Two Days in Victoria, British Columbia
The Drive – Steilacoom, Washington to Victoria, British Columbia
Maureen and I visited our son, David, in Steilacoom, Washington (suburb of Tacoma) and as part of trip we planned a drive to Victoria, British Columbia. Our drive took us from Steilacoom to Port Angeles, Washington and then a ferry ride across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Victoria.
Driving to Port Angeles via Highway 101, then the 90 minute ferry ride to Victoria. We chose HW101 for the scenic views along the coast and the idea of driving the famous highway. Leaving on a Friday afternoon the trip took 2 1/2 hours. There is a shorter route to Port Angeles from Steilacoom, we did take this route on our return trip to Steilacoom.
This section of HW101 is mostly a two lane road with quite a few twists and turns. You drive past multiple state and national parks, Native American cultural heritage centers and casinos. Plenty of opportunities for pictures and stopping to rest or purchase food and drink.
Washington HW101 Road Trip Guide
Spending Friday night in Port Angeles, we took the 8:20 AM ferry to Victoria. We made our reservations online to insure our spot and save on costs of the trip. This was the first time having driven onto a ferry, parking in tight quarters, leaving the car below decks and climbing the stairs to the passenger seating area. If you are planning on taking a car, get to the ferry early, first in the ferry in Port Angeles will be first out in Victoria.
Making a reservation online insures a spot and costs less than purchasing tickets onsite. The website has a option to combine ferry tickets with hotel reservations in Victoria, we took advantage of this option. Black Ball Ferry Line
Black Ball Ferry
The seating area is very spacious with coffee, drinks, and snacks available from the galley. You also have the opportunity to go out on the open deck to enjoy the sea breeze and take pictures. The ferry also has a shop were you can purchase discount tickets to attractions in Victoria, we purchased our tickets to Butchart Gardens on board.
The 90 minute ferry ride passed quite quickly as the seas were calm with a stiff breeze while out on the deck. Before we knew it the announcement came to return to our car for departure. Leaving the ferry you do pass through Canadian Immigration and Customs, so have your passport ready! Once through Customs, you exit the parking lot on to the main street along Victoria Inner Harbor.
We took a car to Victoria. There were people who walked on the ferry in Port Angeles and walked off in Victoria. The ferry docks at the inner harbor and it is a short walk to the main street facing the inner harbor. All the major hotels are right on the inner harbor or a couple of blocks away, as is the main downtown area and restaurants.
You can visit Victoria without a car, either as a day trip of staying overnight using tour buses to major attractions outside of town such as Butchart Gardens. Outside of our drive to Butchart Gardens, we walked the remainder of our time in Victoria.
Victoria is known as – “The Most British City in Canada”
Victoria is literally named after Queen Victoria, who was the queen when the city was established in 1843. Victoria was the hub for the British Empire’s expansion in the Pacific Northwest. and served as the capital of the Colony of Vancouver Island and then British Columbia. British influence can be seen in the city’s layout, institutions and architecture.
In Victoria, you can still find afternoon tea, cricket matches, double-decker buses and pubs that appear to have been plucked from the English countryside.
The Fairmont Empress draws visits from around the world for its traditional high tea service.
The best places for high tea in Victoria, B.C. – Victoria High Tea
As you walk the city, the British influence is everywhere, the parliament buildings, historic hotels, museums and neighborhoods. You even find it at the famous Butchart Gardens, which were inspired by English landscaping traditions.
Victoria is like a slice of England with better weather and whales.
Before landing at the inner harbor, we went below deck and jumped into the car for a quick departure from the ferry. Since we took the early ferry, we knew our hotel would not be ready, so after passing through customs (you do need your passport), we headed to the beautiful Butchart Gardens. Butchart Gardens
Located about 20 minutes out of Victoria are the Butchart Gardens. The Gardens are a 121-year-old world famous 55-acre display garden located in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia.
Butchart Gardens are the results of Jeannie Butchart vision and passion to transform a limestone pit into a haven of lush greens and colorful blooms. It all started in 1909 when Jeannie and husband Robert moved to British Columbia to build a cement plant on rich limestone deposits. By 1912 cement production had depleted the limestone deposits and Jeannie envisioned a grand garden in its place. The topsoil transported by horse and cart to the quarry became was it known today as the Sunken Garden
By 1929, the Japanese Garden on the seaside, the Italian Garden and the fragrant, overflowing Rose Garden were added. In 1939 the Gardens were gifted to the Butchart’s grandson Ian Ross on his 21st birthday. He added outdoor concerts, night lighting in the summers, and the Magic of Christmas in the winters.
The Gardens celebrated their 100th anniversary in 2004. Today, The Gardens are a National Historic Site of Canada. featuring millions of bedding plants in over 900 varieties making it a world-renowned attraction. Butchart Gardens Map and Guide – Garden Map and Guide
Follow the Garden map, you don’t want to miss anything as you explore and enjoy. There is a fee to explore the Gardens. The cost to walk, explore and observe the peace and beauty of Butchart Gardens is money well spent. Have you camera ready – so many photo opportunities!
The pictures don’t capture the true beauty of Butchart Gardens. We spent around three hours walking, exploring and relaxing. The Garden does have a coffee shop and restaurant. We ate lunch at the coffee shop, sat outside and enjoyed the weather and the views. The seed and gift shop is quite extensive and features multiple varieties of teas, seeds and gifts related to the Garden. No visit to Victoria would be complete without a tour of Butchart Gardens.
