24 Hour Getaway: Victoria

Don’t trust Mapquest. We were on the right track to the ferry in Vancouver, but then I referred to the Mapquest directions and we took a right. It was wrong.

We asked a wandering fisherman for directions to BC Ferries and we made it just in time to board the ferry to Victoria. When headed to the capital of British Columbia, look for the Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay route if you’re shipping off from Vancouver. The journey is about 1.5 hours and you might want to consider hiding stowaways in your car since the fare is $20 per person. But, compared to the cost of flying, the ferry is the way to roll, as it is quick and entertaining.

Located at the southeast tip of Vancouver Island, Victoria is 24 nautical miles (28 regular miles) from Vancouver. We arrived in the afternoon not knowing what to expect, but having high expectations nonetheless. The drive to the city center is straightforward, but typically, our directions weren’t up to par and we had an unscheduled tour of downtown Victoria before arriving at our hotel.

Booked through Hotels.com, the Chateau Victoria Hotel and Suites was in our price range, yet out of our league. At the reasonable price of $89.29, including all taxes, our room was spacious and had a side room separated by a pocket door with a W/C and double bed.

The Chateau was in walking distance to everything you need to see in Victoria and adjacent to Millos, a quaint Greek restaurant and our first official stop in this bustling city. Though the service supreme, the spanikopita delicious and the gyros to die for, the best thing to come out of Millos were the pitchers of ice-cold H20. After five water-free days in Vancouver, the sight of low-turbidity water made the trip to Vic completely worth it.

Our walking tour commenced after our meal at Millos. We sought out the parliament building, the most photographed landmark in Victoria. Across from the harbor, snap a few pics and then check out the Empress Hotel. If you have enough cash floating around, make a reservation for afternoon tea. It’s $50 per person for the clichéd cucumber sandwich, scone, and clotted cream, but it is world renowned. Considering Starbucks is barely in our budget, we moved on to the high street.

Dotted with souvenir shops, bakeries, and designer stores, downtown Victoria is charming and small enough to handle on foot. After several hours of doing just that, we retired to our hotel and visited Vistas 18, the martini bar on the 18^th floor of the Chateau Victoria. Having been cocktail deprived for the past few days, we ordered up some unique concoctions, checked the view, and hit the town for round two of exploration.

The Sticky Wicket, a cricket-inspired pub, is literally around the corner from the Chateau Victoria and was recommended by my dad, a true Brit with a high standard for pubs. We were greeted by live, acoustic music and a crackling fireplace in the main room. After a few rounds, we headed to one of the many other rooms in this unique pub and found the main crowd playing pool, foosball, and darts—all free of charge. With rooftop volleyball and a downstairs dance club, this restaurant/pub has it all for anything you’re in the mood for.

We didn’t let rain or wind slow us down the next day, our last day, in Victoria. The weather is not a myth, you should hope for light rain and prepare for torrential downpour—bring an umbrella, boots, and a raincoat.

Chinatown in Victoria is the oldest in Canada and beat Vancouver’s pathetic excuse for an Asian cultural center tenfold. Even the entrance was more impressive; a large, ornate, red frame towered over the street. We wandered in and out of stores offering kimonos, knick-knacks, and foods from all over.

Fan Tan Alley was once infamous for opium dens and brothels, but now it’s just a cool, narrow, brick-lined shopping area…not as exciting, but interesting no less. Be sure to look in every nook and cranny when exploring Chinatown, we somehow missed the Tam Kung Buddhist Temple, the oldest Canadian Buddhist temple. Damn, Fan Tan.

Fan Tan Restaurant is the reigning Chinese food champion in my book. For $9.95 you have a plethora of options, but I went for the egg-drop soup, miso tea, Mongolian beef, chicken chow mein, and rice. The most bang for 10 bucks I’ve ever seen, all within the confines of a hip black and red restaurant just off Fan Tan Alley. Get a window seat to get a good view of the street, which is hopping with locals and tourists alike.

You may have noticed a trend in the recent travel reviews: most contain a snippet about universities in the area. I’m on the hunt for graduate schools, so I’ve been checking out the possibilities. But even if you don’t want to study in these far away places, look around the universities. If anything, they provide a nice walk and they serve as a microcosm of the city you’re in.

The University of Victoria is about 20 minutes from the city center by car and can be difficult to find your way without getting lost (yet another trend throughout these reviews). The campus is beautifully green and covered with students. The student unions in Canada all seem to contain at least one pub and little shops with anything from jewelry to scarves, shirts to posters. Occasionally, they also provide cheaper accommodation for travelers.

We headed back to the ferry terminal after our short, but sweet trip to Victoria feeling rejuvenated and satisfied with the past 24 hours. Good food, great drinks, and an even better cultural atmosphere made Victoria a great weekend getaway.

Directions from downtown Vancouver to the ferries (NOT from Mapquest)

Where: Vancouver to Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal
Length: 24 miles
Time: Give yourself 45 minutes to get there
Ferry: 1.5 hours, usually $20 per person, check schedule

• Get to Highway 99
• Highway 99 to Highway 17
• Stay on Highway 17
• Follow signs to Tsawwassen terminal

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