Victoria
can be accessed via ferry from
Vancouver or from select area in the state of Washington. Victoria is
the capital of British Columbia. It is a very quaint city. It also has
among the more mild climates in Canada, and often times when the rest of
Canada is covered with snow, Victoria is still free of snow.
The ferry ride from Vancouver to Victoria takes about 2
hours. It is a beautiful ride especially if done in the
summer months and on a clear day. The
ferry to Victoria is extremely large and has a very big cargo for cars and trailers
which you initially drive on the ferry. I recommend getting to the ferry
departure points quite early as there tends to be a long line of cars
backed up waiting for the next ferry. If you get to the ferry departure
too late you may miss the ferry and will end up waiting for the next
one.
The scenery along the ferry route from Vancouver to Victoria quite nice.
There are several islands that you will pass. If you pay attention you
will see several ferries traveling back, carrying passengers from
Victoria to Vancouver.
Victoria has many old buildings and quaint walkways. Make sure to visit
the Parliament Buildings. You will most surely see these as your ferry
sails into the harbor. These are quite dramatic. They were first opened
in 1898. They are also quite beautiful at night as they are outlined by
many many lights. Also be sure to walk into the buildings and look at
the architecture and other historical sites. Victoria also has some
excellent shopping especially on the side streets away from the major
attractions. I found it quite pleasurable to stroll down these streets
window shopping or stopping to people watch, or to listen to the local
street musicians. For the sites and attractions listed below it is a
good idea to call ahead for open times and prices.
A must is the Empress Hotel (www.fairmont.com/empress)
located near the Parliament Buildings at 721
Government Street. Over 100,000 people walk through her doors annually.
This is an extremely fancy hotel. I find the best ways to get an
overview of a city that I am not familiar with, is to take the elevator
to the tops of hotels or tall business buildings. This hotel provided an
excellent opportunity for this type of quick sight seeing. From the top
story you can see the harbor and all that is Victoria. From the top you
can easily see which streets you may want to walk or drive down in order
to reach certain attractions.
There are some great photo opportunities in front of the Empress Hotel.
The city has put flower pots hanging from quaint looking street lamps.
In mid summer these flowers pots are a blaze of reds, orange, and
purples. These lamps can be used to frame the Parliament buildings in
your photographs.
The Empress Hotel is also home to "Miniature World". This
exhibit features over 60 small attractions. These
"attractions" are miniature displays of history's greatest
moments. They also feature a large miniature railway.
Another must see especially if you like art is the Art Gallery of
Greater Victoria (www.aggv.bc.ca) located at 1040 Moss Street. This gallery is considered
by many to be among the finest art galleries in all of Canada. It is the
home to nationally recognized Oriental and European art from the 15th to
the 20th century. They also display Canadian artists as well as Indian
art.
The Royal London Wax Museum (www.waxmuseum.bc.ca) is located at 470 Belleville Street. This
museum houses the likenesses of many famous people, in fact there are
over 200 people exhibited. Don't miss the "Chamber of Horror"
which seems to be present in every wax museum that I have ever visited.
This Chamber isn't too much different. It exhibits some thrilling
sinister horror scenes. Some of the displays are quite grotesque and
chilling.
The Pacific Undersea Gardens (www.pacificunderseagardens.com) are located adjacent to the wax museum
mentioned above. This is an underwater theatre and displays life on the
ocean floor. The displays include detailed narration and scuba divers.
The Helmcken House (www.heritage.gov.bc.ca/helmcken.htm) is British Columbia's oldest house that is still open
to the public. J.S. Helmcken a pioneer doctor and the first Speaker in
the Vancouver legislature used to call this place his home. Today the
home is filled with relics and memorabilia relating to his career. One
item of interest in this house is a medical collection from the
nineteenth century.
Another house worth seeing is the Carr House. This site is located only
several blocks from the above mentioned Helmcken House. This house is
the birthplace of Emily Carr, one of Canada's most famous artists. There
is a gift shop here and also reproductions of Emily Carr's works. It is
open from June 16 to September 26, Thursday to Monday from 11am until
5pm.
Lastly, although not in the city of Victoria, the Butchart Gardens
(www.butchartgardens.com)
deserve a special mention. Signs for this unique horticultural wonder
begin appearing in Northern California and continue up the major roads
in the great Pacific Northwest. A woman by the name of Jenny Butchart in
1904 decided to change her husbands limestone quarry into a beautiful
garden. The gardens have grown tremendously in size and in variety from
Mrs. Butchart's original plans. Now they are open every day of the year,
and feature spectacular botanical displays such as the Italian Garden, a
Rose Garden, a Japanese Garden, a Sunken Garden, The Star Pond, several
fancy fountains, and a greenhouse full of an eclectic variety of plants
and flowers.
