Victoria w/kids & Grandma
 

We are going to be staying on Vancouver Island August 2002 and plan a side trip to Victoria. Any suggestions on where to stay and what to do would be welcomed. Our kids are 5, 9 and 12. <BR>Does anyone know where on the Island we can go berry picking? The kids would like to do that too.<BR>We are going to be based in Nanaimo and plan on lots of day trips from there. Should we plan one to Whistler (overnighting, I presume).<BR>Thanks.

I can't imagine wanting to berry pick. Kids. :-) There are berry farms on the Saanich peninsula just outside of Victoria, but I don't know that there will be anything for picking in August. Later in the month blackberries should be ripe by the roadsides. I don't know what it is about them but people say our jam is the best.<BR><BR>In Victoria do visit the Museum. The kids might like a quick trip on a harbour ferry. A nice drive is from Beacon Hill Park along the waterfront, up and over Mt. Tolmie or up to the viewpoint on Mt. Doug and back, continuing along Cordova Bay Road where you could stop at Matticks for tea, ice-cream or shopping (they have a rubber stamp store there if the kids are interested). You could carry on out to Sidney or to Butchart's Gardens.<BR><BR>Hopefully everything won't be as dry and brown as it was last year.<BR><BR>I don't know if they still have them but there used to be nature cruises out of Nanaimo that were quite interesting. Mini-golf in Parksville and a beach at Rathtrevor Park. I hope you get to Long Beach on the west side.

Thank you April!<BR>

Check out the Royal Scott hotel. Its just a block from the inner harbour on Quebec street. I always liked it when I went to Victoria with my kids because it has large rooms (or one and two bedroom suites) with full kitchenettes at reasonable prices. Great location too.<BR>To do with kids-The provincial museum, Beacon Hill Park, Butchart Gardens (go in the early evenig so you can see it in the daylight and again when it gets dark-with the lighting its fantastic at night), Craigdarroch Castle. Try to avoid the tourist traps (such as the "Undersea Gardens") around the inner harbour- they are a rip-off.

I agree about the Royal Scot in Victoria. We stayed there last June (thanks to April's recommendation!), and we loved it! We're going again this June and can't wait. The rooms are large and they're all suites, so you have a full kitchen.

Thanks! I'll be looking up the Royal Scott.<BR>Did any of you go to the wax museum and/or the (can't remember the name) place with the dollhouses? <BR>We live in the Caribbean so aren't interested in going to beaches or seeing boats. The ferry from Vancouver will be a novelty tho'.<BR>This will be my husband and kids first trip to Canada and I want to make it as intersting as possible. A combo of things like Cathedral Grove, etc, not just McD's and movies. Which we don't have here so they are just as interested in those too (the kids that is, not the Dad!)<BR><BR>

I don't know if Miniature World in Victoria has doll houses or not. The kids might enjoy an IMAX show if they've never seen one (in the museum and extra $$).<BR><BR>Personally I'd rather spend a day in Vancouver than Whistler, although the drive up, at least part way, is worth it. I think our coastal scenery is quite different from the Caribbean's.

While in Victoria, I wouldn't skip out on the Royal Museum of BC. I'd actually say it's a top priority while visiting Victoria. For the kids, they have life-sized replicas of Cpt George Vancouver's boat- life-sized replica of an old fashioned city where you can explore each building, a replica of parts of Barkerville - BC's old gold rush town from the 1800's... etc. And as April said, the National Geographic IMAX theatre is there, which could be fun if they've never seen one before.<BR><BR>I was there in March of 2001 - there were lots of families with their children.<BR><BR>Here's their website:<BR><BR>http://rbcm1.rbcm.gov.bc.ca/

Sounds good.<BR>I am leaning towards a day or two in Vancouver (rather than driving up to Whistler): Science World, Aquarium and Chinatown.<BR>I know Vancouverites might not like their ferries much, but I thought they were great. The different colours of the scenery were fascinating to me after the more primary colours of the Caribbean. <BR>One day trip might be to the wineries. The kids probably won't be impressed but it's also Mom and Dad's holiday!<BR>