Although I’ve been trying to drink in the PNW this summer, I recently realized that I’ve hardly been across the border to my northern neighbor. So last weekend I grabbed my best friend and my passport and headed for Victoria, B.C.
Cancelled ferries and missed buses whittled the two day trip into more of 1 1/2. But we managed to fit in the essentials: good food, new friends, and cityscapes, so I’m not worried about it.
Part I: The Arrival
Instead of taking the Clipper boat from Seattle or the less-expensive Washington State Ferry from Port Townsend, we found the ferry from Anacortes to Sidney, B.C. to be the most convenient…at least until they cancelled one sailing and then we had to scramble to find the bus into Victoria. But it all worked out!
Even after all the delays, we made it to our hostel in one piece. For what HI Victoria lacks in updated facilities and security (no room keys, gulp), it makes up for in location. Downtown, in the midst of bars and restaurants and shopping and since I have my priorities straight of course we went for food first.
Sult Pierogie Bar was my first (delicious) taste of this liberal city’s artisan flair.
Soon an after-dinner drink was in order–Victorians are apparently very proud of their craft beer, and certainly many of them were out to appreciate it: the Drake was packed and bustling as we laughed with new friends and got schooled on Canadian territories. (Pro tip: do NOT call them “States” unless you want to cause an uproar).
I’ve often found that those unplanned late nights are the ones with the sweetest memories. Eating $2 pizza and salsa dancing as we wandered aimlessly through the streets and then ending up across the bridge to watch the harbor lights reflect on the water was pretty sweet to me.
Part II: The Morning After
We woke up the next morning with one thing on our mind: more food. One of our new Canadian comrades from the night before told us that there’s more brunch spots per capita in Victoria than anywhere else in Canada. I’m not sure if that’s true, but the one we found was more than enough for me!
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When we showed up at Mo:Lé, it seemed like half the neighborhood had the same idea. So we hopped next door to the trendy Habit coffee and caffeinated while we waited for seats to open up.
Once they did, there were mimosas and potatoes au gratin and poached eggs galore. Minimalistic without losing personality, Molé serves up comfort food in an imaginative way. We left stuffed and happy.
And if you want to spend a Saturday thrifting…
perusing street markets…
and meeting Canadian friends…
…Victoria’s got you covered.
Part III: The Big Finish
I know all we had done up to this point was brunch, shop, and make our way downtown, but by the time we had to head back to the ferry, the bestie and I were beat.
We sorted through our Canadian coins to find the $2.50 to take the hour long bus back up to Sidney, my stomach grumbling the whole way. Which is what led us to our last (and my favorite) stop: Julien Creperie Co. It’s coming across gems like this that make me love traveling.
The brightly lit shop was cheerful and stylish, and the stone took center stage–half the fun of eating a crepe is watching it being made, after all. And waiting amidst all the mouthwatering savory aromas was well worth it! I left with a pesto/mushroom treat that had me satisfied long after the ferry pulled out from the Sidney dock.
Watching Canada shrink on the horizon was a relief and a sadness. Between late nights and long commutes, it was an exhausting weekend. But Victoria, B. C. gets an eh-plus all the same. Til next time, Canada!
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