British Columbia Part One:
Victoria, Salt Spring Island, and Vancouver Island
click on any city on the map below, or just scroll down
For our first extended innkeeper tour in two years, we chose British Columbia, Canada. We've planned to visit this area for years, and it seemed like the time was finally right. We flew up to Vancouver in late September, the shoulder season between the high summertime traffic and the more quiet winter.
This month, we'll share the details on the Vancouver Island portion of our trip (including Victoria, Salt Spring Island, and central Vancouver Island); next month we'll cover our time in Vancouver. Because of time limitations, we did miss a few of the farther out areas - especially Sooke west of Victoria and Tofino on the central western coast of Vancouver Island, but we hope to return and spend a bit more time on-island, and may be able to see more places then. We hear both are worth the trip!
We flew into the Vancouver airport on a Tuesday afternoon in September, and two things struck us immediately. It was very quiet. And it was very clean – probably one of the nicest airports we’ve been to. International flights come into one end of the terminal, and you walk what seems like several miles on an elevated walkway that gives you a nice overview of much of the building. But most impressive was the two story fountain that ran down the walls and then alongside the stairs leading into the customs area – paved with river rock and overlooked by a huge round intuit totem, the overall effect was impressive.
Customs was easy – you fill out a form on the plane declaring any goods you’re bringing into the country; then you stand in line and wait for an agent to look over your passport (for US citizens, an official copy of your birth certificate and a drivers license is sufficent).
We planned to visit Victoria first, which is an hour and a half’s trip across the Georgia Strait to Vancouver Island. From the airport, we drove directly to the Tsawassen (locals pronounce it 'tawasin' or 'sawasin') ferry and on across the Georgia Strait to Swartz Bay and Victoria. Arriving at the airport at 3:25, we were in our rental car by 4:10, and at the ferry landing at 4:35. For peak season (summer time) allow a bit longer.
The ferry set-up is somewhat like a toll bridge crossing – you pay the fee, and then get directed to a lane for the next available ferry. Fees are about $32 Canadian for the car and another $8-9 each per person. Arriving at 4:35, we found that the 5 PM ferry was already full, so we got in line for the 6 PM. Get ferry prices, schedules, and make reservations at http://www.bcferries.ca.
If you’re fairly certain what time you’ll arrive at the ferry landing, you can reserve a particular boat for about $15 Canadian and save yourself some time.
The landing is kind of surreal, at least for first-timers like ourselves. Once you get in line, you park, and wait. Lanes are dedicated for each ferry time, so once you stop, you don’t move the car again until it’s time to load the ferry. Folks get out of their cars and go to the concessions stand for drinks and food, and to use the public restrooms – kind of like a drive-in movie, without the movie. The food’s not great, but will settle a rumbling stomach.
 The main ferries between the mainland and Vancouver Island have a restaurant, gift shop and snack bar, but if it's a nice day, take some time on the deck to see the islands and the crossing.
The smaller ferries only have sitting areas, but again, the views can be memorable.
Once we reached the other side, it was an easy 25 minute drive to downtown Victoria.
Victoria
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 Victoria is a very welcoming city – everywhere we went we were greeted with smiles and friendly "so where are you from"s. Folks were uniformly friendly, especially when we told them what we did for a living. They were happy to have us visiting their city by the sea.
We visited a number of areas in Victoria – downtown (where the famous Empress Hotel is), Esqualimat (across the bridge from downtown, where there’s a lot of new construction), Cardboro Bay and Oak Bay (where some of the nicest mansions on the island are – what the locals call Behind the Tweed Curtain), and Langford, a bit west of Vancouver where there are many outdoor recreation activities.
Victoria is filled with things for travelers to do, and places for them to stay – we'll tell you about the place we stayed below.
Where to Stay
Earle Clarke House
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From the getgo, Joyce and Peter of Earle Clarke House were terrific. We contacted them when we were planning our visit to Victoria, and they immediately offered us a place to stay. And Joyce spent days on the phone getting us a press pass from the local tourism bureau so we could preview many of Victoria’s attractions for you.
 The house sits in the geographical center of Victoria, so you’re close to everything. The Belfry Theater (which we'll discuss in the activities section below) is just a five minute walk, so take advantage of the proximity if you enjoy plays and see one while you’re here. Joyce and Peter will be happy to help you get tickets.
 The B&B is also just a five minute drive into downtown for shopping or any of the many tourism venues the central area has to offer. Earle Clarke House has been the host to a number of well known local and national celebrities, and when you walk into the entry way, you can see many of their signed portraits on display.
