When I was still a resident of Vancouver, it was a common practice for our family to take out-of-town visitors to Victoria, if their time and schedule permitted it. It is a must-see place to visit when in British Columbia. In fact, this was the first place I visited when I came to Vancouver as a tourist. And when I became a resident, I had since played tourist guide to our guests.
Unknown to many, Victoria is actually the capital of the province of British Columbia. Most people assume it is Vancouver because it welcomes more visitors, I am guessing, due to its proximity to the international airport. It takes only a few minutes drive to get there and there is a SkyTrain line from the airport that conveniently takes you to the heart of downtown and back. Victoria, on the other hand, sits on Vancouver Island, and is only accessible by ferry or seaplane from the mainland, unless of course, one has specifically flown to the domestic airport in Victoria.
Named after Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, and at that time, of British North America, Victoria is one of the oldest cities in the Pacific Northwest as evidenced by the numerous historic buildings dotting the city, such as the Parliament Building (completed in 1897) and the Empress Hotel (which opened in 1908) with their Victorian architecture. Its Chinatown is the second oldest in North America after the one in San Francisco, California. But even older than those were the settlements of the Coast Salish First Nations people who have already established their communities several thousands of years earlier.
When I first met my husband in Vancouver, I found out that even though his most recent trip to Vancouver was his third (he's from Montreal), he had never set foot in Victoria. So, the summer after we got married, I suggested we take a trip to the city during the July long weekend.
I planned the whole itinerary since I was already familiar with the place and its attractions. With the limited time that we had, I tried my best to squeeze in as many sightseeing activities as I could. When my husband saw my detailed travel plan on paper, he joked that he was already feeling tired from the whirlwind tour I had in mind for him.
We purchased a tour package from The Pacific Coach Company. This included the round-trip Vancouver-Victoria connection via ferry, two nights accommodation, a Butchart Gardens tour, and a whale watching tour. We also bought two add-ons: a Victoria “Grand City Drive Tour,” which was a bus tour around the entire city, and a Royal BC Museum tour, which included tickets to the special Titanic Artifact Exhibition.
We both took the Friday off to avoid the mad Saturday rush that long weekend. On Friday morning, we took the SkyTrain from our apartment to the Pacific Railway Station and from there, boarded the coach that took us to the ferry terminal in Tsawwassen. The coach travelled aboard the ferry and during the 95-minute ride to Swartz Bay in Sidney, we had our early lunch and checked the amenities inside the vessel. We re-boarded the bus at the ferry terminal then drove the rest of the way to downtown Victoria where we got off the bus depot and walked to our hotel.
Ferry Ride
We cruised through the Strait of Georgia aboard a BC Ferry vessel. As soon as we got the signal that we could disembark from the bus, we went straight to the upper deck at the front end of the ferry and took our seats overlooking the bow of the boat. It gave us a good view of Tsawwassen as we sailed away. We stayed there for a bit to enjoy the fresh air before going in to explore the amenities inside the vessel.
There’s an all-inclusive buffet, self-serve restaurants, coffee shops, and snack bars to satisfy food cravings. There’s a retail and gift shop that sold souvenirs, West Coast jewelry and clothing, Indigenous silver giftware, books by Canadian authors, magazines, toys, beauty products, and unique trinkets. There’s an arcade with video games and small animal rides for the kids. There was also a quiet lounge for those who prefer reading, napping, or listening to music during the trip.
We opted to eat lunch early at the Pacific Buffet which offered elegant ocean-view dining and a wide selection of hot and cold items, a salad bar, and a dessert bar. Actually, it was only me who ate there. My husband had his take-along food since he has dietary issues. I enjoyed my plate of various items, that is, a little of everything (two spoons-worth for each dish) - salmon fillet with lemon caper butter sauce, basmati rice, roasted vegetables, chicken with shiitake Dijon sauce, tomato cumin prawns, and roast beef. I went back for seconds because I had to try their mushroom ravioli with gorgonzola fig sauce, their Indian butter chicken, and their roasted nugget potatoes. On the side, I had a cup of clam chowder and a bowl of Southwest corn salad. For dessert, I took bite-sized pieces of different cakes and pastries. I told my husband I was all set until dinner time after that meal.
After lunch, we spent some time at the Passages Gift Shop where we perused the literary section. We bought books, as well as silver rings embedded with Indigenous art for each of us.
Then we went back outside to enjoy the breathtaking scenery – the mountain vista, tiny islands both inhabited and not, quaint cottages on the inhabited islands seen from up close, other vessels plying the gulf, seagulls, and marine wildlife. We spotted dolphins and sea lions, and I was able to capture a whale on my camera. It was such a relaxing ride, but it got a little bit windy.
Towards the end of the sailing, we headed to the lounge area, bought coffee, and sat down to watch the view from the huge windows as we sipped our drinks until it was time to board our bus.
Hotel
We chose a moderate-range hotel from the package and got booked at the Executive House Hotel on Douglas Street. Though not a luxury hotel, the boutique-style establishment provided a European ambiance and a level of comfort closer to its higher-end counterparts. It definitely exceeded our expectations.
The hotel was centrally located and a mere walking distance to the harbour and most of the city’s attractions. Our room had huge windows overlooking the Inner Harbour and the Victoria Conference Centre, and was the perfect spot to view spectacular sunsets. There’s a fitness centre, workout rooms, an outdoor sundeck, a whirlpool, and a steam room, though we hardly ever take advantage of those hotel amenities when we are touring.
But the most important thing was the dining. The hotel had a steakhouse called Barkley’s Steakhouse, apparently an institution in the city and famous for its charbroiled steaks and the freshest seafood. There’s a lounge with an inviting atmosphere and a fireplace seating area perfect for pre-dinner cocktails. In addition, they had an in-house café and casual dining restaurant that served breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as a British-style pub, and an oyster bar. With all the food choices, we were more than happy, though we ate at the hotel only once since there were also other options outside. The service was great and the staff, very friendly. We noted to stay at this hotel again when we go back to Victoria.
(Update: Unfortunately, in 2015, the property was bought by the Hilton group and was renovated to become a Double Tree franchise).
Photo Credits:
BCFerries.com, BidOnTravel.com, executive-house.victoria-hotelcanada.com, jgdlek (Trip Advisor), greatervancouverparks.com, zomato.com, tourismvictoria.com
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