Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Victoria's many English-style pubs usually feature a wide variety of beers, congenial
atmosphere, and inexpensive meals. The closest of these to downtown is the
James Bay
Inn
(270 Government St., 250/384-7151). Farther out,
Six Mile Pub
(494 Island Hwy.,
250/478-3121)isaclassicTudor-styleEnglishpubthatwasestablished in1885,makingit
theprovince'soldestpub.Togetthere,headwestoutofthecityalongHighway1andtake
the Colwood exit.
Clubs and Live Music
MostofVictoria'snightclubsdoubleaslivemusicvenuesattractingagreatvarietyofacts.
Club 9one9,
in the Strathcona Hotel (919 Douglas St., 250/383-7137), has been a city hot
spot for more than 30 years. It comes alive with live rock-and-roll some nights and a DJ
spinning the latest dance tunes on other nights. In the same hotel,
Big Bad John's
is the
city's main country music venue. At the bottom of Bastion Square,
Darcy's Pub
(1127
Wharf St., 250/380-1322) is a great place for lunch or an afternoon drink, but after dark
it dishes up live rock to a working-class crowd. A popular nightclub is
Boutique
(1318
Broad St., 250/384-3557), a small dance club venue with attitude.
Victoria boasts several good jazz venues. The best of these is
Hermann's Jazz Club
(753 View St., 250/388-9166, Wed.-Sat.). Check the
Victoria Jazz Society website
(
www.jazzvictoria.ca
)
for a schedule of local jazz performances.
Duetothemildclimate,Victoria'soutdoorfestivalsextendbeyondthesummerintospring
and fall, with the first major event occurring in May. The website of
Tourism Victoria
(
www.tourismvictoria.com
) has an easy-to-navigate event schedule for the entire year.
Spring
Officially,ofcourse,Februaryisstillwinter,butVictorianslovethefactthatspringarrives
early on the west coast, which is the premise behind the
Flower Count
(last week in
February,throughoutthecity).WhileforotherCanadianssummerisalongwayoff,locals
count the number of blossoms in their own yards, in parks, and along the streets. Totals in
the millions are tabulated and gleefully reported across Canada.
The birthday of Queen Victoria has been celebrated in Canada since 1834 and is espe-
cially relevant to those who call her namesake city home. The Inner Harbour is alive with
weekend festivities that culminate in the
Victoria Day Parade
(downtown, Mon. preced-
ingMay25).Theparadetakestwohourstopassasinglespot.(AlthoughQueenVictoria's
