Source: The Fairmont Empress (fairmont.com)

If you are looking for a mini-getaway from your vacation, Victoria really will be the calm within the Olympic storm. Quintessentially West Coast, this organic-eating, hippy infested city has an amazing seawall¸ majestic legislature, and recently blossomed cherry trees to swoon over.

Book your stay at:

The Empress Hotel (fairmont.com/empress)

Magnolia Hotel (magnoliahotel.com)

Hotel Grand Pacific (hotelgrandpacific.com)

Brunch hotspots:

Lady Marmalade (ladymarmalade.ca), 608 Johnson Street

Mo:Le (molerestaurant.com), 554 Pandora Avenue

Dinner spots:

The Mint Restaurant, 1414 Douglas Street

Il Terrazzo (ilterrazzo.com), 565 Johnson Street

The Joint (eatatthejoint.com), 1219 Warf Street

Get a cup of java:

Soltice Café (solsticecafe.ca), 529 Pandora Avenue

Habit Coffee & Culture (habitcoffee.com), 552 Pandora Avenue

Shop:

Smoking Lily (smokinglily.com), 569 Johnson Street

Rebel Rebel (rebelrebelfashion.com), 585 Johnson Street

Addiction, 587 Johnston Street

Not Just Pretty (notjustpretty.com), 1036 Fort Street

Floating Girl Iceberg (floatinggoldiceberg.com), 533 Pandora Avenue

She She Shoes, 618 View Street

Things to do:

Royal BC Museum (royalbcmuseum.bc.ca), 675 Belleville Street

Whale Watching (princeofwhales.com)

Butchart Gardens (butchartgardens.com), 800 Benvenuto Avenue

Craigdarroch Castle (craigdarrochcastle.com), 1050 Joan Crescent

Afternoon Tea (fairmont.com/empress)