INN-KEEPERS Victoria Bed and Breakfast Inn

To all of you who have passed through our lives via our B&B we send a heartfelt thank you for giving us the most fun we've ever had. We already miss many of you and often reflect upon your good wishes which you have left in our guest books.

- Thank you, Annette & Dieter

Annette Moen is a Child Protection social worker with the Provincial Government.

Dieter Gerhard retired as president of Hyatt Legal Services and is now president of northStudio.com, Inc. - a web design and web application development studio which also owns and operates the Victoria School of Business and Technology ... more

and .... meet Emily, Montgomery and Square Root

Victoria ... where the water meets the land. Those few words describe Victoria’s most spectacular natural attribute and one of the reasons this city is such a magnet for tourists from around the world. And why many of the three million people who travel here each year leave with warm memories and a promise to return.

Located on the tip of an island, Victoria is nearly an island itself--surrounded by an undulating coast on three and a half sides. This quality is unique among major Canadian cities and exceptional among cities anywhere in the world. Victoria and the area around it has hundreds of kilometers of shoreline--ocean, inlets, straits, channels, lakes and rivers. Where the water meets the land is often a place of natural beauty and open public space.

Traveling in the Victoria area, you get the sense that the water around you is everywhere. If you reach any height of land--a hill, the top of a parkade or building--you’ll see the ocean shimmering in the distance. If you’re in a car or on a bicycle anywhere in the area, you’re just a few minutes from the shoreline.

Here’s a very partial guide to some of the most popular waterside locations in and around our town. Please note: We've only touched on the highlights. It would take 100 of these articles to list of all them, so forgive me if I’ve left your favorites out--or thank me if you’d rather keep them secret.

The Inner Harbour: The heart of the city. To Victoria, this is Times Square or the Champs Elysee--the local gathering place, where we go to celebrate a great event or enjoy a casual stroll in the evening sunset. Framed by the Empress Hotel, the Legislature and the Royal BC Museum, this is a tourist Mecca, the launching point for tour boats, water taxis and whale watchers as well as horse-drain carriages and double-decker buses on the streets above. But it’s also a natural waterway where you may see a seal bob up just off the docks where million dollar yachts are tied up. A special attraction during the summer months are street performers, jugglers, musicians, mimes, and travelers from around the world adding a cosmopolitan flair to the two levels of walkway that front the harbour.

The Dallas Road Cliffs: A delightful walk favoured by dog-walkers, with spectacular views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Olympic Mountains in Washington State. Pay homage to the early planners of our city for leaving all this open space for future generations. You can walk along the cliffs, or along the rocky, pebble-beach shores below. Three points are prominent local landmarks: Holland, Finlayson--site of an old native fortification--and Clover. The sky and seas are dynamic, shaped by winds, tides and light. They’re different every day--I know, I’ve gazed out at them hundreds of times.

Thetis Lake: The local swimming hole, 10 km west of downtown on the Trans-Canada Highway. Despite all the ocean-front, most people don’t swim in the saltwater--it’s cold all year-round. So nature gave us over a dozen lakes within easy access of the city. This one is the most beautiful, surrounded by park trails that circle the lake or meander off into the hills and forests where you’ll see an artist’s palette of wild flowers in the spring, towering Douglas fir and gnarled arbutus year-round. There are few more delightful experiences than diving into the cool, clear waters of the lake on a hot summer day.

Willows Beach: A small and rare sandy ocean beach, located in Oak Bay, facing Haro Strait to the east. This is a delightful spot for sun-bathing, beach volleyball--and if you don’t mind the brisk temperature, a dip in the salt water. There’s a park overlooking the beach if you prefer to spread your blanket on the grass and a modest refreshment stand where you can get soft drinks and hot dogs. The clusters of cottages and larger homes on The Esplanade facing the water give this area a California beach-town feel. This is a place for drowsing, reading a book, or contemplating the sea gulls wheeling by, the sailboats in the near distance or white-capped Mount Baker on the horizon.

Witty’s Lagoon: A natural paradise about 20 km southwest of town, offering a delightful walk along a nature trail to a fresh-water lagoon that exchanges saltwater with the ocean as the tides advance and recede. This mixture produces a rich natural habitat for birds--bring your binoculars to spot the resident osprey that nest in the trees overlooking the lagoon. The trail ends at a beautiful sand beach overlooking the strait and a cluster of rocks battered by the surf called the Haystack Islets.

Goldstream River: The largest river within easy access of the city, but a trickling stream compared with the great Canadian urban rivers like the Fraser or the St. Lawrence. This is a wildlife haven another 8 km past Thetis Lake on the Trans-Canada. The best time of year to see the animals is the fall and winter. In October, the salmon begin spawning up the river by the thousands, and by December, dozens of bald eagles perch on the trees at the mouth of the river to swoop down and feed on the salmon carcasses. You may even see a hungry black bear stepping through the cars in the parking lot to approach the river. Don’t get between him and his salmon snack. In the summer months, Goldstream Park is ideal for hiking and picnicking among towering ancient cedars.

We also offer B&B courses to aspiring and established InnKeepers