# Victoria B.C.- One day trip?



## hsintang (Jun 13, 2007)

We will be staying in Birch Bay for the July 4 week.  Since there is not much going on in Birch Bay itself.  I am currenting collecting information and plan the week.  We are traveling with a 11 and 6 yr old and would like to go museums, parks, beaches, and relax.
Plan to visit vancouver for a day or two, clam catching/oyster farm/blue berry filed for one day, and Seattle...etc
My question is if we can only spend one day in Victoria, what should we do?  What's the best way to take the ferry near Birch bay?
Any other suggestions on the activities for Birch Bay area?

Thanks in advance,

Yvette


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## tompalm (Jun 13, 2007)

Victoria has one of the best museums I have ever been to and it is great for kids.  Also, the ferry ride is a lot of fun.  When you get to Victoria, they have a small water taxi that hold about 10 people and goes around the bay.  It is cheap and fun to ride.  Take a tour of the parliament building.  It is all excellent.


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## BevL (Jun 13, 2007)

Your best bet for the ferry to Victoria is to cross into Canada via I-5 changing to Highway 99 once you cross the border.  Blaine is literally the border town on that route.  It's a short drive up 99 to the turnoff on HIghway 17 for the ferry out in Tsawwassen (pronounced Ta WAS sen).  Try to avoid early morning, as the traffic can be rather heavy, although it usually isn't too bad up to highway 17 where you have to get off.  As well, if you're travelling in the summer, I'd definitely suggest reservations.  You can reserve there at http://www.bcferries.com/res/

Allow enough time for border crossing as well.  It can be quite heavy during the summer.

Your children would probably enjoy the ferry ride as much as anything, it's beautiful scenery.  There is currently a Titanic exhibition in Victoria, a friend went and it's very interactive, although it may be a bit boring for children the age of yours.

Bev


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## travelbug (Jun 13, 2007)

I suggest coming into Seattle, spending a day here and one night.  The second day take the Victoria Clipper to Victoria.  The clipper is a passenger only boat that takes 2 hours each way.  There is early morning sailings and evening sailings so one can do Victoria in a day.  Then your choice would be to stay one more night in Seattle or drive 90 minutes back to Birch Bay.

Taking the canadian ferries is a beautiful ride, but long ferry waits.

Be sure to schedule a tour of Butchart Gardens out of Victoria.  

http://www.butchartgardens.com/ 

http://www.victoriaclipper.com/ 

A lovely day excursion from Birch Bay would be to go to Mount Baker.  There are gorgeous vistas at the mountain.  The trip is beautiful too.

You will have alot of fun here.

Marilyn


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## Zac495 (Jun 13, 2007)

LOVE IT! Check out my picture trail - it's all about Victoria!!! (I mean - the Victoria album.


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## Victoria (Jun 13, 2007)

You will love Victoria!  If you take the clipper, you will arrive in the Inner Harbour - right by the Museum and buses to Butcharts.  If you take the Tsawwasswn ferry, the one hour and forty minute cruise is much more scenic, and you will have a forty -five minute drive to downtown Victoria.  I think you will need to overnight here if you plan to do Butcharts and the BC Museum.  Right now the Titanic display is here, and it is magnificent!


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## MarkSilver (Jun 13, 2007)

I agree with the above information.  I live in Seattle and go to Vancouver and Victoria one a year or so.  I have a 4 and 6 year old.  Feel free to PM me, and ask specific questions.  The nice thing about taking the ferry from Twassen (sp?) is that you can make reservations, and you will know that you are getting on, versus taking the Washington State Ferry there.  You should have a GREAT time.

Mark


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## Canuck (Jun 13, 2007)

I grew up in Victoria and still visit family every year.  I know Victoria and Vancouver well.  I have 2 boys 6 & 8.

The museum is really good, but there are MANY other things to do.  There are some great beaches (check out this website for Witty's Lagoon....great kid beach)

http://www.explorevancouverisland.com/Wittys_Lagoon_Vancouver_Island_BC.htm, 

the Inner Harbor is fun the and the little mini ferry is great with kids.  Also, down on the dock in the Inner Harbor there is usually entertainers performing, the Empress Hotel (across from the Harbor) is lovely and has afternoon tea (great for little girls), Beacon Hill Park is fun and there is a petting zoo on the grounds.  The Break Water is fun to walk along as long as your kids are "jumpers".  Beacon Drive Inn has the BEST soft serve ice cream!


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## marcmuff (Jun 13, 2007)

We spent a week at Birch Bay last October.  We went to Victoria one day, Vancouver one day and several places in Washington.  I have 11 albums of pictures of our trip on my webshots website.  Click on the webshots link below.


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## hsintang (Jun 13, 2007)

Thank you all for these wonderful tips and suggestions.  It will take me a while to digest  

Yvette


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## hsintang (Jun 13, 2007)

Thanks for Muriel and Ellen's photo albums.  Is it possible to do Victoria in a day?  Is parking a problem for the popular tourist spots?  

Yvette


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## hsintang (Jun 14, 2007)

travelbug said:


> The clipper is a passenger only boat that takes 2 hours each way.  Marilyn



Will you be able to tour Victoria without a car??

Yvette


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## Canuck (Jun 14, 2007)

If you stay in the Harbour area you can walk. The museum is in this area as well....but a car would be better.  Parking can be a difficult but we have always lucked out and found a spot.


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## Victoria (Jun 14, 2007)

You will not need a car for a one or two day visit.  There are double decker buses to the gardens, the museum is right downtown, and that is where the clipper docks.  The whale watching tours leave from there as well.  If you have a car, I would use the parkades  downtown for parking.  That way you do not have to keep checking back to feed the hungry meters.  Have fun!


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## hsintang (Jun 14, 2007)

Victoria said:


> You will not need a car for a one or two day visit.  There are double decker buses to the gardens, the museum is right downtown, and that is where the clipper docks.  The whale watching tours leave from there as well.  If you have a car, I would use the parkades  downtown for parking.  That way you do not have to keep checking back to feed the hungry meters.  Have fun!



If I take the ferry from Vancouver, is it possible to leave the car in Vancouver, and tour Victoria without a car for a day?  

Yvette


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## BevL (Jun 15, 2007)

There is parking available to leave your car the Tsawwassen ferry terminal, which is where you would leave from the Vancouver side to go to Victoria.  Only problem is that if you're going during a weekend, it could be full in the summertime.

I think there's also a private parking place a few miles up the road from the terminal.  It might be a bit more expensive but at least an option if the ferry parking was, by chance, full.

My kids routinely leave their car on one side and simply go on as foot passengers - it's A LOT cheaper.

You should know, though, that the ferry from the mainland to Victoria does not dock right downtown.  You would have to bus from the ferry terminal to Victoria.


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## Victoria (Jun 15, 2007)

There is a bus at the terminal where you walk off and it would take you to downtown Victoria.. From there you would take the double decker bus to Butchart Gardens, or just enjoy the many attractions in downtown Victoria.  You would have a hard time doing that all in one day.  The Museum alone would take you a couple of hours.


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