Editorial - My 20 Visits to Victoria
Readers Write : Suggestions from a regular visitor to our fair city.
I have been coming to Victoria with my family for over 20 years. Here are a few suggestions I have for visitors, based on my own experiences and interests:
When to come: Spring and Fall are best. In the Summer, there are so many tourists it is hard to walk down the street. Though I’ve never done this, I think Christmas in Victoria would be beautiful.
Where to stay: We’ve mostly stayed at Harbour Towers. The staff are superb: competent, polite, and courteous. They have everything from simple rooms to efficiency apartments. Many “snowbirds” come to stay there from the Midwest States during the winter. The things we disliked most related to the sorts of people who were staying at the hotel. For instance, junior hockey tournaments or when our trip coincided with Spring Break in Washington State or BC (think: adolescents pushing all the elevator buttons, hogging the swimming pool, etc). Other places we’ve stayed have been The Empress (small rooms, huge bathtubs), Laurel Point (small rooms, beautiful views) and Chateau Victoria (be prepared to be awakened by noisy drunks coming out of the bars right next door in the wee hours).
Things to do with kids: The Provincial Museum is a must, as is Miniature World. Undersea Gardens is good for one visit. Parents should use judgment about taking their kids to Mme. Tussaud’s, as some of the exhibits are gross and/or scary.
Fine dining: The Blue Crab (really superb artful food and a great wine list); Il Terrazzo (good food, good wine list, but ambience crowded and loud); Pescatore (great food and wine list; interesting aquariums and ceiling fans, great service); Hotel Grand Pacific (great food, good wine list, knowledgeable servers); Café Brio (great food, great wine list, very charming owner/chef and his wife); Fire and Water (has been great sometimes and disappointing at others); Da Tandoor (superb Indian food, virtually no wine list, a few beers).
Other eateries: For Dim Sum, Kwong Tung or Don Mee’s (We prefer the former: it has delicious seafood, it’s less expensive and a friendly staff who really do remember us from year to year). Barb’s Fish and Chips at Fisherman’s Wharf (mostly for take-out, really the best fish and chips we’ve had in Victoria). The Swan Pub, Spinnaker’s and the Carriage House: good pub food, good standard beer selections (I would rate Swan’s above the rest for food and interesting beer). The Canoe Club: for lunch, good pub food, small standard beer selection, great views. Irish Times: a stunning array of beers, and an impressive selection of Irish whiskies.
Places not to miss: Munro’s Book Store: for Canadiana and books not available in the States. Goodfellas: Victoria’s best selection of Cuban cigars, with a knowledgable staff and a friendly atmosphere (forget about That Other Place on Government Street). The BC Liquor Store in Oak Bay (at Foul Bay Road) has an incredible selection of BC wines and beers, and wines of the world. They also carry hard liquor: Cuban Rum, Cognac, Armagnac and hard-to-find Scotch and Irish Whiskies. Roger’s Chocolates on Government Street: a chocolate lover’s dream.
Coffee Places: there are just too many to list. Since we limit ourselves to places we can walk to, there are several Starbucks on Government St., Willie’s on Johnson St. and Artigiani on Government St. (great coffee and excellent scones). Murchie’s has been disappointing for coffees, but has lots of pastries, and for tea lovers, it’s the place to go.
Places people will tell you to go to but you might want to give a pass to: High Tea at the Empress (the less said the better: much too lah-di-dah for me); The Bengal Lounge at the Empress (they have good curries on the bar menu. Go once, have one of their girlie martinis and then decide if you want to go back); The Blethering Place (I suppose everyone has to go once, but you can get scones that are just as tasty, as well as clotted cream and Blackcurrant jam, more cheaply at Thrifty Foods in James Bay). Also, skip all those crappy tourist stores on Government St. with all their repulsive t-shirts.
Outdoor activities: great running/walking routes. Either run along Dallas Road out east as far as you can go, past the Ross Bay Cemetery, even to Oak Bay, then run along Rockland back to town. Or, run along the Inner Harbour, across the Johnson Street Bridge to Songhees and out as far as you can go (there’s a yacht club out at the end). There is also a route that goes north just on the west side of the Johnson St Bridge, going up to the Gorge. I’ve never gone on the whale-watching tours on Zodiacs, I prefer to leave the whales alone. Those little corks that serve as ferries around the Inner Harbour are OK as long as you have a scopolamine patch.
Submitted January 17, 2010
by: Dr. E. Goranson is a psychiatrist from Portland Oregon and is looking forward to his visit this spring.
