds of people sitting on the grassy hill. I didn’t image that so many people would be here.

It’s getting darker, and finally, after waiting. The show starts: music, movement, sparks and light. There is a colorful display of fire whizzing across the lake, and musical instruments dance to the music. Forty-five minutes later, the amazing fireworks display is over. This is like no other fireworks display I’ve ever seen.

With dark falling, the gardens are illuminated with light, and it’s a whole new world of flowers and wonder. Just don't walk through the gardens the wrong way; it will be, could be, a blinding experience.

There is one more last stop before the night is over - the gift shop. There are all kinds of stuff to buy, and seeds are a must-have. There are tea cups and tea pots, and we have a new set that is exclusive to Butchart Gardens. My tea set continues to grow after an hour of shopping and a bag full of stuff. We board the bus and head out until our next visit.

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Well, maybe one reason Victoria is so fantastic is that it is HARD TO GET THERE!! Some options -- 1. Flying, from Vancouver or Seattle. An add-on flight will probably set you back an additional $150 US and constrain your options. 2. Ferry, from Vancouver. Check out www.bcferries.com…Read More

Well, maybe one reason Victoria is so fantastic is that it is HARD TO GET THERE!!

Some options --

1. Flying, from Vancouver or Seattle. An add-on flight will probably set you back an additional $150 US and constrain your options.

2. Ferry, from Vancouver. Check out www.bcferries.com for details. You want to go from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay...but note that neither is in the city. You need further transportation, which leads to:

(a) your own car, in which case the crossing costs $28-$35 CDN for the car plus about $10 CDN per adult, each way; or

(b) the PCL bus from Vancouver cruise ship terminal (downtown) to Victoria (downtown), which costs about $38 CDN one-way. www.pacificcoach.com for details.

3. From Seattle, you can take the 'clipper', which goes from Pier 69 in Seattle to the Inner Harbour in Victoria. Info at www.victoriaclipper.com, fares are about $100 to $133 return in summer, according to their website. Takes about 2 1/2 hours.

If you have a car and are in BC anywhere or Seattle or northern WA state, the BC ferries option is the best.

All options require planning to allow sufficient time! Don't worry, it’s worth the effort...

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That afternoon we went on a whale watching boat ride, though we didn't see any whales. We did see a cloud of birds feeding, and when we got closer saw that it was some seals pushing a school of fish towards the surface while they…Read More

That afternoon we went on a whale watching boat ride, though we didn't see any whales. We did see a cloud of birds feeding, and when we got closer saw that it was some seals pushing a school of fish towards the surface while they hunted. We saw some porpoises, as well, and a bald eagle catch and eat a fish. It was a nice boat ride, went along San Juan island and had a great view of the Olympic Mountains and Mount Baker. It was a zodiac, and while it went very fast, which was cool, there was no bumping around since the water was so calm. Got a sunburnt nose.

After dinner that night we walked out to Craigdarroch Castle, which is really just an oldish house. And as Alan pointed out, it doesn't look old, so much as it looks like it's trying to look old. Bit of a long walk considering the view in the end...

We had yet another fantastic breakfast, at Swan's Brew Pub again. No beer in the morning though. It did come with 2 wee Easter Eggs at the end though. Then we sort of intended to do a bit of shopping, but the store Alan wanted to go to was closed unfortunately. So off we went to the Butchart Gardens. Since it is sort of halfway between Victoria and Swartz Bay (ferry terminal), off we went with all of our bags. I guess having a huge camera and tripod to carry doesn't help, but we weren't really travelling light, though my bag was the smaller of the two... Anyway, the gardens were really nice, lovely sunny weather, and even really impressive. Thing is, it feels like somewhere your gran would go, you know? We had a photography mishap, couldn't figure out why the focus area was set the way it was, turns out the lens wasn't quite on. However, the pictures turned out ok, only one or two out of focus ones.

Took the bus over to the ferry and had another gorgeous ferry ride. We were up on the top outside deck, lovely sunny weather, saw a seal, with two guys playing a drum and guitar in the background. Another long bus ride back to the house.

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