 You reach the front door up a beautiful paved stone staircase under huge oak trees.
 The main floor (actually the middle floor of three) is the common area of the inn – with beautiful hardwood floors, heritage (historically registered) bookshelves faced with hand-blown glass, and an eclectic artwork collection (a few modern pieces, some folk art, and some of Joyce’s own wonderful paintings), the B&B is both elegant and comfortable.
The kitchen (where you’ll often find Peter and Joyce preparing elements of the next morning’s breakfast in the late evening) is here - it's the quintessentiual innkeepers' kitchen, warm and welcoming and suffused with a natural glow from the beautiful back yard (more on the yard below). This is also where the breakfast room, the innkeepers’ study, and a huge sitting room with a traditional fireplace are - all the common areas inside the inn.
The whole place glows - the rich wood floors and wonderful decoration make this a place you just want to stop in for awhile, to relax and chat up the innkeepers. And if you do, they'll serve you some wonderful British Cookies (Hob Nobs - and we promised to tell you that they're as omnipresent in the UK as Oreos are in the US, so these aren't cookies that put on airs) - especially the chocolate-covered ones.
Peter, by the way, is an accomplished novelist – look on Amazon.com under Peter Such for some of his work (titles are Dolphin's Wake, Vanished Peoples, Riverrun, Soundprints, and Fallout).
 Speaking of breakfast, every morning is different – while we were there, we had smoked salmon, potato pancakes, fruit salad with edible flowers, fresh orange juice, and a variety of other gourmet delights. We had a couple from the UK staying at the house at the same time we were there, and we really enjoyed socializing with them over breakfast and learning a bit more about where they were from.
Joyce and Peter come to sit with their guests at breakfast and chat, and are an invaluable source of area information.
The house features two rented rooms, one upstairs (where we stayed) and one downstairs. You have the run of the floor, which for us included a spacious bedroom (with a very comfortable firm mattress) with window seat, a water closet, a gorgeous shower room with a huge tub, and Joyce’s studio. The bedroom also has a fantastic view, as the B&B is on one of the higher spots in Victoria - you can see across the valley to the hills in the distance.
Joyce does beautiful art, specializing in the human form – the pieces she was working on while we were there portrayed a couple in a very vulnerable place, a story just waiting foor you to fill in the words.
Entry to our floor was from a door off the dining room. The rooms are staggered, with the upstairs bedroom in the front of the house, the common areas and innkeepers' quarters on the middle floor at the back of the house, and the bottom suite at the front of the house, so you have a real sense of privacy. The street the B&B is on is also very quiet.
The downstairs suite is accessible through both the kitchen and through a private outside entrance, making it perfect for those who want privacy. It has two bedrooms, and a gas fireplace stove that heats the whole unit in a very short time.
 
The downstairs unit also has a nice sitting area with a desk that's perfect for the business traveler.
  The back yard was also a marvel, dominated by a huge tree. The couple has held a number of weddings in both the house and the back yard.
Joyce and Peter can work with you to plan the perfect event, and the house can hold up to 50 guests comfortably for a wedding and/or reception.
The Earle Clarke House is a great choice for the Victoria visitor – quiet location, large, private accommodations, close to everything. And Joyce and Peter are a class act - they go out of their way for all their visitors, and are folks we'd gladly spend a lot more time with if we have the chance.
Where to Stay
Victoria has hundreds of places to eat, and we sampled only a few. Here are the ones we tried:
110-911 Yates Street, Victoria (just outside downtown), 250 360-1711
zambris@shaw.ca
Zambri's is a great italian restaurant just outside of downtown Victoria. Everything we had was excellent, including the Risotto (to die for) and the polenta lasagna. The wait staff were very friendly, and the décor was very nice.
 Canoe Brewpub, Marina & Restaurant
This restaurant and brewpub has an outside deck, a pub, and a restaurant (though the brewpub serves the restaurant’s food after the restaurant closes). They have a great flat bread, which they serve with dips and on sandwiches – in particular, the bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato sandwich with basil mayonaise was terrific.
The views are great at night and good in the daytime – you’re looking across the water at an active wharf, so the night time view wins out here. The building is part of an old foundry, and has great high ceilings, antique brick and a casual warehouse feel.
This restaurant specializes in small place meals – lie a tapas restaurant, but with an eclectic mix of seafood, meat, and vegetarian dishes. There’s a great double sofa table where you and your friends can recline in luxury while you dine.
