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City Parks & Great Hiking
City Parks & Great Hiking
The Greater Victoria area has a ton of free adventures for everyone. This region has been included more than one list of the top ten most beautiful places in the world, and even just from walking around UVic, it is easy to see why. Since spring is here, and the cherry trees are in bloom, going out and enjoying the outdoors is irresistible!
BC Parks does an incredible job of making sure that this…
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Ok, But How Do I Get Around Victoria?
Ok, But How Do I Get Around Victoria?
Victoria is not a huge city, but it is very spread out and sometimes it is very easy to get lost once you take a step off of campus. If you don’t like walking for hours on end, and don’t own a car, how do you get around a city like this? Yes, the answer is obvious, public transit.
BC Transit 101
If you are a student at the University of Victoria, Royal Roads University, or Camosun College, you…
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Chronicles of MORE BOOKS!
Chronicles of MORE BOOKS!
The final stop on our brief tour of Fort Street is another lovely local bookstore: Chronicles of Crime and Sorenson Books. This is a combination of two bookstores in one shop!
When walking up and down Fort, Chronicles of Crime is an absolutely necessary stop for anyone who loves Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, and their modern counterparts. And if you walk further in, you will find Sorenson…
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Everybody has a nerdy interest of some kind. Some of us have a coin collection, make quilts, scrapbook, or even collect stamps.
(Nerdy is good, by the way, and according to celebrity actor Zachary Levi, a “nerd” is just someone who is passionate about something)
So, are you passionate about, say, coin collecting?
Van Isle Coin and Stamp is the right place to go. At this shop you can buy, sell, and trade your rare coins and stamps (I know, pretty self-explanatory, right?)
This is the best place in Victoria, BC, to enhance your collection!
But let’s say you’re more interested in painting or scrapbooking. There’s actually more than one place for you!
First of all, The Papery, which is right across from Victoria’s downtown mall, the Bay Centre. It is also just around the corner from a major bus stop. This little privately owned shop is chock full of all different types of paper, from origami to card stock, and they can service all your paper needs! They even have fun events where you can learn new ways of journalling and scrapbooking!
But let’s say you also need supplies to draw, paint, or collage on the lovely paper you just bought! All you need to do is walk a few of the awesome blocks of Fort Street. On the corner of Fort and Quadra you’ll find Island Blue.
Island Blue offers so much for artists of all abilities, and it is easy to afford their supplies. They are also a great place for printing posters and flyers for your university clubs and societies. From card making, scrapbooking, and stamping, to painting, drawing, and engraving, Island Blue has it all.
BUT THERE’S MORE!
For those of you who love to sew clothing, quilts, or even just little fiddly things, I present The Make House. At this adorable little sewing shop, you can hone your sewing machine or hands-on stitching skills. The Make House offers fun and frequent sewing seminars and classes, all in a relaxed and friendly environment.
There is a lot more to find on Fort Street, no matter your nerdy interests. There is always a place to find the lovely things of your choice. So I invite you to jump on a bus, head down to Fort Street, and go explore!
Lovely Things… Everybody has a nerdy interest of some kind. Some of us have a coin collection, make quilts, scrapbook, or even collect stamps.
Are You Ready to Marry Books?
Are You Ready to Marry Books?
Victoria is known in Canada for its active literary culture. Russell Books plays a huge role in that. It is one of the biggest and most energetic bookstores in the city. About two years ago Russell Books made the top ten best bookstores in Canada list on Buzzfeed, and they are a known favourite of the late Stewart McLean of CBC’s Vinyl Cafe; it is also one of my absolute favourite places in…
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Fort Street has a lot of amazing eats, and many are very unique. Just what you need when you’re exploring Fort and its lovely shops, right? Any time of the day, you can find the perfect meal. Even though you’ll find Cactus Club Cafe, two Starbucks coffee shops, and two Subway sandwich shops scattered along Fort, I find that most of the time the best food is in the little local cafes and restaurants.
After all, those are the ones you see featured on TV, right? Three of these awesome little locations on Fort are The Blue Fox Cafe, La Taquería, and Cafe Brío.
If you are tired of making scrambled eggs for breakfast at home, all you need to do is jump on a #14 or #15 bus down to 101-919 Fort Street and enjoy any breakfast you like at the Blue Fox Cafe. This adorable and old-fashioned looking local cafe serves full breakfasts all day, as well as delicious soups and sandwiches other lunch things for your midday cravings. Or, if you’re feeling more casual, they have lots of coffees, tees, and delicious Italian sodas.
AND speaking of Italian or Italian-ish, Cafe Brío is a wonderful choice for those of you who enjoy somewhat fancy, but somehow family-style evening fare.
If you are looking for a restaurant for a nice date with your significant other, or a dressy friend’s-night-out, Cafe Brío is a great place to go. And for those of you who love being able to “adult” or enjoy being organized and planning adventures, making a reservation here will definitely float your business-casual boat.
But what about a more trendy, modern place just around the corner from Victoria’s fun night life? For that, I present La Taquería. This Mexican Pinche Taco Shop appeared in Victoria only a few years ago, but it is a popular spot for young adults because of their delicious tacos, local beers and ales on tap, and well-paired tequila to go with the tacos of your choice. And if you’re like some people I know, and don’t really enjoy spicy food, La Taquería is perfect because you can choose not to have your food spicy if you want!
So!
You have been introduced to just three of Fort Street’s fantastic locations to eat, and even if these restaurants don’t suit your fancy, well I can promise you there is still plenty of choices for you to eat. Fort street is host to sushi & Japanese food, pizza, Korean food, Dutch baked goods, American baked goods, Chinese Food, Vietnamese Food, Pubs, Tea & Coffee, Steak, and much more.
Hungry? Go eat!
Blue Foxes, Modern Tacos, and Classic Italian Fort Street has a lot of amazing eats, and many are very unique. Just what you need when you're exploring Fort and its lovely shops, right?
Vinyl? Yes Please!
In early 2015 I had the privilege of stumbling across Ditch Records, a small but chalk-full vinyl record shop on Fort Street. Located in between two restaurants and just up from Russell Books, Ditch is an excellent place for music lovers of all interests and demographics to browse and shop. It is the number one place in the city to find new and used music in Victoria, and a must for any shopping…
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