We Didn't Expect Victoria to Look Like THIS... (Vancouver Island)
Video Overview & Insights
We're in Victoria, BC on Vancouver Island and after so many of you told us how beautiful this city was, we were very excited to finally see what all the fuss was about! 😮
😆James Bay is 35 feet behind you! Hope you enjoyed it! Great videos, keep them coming! So refreshing to see people experience this country for the first time. I hope to do the same in your country!
We’ve made it over to Vancouver Island in our 40-year-old Chevrolet G20 campervan, and Victoria is our first big destination of this part of our Canada trip. As the capital city of British Columbia, we knew it was going to be pretty… but we definitely didn't expect THIS 😍
In this video, we spend two days exploring Victoria, we take one of the cutest modes of public transport we’ve ever seen, visit Canada’s oldest surviving Chinatown, walk along Government Street, seeing the Parliament Buildings, and taking in the beautiful Inner Harbour... 👀
The third flag you saw in the Government building is actually the Royal Navy ensign. Victoria used to be a British naval base in the 1800s👍
The next day, we head over to James Bay and Fisherman’s Wharf, where we try the "world famous" fish and chips at Barb’s, explore the colourful floating homes, walk along the Ogden Point Breakwater, drive along Dallas Road, visit Mile Zero, and stop by one of Victoria’s famous totem poles! 😊
Guys, have you been to Victoria, BC? What did you think of it and is there anywhere else on Vancouver Island we absolutely need to visit? Comment below! 👇
Are you planning a trip across Canada? I'm so excited to experience it through your eyes. I've traveled across the country 4 times. Get in touch if you'd like some insight on provincial camping parks to stay and for amazing hiking and sight seeing experiences.
Also, when you get to Nova Scotia, make sure to connect. I used to live in BC (been loving seeing my old home again) and am now back in Nova Scotia (where I grew up). I can give you lots of tips and sights to see and if you need a place to land and get your bearings, you're more than welcome to park in my driveway.
☕ Buy us a coffee (or two) 😉
🔗 https://ko-fi.com/jamesandjosietravel
There's a reason you don't see anyone swimming. It's very, very cold.
📌 Chapters:
00:00 Water Taxi & Market Square
No. The Canadian house of Parliament is in Ottawa. What you are looking at there is the Provincial Parliament for the Province of British Columbia.
05:33 Chinatown & Fan Tan Alley
07:26 Government Street & Inner Harbour
I consumed a lot of beer in the Empress Hotel night club back in 1971 when I was doing my basic training in Esquimalt for the Royal Canadian Navy. It rained twice while I was there and both times it only rained at night. Beautiful public flower gardens in Victoria.
Cheers: BJ
11:12 Government Building
15:00 Fisherman's Wharf
enjoying your early Travels thru this magnificent county,,,,, BUT,,,,, Please,,
oh Please just don't drive thru the southernt parts of, Alberta,, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba,... you have deviate northward , off, of the number 1 highway, for these Three Provivces,, there is so much more to see than the number 1 highway can offer... Please
20:23 Ogden Point Breakwater, Mile Zero & Beacon Hill Park
27:45 Bloopers
My family lives out there. I love Victoria. I’d love to move there at this point. I’m in Toronto, which I’m really fond of. I love the fact that you too admire that city so much. there’s a lot to like.
More User Perspectives
Have you done High Tea at the Empress yet? A must do. I loved it.
@ashley3471The top of the British Columbia flag depicts the Royal Union Flag, reflecting B.C.’s British heritage, with the King Edward crown in the centre representing the Royal Family. Below is a setting sun, representing B.C.’s position as Canada’s westernmost province.
The wavy white and blue lines symbolize B.C.’s location between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains.
I live in Victoria and I definitely take it for granted. Seeing Vic through you eyes make it fun and enjoyable. I have travelled across Canada twice and I still feel I haven't seen enough of my country. Canada truly is beautiful and I sense you will love the entire country once you are done your travels.
@sunnysalmon5757Glad you guys are are enjoying the crown jewel of BC! The Island as we call it,is where many of us living in the prairie provinces, like Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, would like to live, especially in the winter time or any time .Although the prices of houses, and rent can be a little pricey
Just remember , you are just Looking at the tip of the iceberg, regarding the beauty of Vancouver Island
Although there are many Nice places to live, the a lot of Vancouver Island is actually untamed wilderness.,,,,which can be accessed via old unused logging roads.Just remember to bring a chainsaw,as many are not maintained ,so you must be prepared to clear the roadway, periodically, of downed trees 🙂
Be prepared to get your hiking boots on, and start exploring!
I've lived here in Victoria for the past 36 years (grew up in Manitoba and went to school in Montreal before moving here). So fun to see people discovering where I live! You will probably hear a lot of accents from the UK - there are a lot of ex-pats living here. If you go to any grocery store like a Save-On-Foods you'll even find a British section if you're homesick. I see you're getting a lot of recommendations in the comments. Enjoy your stay here and Happy Canada Day (tomorrow!).