1296 Gladstone Ave. (next to the Belfry Theater), Victoria, 250-386-8446
Just across the plaza from the Belfry is some of the best pizza in Victoria. Ok, so we didn’t actually try all the Pizza in Victoria, but the Pizza here was excellent – you can order by the slice or by the pie, but bring Canadian money, because this is one of the few places we found that wouldn’t give us the exchange rate.
What to See
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Victoria is full of great things to do and places to see – here are just a few of them that we tried and enjoyed:
 The Belfry Theater
One of Canada’s best regional theaters, the Belfry puts on a number of wonderful plays every season. While we were there, the theater put on a new play called Rough Magic by John Lazarus, called Rough Magic. The play was inspired by a meeting between Marlon Brando and John Gielgud, a british actor. In the play, Sir Viv, the British actor, and Clay Travis, the method actor, clash over their acting styles.
The set design was also terrific, and all four actors were well worth seeing. Future productions include an improv version of a Christmas Carol that looks like a lot of fun, and runs from November 30th to Decmber 19th. If you're in Victoria for more than a day or two, make time to see a production here!
 Buchart Gardens
This is on the top of many visitor’s lists to see when they come to Victoria, and the gardens are impressive – planted on the site of an old quarry, the sunken gardens here are striking, and the Japanese Garden is breathtaking in its simplicity. Just couple minor beefs here… very few of the plants are labeled as part of garden policy to keep it looking like an actual estate garden, and it would be nice to see what all the plants are. And the gardens are smaller than we thought they would be, making the $22 CDN price a little high. But they are beautiful, and worth the trip for anyone who enjoys botanical gardens. Also check out the nearby Butterfly Gardens.
 Tally Ho Sightseeing
Tally Ho provides horse-drawn carriage and wagon rides starting at the the western edge of the Legislature building on Menzies Street and taking you along the edge of downtown, through Beacon Hill Park, and back up the coast on various length tours.
The driver we rode with had many corny jokes (some of them actually fairly funny) and also gave us a lot of great historical information about Victoria and the many Heritage (historical) buildings there. Prices range from $15 per adult all the way up to $240 for a Romance Tour (100 minutes and six chocolate roses).
 Craigdarroch Castle
Built in the late 1800’s by coal baron Robert Dunsmuir, this 25,000 square foot castle occupies one of the highest points in Victoria. Robert Dunsmuir died shortly before the castle’s completion in 1889, but his wife lived there until her death in 1908. They had several daughters, and a son who moved to San Francisco (kind of makes you wonder).
The castle is filled with wood floors, wood paneling on the walls and ceilings, and wood railings – the wood was shipped in from Chicago on five trains and then worked on-site. Craigdarroch also offers great views of downtown Victoria from the top floor observatory, And check out one of the daughter’s work list for her maids on the servent side of the Castle – you think we work hard today!
We didn’t actually get to see this one, but it looked pretty cool – lots of miniature villages, scenes from literature, and the like.
 Royal London Wax Museum
With historical replicas of famous Commonwealth and polical figures, celebrities, scientists and writers, and fairy tale characters, and a hall of horrors – just across from the Empress and the Legislature Building on the Inner Harbor.
490 Belleville St., Victoria (inner harbor) 250-382-5717
An underwater aquarium, featuring local fish and an underwater show where a diver displays some of the more interesting sea life in the tank, including an octopus, a wolf eel, and a starfish.
Royal British Columbia Museum
Regrettably one of the things we didn't have time for, this museum has one of the best collections of native peoples art and historical artifacts in the world, as well as ongoing traveling and rotating displays - they had a display on Eternal Egypt while we were there.
Beacon Hill Park is located along the south shore of Victoria, British Columbia and the Juan de Fuca Strait. It has been a park belonging to the city of Victoria since 1882. A trust was then established for the 62-acre (24.8-hectare) site - the largest park in Victoria. No businesses can set up in the park per the park's original charter; the pay phone is the only allowed violation, agreed to by the city for public safety purposes. The park is home to many Arbutus Trees - native evergreen trees that have many streets and other public areas named after them - they have a distinctive peeling bark that reveals a bright reddish trunk underneath.
Probably the most photographed building in Victoria (see the picture at the top of this Victoria section), the Empress (now a Fairmont hotel) was one of a series of chateau-style hotels build by the rail road barons in the late 1800's across Canada, and is simply a gorgrous building. Many fokks come here in the afternoons for High Tea - a little bit of Old England in the center of Victoria, on the inner harbor. But even if you don't, stop by to see this Grande Dame of Victorian architecture.
