The line, "Newlyweds, nearly dead, and flowerbeds," was what people used to say about Victoria, British Columbia, roughly 75 miles southwest of Vancouver. You'll still hear it, but as locals will tell you, it is not reality anymore.
Victoria is Canada's best kept secret with a combination of the country's best weather, picturesque scenery, and historic architecture. Being surrounded by water means that Victoria seldom gets below freezing and rarely gets over 80 degrees. It is also relatively dry; Vancouver gets twice as much rain.
The city's charms are not lost on the high tech industry, which is booming now. The tech companies are able to more easily entice workers with the perk of living in a beautiful city with housing costs that are a little more affordable than Vancouver. The techies are helping to lower the demographic age well below the "nearly dead."
Victoria is the capital of British Columbia and government is its biggest employer, followed by high tech and tourism. The greater Victoria area has a population of nearly 350,000 people, compared with nearly 2.5 million in the metro Vancouver area. The geography is a little confusing because Victoria is on Vancouver Island, which is a huge island three times the size of the Big Island of Hawaii, but Vancouver is not on the island. It is on the BC mainland.
Similarities to SF
Victoria is very much historically connected with San Francisco despite being more than 700 miles apart. Like San Francisco, gold put Victoria on the map. About 10 years after the original 49ers flocked to San Francisco, Victoria had its own gold rush. Some of the 49ers headed north to follow the gold after prospects dried up in northern California. Victoria boasts North America's second-oldest Chinatown, after San Francisco, because of the gold rush. Many Chinese came to the town, selling needed supplies and not-so-needed services in the red light district that flourished in Chinatown with brothels, opium dens, and gambling houses.
In the late 1800s, Vancouver was once little more than a train depot servicing Victoria. Passengers and cargo were ferried to Victoria after making it to the last stop in Vancouver. But by the early part of the 20th century Vancouver came into its own. The railroad meant that it was a lot more practical to do business on the mainland and there wasn't much reason to go to Victoria after the gold rush.
The early evolution of Victoria is part of the reason why tourists flock there today. There wasn't the big economic pressure to tear down the old buildings in the city to make way for high rises as there was in Vancouver. Victoria still retains some of the charm that got swallowed up in big cities.
Like San Francisco, Victoria has a long history of tolerance. Back in 1865 it was the first city in North America to elect a Jewish mayor, Lumley Franklin, who had followed his brother, Selim, to Victoria from San Francisco. Selim Franklin was elected to the BC legislature even earlier, in 1858. In 1866 Victoria elected a black city councilman, who was acting mayor for a time. And that evolution continued through the late 20th century with the city's warm embrace of LGBTs.
Victoria spreads out its Pride weekend over 10 days, including a series of events and, of course, a parade. The parade celebrated its 22nd year earlier this month. Two of the city's intersections are permanently painted in rainbow colors in tribute to the LGBT community.
While Victoria has no gay neighborhoods, LGBTs are integrated and accepted throughout the city. Victoria's one gay bar, Paparazzi, is conveniently situated downtown (http://www.paparazzinightclub.com). The bar's address is 642 Johnson Street, but if you go by that address, you won't find it because the entrance is around the corner on Broad Street. The bar's attractions include dancing, drag shows, and karaoke. Like California, bars in Victoria close at 2 a.m. but when it comes to drinking, it is a little looser there. The drinking age in British Columbia is 19.
Despite its size, Victoria has a thriving theater scene. Intrepid Theater hosts an LGBT-themed series of presentations in late June called Outstages. The Victoria Fringe Theater Festival is also very gay-popular and gets underway in late August, running through early September. It showcases new and uncensored work and all the proceeds go to the artists. The theater is very active year round.
Sights
When in Victoria, do like the locals do: walk. Along with Vancouver, Victoria deservedly ranks as one of Canada's most walkable cities. One of the best ways to get the lay of the land is through one of Discover the Past walks (https://discoverthepast.com/). The most popular are the Ghostly Walks but the Discovery and Chinatown tours are every bit as compelling, thanks to the walk leaders who combine a passion for history with a talent for storytelling. Respected local historian John Adams runs the company and regularly leads tours. He passed along his enthusiasm for history to his son, Chris, and his other well-trained guides.
