It was the backup plan- the second choice, especially since we’ve already been there. This trip was supposed to be a disappointment.

But it wasn’t.

Yes, we originally planned a trip to Whistler to celebrate Valentine’s Day. However, we elected not to drive up there due to the icy highway conditions brought upon us by Snowpocalypse 2016/17. Instead on February 13, we packed our bags, threw them in the car, and headed towards the ferry.

Day 1

I’m on a boat! (or more specifically, a BC Ferry)

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Just look at that view! We arrived at the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal a little after 6:15, and hung out until the 7am sailing. We even had time to go into the rest area to grab a breakfast burrito from the Mexican place.

We boarded the Coastal Celebration, a Coastal-class ferry which is comprised of the largest double-ended ferries in the world. During the ride, most of our time was spent sitting and poking around the gift shop since we didn’t need to go to the cafe or anything. At the tail end of the three-hour journey, we went up to the observation deck to take a few photos. The sun was just beginning to rise at that point which made for some beautiful pictures.

The whole ferry process was all pretty straightforward because we pre-booked our trip with BC Ferries which included the ride to and from the island, as well as two nights at the Coast Hotel. The trip back was a little more exciting though, as you’ll learn later in this post.

Learning to Fly at the BC Aviation Museum

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Our first stop off the ferry was a late addition to our plans. We were checking out the Victoria Mobimap when we noticed an ad for the BC Aviation Museum on the side. It was just a fifteen minute drive in Sidney, and on our way to Victoria so we though might as well.

Thank goodness we did, because it was a BLAST. It showcased some amazing exhibits, such as the Avro Arrow and RCAF display, a Trans-Canada Air Lines Boeing 747 (which reminded me of the TCA Super Constellation in front of the Seattle Museum of Flight), and even an open cockpit that I got to sit in! What really made our visit great, though, was our guide (whose name escapes me, sorry). He was a former RCAF pilot, and was very knowledgeable about the history of each plane and aviation in general.

The slider above is only a small selection of my pictures from the British Columbia Aviation Museum. Check the rest out in my gallery!

Arriving in the Garden City

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We arrived in Victoria after another hour or so of driving. As soon as we entered the city, we made a beeline for food and ended up in the Victoria Public Market. It was a very small strip with a bakery, several food options (all of which were very hipster), a tea shop, and several smaller retailers. I decided to get the porchetta salad bowl at Roast Meat and Sandwich shop.

After eating, we decided to venture a few blocks down to Victoria’s historical Chinatown, the oldest in Canada. There, we found a traditional Chinese gate, the beautiful Chinese Public School, and a statue of Sun Yat-Sen (the founder of modern China). What we didn’t get to see, however, was Victoria’s secret tunnels. Overall, the whole neighbourhood had a very touristy feel to it, with Chinese-themed everything (street signs, garbage cans, etc).

Bouncin’ with the Seals at Fisherman’s Wharf

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Next, we made our way to the Coast Hotel Victoria, where we’d be staying for the next two nights. Located right by the harbour, the hotel was recently renovated by the Coast brand, complete with a spankin’ new lobby. All-in-all, the room was comfortable with a great view over the city (and a partial view of the water). The real star of the room, however, was the bidet. It had three pressure options, an oscillating toggle, and heat dryer to top it all off.

Anyways, after dropping our stuff off in the room, we took a nap and headed out for a walk at Fisherman’s Wharf. We were originally planning to grab a bite to eat there, but found out that most places were closed for the season. All was not lost, however, as we found a few seals swimming around the area.

After leaving, we decided to drive downtown to The Japanese Village, a teppanyaki restaurant. The food was great, and our server was nice enough to bring us both a dish of rice and ice cream each even though we only ordered one entree to share. Asides from that, the second best thing of the evening was the city-operated parking lot across the street, which is free after 5pm. Free parking downtown- who would have guessed?

After eating, we took a walk around the city, stopping by the beautifully-lit BC Parliament buildings (Picture 1, 2, 3). We then drove back to the hotel, worked off some of the calories at the gym and hot tub, and turned it in for the night.