 The Parliament Building
Another stunning building right across the street from the Empress Hotel on the inner harbor, the Parliament Building is the home of the BC Legislature. There are guided tours inside at regular intervals, or you can just wander about the building yourself and enjoy some of the beautiful murals inside.
The building was built in the late 1800's, and has 33 green domes and a statue of Captain George Vancouver gilded in gold on the roof. The building is lit up with white lights at night, and is beautiful any time of the day.
Where to Shop
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A few notes about shopping in Canada for visitors from other countries: the Canadian dollar is typically a little weaker than the US dollar, which means you can get some great buys in Canada. At the time we were there, the rate was about .77 US dollars to 1 Canadian, which means we got a 23% "discount" on all purchases. But if you're not a Canadian resident, you also have to declare them when you come back through customs, which can be a hassle, so consider having the shopkeeper ship them back to you at home - this also helps because you don't have to carry your purchases around.
You're also eligible for a tax rebate from the Canadian government if you aren't a Canadian resident, and plan to take the item home with you to your own country. Basically you have to spend over $200 Canadian on qualifying goods and/or accommodations and at least $50 per receipt. For more information go here: http://victoria.rezrez.com/tax/index.htm
Also, most places in BC take US dollars or Canadian dollars - if you give them US dollars, they convert the amount and give you the change in Canadian money, which can result in some strange situations, like when we bought some postcards with a US $20 and were given a Canadian $20 and some change in return. You can also take out Canadian money at any ATM using your US ATM card, and you can use your US credit card to pay for things - your credit card company will do the conversion for you. So go with your ATM and credit cards and some US cash, and just pick up a little Canadian money as you go.
You may run into a few places that won't do the conversion, in which case you may end up paying the Canadian price in US dollars, so do get a little Canadian money when you arrive in Canada.
There are some great places to go for shopping in downtown Victoria – including:
Fort Street – several blocks starting just in from the Marina.
There are a ton of antique stores here – one of our innkeepers joked that Victoria was where antiques go to die. Many Canadians retire here, bringing their furniture with them, so you can find all kinds of things here.
Herald Street is on the northern edge of downtown, and is the design center of Victoria. Standouts here include:
This is a great BC furniture and furnishings chain with a great selection of modern casual furniture and decorations for the home. Kinda like the Pottery Barn in the USA.
Fat Cat
1810 Store St. at Herald, Victoria (downtown), 250-920-4037
Posters and prints on canvas, including many unique items, all at great low prices.
 Chintz & Company
1720 Store St. at Herald, Voctoria (downtown), 250-381-2404
Right in front of Canoe, this is a huge, two-story store with tons and tons of indoor and outdoor furnishings, from the whimsical (tables whose legs are dressed in socks and high-heel shoes and hammers trimmed in rhinestones and feathers) to the sublime (beautiful home furnishings).
A local chain (we also ran across one in Vancouver) it’s a fun store to check out while you’re in town.
 Bay Centre
Ok, so it's just a shopping mall.
But what a nice mall - and bonus - it's all indoors if it's cold or rainy out. Anchored by the Bay Company department store, the descendant of the original Hudson Bay Company (you probably read about their trapper outposts in North America in your high school history classes if you're in the US or Canada).
This four story mall is worth at least a quick visit while you're in town.
Salt Spring Island
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Salt Spring Island was settled in the sixties mostly by hippies and creative folks, and it still has a bit of that bohemian flair. The island is undergoing a spate of development efforts, but it’s still mostly forested and quiet. It's the place to go for a relaxing, contemplative vacation, when you want to get away from all the big city sounds and smells and just enjoy being for a few days.
The island has very few places even big enough to qualify as one-horse towns – if you come in from Swartz Bay (Victoria) on the Ferry, you’ll find a small general store in Fulofurd Harbor on the south side of the island – great for a quick Oreo fix, but not much else. Same thing in Vesuvius (if you ferry over from Crofton farther up Vancouver Island).
 The heart of island life is Ganges – a cute little fishing town close to Long Harbor (which you reach via ferry from Tsawassen, just south of Vancouver on the mainland.
Ganges has lots of cute boutiques, as well as the island’s practical shops (grocery, hardware, etc), and a few good restaurants too – if you plan to eat out while on island, you’ll probably do it here.
