Plan a Weekend in Victoria BC

Victoria British Columbia is a great place to get away on the cheap, especially if you live in the Pacific Northwest United States. From Western Washington, you can take an hour ferry ride and you're in another country. Victoria is like a little glimpse of Europe on our own continent. As the ferry docks, you'll see the grand historic Empress Hotel, and the Parliament building, flanking a gorgeous bay full of boats and thriving with weekend venders.

I went on a three-day two-night vacation with my family this summer and all four of us managed to have a great time and travel all over the beautiful city and see the sights. Here's some of the great places we found.

As with any tourist destination, there are hundreds of hotels to choose from in Victoria BC.

The Empress is a historic luxury hotel that is many a tourists first choice. It's beautiful for one, plus it is right in the middle of the city, only a few short blocks from a Starbucks, and has the best view of the Harbor (it's across the street). Inside, you'll find elegant ballrooms, small stores, the spa, or you can join the other guest for the Afternoon Tea.

Price-wise, the Empress runs high. The Bed-and-Breakfast Accommodation costs $219 (Canadian) for one night for single or double beds, and includes a morning breakfast. The family package includes refreshments upon arrival, a one-night stay, breakfast for the entire family, and activity books for the kids. The cost runs from $229-$379 (Canadian) depending on the season.

Historical bed-and-breakfasts such as the Beaconsfield Inn run in the middle-ground and offer beautifully-decorated rooms and a prime location near the harbor. Each room is different and has unique accommodations and pricing. The Beaconsfield Suite for example, is a large top-floor suite complete with a fireplace, jacuzzi, lounge area, and tree top views for two persons. The price comes to $199 in the low season to $299 in the high season. The entire building is beautifully decorated and each individual room has it's own unique style. A look at the website will detail the accommodations and pricing of the other available rooms. 

In a tourist-y place like Victoria it's hard to find good, local places to eat that don't blow your wallet out of the water. Here's two places, one downtown and the other a little off the beaten path both of which are decently priced.

Willie's Bakery served up the best breakfast of our entire trip. They serve plenty of other dishes besides breakfast, but if you skip their belgian waffles...well...I'll pray for you. With an excellent array of treats, including pacific-style eggs benedict (also heavenly), or a Roasted Portabellini Salad consisting of "a poached egg atop a roasted portabellini mushroom, with brie cheese, roasted fennel, tomatoes and peppers on a bed of mixed greens..." You will enjoy a rich, healthy (for your taste-buds anyway), stick-to-your-ribs breakfast regardless of what you order. The other great thing about Willie's Bakery is the atmosphere. Like may of the buildings in Victoria, Willie's has a historical background which lends a great sense of atmosphere to the combined indoor/outdoor patio dining experience.

The Cup O' Joe is an eclectic little "hole in the wall" cafe' that is made for memories. Once find the little place you can sit down to one of their themed  breakfast choices. Each based on a celebrity icon. You can order "The Popeye", a dish of spinach, sautéed mushrooms, chipotle mayo, and a pesto hollandaise sauce. Or you can order the "Einstein" a brain-food dish of granola and fruit, yogurt, a drizzle of honey and sliced almonds. Besides the cool (and well-priced) menu, the cafe' has a sense of history all it's own. All over the walls are the anecdotes, qoutes, poems, songs, drawings, and signatures of hundreds of restaurant patrons from throughout the years (including one from my family!). It's a great place to make a tradition with families and couples alike to come back and sign the walls throughout the years.

As far as lunch for your first day in Victoria BC, there is only one place to stop. Red Fish Blue Fish. After spending most of the day perusing Victoria, my family and I were unsure as to where to go for lunch. So we asked a local who worked down by the harbor, he recommended this little place down on a little pier called Red Fish Blue Fish, and we decided to go. THE BEST FISH & CHIPS & TARTAR SAUCE OF MY LIFE!!!! Perfectly battered cod/halibut/salmon paired with the most magical tartar sauce on the planet, which you can have in a basket, or wrapped in a warm tortilla and coleslaw. You order up at the small blue and orange hut, and once you have your meal you can sit at the bar stools under a covered portion of the dock, or you can take it on the go. Pricing is great as well. A taco for example is $5, or a 2-piece basket of cod with tartar sauce, slaw, and chips is $15.

Time to fancy things up a little bit with a trip by Nautical Nellie's voted the best seafood in town. Although if you're not feeling fish their large menu has plenty of other options from a sesame stir fry to smoked chicken jambalaya, onion rings, or certified Angus Steak. Prices range from $11 for Shanghai Stir Fry -$33 for Filet Mignon (Canadian) for an entrée.

So now you're all full of food, but hopefully you've saved some room for the delectable delights of the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Once you walk in the smell of chocolate is overpowering, the counters are stocked with every array of fudges, gourmet truffles, homemade candy bars, caramel apples, and every other chocolate sweet you could imagine. My advice, do not EVER enter if you are hungry! You will have to be rolled out of the store by whoever you're with! Pricing is decent for the area with caramel apples range from $6-$10 (Canadian), and a whole pound of fudge is $13 (Canadian).

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