S
spmarshall
Guest
Victoria BC and the E&N Dayliner
My last stop on my western adventure was Victoria BC. Being a bit of a fan of passenger rail, I took the opportunity to take the VIA Vancouver Island service, which also provided a wonderful opportunity to see more of the area, and the ride was definitely different.
Victoria's downtown, and the areas immediately to the south and east are pretty, but that's about it. Interestingly, Victoria has not only one of Canada's greatest concentrations of retirees, but it also has one of Canada's highest violent crime rates - it is up there with Winnipeg and Regina.
Victoria supposedly attracts toursits because of its "British" feel, though apart from a few British pubs and double-decker tour buses, it didn't feel like that to me, but maybe because I've been to Britain.
I took a bus from Pacific Central Station and took the BC Ferry across. The ferry to Victoria passes through American waters, then through the Gulf Islands. It's pretty, but the passage through the islands reminds me of Lake Rosseau.
One of the first sights upon entering downtown Victoria is the abandoned Bay store, which moved into the former Eaton's in what is now the Bay Centre. One of BC Transit's double decker buses is seen.
Downtown Victoria is quite active, catering largely to tourists, but with a strong downtown mall and many good restaurants that also serve the locals.
Chinatown is only one-and-a-half blocks long, and not very exciting.
Talk about faux!
I took these shots from the front of the second deck on one of the new BC Transit buses.
In this shot, taken later in the day, the Olympic Mountains loom to the south.
BC Legislature:
To the south of downtown is the outer harbour and dozens of seniors' apartment buildings. It has a bit of a California feel.
And I visited the other "mile 0" of the Trans-Canada Highway - the other I visited last year in St. John's. Can we not pick one beginning and one end?
I also walked around the east side of downtown, the only other handsome part of the city (I found most of Victoria to be bland, if not ugly). The grounds of the Lieutenant-Governor's estate is open, with a great garden.
I took this picture to show one of the many "Disaster Reponse Route" signs I saw in Vancouver and Victoria.
E&N and Vancouver Island pics are next in this thread.
My last stop on my western adventure was Victoria BC. Being a bit of a fan of passenger rail, I took the opportunity to take the VIA Vancouver Island service, which also provided a wonderful opportunity to see more of the area, and the ride was definitely different.
Victoria's downtown, and the areas immediately to the south and east are pretty, but that's about it. Interestingly, Victoria has not only one of Canada's greatest concentrations of retirees, but it also has one of Canada's highest violent crime rates - it is up there with Winnipeg and Regina.
Victoria supposedly attracts toursits because of its "British" feel, though apart from a few British pubs and double-decker tour buses, it didn't feel like that to me, but maybe because I've been to Britain.
I took a bus from Pacific Central Station and took the BC Ferry across. The ferry to Victoria passes through American waters, then through the Gulf Islands. It's pretty, but the passage through the islands reminds me of Lake Rosseau.
One of the first sights upon entering downtown Victoria is the abandoned Bay store, which moved into the former Eaton's in what is now the Bay Centre. One of BC Transit's double decker buses is seen.
Downtown Victoria is quite active, catering largely to tourists, but with a strong downtown mall and many good restaurants that also serve the locals.
Chinatown is only one-and-a-half blocks long, and not very exciting.
Talk about faux!
I took these shots from the front of the second deck on one of the new BC Transit buses.
In this shot, taken later in the day, the Olympic Mountains loom to the south.
BC Legislature:
To the south of downtown is the outer harbour and dozens of seniors' apartment buildings. It has a bit of a California feel.
And I visited the other "mile 0" of the Trans-Canada Highway - the other I visited last year in St. John's. Can we not pick one beginning and one end?
I also walked around the east side of downtown, the only other handsome part of the city (I found most of Victoria to be bland, if not ugly). The grounds of the Lieutenant-Governor's estate is open, with a great garden.
I took this picture to show one of the many "Disaster Reponse Route" signs I saw in Vancouver and Victoria.
E&N and Vancouver Island pics are next in this thread.
