I’ve spent close to 20 years of my life in Vancouver, but to me, Victoria is home.
I can’t quite put my finger on it, there’s just a certain je ne sais quoi in the saltwater air that calms me from the moment I step off the ferry to the moment I step back on. (This year has been a constant to-ing and fro-ing aboard Spirits and Queens and Celebrations, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing a little less of the terminal — and a lot more of my boyfriend and bicycle — come May.)
Given that this blog is about “getting away” from Vancouver, you may have deduced that I am not a city girl. You’re right. While there will always be a special place in my heart for the big lights of San Francisco and Cape Town and Paris, I am happiest someplace … quieter. More natural, more casual, more beachy, woodsy, breezy and bikeable. (Did I just describe Victoria to a tee? Fancy that.)
As excited as I am to move “home” in May, I sometimes wish that Victoria was somewhere I could visit on holiday, discovering its secret beaches and relaxing in its low-key cafes for the first time. Small, picturesque and personable, it’s the perfect weekend refuge.
And while indulging in high tea at the Empress, taking a tour of the peninsula wineries or donning a fashionable orange suit to go whale watching are all fabulous ways to spend your time on the Island, you don’t have to break the bank to have fun.
What to do
Things I miss most about living in Victoria: the runs, the walks, the bike rides. From the Galloping Goose to the 10-k path around Elk Lake to the Ogden Point breakwater, you can’t go wrong lacing up and heading out. And since the views and physical benefits are 100 per cent free, treating yourself to a latte or gelato en route is a-okay.
Beyond simply getting out and enjoying your surroundings, Victoria has no shortage of tourist attractions. Some are gimmicky (Miniature World, the Bug Zoo, Undersea Gardens) and some are legit (the Royal BC Museum, Butchart Gardens if you’ve never been and especially on fireworks nights). All, unfortunately, are overpriced, and unless the weather’s really dismal, I can’t recommend any of them over whiling away the afternoon with friends and a guitar at Gonzales Beach. (It’s nothing like Kits, I promise.)
Where to shop
There’s this great place called LoJo, have you heard of it? It’s really hip and happening and you can find all the latest styles of Nudie Jeans, Native shoes and hemp soap. Sarcasm and hipsterism aside, I actually love the stores along this stretch of prime Victoria real estate, including Still Life (my boyfriend designed that website!), Suasion (my boyfriend is in the process of designing that website!) and Paradise Boutique (he had absolutely nothing to do with that one!). Unfortunately, cute local fashions come at a cost and that cost is usually steep.
Instead, The Patch on Yates Street is a mecca for budget-minded fashionistas with a fondness for 1980s sequined apparel, grandpa sweaters and cowichan sweaters. They frequently have “buy two get one free” sales or “stuff as much as you can in this bag for 20 bucks” sales. You’ll pay more than you would at Value Village, but the change rooms are a whole lot roomier and the clothes have usually been rid of their moth ball stench.
Chinatown is also fun to explore (don’t miss the never-ending store of maracas, water guns, wicker furniture and fine china), as are the bohemian shops in Fan Tan Alley.
Where to eat
If you’re travelling on the skinniest of shoestring budgets, allow me to introduce to you Oxford Foods, which provided me with four years of undergrad sustenance including 89-cent canned beans and almost-expired Island Farms yogurt. It’s in Cook Street Village, and therefore perfectly located for picking up sandwich fixin’s before heading across the street to Beacon Hill Park for a picnic. If the bread’s mouldy, you can always feed the ducks.
If your budget has a bit more give, then, wow, you have so many options and I’m pretty sure I’ve tried them all. Urban Spoon rates Hernande’z Cocina as the number one place in Victoria for cheap eats, and I’d have to agree with their assessment. At their downtown taqueria, six dollars can buy you one bean and pulled pork burrito or five (yes, five!) chicken, beef or bean tacos.
I also have a soft spot for nearby Hope Key Restaurant, which seves enormous portions of chow mein and is run by the most charming brother-sister duo you will ever meet. Even if you’re not in the mood for greasy Chinese food, I’d recommend stopping in to grab a bubble tea, marvel at their stuffed toy collection and experience the best customer service of your life.
Other good options if you’re more mobile or happen to find yourself out of the downtown area include La Belle Patate for traditional Quebecois fare (including spruce beer!), Fujiya for great take-out sushi, and Kuku’s, which is a block away from my apartment and sends the scent of delicious butter chicken wafting into our windows every night.
Where to sleep
The night before I moved into my university dorm, I stayed at Ocean Island Backpacker’s with my parents (what 18-year-old doesn’t dream of hanging out in the hostel bar with mom and dad?) Later, one of my friends lived there for four months, hanging her clothes off the bedpost and eating meals made on a hot plate. I ended up going to a lot of open mic nights with her and it’s the type of place I’d definitely recommend staying for a weekend, but not much more (there’s only so much ramen a person can eat, you know?)
For cheap accommodation, you can’t beat pitching a tent, and you don’t have to go far from the city to find great beaches and parks. McDonald Park by the Swartz Bay ferry terminal, Goldstream Provincial Park and Sombrio Beach all have amazing, cheap campsites. I’ve also spent a night in a sleeping bag in UVic’s Finnerty Gardens, but I would advise you to learn from my mistakes.
Weekending 