Every once in a while, when I begin forming the words to describe a place to you, I can’t capture it. I go back through my photos, deciding what to cover and what to cut. The scenery, the special people, all the dog friendly places, the unique experiences, the moments that will stay with me for ever.
Victoria has been my biggest challenge. I have been wrestling with this post in my head for nearly six weeks … starting it and deleting it over and over again … slowly facing the fear that I might never do it justice. But, not painting this picture isn’t an option – even if I’m working with finger paints and stick people. So, I’m trying something different. Pictures say a thousand words, and a photographic tour may be the best way to show you this city that I can’t seem to find a way to describe.
A Photo Tour of Victoria
We’ll start out in Esquimalt, a neighborhood just west of downtown, at a community of floating homes. It’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen – each one is built on a floating platform, and as you can see, they’re all completely different!
From here, we could grab a ferry (they’re pet friendly!), but this is where the paved path around the harbor begins. It’s a 40 minute walk to downtown, the views are great, and there’s constant entertainment as the ferries and sea planes go by.
When we cross the Johnson Street bridge, we’ll only be a few blocks from High End Dog Bakery. Trust me, the quality and service are HIGH END, but the prices are not. Let’s stop by – if we don’t, Buster and Ty will never forgive us – and you really should see Dragon Alley and the rest of Chinatown.
Oh, that’s so sweet – they were expecting us!
Getting the boys to follow our lead should be no problem now! :-D
Next, let’s head over the the harbor. I think there’s a wooden boat festival going on, and on the way we’ll check out the outdoor eateries on Bastion Square.
Hey, look! There’s our buddy Mickey from the Fido and Wino blog. I love it when we run into friends along the way. Let’s all take a walk past the Parliament Buildings and out to Laurel Point Park.
It’s time for a splash at the off-leash beaches at Dallas Road and Arbutus Cove. To get there, we’re going to have to jump in the car. (It’s a good thing we’ve got a friend in town! Thanks for hauling us around, Jim.)
Next, we have to go up to Fisherman’s Wharf to feed the seals (and a couple of interloping river otters). There’s a vendor that sells little bags of frozen herring chunks, and one of the seals seems to think that floating on his back will get him more treats.
From Fisherman’s Wharf, it’s just a short drive up to Mount Douglas park. If we hurry we’ll be able to check out the views before it gets dark. I’ve heard you get a nice look at Mount Baker (in Washington state) from up there.
Whew, that was a busy day. There’s still so much to see, but I’m ready to park on Beach Drive and watch the moon come up over Victoria. I hope you enjoyed our day as much as I did.
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Hi Sandy! The car deck is in the belly of the boat, so it’s not exposed to direct sunlight and I remember the temperature down there was pretty comfortable. Though when we arrived and went back down to get the RV, the boat engines had been running and it was warmer – though inside the RV it was still very comfortable. We took the ferry at the end of August. You may want to play it by ear – on a nice day it’s lovely to sit outside and having her along would be fun. But if it’s raining or chilly you might want to leave her in the truck so you can sit inside. I hope that helps and that you have a great trip. Waggin’ trails!
I read that you have kept your dogs in the RV while traveling on the ferry. What time of year did you go, and did the RV get hot inside the ferry? I have an English Bulldog we are taking on the ferry from Port Angeles to Vancouver Island in July. Bulldogs over-heat easily. Would love to leave her in the car, but didn’t know if it got hot inside the ferry where they keep the trucks/cars.
That’s what we’re here for, Denise! Ad I totally get it – planning the trip is half the fun. Have a great time!
OK, here you go helping me out more than I could have hoped for. I was planning to go to Vancouver first and then over to Victoria and back to Vancouver. I can now see the best way to do it is as you described. it’s not for a few months but I am such a planner. I actually enjoy the planning process as much as the trip. :-) thanks a Million!
Hi Denise! You’ll love Victoria – I’m so excited for you to see it!Yes, we did take the RV on the ferry when we went, though you pay by the foot and we had the smaller RV back then. We crossed from Port Angeles (on the Olympic Peninsula) to Victoria, and then took the ferry from Victoria to Vancouver. Here’s a blog post that will tell you more about the ferry crossing: http://gopetfriendlyblog.com/visiting-canada-with-dogs/ If you do take your RV, check with Westbay Marine Village to see if you can get an RV site there – it’s right on the water and there’s a beautiful trail to downtown. If you don’t take the RV on the ferry, I remember there being several parking lots in Port Angeles where you could pay to park while you go. Waggin’ trails!
Ah! Amy, thank you so much for blazing this trail. We are so grateful. It looks like so much fun, we are going to visit everyplace you all went. I do have a question about where you left the RV while in the area? Did you take it on a Ferry across to Victoria and if so, from where? I imagine that is not possible but you never know until you ask. If you did not have the RV on Victoria, where is the best point on the mainland in your mind to “dock” it while you explored Victoria via Ferry?