​​Victoria Day Trip | New Discoveries & Honest Reviews​​

​​Finally crossed off some long-time bucket-list spots near Victoria!​​ ​​📍 Alpina Restaurant at Villa Eyrie Resort​​ ​​Brunch with a view​​—decent food, but the ​​mountain + ocean panorama​​ steals the show. ​​Nearby​​: Malahat SkyWalk (didn’t go this time, but it’s a 5-min drive!). ​​📍 Mount Douglas Lookout (Failed Attempt 😅)​​ ​​Car access closed​​ on long weekends + after 12 PM on weekdays. ​​Hiking?​​ Nope—legs were dead from Sooke’s trails the day before. ​​Verdict​​: Next time! ​​📍 Butchart Gardens (Afternoon Tea + Carousel)​​ ​​Afternoon tea​​: ​​$50/person​​—pretty but overpriced (​​stick to the scones​​). ​​Carousel​​: Nostalgic fun ($3/ride). ​​Best part?​​ The ​​flower displays​​ (as always!). ​​📍 Glass Beach (Sidney)​​ ​​"Glass" hunt​​: Had to ​​dig for tiny pebbles​​—no Instagrammable shards. ​​Silver lining​​: Sidney’s ​​charming antique bookstore​​ (smelled like ​​old paper + history​​). ​​💡 Takeaways​​ ​​SkyWalk + Alpina = Perfect combo​​ (save Mount Doug for non-holidays). ​​Butchart’s tea​​: Book for the ​​ambience​​, not the food. ​​Glass Beach? Skip it​​—explore Sidney’s cafes instead. ​​#VictoriaBC #TravelTruths #GardenTea #HiddenGems​