Twice in the past 18 months I’ve visited Victoria BC with Keith and Sarah, to celebrate Keith’s birthday at the end of January. I arranged overnight packages through Clipper Vacations, including transport on the high-speed passenger ferry from downtown Seattle plus vouchers to nearby hotels and Victoria attractions bundled into the same ticket price. It’s a great way to go; with about the same prices you’d get shopping for individual parts separately (though not any better).
In the winter, the Victoria Clipper has only one daily 8 AM departure from Seattle (boarding at 7:30 AM). This means a Bainbridge Islander will have some time to kill after the 5:20 AM Bainbridge ferry drops off in town. Thank goodness for the Night Kitchen on Stuart between 2nd & 3rd Ave, available for breakfast from 4 – 9 AM. It’s more or less on the way from the WSDOT ferry terminal to the Clipper dock, and well worth the detour. The coffee is well made and I especially like the steel cut oats, with candied pecans and vanilla syrup. And it’s the only game in town on a Saturday morning before 7 AM.
The Clipper journey is fairly painless. Remember to bring your passport since this is an international journey. Read a book, play some Scrabble, or (in Sarah’s case) do your homework during the 2-3 hour journey, and you’ll be there before you know it. If you’re lucky you’ll see whales (they say). I’ve never been that lucky.
Victoria has a wide range of hotels within walking distance of both the Clipper landing port and the historic downtown district. We’ve stayed at both the Oswego Hotel and the Royal Scot Hotel & Suites, and in prior trips I’ve also stayed at the Fairmont Empress (on the fancy side of the spectrum)and at the Best Western Carleton Plaza. My preference for location and value is the Royal Scot – but unless you plan to spend a bunch of time in your room, pick a place that centrally located and within your budget. You’ll very likely get what you pay for.
What to see and do:
- Start with a visit to the Royal BC Museum, with permanent exhibits about the region’s ancient and current natural history, an extensive gallery of the nation’s first peoples, and a fun interactive display covering the modern history of BC over the past 250 years (from the arrival of Europeans to the Vancouver Island.) C$15 tickets are available through Clipper Vacations or at the door. There’s also an IMAX theatre is the weather is poor or you just need a theatrical diversion.
- Afternoon tea at the Empress Hotel. It’s a spendy option for tea (C$50/ea) but you really have to experience it at least once. You’ll wander through the majestic lobby of this historic hotel and then enjoy service fit for royalty, with all the fine china and white-tablecloth fanciness you could possibly hope for. The meal is substantial, including fruit salad, fresh scones, and a wide assortment of finger sandwiches and fussy pastries piled high on a three-tiered tray. And of course the tea is exactly perfect.
- After tea, walk around to the back side of the Empress hotel to enter Miniature World, “The Greatest Little Show on Earth.” If you have any interest in model trains, circuses, toy soldiers, doll houses, or otherwise like to learn through dioramas, this is the place for you. My personal favorite is a fully-functioning miniature lumber mill. The circus display is also memorable, with exceptional detail of animals, side shows, trapeze artists and all the little dramas played out in hidden corners of the display. C$12.
- Before heading back to the hotel to change for dinner, stop in for a shopping visit at some local classic shops: Murchie’s Teas for a bag of Keemun or Lapsang Souchong; Munro’s Bookstore just to browse; and Roger’s Chocolates for an oh-so-sweet Victoria cream chocolate.
- Dine at Il Terrazzo for a superb traditional northern Italian meal. It’s a bit hard to locate and poorly marked, down Waddington Alley, behind Willie’s Bakery on Johnson Street. It’s a popular place so make reservations if you don’t want a bad table or a long wait. In my experience, everything on the menu is beautiful presented and tasty. The portions are large enough that I think it’s sufficient (and fun) for two people to split one or two starters, one entrée and a dessert. You won’t leave hungry.
- If the weather is nice, an after-dinner stroll along the waterfront is a great time to check out all the houseboats and life on the pier.
- In the morning, get up early and grab a cab or walk briskly to The Blue Fox Café (919 Fort Street). It’s a little out of the way, and if you don’t arrive when they open you’ll have to wait in long lines. The décor is fun and funky and the food is really good, and the location gets you well positioned for an after-breakfast walk up Fort Street hill to...
- Craigdarroch Castle. I’m always delighted to peek into the daily life of those who lived long ago. In this case, you’ll get to tour a lovingly restored mansion built by Victorian-era industrialist Robert Dunsmiur. The wood paneling, stained glass and period decor on the “family” side of the house are all majestic, and it’s equally interesting to explore the narrow stairways and plain rooms in the servants’ quarters. The tour also provides glimpses into the region’s history through the displays about the military hospital and Victoria College that were once housed in the castle.
- Order a cab or take a leisurely stroll down into town for a different view into the town’s history in Chinatown. According to Wikipedia, the Victoria’s Chinatown is the oldest in Canada and second in age only to San Francisco's in North America. Wind your way through the tiny shops in Fan Tan Alley, explore the colorful arches, and if you want you’ll certainly find someplace promising to grab dim sum for a late lunch.
- You’ll need to check in at the Clipper terminal about half hour before departure. Depending on your endurance with the other events of the day, you might have time for an ice cream stop someplace along Government Street, such as The Soda Shoppe, near Humboldt. It’ll revive you, really.
Expect the Clipper’s return trip to take longer than you could possibly imagine. Don’t make plans for the evening. In the half-dozen or so trips I’ve made, the return boat was cancelled or significantly delayed half the time. Even if all goes as planned, you will BARELY make it to the 9 PM ferry back to Bainbridge Island. But you will make it back home. And then you’ll start to plan your next visit.
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