After Butchart, we headed to our hotel to check in and park the car. Chateau Victoria hotel for our short one night stay.
The Chateau Victoria is centrally located and proved easy access to downtown and the inner harbor. We parked our car at the hotel and walked everywhere except for our visit to Butchart Gardens. Friendly staff and spacious rooms made it an enjoyable stay.
Outside of the hotel is a bronze sculpture of a man, sitting on a fountain gently interacting with his dog. The sculpture represents the bond between people and their canine companions. A pet friendly guide to Victoria – Tourism Victoria
While the specific artist behind this sculpture isn’t widely documented, the piece contributes to the hotel’s rich history. The Chateau Victoria, established in 1966, occupies the site of the former Wilson family estate. The estate was notably home to Louis, a parrot who became a local legend and lived to the remarkable age of 115. Louis’s story is celebrated in the hotel’s history, reflecting its deep ties to the community and its appreciation for unique local stories.
Victoria is a very walkable city, with downtown, the waterfront, museum and government buildings all within walking distance of our hotel. After parking the car and exploring the hotel, we headed downtown, looking to finds shops and stores unique to the city.
Not that we were shopping, the idea was to get a feel for the city and what makes it unique. Spend some time wondering around and stopped in a shop or two looking for something different as a remembrance of our visit. A lot of local items to pick from, some too expensive or too large to fly home. I don’t need another t-shirt, hat or coffee mug. Ended buying an ornament for our Christmas tree. Victoria Downtown Shopping Guide
About 13% of the estimated 5.7 million people that live in British Columbia are Irish. There are a number of Irish pubs and stores throughout the city. The Irish Times pub was voted the best pub in North America in 2017.
From downtown we headed to the waterfront, first stop the Fairmont Empress Hotel for drinks on the patio. The Empress is one of the most famous hotels in the world, noted for its luxury accommodations and the very traditional English high tea.
It is also a great place to sit on the front patio, have a drink and enjoy the views of the Victoria waterfront. The sun was out, the sky was blue, the waterfront was bustling with people. What a great way to to relax, regroup and plan where to go next on our adventure. By the time we sat and finished our drinks it was late in the afternoon so we headed back to the hotel to change for dinner.
The Chateau Victoria hotel boasts Victoria’s only rooftop restaurant, Vista 18. The eighteenth floor location boasts views of the Inner Harbor, Olympic Mountains and downtown Victoria. Vista 18 is truly local in nature, featuring the best regional cuisine the area has to offer. The menu changes seasonal to provide favorites such as seared Pacific halibut, grilled flank steak, sautéed Pacific mussels, crispy Humboldt squid and house smoked pork ribs. We had the flatbread, Vista burger and grilled flank steak, plus drinks. Vista 18
After a full day of exploring and dinner, we called it a night.
David found us a great local place for breakfast – Frankie’s Modern Diner. Listed as one of the best breakfast places in Victoria, the diner certainly lives up to it’s rating. I knew we were in the right place when we walked in and about half of the Victoria police force was sitting around a large table having breakfast. Our breakfast consisted of 3 eggs your way with a side of pancakes, Belgian waffle and the Diner breakfast wrap. The coffee was hot, the portions plentiful and tasty and, we all overate. If your visiting Victoria, Frankie’s is the place for breakfast. They also serve lunch and dinner. Frankie’s Modern Diner
After breakfast we needed a good walk, so off to the Royal BC Museum. In addition to being a museum, it is home to an extensive collection of provincial archives and IMAX Victoria. Founded in 1886, it is one of the oldest continually operating museums in Canada and is home to over 7 million objects, belongings, specimens, millions of government documents, photographic collections and artwork.
As with most museums, there is an entry fee with a nice discount for seniors. What impressed me about this museum was the extensive collection of local artifacts, the focus on the contributions of the Native population and the photography collection.
We spend about two hours exploring the many museum rooms and exhibits. We were impressed with the quality and realistic display of local and historical artifacts. Museums usually are not one of the spots we seek out when visiting cities, however time spent at the Royal Museum left me with an appreciation of the contributions made by the local Indian tribes to the development and history of British Columbia. Worth the time to visit to have a better understand the history of Victoria and British Columbia.
We scheduled the ferry back to Port Angeles that afternoon and headed for lunch on the inner harbor before boarding the ferry, off to Steamship Grill and Bar. With a patio right on the waters edge that provide a panoramic view of the inner harbor, an incredible place for our final meal in Victoria, crab cakes, crispy fish tacos and fish and chips were ordered. Being in the most British city in Canada, I had to try the fish and chips. I cleaned my plate, excellent meal before heading to the ferry. Everyone was pleased with the quantity and quality of the food. Steamship Grill and Bar
Headed to the ferry after lunch, had to pass through customs for a passport check. Afternoon ferry back to Port Angeles was not as crowded as the morning ferry the day before. Weather was good so I spent more time out on deck enjoying the ride.
Headed straight back to Tacoma after arriving in Port Angeles. I would visit Victoria again. I liked the vibe, the opportunity to walk almost everywhere, the food and Butchart Gardens.
Explore and plan before you go – Victoria Vacation Guide.
