British Columbia loves me

I am thinking about going to Victoria in the fall. Is it nice? Are the people nice? Should I get a haircut? How far is it from Vancouver? Where do I fly into? Should I fly or do a long drive (from Los Angeles). Are there nice places to stay?

why victoria?

wtachout they riot crazy there

why victoria?

I got "business" there...but the flights are looking a little steep. I see now that driving is crazy.

i don't like victoria. going from vancouver to victoria is major culture shock. it looks like north battleford with nicer older buildings. i don't think the people are generally nice. leave your hair long. how long does the ferry take? like, a couple hours, right? someone described the ferry ride as being like a videogame cutscene. it's pretty beautiful. i like standing right up front and letting the wind blast me, dip in to shoplift cheesecakes from the cafeteria. i usually sail into nanaimo instead. fly into vancouver. the airport is in richmond and the ferry terminal is almost in richmond. there are lots of nice places to stay, actually.

the island is mostly beautiful. it's ugly around where people live, especially in and around victoria, where every highway is lined with gigantic shitty billboards and there is sprawl and there are trailer parks with the most incredible views of any trailer parks anywhere. i think the best way to treat vancouver island would be to drive up the inland coast, then across the island, maybe cut across to port alberni, take the pacific rim highway across the island.

i hope someone that loves victoria will refute everything i've said but it's i think eally one of the worst places i've ever been to.

i flew vancouver to la and back recently and it was under 350 round trip, air canada.

wow...errr, thanks!

Victoria's alright if you like really sleepy cities. Both times I've been there I've liked it, but I wouldn't want to live there, and I wouldn't plan a holiday there.

The rest of Van Island is def worth the effort though, totally agree with you there.

Favourite place on Vancouver Island: Coombs near Nanaimo. They have a store with goats on the roof. Victoria is pretty creepy but I would live there. One of my best friends lives there with his family and have no intention of leaving.

It sounds interesting, at the very least! Like I said, I have business reasons for going so it is not strictly a vacation, but it is nice to know stuff. I always just assumed all of BC was beautiful and great. I have never been to that part of Canada.

All of it is pretty nice and great! Just, when you have Vancouver next door, Victoria really does look quite tame and uneventful in comparison.

I see, but they are far apart?

not at all. easy daytrip distance.

ok but I wouldn't stay in Vancouver and go to Victoria in the day if I had to be there, right?

lots of people do that. but listen: just go enjoy the crumbling facades and anarchist gutterpunks and high tea.

ok

And hopefully the violin-playing Darth Vader busker will be there close to the Empress (that was where I saw him, anyway).