A Visit to Victoria, BC

I sure am getting quickly through my bucket list of things I wish to do in BC. We are actually adding to the list, although I am not going to revise the published version as I knew there will be things I would like to accomplish outside of what I put down.

We took Thursday and Friday off work and it was the most incredible feeling starting a weekday morning in Horseshoe Bay, climbing the seaside cliffs, rather than sitting in front of a computer screen at work. On Friday, I turned 28 in Victoria and my birthday was spent walking the seaside cliffs overlooking the mountains of Washington state. We should take days off work and spend them exploring more often.

I thought I would describe top five things I loved about visiting Victoria the most.

1. Getting to Victoria is an adventure in its own right.

We rented a car in Vancouver and drove to Horseshoe Bay on our way to the island. Driving on the Sea to Sky Highway is a spectacular experience no matter what the weather is like. In Horseshoe Bay, we visited the Whytcliff Park, which was serene on a weekday morning.

We paid the toll and were in line of cars for our ferry to Nanaimo. I’ve never been on a ferry with a car before and it was very exciting to see the underbelly of a ferry boat and then travel several levels up to the passenger decks. BC Ferries are stunning, well-equipped boats with many services and amenities on board and, of course, large windows and sun decks to allow you to take in the scenery.

After arriving in Nanaimo, we drove to Parksville, where we wanted to visit the Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park. It is a small coastal park with weathered trees and miles of sand beach at low tide.

On our return trip from Victoria back to Vancouver, we took the ferry from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen. On our way to the ferry terminal on the island, we visited the castle at the Royal Roads University. Easy and quick trip with very photogenic scenery.

2. Victoria is old.

Canada was founded in 1867, so it is not a place where one could find old architecture comparable to places in Europe or even the States. However, of the few historical buildings that remain across the nation, many of them are found in Victoria. Victoria boasts the oldest China Town in Canada and many of its buildings proudly display the “Erected in (insert late 1800s here)” plaques.

3. Victoria is hip.

Many of the old buildings house the coolest pubs, restaurants, and coffee shops. Victoria is big on vegetarian and vegan cuisine. There are yoga studios, homeopaths and naturopaths, and acupuncturists on every corner. There is a floating home village in one of the bays.

Another cool thing I learned about Victoria, was that the city has some of the narrowest commercial streets in North America. Walking though China Town, we were attracted by narrow – like only a couple of feet wide! – alleys lined with funky shops and businesses.

4. The Parliament Buildings.

It is as impressive of a sight as everyone suggests it is.

5. The Outdoors.

Most of Victoria can be explored on foot and it is a city built for pedestrians. My favourite outdoor spaces were: the Beacon Hill Park where we watched people feed ducks and peacocks; the Dallas Road Waterfront Trail where we observed bold eagles and humming birds against the back drop of mountains in Washington; and the Ogden Point Breakwater that took us far into the ocean.