An insider's guide to Victoria since 1997.

I discovered Cabin12 through Twitter, oddly enough, and on a day off I stopped in for lunch which turned out to be breakfast (I had eggs benedict). More recently, I went back with family and friends and after a second sampling decided it was time to add a review.

The city has had a die-off of greasy spoon restaurants. They've gone upscale or specialty or been taken over by a franchise. Hiding in Esquimalt is just what the doctor ordered. La Belle Patate is a burger joint on Esquimalt Road across the street from the Memorial Park. If you get past the looks of the place (it's a bit of a dive but their food safe looks good from the peer over the counter), you can find some great eats. There is limited seating inside and some patio furniture outside-- so it's best to plan your order for take-away.

As a kid, I used to walk by the corner store across from the Crystal pool; and sometimes pop in for a Coke or a bag of chips. The shop was converted into a restaurant-- the main storefront was turned into the kitchen; and the back became the dining area. When I came in, there was a decent number of dinners, all enjoying their meals. I made two visits there.

Located on the grounds of Royal Roads University in Langford, this "castle" (i.e. large house) has been used as a location for several film productions. If you make the trip, be sure to check out the extensive gardens (including formal Japanese and Italian gardens) and grounds. [Official website]

Every year, in early spring, Victoria residents are encouraged to "Be Tourists." The promotion, sponsored by Attractions Victoria, is intended to get locals to take in area attractions, hotels and tours in the hopes that they will in turn promote them to visiting friends and family.

If your visit includes Heritage Acres, or the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre you should also try visiting Mineral World/Scratch Patch in Sidney (next door to the Ocean Discovery Centre). The attraction is free to enter -- the only fee is for the baggies to collect gemstones and pan for gold -- of course most kids will want to collect stones, so be prepared to shell out up to $15 each. A medium bag holds about 4oz of stones and sells for $8.

Located at 7321 Lochside Drive, just off the #17 Highway, it is worth the drive, or worth a stop en route to the Schwartz Bay Ferry Terminal. It is open 364 days a year from 9 am-noon (9am - 4pm in June, July and August). Run by volunteers, the society is "dedicated to preserve the past for the future." The on-site museum includes all sorts of artifacts from homes and businesses on Vancouver Island throughout the years. The site also houses a two-room schoolhouse, a small church, a log cabin, a blacksmith's shop a sawmill, and dozens of tractors and other artifacts.

This tiny, little fish-and-chip shop is only a couple of blocks from popular Willow's Beach in "Estevan Village" (a block of commercial/retail activity on Estevan Ave.). It is legendary for its traditional recipes -- right down to newspaper wrappers -- and it is popular so expect to wait a bit for your order. However, when you get your order, you will not be disappointed.

Tucked into a small strip of retail frontage at 418 Craigflower road is this very popular, kid-friendly coffee shop. Spiral Cafe serves light fare --soup and baked goods -- in addition to organic coffee. Sunday mornings feature storytime and almost every night there is some sort of live entertainment. [cafe website]