I have a tough job. I travel to different places all over the world, stay for a few days, and then leave. That’s not the hard part. The problem is that I continually fall in love with these unique destinations and then don’t want to leave. My newest love? Victoria, British Columbia.
I couldn’t have picked a better week to visit Victoria than the first week of May. The sunshine was bright and the flowers were in full bloom. I traveled to Vancouver Island to speak on travel blogging at the fourth annual Social Media Camp, a conference that focuses on the increasing role of social media in our everyday world. After the conference in this lovely city of 80,000, I spent some days experiencing some of the beauty and adventure that Victoria has to offer.
Well folks, I’m in love with Victoria. What exactly am I in love with you ask? Here are my top 3 loves:
1. Access to Water Sports
Being an island, it’s easy to see that a major draw to visiting Victoria is the ocean. I took both a Stand Up Paddleboard class AND a separate sea-kayaking trip to Discovery Island with Ocean River Adventures, one of the pioneers of active tourism in Victoria. The ocean provides excellent opportunities for outdoor recreation, and I wanted to take full advantage of it.
The SUP boarding class combined water sports in an urban setting, and this was a new experience for me. Staying to the shores of the harbor, we were treated to a beautiful panoramic view of Downtown Victoria, complete with an up close and personal view of Victorianites going about their everyday lives. I felt famous as passerby’s walking along the bike path stopped to take photos of me. One older woman asked me if I was scared and if I had fallen in. “No! It’s great! Much better than walking!” I yelled back, egging her on to give it a try herself.
It was a busy afternoon in the Inner Harbor, and my head was on a constant swivel, looking to see what was going on around me. It was a thrilling experience, to be so close to these planes, boats and water taxis, but to feel completely safe and still spot the occasional harbor seal and starfish.
The next day I met Ocean River Adventures again but this time near the Oak Bay Marina, just north of downtown. We were meeting to head out for a full day sea-kayaking tour to Discovery Island. No other company is running sea-kayaking trips to Discovery Island other than Ocean River Adventures. The island, only a ten-minute boat ride away, felt like a far-off world compared to the hustle and bustle of the downtown area. Home to 61-hectare Discovery Island Marine Provincial Park , the island is uninhabited beside one lone wolf that occasionally makes an appearance in the distance. Unfortunately we didn’t spot the wolf on my trip there, though we certainly did our best to keep on the lookout. The sea-kayaking wasn’t very challenging, we had excellent visibility, and the equipment was brand new. The one thing I’d suggest is to bring some snacks, as you can get hungry out there!
Stay tuned for my next post on my other loves in Victoria….
Kayaking photo courtesy of Brian Henry.