Make a rainy day shine at the Victoria Bug Zoo!

One of our favourite places to visit on a rainy day is the The Victoria Bug Zoo! Here you'll find all manner of magical insects - giant walking sticks, hissing cockroaches, praying mantids, scorpions, tarantulas, and many more. You'll discover lots of fun facts (like who's the most industrious of all insects and what bug inspired Darth Vader's mask), overcome a few phobias, and learn how to appreciate these amazing creatures a bit more.

You may even get to try on a new piece of jewellery, like Lisa did - with this wild African Millipede bracelet!

Willie's Bakery in Victoria

Winter has found Victoria, if only for a few days! Many of us are ill-prepared and shivering, looking for a cozy escape from the freezing cold, maybe even a hot drink and a sweet treat to soothe us before we venture outside again. Willie's Bakery at 537 Johnson Street is the perfect place to find just that!


Willie's has a welcoming atmosphere and is usually bustling. It's one of the most popular cafes in the downtown core. Founded in 1887, it's British Columbia's oldest bakery! Once upon a time, it baked over 32 different varieties of bread and produced over 500 loaves every day. Today, you can find the original granite slabs used for baking just outside the Bakery.

There's still a wonderful wide variety of fresh-baked goods to choose from, a delicious breakfast & lunch menu, and some of the best coffee in town! We're grateful to drop in for a little respite from the wind chill. The cinnamon buns are highly recommended, but the oversized muffins are pretty darned good, too...

It's hard to decide. Maybe we'll have both!


Stop by Willie's when you're in town. You'll leave a little warmer, a little fatter, and a heck of a lot happier than when you arrived!

(P.S. Willie's also has a cafe at the Royal BC Museum!)

Saxe Point Snowman Drinks Hot Chocolate to Stay Warm!

With a record-breaking snowstorm yesterday, and a sub-zero wind chill today, we Victorians are bundling up and doing our best to stay warm!

We met this friendly Snowman on a walk through an otherwise deserted Saxe Point in Esquimalt. Someone had bought him a Tim Horton's Hot Chocolate. He had even rolled up the rim - but he didn't win :(

Better luck next time, Mr. Snowman!

Snow in Victoria!

Victorians woke up to a surprise snowfall today - a ton of the fluffy white stuff (or maybe just several centimetres) fell in the wee hours before sunrise! Many of us stayed home and shovelled out our driveways, while a few brave souls brushed the snow off their cars and went to work. The adventurous ones headed for the hills to go sledding and snowboarding!

Meanwhile, our fellow Canadians are scoffing - this is nothing new for them! It had appeared that we were going to get an early spring this year, and the cherry blossoms were already on their way - but they are now sadly buried.

Here's the view from our window!

Vancouver Island Travel and Tourism on Facebook!

Just wanted to let you all know that we have been spring cleaning and now have a brand new Facebook Page - Vancouver Island Travel and Tourism.  We'll be posting the latest events info, local contests, pictures, links, and news updates - so please be sure to visit us often!

 

Belfry joins the 20th Century and starts online ticket sales

Photo courtesy of the Belfry Theatre
Victoria, BC...Today the Belfry Theatre joined the 20th century and began offering online ticket sales. With a new web sales expansion to our website, https://tickets.belfry.bc.ca/, patrons will now be able to purchase tickets to any Belfry production from the convenience of their home computer, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Apparently, the system also works with those newfangled whiz-bang gadgets like an iPad or tablet pc - whatever those are.

Running the same Theatre Manager software used by other theatres, including Chemainus Theatre, Tarragon, and the UVic Centre Auditorium, and stylishly designed to integrate with the Belfry’s existing website, our online ticket sales feature provides a secure, proven ticketing system with an elegant, user-friendly interface.

Additionally, as part of our commitment to the best possible patron experience, the Belfry has chosen to forego the typical online user fees and service charges associated with this technology. Whether buying tickets over the internet, by phone, or in person, our patrons will not be charged extra for choosing the purchasing method most convenient for them.

Tickets for The Cryptogram, the upcoming SPARK Festival, and the award-winning 2 Pianos 4 Hands are all available now at https://tickets.belfry.bc.ca/.