@robertfraser485Another bit of advice: make a checklist of all the things to do to prepare for travel -- and write it down. This stuff's mostly "well duh!" obvious, but it can be easy to forget a step, especially once you've been living in the van for a few months and familiarity is starting to breed contempt. Things like: disconnect from shore power and water; grey-water bucket; close the overhead vents; close and lock all exterior hatches (whether or not theft is a concern -- locking them is an extra safeguard against them coming open while in motion); lock the side and rear doors (same reason); clear off tables and counters; make sure the inside cabinet doors and drawers are latched; don't forget the levellers (there's a van-lifer YouTuber who's notorious for driving off without them 🙂 ) ... and all the other things you'll discover over time...
Also, if you're not familiar with engine braking -- using the engine instead of the brakes to control your speed on a long descent -- learn about it before heading into the mountains.
I hope you will visit Butchart Gardens while you are in Victoria. When I was a child, (1958) I stayed in The Royal Suite of the Empress Hotel for a week. Just two weeks prior to me staying there Princess Margaret had stayed there in the same suite... Yes, it is for the Royal Family if ever they come to Victoria. My favourite place to eat in Victoria is the James Bay Tea Room. You could spend a whole year just on Vancouver Island. You could see the tallest waterfall in Canada taller than the Empire State building Della Falls in Strathcona Park on Vancouver Island. Or even Elk Falls park at Campbell River on Vancouver Island... Or you could see the amazing buildings at Cowichan where the town painted the buildings in such a cool way. DO NOT MISS BUTCHART GARDENS IN VICTORIA.
@DakiniwomanGlad you are having fun. You will have GREAT memories from EVERY Province but so Glad that you started with mine :) :) Im in Vancouver. Definitely need to hit up Stanley Park on your journey east.
@PhilipEllis-k6b@James and Josie Travel come to Campbell River for Canada Day. Some of the best in BC.
@guillaumebellrose7863Another Canadian here (in Toronto), vicariously enjoying your enjoyment of my country.
Some practical stuff that would make more sense as a comment to your previous videos, but I just discovered you today, so I'm putting this on your latest one so you'll have a better chance of seeing it...
Canadian Tire is great for shopping -- I'm in my local one all the time -- but I've had bad experiences getting vehicles repaired there. For one thing, they love to try to upsell you on repairs you don't need. For another, well, my car's previous owner took it in there to get it safety checked for transfer to me, but I wanted to take it to the indie mechanic I've been using for years. Suffice to say, Can. Tire said the car needed brake work that it didn't need -- but completely missed the obvious frame rust that did need fixing to make the thing roadworthy. I simply no longer trust them.
Other store chains for outdoor gear: Mountain Equipment Company (MEC), SAIL, Bass Pro. Those are higher-end than Can. Tire with prices accordingly, but for those few items you've decided you need quality on, or if there's something you can't find, they're worth checking out. (Americans: they're basically our equivalent to REI.)
Some specific items that are worth having on hand since you'll be venturing cross-country -- you probably know some of these, but I'll mention them just in case:
- spare fuses (both for the truck proper and for the house electrical, which may be different styles and/or amperages)
- a roll each of hockey tape (see below) and electrical tape
- a good utility knife -- doesn't need to be super expensive. (I like a folding one so I can stick it in my pocket, but want it to lock open for safety while in use, but that's personal preference)
- battery-powered jump starter, just in case. (You'll need a beefy one for that van. Youtube channel "Project Farm" reviews them periodically)
- tire inflator, also just in case
Hockey tape, as its name suggests, is intended for taping hockey sticks, but the stuff is awesome general-purpose cloth tape, with 101 uses while travelling. Look for it in the sporting-goods section at Can. Tire (though I'm not sure if it's available this time of year).
Just joined and I'm coming along for the journey to see you get to the Atlantic Ocean. That's where I am, in New Brunswick. Your about a 45 min ferry ride away from my daughter on Pender Island, BC. It's beautiful there.
@SimplyJustKristaLove your fish 'n chips experience, can't wait to see you drive across Canada and hit the east coast and find out what Newfoundland has to offer!
@martinstepanek9252I moved from Victoria 9 years ago. I lived there for 8 years, the reason i moved there is because I was a Chef and there are many great spots to work and learn
@chaeclark8118Its not a tourist attraction. Its just the wharf.
@OzzybinOswaldAnd the adventure continues!
Enjoy, be safe, you will be shocked how big Canada really is, drove it twice, took the train once.
When you get to Manitoba, don't miss Grand Beach.
