For quite a while, Victoria, the capital city of British Columbia off Canada’s Pacific coast, had been on our bucket list. We’ve heard much about the unique and beautiful Butchart Gardens, also on Vancouver Island, in nearby Brentwood Bay. As we were already going to be in Oregon to visit family in the early spring of 2024, it seemed like a perfect time to plan a visit to Victoria. We didn’t know much about the city itself, but the formal gardens were enough to lure us to this southernmost city in Western Canada.
There are a couple of ways to ferry by boat to Vancouver Island from the U.S. mainland. The shortest route - 40 km (25 mi) - is from Port Angeles, Washington. This is a good option if you want to take a vehicle over to the island. We opted to take the Victoria Clipper passenger-only ferry out of Seattle as we were avoiding rental cars on this trip. At the crack of dawn, we arrived for boarding on the Clipper for a three hour 100 km (62 mile) cruise to Victoria’s Inner Harbor.
Seattle Harbor at Dawn
Victoria is one of the oldest cities in the Pacific Northwest. Prior to the arrival of the Europeans, the Greater Victoria area was home to several Coast Salish peoples. The Spanish and British began exploration of the northwest coastal area in the 1770’s. In 1841, the British charged James Douglas with setting up a trading post on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Douglas founded Fort Victoria on the site of the present day city which was named for Queen Victoria. British settlement began in 1843. Now the capital of British Columbia, Victoria has grown into the seventh most densely populated city in Canada. A popular tourist destination, Victoria has been regarded by many as one of the world’s best cities for quality of life.
Vancouver Island
After departing the Clipper, we decided to walk to our boutique hotel dragging our luggage behind us. It was a good decision in hindsight, because we realized how walkable this relatively small city was as we passed many of the sights and landmarks we would revisit later in our trip.
Normally, I wouldn’t spend much time writing about our accommodations on a trip, but the Abigail was the best small hotel/ bed and breakfast I’ve ever stayed at. From the service, to the room, to the food - I would definitely give it five stars. The room rates were very reasonable and included a fantastic made-to-order breakfast with a menu that changed daily. Small with only 30 rooms, their website states, “… we are a unique accommodation experience that blurs the lines between a small luxury hotel and a heritage bed-and-breakfast inn.” They ain’t lying. It was a great choice on the outskirts of the harbor and downtown Victoria.
We made good use of the limited amount of days we planned to spend in Victoria. Much of what attracts visitors to Victoria is centered around the harbor and downtown area. We figured a good way to get acclimated was to buy a one day ticket on the Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing bus. A double-decker bus, it took a long circuitous route through the city past sights like Old Town/Chinatown, Victoria Harbor, the Victorian architecture of Craigdarroch Castle, Oak Bay Village, Cook Street Village and more. With the ability to get off and back on a later bus at many locations, we chose to get off at Oak Bay Village and eat lunch at a cool looking pub called The Penny Farthing. After lunch and a beer, it was time to get moving again. There wasn’t much left so see in this village, so we got back on the next bus back to our origination point near the harbor and Empress Hotel. One thing this bus tour taught us was that the things we wanted to see were all within walking distance from the Abigail - no need for a multi-day Hop-On Hop-Off ticket.
After a great Abigail breakfast the next day, we decided to visit the Royal British Columbia Museum/IMAX National Geographic Theatre, adjacent to the Victoria harbor and Parliament building. The current traveling exhibit, titled Wildlife Photographer of the Year, used “the power of photography to raise awareness around animal advocacy and environmental conservation and showcase the world’s best nature photography.” This worldwide contest generated incredible photographs. In addition to this exhibit, the Natural History section featured large life-size, incredibly realistic scenes of wildlife in their natural habitats. Needless to say, we spent a whole day there.
The next day would be dedicated to one of the main reasons Victoria and Vancouver Island were on our bucket list, Butchart Gardens. A good distance from Victoria in Brentwood Bay, we had heard much about this 55 acre facility touted to be one of the most beautiful gardens in the world. We left the Abigail early to catch the public transit out of downtown Victoria for the long ride to the gardens.
In 1904, Robert and Jennie Butchart moved to Vancouver Island to build a cement plant. By 1912, the cement production had exhausted the limestone deposits. It was Jennie’s vision to transition the depleted quarry by transferring top soil by horse and cart into a grand garden. This quarry became the site of today’s beautiful Sunken Garden. Until 1929 “…the Butcharts expanded the Gardens, designing the Japanese Garden on the seaside, the Italian Garden on the former tennis court and the fragrant, overflowing Rose Garden.” A National Historic Site of Canada, the Gardens boast millions of bedding plants in over 900 varieties. I must admit, these gardens did not disappoint even my high expectations. This incredible oasis was definitely worth the trip.
After hours of exploring the gardens, we caught the public transportation bus for the trip back to downtown Victoria. Long bus ride, but it was great people watching. Except for the extended amount of time we spent on the bus, it reminded me of taking the bus to get places during my childhood in New Orleans. Unlike New Orleans, everyone getting off the bus said “Thank You” to the bus driver - nice to see. Meandering through commercial and industrial areas on our way back to Victoria, day workers, school kids, and normal residents got on and off the bus at their respective stops. This was a different side of Vancouver Island as opposed to the tourist and business area of downtown Victoria. That’s right, we said ‘Thank You” to the bus driver as we exited the bus. And yes, that small thing made us feel good.
We spent our remaining days walking Victoria streets wandering the area around the harbor, downtown, and various outlying sections of the city we wanted to visit. The city has retained many historic buildings including the Parliament Buildings completed in 1897 that houses the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia and the famous Empress Hotel opened in 1908. Both are adjacent to the harbor as is the Royal British Columbia Museum. The area around Government Street houses commercial buildings, pubs, restaurants, and many retail outlets - some with odd displays. I’m not sure what the people at ‘Simply the Best” were thinking, but they definitely caught my attention. However, I avoided going into this store.
On Vancouver Island, Coast Salish First Nations people established communities with large populations long before European settlement. Various locations in Victoria celebrate their art and culture. The Wawadit’la (“big house”) with a totem pole is located in Thunderbird Park. The new house which opened in 1953 is culturally appropriate and accurately portrays First Nations traditions. Wawadit’la continues to be used for First Nations events and those practicing their culture. The Knowledge Totem pole outside the Parliament Buildings was raised in 1990 and made to welcome visitors to Victoria for the 1994 Commonwealth Games.
Plenty more to see in and around the harbor, we walked over to Fisherman’s Wharf. To the left of the main entrance were a variety of restaurants (fish & chips, pizza, Mexican, etc.). To the right was where we were drawn - a row of colorful houseboats. Attention-getting from a distance on the shoreline, they were even more interesting as we walked down the other side of these structures on the wharf. Every houseboat displayed a sense of vibrant color, artistic sensibility, and eccentricity. I could have spent half the day taking many more photos than I did. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to meet any of the residents - those would have been an interesting conversations.
One of the city’s neighborhoods that we really enjoyed and visited more than once was Cook Street Village. Restaurants, coffee shops, pubs, a boutique grocery store, bookstore, food trucks, and unique small retail shops line just a few blocks. Here was much more of an intimate, friendly vibe than the crowds off of Government Street in downtown Victoria.
We ended our last night in Victoria walking down to the harbor to view the city and Parliament Buildings lit up after dark. After another great breakfast at the Abigail, it was time to head back to the Clipper for the three hour cruise back to Seattle and a flight back home the next day. Great trip, great memories - one we won’t forget. We were able to pack a lot into a few days and cross this one off our bucket list.
