[Travelfilter] Three days in Victoria BC/Friday Harbor WA/somewhere?
March 31, 2016 3:09 PM Subscribe
Ms. look busy and I are getting a break from the kiddos to travel to Seattle for three days to visit friends and three days somewhere nearby to unwind. Mid-July, height of tourist season. We want to stay somewhere walkable with good coffee/beer/museum-y options, and a bike ride and/or car ride away from good hiking and hopefully whale watching or whatever is in season. We would like the trip to be as quick/convenient as possible from Seattle and back to catch our flight home.
We've zeroed in on Victoria, BC, and Friday Harbor, WA. We're American and have visited Canada before but never out west. The hassle of changing currency and adding cell coverage and whatnot is worth it to leave the country and interact with our neighbors to the north but if we can put together a good experience without our passports that's just fine too.
Some other questions:
How easy is it to ferry around the islands for a day?
If we don't have a car, how active is Uber/Lyft/etc in these areas? I assume quite active in the tourist areas, but what about more remote locations? Would someone pick us up at the end of a long hike at a state/provincial park?
We've zeroed in on Victoria, BC, and Friday Harbor, WA. We're American and have visited Canada before but never out west. The hassle of changing currency and adding cell coverage and whatnot is worth it to leave the country and interact with our neighbors to the north but if we can put together a good experience without our passports that's just fine too.
Some other questions:
How easy is it to ferry around the islands for a day?
If we don't have a car, how active is Uber/Lyft/etc in these areas? I assume quite active in the tourist areas, but what about more remote locations? Would someone pick us up at the end of a long hike at a state/provincial park?
If you select Victoria:
You could consider catching The Clipper, which runs Seattle Harbour to Victoria Harbour in about 2.5 hours. It is a bit expensive, but convenient (pretty much downtown to downtown) and keeps you out of airports.
There is not, as of yet, Uber or Lyft in Victoria. Car rental, traditional taxies, and transit (not bad) are your options.
Good coffee, beer, and a pretty good museum are definitely on offer. Downtown Victoria is quite compact and you can do all of the above on foot. There is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to coffee: Habit, Discovery, Fantastico, Shatterbox, and The Parsonage are all worth a visit for starters. For beer, Spinnaker's is a nice brewpub, just across the bridge from Swan's, which is a decent brewpub. Moon Under Water is probably my recent fav, among several more choices. There are also quite a few good cocktail bars. Clive's, Veneto, and Little Jumbo all rate a mention.
There is lots of hiking to be had on Vancouver Island, but none of it is that conveniently located if you are staying in downtown Victoria. If I were going to make the effort to go to a provincial park, I would rent a car and spend one of your days on Salt Spring Island. It is about 35 minutes to drive to the ferry from downtown Victoria, and about 45 minutes on the boat. Ruckle Park is beautiful for a walk and a picnic (I wouldn't say this qualifies as a hike), go hang out in Ganges (the village centre of the town), consider going on a Saturday and checking out the market. Go buy some local cheese and wine, eat it on a rocky beach, and so on.
If you feel like venturing out on a transit bus, you could bus (#50) to Goldstream Park on Vancouver Island. It is a provincial park that encompasses a river, and you could go for a casual walk, or go up a mountain depending on how vigorous you're feeling.
As for where to stay, there are lots of options from B&Bs to large modern hotels, and no doubt lots of options via Air B&B. Anywhere within walking distance of downtown is going to be fine. I might be able to make a better recommendation depending on your needs, but I have never stayed in Victoria as a tourist.
posted by jamaal at 3:58 PM on March 31, 2016 [4 favorites]
You could consider catching The Clipper, which runs Seattle Harbour to Victoria Harbour in about 2.5 hours. It is a bit expensive, but convenient (pretty much downtown to downtown) and keeps you out of airports.
There is not, as of yet, Uber or Lyft in Victoria. Car rental, traditional taxies, and transit (not bad) are your options.
Good coffee, beer, and a pretty good museum are definitely on offer. Downtown Victoria is quite compact and you can do all of the above on foot. There is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to coffee: Habit, Discovery, Fantastico, Shatterbox, and The Parsonage are all worth a visit for starters. For beer, Spinnaker's is a nice brewpub, just across the bridge from Swan's, which is a decent brewpub. Moon Under Water is probably my recent fav, among several more choices. There are also quite a few good cocktail bars. Clive's, Veneto, and Little Jumbo all rate a mention.
There is lots of hiking to be had on Vancouver Island, but none of it is that conveniently located if you are staying in downtown Victoria. If I were going to make the effort to go to a provincial park, I would rent a car and spend one of your days on Salt Spring Island. It is about 35 minutes to drive to the ferry from downtown Victoria, and about 45 minutes on the boat. Ruckle Park is beautiful for a walk and a picnic (I wouldn't say this qualifies as a hike), go hang out in Ganges (the village centre of the town), consider going on a Saturday and checking out the market. Go buy some local cheese and wine, eat it on a rocky beach, and so on.
If you feel like venturing out on a transit bus, you could bus (#50) to Goldstream Park on Vancouver Island. It is a provincial park that encompasses a river, and you could go for a casual walk, or go up a mountain depending on how vigorous you're feeling.
As for where to stay, there are lots of options from B&Bs to large modern hotels, and no doubt lots of options via Air B&B. Anywhere within walking distance of downtown is going to be fine. I might be able to make a better recommendation depending on your needs, but I have never stayed in Victoria as a tourist.
posted by jamaal at 3:58 PM on March 31, 2016 [4 favorites]
I highly recommend taking a sea plane between Seattle and wherever you end up going. The views are amazing and it is a fun flight. You do need to be prepared for low weight limits on luggage or for paying extra, but I still think it is totally worth it. http://kenmoreair.com
posted by Shanda at 5:28 PM on March 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Shanda at 5:28 PM on March 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
In / near Victoria, You could also stay at Sooke Harbour House or in the town of Oak Bay.
Victoria would definitely be a nice place to do the things you want to do.
posted by Heart_on_Sleeve at 8:44 PM on March 31, 2016
Victoria would definitely be a nice place to do the things you want to do.
posted by Heart_on_Sleeve at 8:44 PM on March 31, 2016
a word on Kenmore Air r/ts from Seattle and back: they require no fog on the harbor in Victoria to fly out of Victoria, which means the earlier in the day your flight is scheduled to leave, the likelier it is it will be delayed. Midsummer, that may not be that big a factor. But it is a factor.
posted by mwhybark at 1:03 AM on April 1, 2016
posted by mwhybark at 1:03 AM on April 1, 2016
Depending on your activity level, renting bikes in Victoria and riding out to Thetis Lake provincial park or Goldstream provincial park is a nice way to spend an afternoon and get a swim in. There are trails made from abandoned rail lines that are very nice. The ocean is really, really cold. I apologize if that seems really obvious, but it was a huge surprise to me as an Upper Canadian.
Mount Douglas (more of a big hill) is in Victoria but has some good views. Mount Finlayson is just outside of town but reachable by public transit and is a lovely hike.
posted by LegallyBread at 1:12 PM on April 1, 2016
Mount Douglas (more of a big hill) is in Victoria but has some good views. Mount Finlayson is just outside of town but reachable by public transit and is a lovely hike.
posted by LegallyBread at 1:12 PM on April 1, 2016
Response by poster: Thank you, everyone. We booked three nights in Victoria, arriving via the Clipper. The tiny airplane idea scared the shit out of my wife. Can't wait!
posted by look busy at 12:08 PM on April 14, 2016
posted by look busy at 12:08 PM on April 14, 2016
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posted by mikek at 3:40 PM on March 31, 2016