Victoria has some amazing stories that are recounted on the walk. One of the most famous includes a love triangle involving Francis Rattenbury, the famed architect who designed BC's Parliament buildings. After his own scandalous personal history, he was murdered by the young man who was having an affair with his wife. The killer eventually went on to become a World War II hero.
Victoria is very bicycle-friendly and one of the best overall tours of the city is by bicycle. The Pedaler (http://www.thepedaler.ca) offers some great city tours that take sightseers through parks and bike trails not accessible by car and too far to walk. The guides are well versed on Victoria history and have good insider tips for first-time visitors.
Victoria's most famous attraction is Butchart Gardens (http://www.butchartgardens.com), about a half-hour drive outside of downtown. The property's 55 acres of public gardens has been in operation for over 100 years. The former quarry was transformed from an eyesore to one of the world's most beautiful gardens. It is open year round with evening summer entertainment, including a spectacular fireworks show. Christmastime is also big in the gardens with the property adorned in holiday lights. The best way to get there is by a CVS bus (no connection with the drug store chain). CVS, as well as Gray Line, also run excellent overall tours of the city.
The focal point for tourism in Victoria is its iconic harbor, fronted on one side by the Empress Hotel and other by the Parliament buildings, which are outlined at night by a string of lights. Gardens are everywhere in Victoria and fittingly, flowers spell out "Welcome Victoria" on the slope of the seawall in front of the Parliament buildings.
The aforementioned Chinatown is another big Victoria attraction. Despite San Francisco's Chinatown being older, the buildings in Victoria's Chinatown are older because of the 1906 earthquake and fire that destroyed San Francisco. The most famous Chinatown attraction is Fan Tan Alley, which is only about 35 inches wide at its narrowest point. A scene from the 1990 Goldie Hawn and Mel Gibson movie Bird on a Wire was shot there. Be sure to stop by the Fan Tan Trading Store. It includes a display of artifacts of Chinatown, including items used to play the fan tan gambling game for which the alley is named. The shop is nicknamed the "Neverending store" because it meanders away from the alley and onto the street.
The city's biggest open space is Beacon Hill Park, which got its name from the two signal beacons that once helped ships avoid crashing on the rocks off the island's coast. The park includes a number of gardens as well as a children's petting zoo. The zoo and all the attractions in the park are free. By the way, Victoria is not immune from the Pokemon Go craze. You will see parkgoers walking around with glowing smart phones as they go on the hunt.
Accommodations
The gay-owned Dashwood Manor Seaside Bed and Breakfast (http://www.dashwoodmanor.com) is perfectly situated across the street from Beacon Hill Park on one side and the ocean on another. The couple who own the property are very much hands on. Michael Dwyer cooks up delicious gourmet breakfasts and his partner, David Marshall, helps with serving and taking reservations. It has all the character of the historic home that it is with the amenities you will find in the finest modern hotels.
The gay-owned Albion Manor Bed and Breakfast (www.albionmanor.com) is another charming option in Victoria. The 1892 Victorian mansion is decorated with artwork throughout. The owners, Fernando Garcia and Don Halton, are artists and their artistic touches are evident throughout the property.
If you prefer a full service hotel, you would be hard pressed to do better than the Parkside Hotel and Spa (http://www.parksidevictoria.com), in downtown, just a couple of blocks from the Empress Hotel. The hotel includes a full service spa as well as a large indoor swimming pool and fitness room. A theater in the hotel has free movies for guests daily. The hotel worked with Victoria Pride earlier this month for a special Pride package.
If you want to be a part of history, the Fairmont Empress Hotel (http://www.fairmont.com/empress-victoria) is the city's oldest hotel and one of the most luxurious. The hotel has kept its historic facade while almost constantly modernizing and updating itself with the best amenities and furnishings that high-end travelers demand.
For more information, Victoria's official tourism web site is http://www.tourismvictoria.com/.