STAYcation : Victoria

We’ve all heard about the economy, and how things have gotten to be too expensive, and how we’re being taxed up the yazoo. This effect can be most often felt when looking into vacation spots, or spending some time out of your backyard. When going on vacation, it’s not just the cost of your flights, hotel, rental cars, taxis, dinners, and all those little costs that come with it, it’s also the lost earnings, the things you need to catch up on when you get back. Is it really worth the $700 in taxes you pay on a flight to wherever it is in the world you decide to visit? Maybe. But, again, with the way things are going, the maybe not is a lot more worrisome.

So, with all that in mind, we headed to Victoria for a weekend for a quick little staycation.

How to Get There -

Of course the Ferry is the best option, quick plane rides over courtesy of Helijet run a little steep, you’re looking at roughly $400, at that rate you could

have a lost weekend in Vegas, a good one at that too. So, we’d recommend walking onto the big boats sailing across the water, driving your car on you’re looking at roughly $45 for the car alone, getting dropped off, you’re looking at roughly $27 for a pair. You haven’t even reached the island and we’ve already saved you $45, a simple thank you e-card will do. As always have a bite before walking onto the government revenue generators, makes no sense paying $6 for a small fry. Once you’ve hit the island it’s easy to navigate back and forth from the terminal, we’d recommend taking public transit, yes, public transit. Victoria has a pretty reliable transit system, with pretty clean double decker buses. You’d be looking at $2.50 a person from the downtown core to Swartz Bay, it’s a comfortable 45 minute bus ride on the 70 Express.

What to Check out -

There are quite a few things to see and do in Victoria, at least over a weekend. Whether you feel like dropping $50 on a cup of high tea at the Fairmont Empress, checking out the Parliament Buildings, stepping into the Wax Museum or maybe taking a stroll around Buchart Gardens. While a number of those aren’t for us, they may be worth it to you. We decided to check out the Royal BC Museum, or in particular, the Treasures exhibit. While the exhibit runs until the 30th, (sorry for the short notice), many of the travelling exhibits that stop over in the museum are of high quality. Treasures had numerous points of interest, whether it’s checking out a bust of Marcus Aurelieus or holding a 6,000 year old axe, there are plenty of pieces and points of interest.

Where to Drink –

Bard and Banker – 1022 Government Street

Bard and Banker sits at the corner of Government and Broughton, a great space with some fantastic looking fixtures, including a couple of fancy chandeliers. A genuine Scottish gastro-pub, it’s two levels, plenty of seating, a great selection of beers on tap, friendly service, and specials on every day. The food, we tried the oysters, calamari, bugers, and of course a couple of cold glasses of beer were all top notch. The place also features live music and jazz on some days. All of these things make Bard and Banker a great place to walk into, and stagger out of.

Where to Eat –

Il Terrazzo – 555 Johnson Street

Il Terrazzo is one of those classic restaurants tucked away, hidden from a busy street. Who would think great Italian food waits for you at the edge of a dirty dark alley? Terrazzo is one of those extremely busy restaurants where reservations are a must. A very small entry way is where you’re pushed about until you’re directed to your seat. While you are waiting, you can see all over the walls numerous awards that this restaurant has won, many of them for their wine list. You quickly realise why, as once you’re at your table, a tome of a wine list is put at your table. And, we’re talking tome, it’s like 10lb binder of page after page of vino. Whether, you’re seated inside or outside in the covered veranda/courtyard area, you’ll be surrounded by plenty of hustlle and bustle. That may be the only drawback to the place, it’s definetly not a quiet, candlelight dinner kind of place. We ordered a plate of linguini and a platter of different types of fish. While the fish dish didn’t blow us away, the linguine was fantastic.

Other highlights: Rogers Chocolates, Getting some decent shots at the Fairmont Empress