Where to Eat
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Cuisine is a little more limited on Salt Spring Island, but we found a few places with innkeeper help:
 Calvin's Bistro
This was the only place we ate out on-island – we were only there one night. The restaurant boasts great Ganges Harbor views, and the food was excellent – they have a nice mix of cuisines, including italian, thai, and west-coast. Recommended by several locals, Calvin’s lived up to the hype.
 The Treehouse Cafe
106 Purvis Lane, Ganges, Salt Spring Island, 250-537-5379
Another local recomendation - though we didn't eat here, it's another cute place right on the water.
Where to Shop
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 Shopping on Salt Spring Island is all about Ganges. There are a number of local art galleries here, a ton of women’s clothing boutiques, and a few other odds and ends. But alas, no Starbucks on-island.
Vancouver Island
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Chemainus
A cute little sea town with a small downtown district, Chemainus is a great place to stop for a bit of shopping or a quick lunch on the way up or down island, or to relax and spend a couple quiet nights. It’s just a few minutes north of the ferry from Salt Spring Island that comes into Crofton.
 Ladysmith
This city is a little larger than Chemainus, and was founded by James Dunsmuir, son of the coal baron who built the Craigdarroch Castle in Victoria. The city has a nice long downtown district that has a number of cute restaurants and shops.
 Nanaimo
Although we didn’t visit any accommodations in Nanaimo, the second largest city on Vancouver Island deserves mention. This is where the ferry leaves to West Vancouver, the choice departure/arrival destination for folks coming to and from downtown Vancouver and the West End, where Davie Street is.
Nanaimo also has a sizeable old downtown – we had lunch here at a place called Charlies – the food was decent, and the people watching was great – the restaurant is in an old garage with roll-up doors that have been replaced with roll-up windows, so we sat next to the sidewalk and watched the action. You can easily spend several hours wandering downtown Nanaimo, so set aside a little extra time for this one while going up or down island.
There are also several malls here – if you forgot it at home, you can probably buy it in Nanaimo.
Qualicum Beach
Half an hour up the coast from Nanaimo, this is another little seaside community. It has a small, easily walkable downtown, and a nice beachside park which would be perfect for a picnic lunch.
Courtenay/Comox
These two cities are close to Mount Washington skiing, and are on the water. They’re the largest towns north of Nanaimo, and have some great local eateries and shopping. Courtenay is the larger of the two, and also has some great golf courses.
Where to Stay
 Singing Sands B&B
Singing Sands Bed and Breakfast offers ocean view accommodation in the beautiful Little River area of Comox, on Vancouver Island in beautiful British Columbia. offering comfortable accommodation and friendly hospitality.
Your hosts, Gail and Mark Hill, invite you to their relaxed, warm and comfortable home just a few steps away from the beach. A tranquil, relaxed stay is assured in this beautiful, quiet location. Short drive to Comox and Courtenay sights and shopping. No ocean view, but close to the water.
 Belle Vue B&B
This remodelled house in the Bates Beach area has three large guestrooms with all the amenities - TV, VCR, in room refrigerator, and full bath. The property features panoramic views of the Strait of Georgia and Powell River at night.
The property has a beautiful waterfront lawn, and is close to kayak and boat rentals and just a short drive from Mount Washington skiing. Just 10-15 minute drive from this quiet waterfront property to central Courtenay.
Where to Eat
Atlas Cafe
250 6th St. Courtenay, 250-338-9838
We had dinner here, and the food was really good – Mark had the burrito, and Scott had a Chicken Quesidilla. The décor was nice as well, and the streetfront table made for great people watching.
What to Read
Here are a few resources we found helpful during our visit to Victoria, Salt Spring Island, and central Vancouver Island:
 Michelin's Vancouver Must Sees
We favor small, easy-to-carry travel guides with lots of photos - we want something we can flip through and find attractions in easily, rather than a large guide full of nothing but text (ok, so call us shallow <grin>).
We found a great book for this trip - Michelin's Vancouver Must Sees. At just over 120 pages, it's easy to carry and easy on the pocketbook (just $9.95 US). And though it's mainly a Vancouver guide, it has decent sections on Victoria, Whistler, and Vancouver Island as well.
Victoria Attractions Association
Thank you also to the Victoria Attractions Association for providing us with a media passport that allowed us to preview many of these fine attractions. Check out their website for lots of great things to do in Victoria
And when you take the ferry, remember to check the sitting areas - this is a great place to find brochures for all kinds of great activities during your trip.
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