Attractions

Victoria's top draws are its waterfront -- the beautiful view created by The Fairmont Empress and the Legislature buildings on the edge of the Inner Harbour -- and its historic Old Town. Two world-class attractions are the Butchart Gardens, about a 20-minute drive from downtown, and the Royal B.C. Museum on the Inner Harbour.

So attractive is this small city, though, that folks sometimes forget what a beautiful and wild part of the world it's set in. If you have time, step out of town and see some nature: Sail out to see killer whales, beachcomb for crabs, kayak along the ocean shorelines, or hike into the hills for fabulous views and scenery.

Emily Carr -- Visionary from Victoria -- Victoria was the birthplace of one of British Columbia's most distinguished early residents, the painter and writer Emily Carr (1871-1945). Though trained in the classical European tradition, Carr developed her own style in response to the powerful landscapes of the Canadian west coast. Eschewing both marriage and stability, she spent her life traveling the coast, drawing inspiration from the land, seascapes and native peoples for her vivid and striking works. In addition to visiting the great collection of Carr's paintings at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, you can visit the Emily Carr House, 207 Government St. (tel. 250/383-5843; www.emilycarr.com), where she was born. The house has been restored to the condition it would have been in when Carr lived there. In addition, many of the rooms have been hung with reproductions of her art or quotations from her writings. June through Labour Day, the house is open daily 11am to 4pm; May and September it's open the same hours but closed Sunday and Monday. On Fridays and Saturdays from June through August, a local actress portrays Emily Carr and regales visitors with Carr family stories. Admission is C$5 (US$4/£2.25); C$10 (US$8/£4.50) for special events. The Vancouver Art Gallery also has a major collection of Carr's hauntingly evocative paintings.

Cemeteries

Ross Bay Cemetery, 1495 Fairfield St. at Dallas Road, has to be one of the finest locations in all creation to spend eternity. Luminaries interred here include the first governor of the island, James Douglas; frontier judge Matthew Begbie; and West Coast painter Emily Carr. An Historic Guide to Ross Bay Cemetery, available in Munro's Books as well as other bookstores, gives details on people buried here and directions to grave sites.

Pioneer Square, on the corner of Meares and Quadra streets beside Christ Church, is one of British Columbia's oldest cemeteries. Hudson's Bay Company fur traders, ship captains, sailors, fishermen, and crew members from British Royal Navy vessels lie beneath the worn sandstone markers.

Contact the Old Cemeteries Society (tel. 250/598-8870; www.oldcem.bc.ca) for more information on tours of both of these graveyards.