Victoria, BC, Canada

Very Touching!

There is not a thing on that list I have not done. And do a very good job of trying to do each activity once a year. I cannot BELIEVE it when people say there is nothing to do here!!! I've said for years, that I've travelled the world, and nothing compares to Victoria!

So next time you find yourself mad at a tourists slow driving, remember that they are just overwhelmed by how awesome it is here! Then calm down, and embrace island Life.

Attractions:

• BC Museum
• Beer Festivals
• Break Water
• Breweries
• Busker's Festival
• Butchart Gardens
• Butterfly Gardens
• Fishermans Wharf
• Harbour Ferries
• Horse drawn Tours
• Imax
• Oak Bay Hotel
• Petting Zoo
• Royal Roads
• The Empress
• Theatres
• Whale Watching
• Wildplay
• Wineries
• World Class Pools
• Ziplining

* Fine, I actually haven't done ONE thing ;)

Activities

• Beautiful Lakes
• Camping
• Cycling
• Farmers Markets
• Festivals
• Flowers
• Golf
• Harbour Boats
• Kayak
• Kite Boarding
• Rock Climbing
• Sailing
• Scuba Diving *
• Ziplining

For Free

• Beacon Hill
• Dallas Rd.
• Elk Lake
• Esquimalt Lagoon
• Hiking
• Mount Doug
• Mount Finlayson
• Parliament
• Sidney
• Sooke Poholes
• Thetis Lake
• Willows Beach
• Willows Beach

General Benefits:

• Beautiful Ferries
• Booming Tech Sector
• Drinking Water
• Fresh Seafood
• Friendly People
• Great Weather
• International Airport
• Low Violent Crime
• Many Oceans
• Prestine Environment
• Pub Life
• Public Art
• Restaurants
• Totem Poles
• Wildife

Events:

• Fireworks
• Food Trucks
• Movie Locations
• Music Festival
• Parades
• Top Concerts

Bad Things (Admittedly):

• High Cost of Homes
• High Cost of Living

Videos:

The Red Jacket:

Nicholas Chow Johnson
3:00 am on Saturday, October 20, 2001
Lampson St. Esquimalt BC
Harry Hiscock (Mr. ESQ) (Then 19) Released 2010
IMDB
AngelAbianchi.ca
CCVF.net

Places to Visits:

Englishman River Falls Provincial Park, Near Coombes

Links:

• 8 Vancouver Island Waterfalls

Local Trivia:

• Saanich is a Native word for "fertile soil".

Crazy things:

• Make Peek-A-Boo Dog Video
• Ride in a fire truck
• Parliament building SPECIAL tour
• Empress Back stage Tour
• Swim with seals at the Oak Bay Marina.
• Kayak Down Reversal Falls
• Climb Parliament Building's Tree.
• Explore the cougar cave on Mount Doug.
• Mega hot wings at Bucky's Pub.
• Ziplining Monkey Tree course $40
• Have an Eagle land on your arm at Birds of Prey $16-52
• Watch Butchart Gardens Fireworks from Canoe / Kayak

Interesting Things about the area:

• Metchosin means "stinking fish" or "place smelling of fish oil"
• The world's first Boy Scout, Lord Rodney, lived in Metchosin and is also buried at St. Mary's
• The first quarantine station was established at Albert Head in 1883 after an outbreak of smallpox in Victoria Harbour.
  All ships arriving in western Canada had to stop at the Quarantine Station for health clearance.

Victoria's Hidden Places:

• Kinsol Trestle- Shawnigan Lake
• 1967 Water BomberCrash near Bear Mountain
• Shawnigan Quarry
• Downtown Tunnels
• Leper Colony Bentinck Island
• Campbell River Oyster River Potholes
• Mount Doug Cougar cave:
• "Douglas Darkie" (below)
• "Hall Of Wonders Tunnel" Oak Bay

Places I have heard of, But have no idea of details:

• Market Square Tunnels
• Uvic Tunnels

Douglas Darkie:

Southern part of Mount Doug by the beach. Follow the river and eventually there will be a tunnel. Take the left hand tunnel and you are in the Douglas Darkie. Step through water with a little sewage. Bad Smell. The tunnel is made mostly out of wood, I guess you exist at a man hole. Where?

Cougar Cave: