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I'm attending a conference at the University of Victoria in early June. I've never been on the West coast, so I thought I'd stay a 3-4 days more to look around (my round-trip flight is paid anyways). I really don't know much about the area though, apart from the Canucks, Sequoias (which I'd like to see), and the Rockies. I'd be interested in things that make the place unique. I'm sure there are some great bars/clubs there, but you have those everywhere. I already live in a big city, so they're not really impressive to me. I'm also not sure if I should privilege Victoria over Vancouver, or vice versa. Anything of archeological, geological, botanic, and general scientific interest is welcome. So I guess I'm leaning more towards nature and outdoors-y type stuff (no camping though, don't have gear and will be alone).
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| # ? Jan 18, 2013 16:49 |
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| # ? May 22, 2013 09:28 |
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Butchart Gardens near Victoria. Incredible.
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| # ? Jan 18, 2013 17:32 |
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Since you said you're interested in outdoorsy things... when I went I hiked up Mt. Finlayson in Victoria. The hike was really pretty and not too intense. It took about an hour to get to the top and an hour to get back down. Plus there are trees like this one! 
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| # ? Jan 18, 2013 20:01 |
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Royal BC Museum is the best museum in the province if you're into museum exhibits. Has stuff about our ecology and history. And Charlie Chaplin's The Gold Rush playing in its entirety. Worth spending a few hours at if you're in the city of Victoria. Otherwise if you're into hiking, there are a whole bunch of trails on Vancouver's north shore heading into the mountains. Many can be done in one day. My favourite is the Lions Binkert Trail. If you have a car and can go further north, the Stawamus Chief trails and Garibaldi Park trails are also very nice for day trips.
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| # ? Jan 18, 2013 20:47 |
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From Victoria, you could drive out to the ocean for the day. The drive takes a while due to all of the 30 km/hr curves but is worth it if you like rugged coastal scenery, beaches, and tide pools.
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| # ? Jan 19, 2013 00:21 |
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Do the Grouse Grind in North Vancouver! Also I'm not sure why you included Rockies in your post as they're like an 8 hour drive from Vancouver. Science World in Vancouver is pretty cool if you like somewhat-kids-based-but-still-fun-for-adults type stuff. But yeah as another poster mentioned there's also the Royal BC Museum which is even better. Since you like trees, if you have access to a car and are willing to drive around 3 hours each way you could always drive to Cathedral Grove, which has a Douglas Fir with an over 9 meter radius that's 76 meters tall. Honestly, if science is what you're after, Victoria has the better museums and that sort of thing. The Buchart gardens are in fact amazing. Vancouver does have better hiking and outdoor activities though.
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| # ? Jan 19, 2013 02:19 |
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| # ? May 22, 2013 09:28 |
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Victoria-centric reply here! If you're at UVic anyway, they have a garden right on campus: http://www.uvic.ca/finnerty. Butchart Gardens is a little out of the way but really is amazing. Don't feel like you have to go in the middle of the day. The sun is up early/late (~5am-9pm) that time of year and they have lights on at night. Hours change throughout the year, you can check them out for when you'll specifically be in town here. (EDIT: If you decide to go to Butchart Gardens, you might also be interested in Butterfly Gardens which is nearby.) If you're interested in astronomy, there's an Observatory in Victoria: http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/eng/outreach/cu/index.html. Go on a clear night! I don't know enough to recommend a specific location or company, but whale watching is another option at that time of year, too. If you take the ferry between Victoria and Vancouver you might see some regardless.  For archaeological interests, there's a blog here: http://qmackie.wordpress.com. Oak Bay and Willows beach are mentioned on there a lot, and are relatively close to UVic if they catch your eye. Also nearby is the Ross Bay Cemetery, Clover Point, and Beacon Hill Park (this is also close to the museum and downtown). If you visit the Royal BC Museum it's probably worth spending some time walking around the core of downtown Victoria, there are some neat old buildings and roads in that area, and it's very pretty right along the waterfront. Definitely poke your head in the Chinatown area of both/either Victoria and Vancouver. Ghost walks can be pretty fun in Victoria, they have some cheesy elements but delve into talking about the history of the city as well: http://www.discoverthepast.com/gwalks.htm. Visiting this site I just noticed they also offer Chinatown walks - I haven't done one of these, personally, so I can't vouch for it either way, but if it's anything like their ghost walks it'll be good. You'd have to actively try to go wrong with dining in Vic/Van, but if you haven't been to the West Coast before make sure you try out some of the local dishes (especially seafood and some of the weird fusion cuisine we have happening). It's also very difficult to go wrong with parks and hiking in the area, if those interest you! Another option is to rent a kayak for a few hours or go on a tour in one.
kaom fucked around with this message at Jan 25, 2013 around 08:48 |
| # ? Jan 24, 2013 05:12 |
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