susannahkate

Hi - will be spending a week in Victoria and Vancouver and was looking for ideas of what is good to see and do. Will be in town mid - late November.

BAK

Project one is to compare BC shrimp with Australian shromp. In BC, my favorite shrimps are vry small, and usually placed in salads.

After that, compare fish.

And vist the GRanville Island Market in VAcnouver, to check out fruit and vegetables.

BAK

Judy_in_Calgary

VICTORIA

* Royal British Columbia Museum (including its excellent Aboriginal exhibits)

* Parliament Buildings (tours are free)

* Fairmont Empress Hotel

* Emily Carr House

* Craigdarroch Castle

Victoria is famous for its Butchart Gardens but, to be honest, I have no idea what they are like in November.

VANCOUVER

* Stanley Park

* Vancouver Aquarium (located in Stanley Park, bigger and better than Seattle's aquarium, interesting because it focuses on marine life in temperate and arctic zones)

* Granville Island Market (be warned that it is smaller and less impressive than Seattle's Pike Place Market)

* Yaletown

* Robson Street

* Museum of Anthropology (unless you feel that this would be an overdose of Aboriginal art and culture if you had seen the Aboriginal exhibits at the Royal BC Museum in Victoria)

* Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge and a walk in the beautiful temperate rainforest of Lynn Headwaters Regional Park

* day trip to Whistler (I have done this on a glorious, clear summer's day -- on a cloudy November day the visibility may be poor)

Further to the last point, be warned that Vancouver is located in a temperate rainforest, and November is its rainiest month. If you are dressed for it, the rain should not stop you from doing most things you would do in summer. That said, visibility from the top of Grouse Mountain, for example, may be nothing to write home about.

Victoria has a similar climate but, because it's in the rain shadow of Washington State's Olympic Mountains, it gets less rain than Vancouver.

Check out this section of my website:

http://tinyurl.com/lq4sg

Hope that helps.

icithecat

You could, if it is raining while in Victoria, check out the 'Irish Times' pub on Government street to see if it is even tackier than the 'Irish' pubs in Aus.

Judy_in_Calgary

As you can see, susannahkate, we're a charming bunch.

ria6243

1. Buy a big umbrella
2. take a drive upisland from Victoria, beautiful views, and wonderful beaches. Many people enjoy storm watching in Tofino (don't use your umbrella there)
3. Lots of great restaurants in Victoria and a wide variety of ethnic foods. enjoy