~ Words by Vickie Sam Paget, Sky Blue Content ~
Love is in the Air: Victoria is the City for Valentines
~ Words by Vickie Sam Paget, Sky Blue Content ~
1. For the Wine-Lover
Take your honey on a Saanich Peninsula winery tour. Meet local vintners, walk the vineyards, indulge in wonderful food and wine pairings and take part in exclusive tastings. You can relax and enjoy the beautiful sights of Vancouver Island’s wine regions as your chauffeur expertly guides you to the best wineries in the area. Check out LA Limousines Luxury Wine Tours.
2. For the Kiss-Stealer
Stroll together through The Butchart Gardens and let the fragrances fill your senses. In spring, countless tulips, daffodils and hyacinths fill the air with fragrances and colours. And there are plenty of romantic little nooks throughout the gardens where you can steal illicit kisses.
3. For the Foodie
If the way to your darling’s heart is through their stomach, discover all of Victoria’s culinary hotspots on a walking tour along Fort Street or the Victoria Public Market with Feast Concierge Tours.
4. For the Prince or Princess
Created in 1946 by Prince and Princess Abkhazi, Abkhazi Garden is a heritage site famous for its dramatic location. Prince and Princess Abkhazi began creating their garden in 1946, the same year they married and settled in Victoria, after living separate lives that were touched by both privilege and tragedy. Stay for afternoon tea in their original home, a simple but elegant space where you and your sweetie will feel like a personal guest of the Abkhazis.
5. For the Traditionalist
When it comes to exploring the romantic side of Victoria, you can’t beat a ride through the cobbled streets of the downtown district in a horse-drawn carriage. Snuggle up with your honey as you clip-clop past historic buildings in James Bay.
6. For the Heritage Fan
Check into the Best Western PLUS Carlton Plaza in downtown Victoria. This AAA Three Diamond Heritage Hotel boasts a fascinating history. In the 1880s William Grimm, who had emigrated from Germany, opened Grimm’s Carriage Factory in a wooden structure in the same location the hotel is at today. The factory continued to house various livery and stable businesses until 1912, when Sir Charles Hayward, who was born in Essex, England in 1839 and immigrated to Victoria in 1862, commissioned architects to design and build his new hotel at 642 Johnson Street. The old wooden building was torn down so that the new tan brick and white terracotta building could be constructed during the pre-World War I building boom.
Image: flickr.com/photos/75903437@N04/
This blog first appeared at bestwesterncarltonplazahotel.com/hotel-blog.
