I will be north of Bellingham in late June with my 14-year-old son, with 10 days to travel. We both like the outdoors and like good food, especially Asian cuisine. We'd like to revisit Vancouver for a couple of days, but then spend a week or so exploring other BC natural areas. Would Victoria give us enough to do for a week? Or would folks recommend going further afield? We will have a car.

You could easily spend that much time exploring Victoria plus the rest of Vancouver Island. I would spend 2-3 days in Victoria, then drive around to the west coast.

There is a smallish but very nice Chinatown in Victoria, where there are several interesting restaurants. We really like the Forum Chinese Seafood, and Ming's Restaurant. Also, there are several Indian restaurants, such as Da Tandoor and India Curry House.

From Port Alberni, you can take a boat out to Pacific Rim National Park's Broken Islands. Further along are the beautiful coastal towns of Ucluelet and Tofino, on either end of the Park's Long Beach. There is great hiking, boating, fishing, and whale-watching here.

If you like mountain hiking, check out Strathcona Provincial Park, near the town of Campbell River. This whole area is great too, with rugged scenery, a picturesque coast, and some great lakes for camping, hiking, and fishing. Two of the best-known hiking trails are Comox Glacier and Della Falls.

That might be enough, but you could drive out to the northern tip of the island, near Port Hardy, which is also very rugged and scenic.

i personally think 1 day in victoria would be enough for most 14 yr olds.
i'd spend time around tofino and then some of the northern island.
or, if you like lakes, you could head to the okanagan area (vernon, penticton). this is more touristy but some great lakes and hikes.

Check out Tofino. And check out www.moosenetwork.com. I really enjoyed the trip two summers ago.

Victoria is the largest city on Vancouver Island, but still keep in mind that it is a tiny city - much much smaller than Seattle or Vancouver.

One or two nights would be plenty, in my opinion. Your 14 year old will likely be bored after 2 days. Victoria's great for seeing tourist attractions like the Royal BC Musuem, the Empress Hotel and Butchart Gardens, but it's not where you go if you're looking for exploring the wild/natural side of Vancouver Island. For that, you'll have to leave Victoria. However, there are many whale watching companies based in Victoria, so I'd definitely do that while in town.

For the remainder of the week I'd probably want to allot 3 nights in the Tofino/Ucluelet area, as this is where you'll find possibly the most beautiful beaches in the province and the old growth temperate rainforests. Pacific Rim National Park is a must-see.