Day 2

Living in the Past at the Craigdarroch Castle

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I was in charge of choosing our breakfast place the next morning, and boy did I choose well. We ate at Spoon’s Diner, a small greasy spoon restaurant that served us up some delicious huevos rancheros and french toast.

After a satisfying meal, our next stop was the Craigdarroch Castle on Joan Crescent. The mansion was completed in 1891, seventeen months after its coal-baron commissioner, Robert Dunsmuir, passed away. The castle was used as a residence for the remaining Dusmuirs, except for James who had his own Castle commissioned (which is now part of the Royal Roads University campus).

Upon the death of Robert Dunsmuir’s widow, the castle was divided up into lots which were auctioned off individually. To spark interest, each of the purchasers were entered into a raffle, the winner of which would gain possession of the Castle itself. However, the lucky winner, Solomon Cameron, mortgaged the mansion and subsequently lost it to the bank after several failed business ventures. Since then, Craigdarroch Castle was used as a military hospital, college campus, school board office, and music conservatory before being converted into the museum it is today.

Since it purchased the property in 1979, the Craigdarroch Castle Historical Museum Society has been working to restore the mansion’s original splendor. They have done an amazing job too, complete with many of its original furnishings and mannequins depicting life in the early twentieth century.

Like the BC Aviation Museum, the pictures shown above is only a small subset of my picture collection in the beautiful building. Take a look at the rest in my gallery.

We’ll never be Royals at the BC Parliament Buildings

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Our second stop for the day was the BC Parliament Buildings, home of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. It was built between 1893 and 1897, upon the signing of the Parliament Buildings Construction Act. Designed by Francis Rattenbury, the Neo-baroque architecture includes a central dome and two pavilions. Outside, there are statues of Queen Victoria, a solider, and a firefighter. Free guided tours are available most days, but we elected to go off on our own to explore.

After visiting the Parliament buildings, we headed off for dinner at our hotel restaurant, The Blue Crab. Now I’ve had bad experiences with hotel restaurants before (Ramada Inn in Seattle, anyone?), so I was initially reluctant to choose this place over others in the area. However, I forgot all about it after trying one bite of their filet mignon. It literally melted in my mouth, and remains the best steak I have ever had. On top of that, we got to enjoy the view of the harbour at our window-side table.

Take a look at more pictures in my gallery.

Day 3

Exploring the Garden City

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Our last day in Victoria was basically an exploration day. We dropped by the Blue Fox Cafe for breakfast, whose huevos rancheros were good, but not on the level of Spoon’s Diner from the morning before.

Afterwards, we just walked around downtown, got a dipped cone at Chocolats Favoris, visited Murchie’s Tea & Coffee (just like last year), and did other tourist things like take lots of pictures.

Heading home

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Before heading back to Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal to catch a ride home, we were going to go to Mayfair Shopping Centre to take a look around. We didn’t get the chance to, however, as we decided to go straight there after hearing that the 3pm sailing was full at around 1:45. Sailings left the terminal every two hours, so that meant that if we didn’t make the 5pm sailing, we would have to wait until 7pm (which would have arrived in Tsawwassen at around 10pm).

And we still almost didn’t make it. When we arrived at the terminal at around 2:30, we were told that the 5pm sailing was full and that we’d have to wait until 7pm just as we feared. As expected, our line was cut off a few cars ahead of us. In an extreme stroke of luck, however, cars from our line began boarding individually as the BC Ferries crew tried to get as many people home as possible. We ended up being one of the last cars to be allowed on the vessel, meaning that we’d make it home in time for dinner!

And with that, our second trip to Victoria ended off with a bang. Our original (which was almost exactly a year ago) saw us stay for only one night and felt very rushed and unorganized. This time, we took the effort to plan out where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see. The preparation paid off, and I definitely feel more familiar with the city. That being said, I’m sure there are still hidden treasures to find in the Garden City. Third time’s a charm, right?