Victoria, BC and Ottawa, ON -- similar?
 

I live in Seattle, and my sister, who lives in upstate New York, is coming to visit me in September. She has been here before. We are discussing ideas for a weekend getaway. One of my suggestions was taking the Victoria Clipper to Victoria, where she has never been, and I haven't been for quite a while. She said it looks pretty similar to Ottawa, where she has been several times (but I have never been).

If you've been to both Ottawa and Victoria, can you share your impressions? Does Victoria have unique charms that distinguish it from Ottawa? Should I try to sell her on it?

If you have any other suggestions in southern BC, I'm open. I've considered Vancouver, but I've been there several times recently. Scenic beauty and hiking are every bit as appealing to us as visiting a city. I was also looking at places along the Fraser River, but I'm not familiar with this area. We are okay with rustic accommodations, but not camping.

I live in Ottawa and have visited Victoria many times. Despite some superficial similarities (one is a provincial capital, the other the federal capital), they are very different cities. Each has its own attractions and charm and I certainly wouldn't avoid Victoria because of having been to Ottawa.

Differences from Ottawa? Well, for starters it's a port city with the very attractive Inner Harbour at its centre. Many companies offer whale watching expeditions from there. It has many attractive public gardens, including the world famous Butchart Gardens. While Ottawa also has many parks, it has nothing to compare with those such as Beacon Hill which border the ocean and offer great walks, or Mount Douglas which can be climbed for fantastic panoramic views. Since you are planning to visit in September the weather in both places is similar, but I would certainly opt for Victoria over Ottawa in February!

I think that Victoria would make an excellent weekend trip from Seattle.

I've only been to Ottawa once -- but I see almost no similarities. Victoria is fabulous and you should go IMO. If it fits in the budget consider ferry over and flight back.

Thanks for the feedback. I love Victoria, so I'm hoping I can convince her it's worth a visit.

I live in Ottawa and I've been to Victoria. I don't see many similarities at all. I would love to go back to Victoria.