Victoria is a city full of whimsy and is a wanderer’s paradise! We were surprised to find out that Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia.

After summer rain following us for most of our road trip, we were lucky to have sunshine and blue skies as we caught the ferry over from Vancouver to Vancouver Island.

The top 5 things we did on Vancouver Island are:

1. Hatley Castle

As a filming destination for X-men and Deadpool (plus Disney Descendants), Hatley Castle was at the top of Luke’s to do list!

We signed up for the tour inside the castle, although around the castle and its beautiful gardens are open for anyone to have a peek.

2. The Butchart Gardens

This was a magnificent manicured botanical garden spread over 55 acres!

During the summer the garden is lit up after dark and there are bands playing and fireworks on the weekend!

We timed our visit for the late afternoon so we were able to explore the garden in both daylight and lit up at night. We encountered more squirrels, salamanders and our first sighting of racoons here!

3. Fisherman’s Wharf in Victoria

Fisherman’s Wharf was a unique, colourful, vibrant gem to find! The wharf is lined with gorgeous, colourful floating homes. We would have loved to have a peek inside one!

We had a delicious seafood lunch at Barb’s fish and chips, where they had the best clam chowder ever!

4. Downtown Victoria

Seeing totem poles in BC was at the top of our to do list, so we visited Thunderbird Park where there is a display of remarkable totem poles.

The Inner Harbour was a beautiful stroll on a perfect summers day! There were many street performers out and about to check out.

Just next to downtown Victoria is Victoria’s Chinatown, the oldest Chinatown in Canada. It is famous for having the smallest street in Canada, Fan Tan Alley, which at its smallest point is only around 90 cm wide! This little street was a unique, whimsical place to wander!

5. Beacon Hill Park

Beacon Hill Park covers 200 acres of parkland! Highlights that we discovered there was the world’s tallest free-standing totem pole, spray parks, gardens and plenty of wildlife! We saw deer, sooo many squirrels and peacocks (which was a surprise!).

We took a quick walk and detoured to the ocean adjacent to the park where we found a beautiful beach lined with pebbles!

For more info:

https://www.tourismvictoria.com/

Thanks for checking in!

Elyse

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