Victoria Trip

April 12, 2025 In Travel

When did we go….

Why did we go…

we went out to visit with the owner of HAVN Saunas and attend the facility as well as enjoy a few days of Victoria’s spring foliage

How did we get there…

Where did we stay…

Magnolia Hotel
luxury boutique hotel in the heart of the city
excellent service and they have been recognized as one of the top boutique hotels in Canada
got upgraded to a lovely corner suite on the 2^nd floor
unfortunately, in the early morning, some loud garbage trucks rumbled by the hotel, and during the night, they had a loudspeaker they used to entice homeless people to clear away from the hotel
the Courtney Room restaurant and bar is very nice
they have a spa in the hotel, but we did not use it

Where did we eat…

Courtney Room (dinner, in the hotel, very good food)
Floyd’s Diner (breakfast, old pink house in James Bay area, nostalgic movie and music décor, fun atmosphere, good food selection, and excellent service)
10 Acres Bistro (lunch twice, across the street from our hotel, healthy food and good service)

Marilena’s (dinner with our friends Henry and Jenn who drove down from Nainamo, upscale, very noisy on the patio from all the EMT vehicles going by, excellent food and service)
Caffé Fantastico (breakfast, nice walk across the bridge to the west of downtown in the shipyard area)
Bray’s (dinner with our son in law Cody’s brother Remington, tapas style, very good food and service, and nice location)

What did we do…

walked around the James Bay area (inner harbor with all the cool nautical vessels and boathouses, outer harbor with all the beaches and tons of dogs out for their daily stroll, the inner neighborhood with its historic houses)
enjoyed drinks at the famous Empress Hotel bar overlooking the harbor
attended a hydrotherapy spa session at HAVN which is on a floating barge on the inner harbour (beautiful facility and we got a behind the scenes tour from Nick the owner which was very interesting)
had coffee and hot chocolate at Milano Coffee (started in Vancouver in 1984 where the Italian owner brought 75 years of brewing experience to Canada)
afternoon drinks at Common’s across from our hotel (nice location overlooking the inner harbor)
walked through Beacon Hill Park, which has some beautiful spring foliage, nice gardens, fountains, the world’s tallest free-standing totem pole, and some turtles
also walked along the ocean and checked out our friends Terry and Andrea’s house in the area
walked through the Oak Bay area enjoying the beautiful historic houses, spectacular foliage, and enjoyed a beverage at the Oak Bay Resort overlooking the Gulf Islands
had a pre dinner drink at Rabbit Rabbit with Remington (quaint upscale lounge)
cruised through Chinatown (lots of neat shops and alleyways in this area and throughout downtown)

Background:

Victoria is the capital of British Columbia
sits on the southern tip of Vancouver Island
Greater Victoria has a population of 370,000 people
named after Queen Victoria
British started settling in the area in 1843
the city’s Chinatown is the 2^nd oldest in North America after San Francisco
known as ‘The Garden City’
top twenty cities in the world for quality of life
popular with retirees who come to enjoy the temperate and usually snow-free climate

What did we not do that is on the agenda for next time:

drive the SW coast to Sooke and onward to Pt. Renfrew (explore the Mystic Beach, Whiffin Spit and specialty farms along the route)
check out Mt. Douglas with its panoramic views, wildlife and foilage
enjoy the traditional Tea at the Empress (110-year-old tradition)
check out the Craigdarroch Castle and the Bateman Foundation Gallery of Nature and drive up the west coast through the Sooke area

Final thoughts:

it was nice to hang out in such a beautiful landscape with all the spring flowers and trees in bloom
the weather was comfortable with daytime highs of 12 and nighttime lows of 5

Travel