@GordonPattie-o8vcome to windsor where we are south of the united states
@caliberinstallI went to Victoria for a vacation from Edmonton and never left Victoria. Best decision I made
@kimmoulton8868All I ask is when driving across Canada you take your time and see all the amazing places that so many people miss when they drive all day and get across in less than a week. Every region of this country has amazing sights and attractions. If you get across and it took you less than a few months than you went to fast. I grew up in the mountains and now live in the capital been across many times if your ever looking for advice etc.
@jpbeaucheminI live in Port Alberni if you decide to come here I can recommend places. Loving this series and loving the enthusiasm. keep it up
@berrymuffin420I got married on that boat # 9 also you missed out on the biscuit place Shanzees I assume you made it at the Drake, which is not great. Finest at the sea has way better fish and chips. Everything in the fisherman wharf is a tourist trap.
@Cantfunction1386As a Canadian I love seeing it through a visitor prospective
@maureenmiller9861Vancouver Island, tip to tip, is beautiful. Tofino area is one of my favourite places to visit in Canada. Cathedral Forest is stunning. Haida Gwaii is such a spiritual place! Etc etc etc
@davidroberts6766Welcome to Victoria! If you're looking for something fun to do for Canada Day tomorrow come and check out the boat building competition in Sidney (12-4pm and teams race their home made boats at 4:45pm). It's great fun!
@christinecooper993Go park along Esquimalt Lagoon on Ocean Blvd and look at the mountains across water while you walk along the beach. Also, Royal Roads(aka Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters) is behind you across the lagoon. Spectacular views all around.
@sevenfolds6004Haha walk 2 blocks to James Bay... and dallas road. You'll love it. Try the restaurant by the breakwater ..and walk out to the lighthouse
@cathybhandarIt's funny seeing an outside perspective on the places we visit so often. I just went up to cumberland / comox area last weekend with my friends. Food, drinks, and mountain views up there are great. I would definitely recommend going up there (few hours north of victoria) before you guys leave or if you visit again.
@Riley-1GLuv their reactions to first drink of a London Fog 🤣😁🤭
@RK604-abcLots of movies are shot here. An old one but good is Bird on a Wire filmed part in fan tan alley and Chinatown. So lucky to be born here 68 years ago !
@cathybhandarThe best place in Victoria area is Craigflower creek, the part that is in a finger of Thetis lake park. You have to find it on the map and drive in the turnoff from Watkiss way.
@Martin-x5n4wMost planting here in Ontario happens on Queen Victoria Day, otherwise known as May 24! It’s not always on that date, but represents the first weekend of true camping and having a case “24” of beer!
@d1ablomaxFun! For fish and chips, maybe also consider the world-famous Red Fish, Blue Fish, but be prepared for a lineup -- it's considered some of the best f & c in the world. Also great is the fishmonger's just off of the Fisherman's Wharf, which is Finest At Sea. All three are same-day-fresh, just very different approaches.
I live in James Bay and it's a pretty good life. You enjoy Canada. :)
Visit the NEW world's tallest totem pole up in Alert Bay! Woohoo.
The Ogden Point breakwater without railings was terrifying to me as a kid when I lived in Victoria, but my parents made me and my brother walk to the lighthouse and back every weekend. So glad they have railings now!
@2cats1gurlWould have loved to see her eyes when she tasted the tea! His words were mine-stupid😂
@marcberthelette831Drive up Island over the Malahat Highway with a pit stop in Chemanus for a coffee and the best lemon bars anywhere. Continue to Parksville and stay for a couple of nights at the Pacific Palms RV resort right on the best beach on Vancouver Island
Have dinner (exceptional Linguine Vongole) at the Trio restaurant on Craig Street, enjoy the clam chowder at the Beach Club next door and don’t miss dining at the little outside patio at the Rod & Gun Club Pub’s restaurant side
Omigosh I remember when the pickle boats cost $6!
@ToriKlassen1I was born and raised in Victoria and reside up island in the Comox Valley. Hopefully you'll be able to come visit. I love Victoria and still call it home.
@maureenmellish8721Very, cool...Victoria, BC, is very cool place to visit. Hope you are enjoying Victoria.
@elizabethflood8994London Fog is absolutely crazy fantastic! Glad you enjoyed☺️sometimes those plantings are switched out seasonally, so possibly something is going to be installed for Canada Day/summer?
@katastrophicfailure99When you guys drive through BC, I definitely recommend taking the crows nest highway and making sure you stop in Keremeos (the fruit stand capital of the world), and Osoyoos. But make sure to stop at Spotted Lake right in between the 2. It's directly on the highway, you kind of see it coming up on the right and theres a little pull over spot. It's one of the most unique lakes in the world and the only one of its kind. Look up photos to see what I mean. It may be a little dried out by the time you get there but that's one of the things that makes it cool. Looks different every month
@asmrnicole2638Vancouver has the little boats that will take you around as well. They are on a schedule from stop to stop.
@pgbrandonCongrats on hitting 30K subs!!
@pvdogs2