Escape to Oak Bay
Fall offers a host of activities
September 14, 2004: Fall in Oak Bay, Vancouver Island, is
a feast for the senses. Parks and gardens are alive with colour, Vancouver Island’s
food and wine bounty is celebrated and, thanks to balmy weather, walking and
cycling are the modes of choice exploring Oak Bay throughout the colourful season.
At this time of year visitors enjoy a range of accommodation packages and activities
that relax the mind and stimulate the senses.
Fall is entertainment season at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel, featuring the off-Broadway
hit musical Forever Plaid. The Dinner Theatre Escape includes Friday or Saturday
night accommodation, Dinner Theatre for two and breakfast buffet for two. The
package is available September 24 – November 13 for $220.00 CAD, double
occupancy. Forever Plaid” tells the story of a four-guy harmony group
brought back after an untimely death to perform the show they never got to do
in life. Nostalgic pop hits of the fifties are combined with outlandish choreography.
Non-package tickets are available for $55 per person, including a three-course
dinner. For more information call 866-887-9266 or visit: www.oakbaybeachhotel.com.
For a romantic fall escape the Oak Bay Guest House has developed English Tea
Package which includes two nights in a queen guest room, a bottle of wine and
fresh flowers on arrival, full breakfast for two each morning and a traditional
English High Tea for two. Guests are treated to tea and turnovers at bedtime.
The English Tea Package is available until March 1, 2005 for $289 CAD.
In celebration of Butchart Gardens 100 year anniversary, the Oak Bay Guest
House is offering a Butchart Gardens Package featuring a bottle of wine and
fresh flowers on arrival, a two night stay in a Queen guest room, full breakfast
for two each morning and admission and transportation to Butchart Gardens. The
Butchart Gardens Package is available until March 1, 2005 for $329, double occupancy.
On Saturday,October 2 Ottavio Italian Bakery and Delicatessen, located in Oak
Bay Avenue Village, celebrates Oktoberfest with a festival and market from 11
a.m. to 4 p.m. Locally-produced sausages, cheeses and micro-brew beers will
be available for the tasting. Music and entertainment takes place throughout
the day and staff are dressed for the occasion. Visit www.ottaviovictoria.com
for more information. Across the street from Ottavio, Oak Bay Village Wines
hosts a free tasting of the newest BC wine releases every Sunday from 2 –
4 pm.
And for a gastronomic experience, Ottavio Italian Bakery and Delicatessen will
hold estate olive oil tastings Thursday, October 21 and Thursday, October 28
from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Ottavios expert staff guide participants through a tasting
of 25 olive oils produced on estates from Tuscany to Provence. The format is
casual and communal and designed to teach how to recognize and appreciate the
differences between olive oils. The tasting is topped off with dessert and Illy
coffee. Cost is $15. Tickets are available through Ottavios at 250-592-4080.
Fall is the season of colour in Oak Bay and Victorian Garden Tours shows off
gardens that make the most of this colourful season. Half-day or full-day tours
depart from Oak Bay or downtown Victoria and are customized to the group’s
level of interest and expertise. Full-day trips frequently include lunch at
the Penny Farthing or Snug Pub, a stop at the world-famous Abkhazi Gardens and
specialty shopping at Dig This, where expert gardening staff can help make gardening
ideas a reality.
The colourful season is also an inspiration for artists. Also on October 2,
local artist Robert Amos will be painting in front of Side Street Studio from
noon - 4PM at 204-2250 Oak Bay Avenue. Winchester Galleries at 2260 Oak Bay
Avenue is hosting a major exhibition of paintings by Joseph Plaskett and Molly
Lamb Bobak until October 2. The Avenue Gallery is featuring Vancouver’s
Renato Muccillo, a master of monochromatic palettes and uncomplicated landscapes,
from October 7 – 20.
Marine adventure in autumn means sport fishing. Some of the largest Winter
Spring salmon can be found on “the flats” between Discovery and
Trial Island. Oak Bay Marina fishing charters are $80 an hour for a minimum
of four hours for up to four people. The comfortable 26- and 28-foot cabin cruisers
transport fish seekers to the fishing grounds only 20 minutes from the departure
point. All tackle and bait is provided and fishing licenses may be purchased
onboard.
Fall is an ideal time to explore ‘haunted Oak Bay’. Oak Bay is
home to Victoria’s most-frequently seen ghost who is often spotted on
the section of Beach Drive that bisects Victoria Golf Course. The ghost is rumoured
to be Doris Gravlin who was murdered by her husband in 1936. The John Tod house,
located at 2564 Heron Street, has been reported to be haunted since 1929.
Just 10 minutes from downtown Victoria, Oak Bay is a vibrant community where
the pace reflects the relaxed attitude of its residents. Visitors can spend
an unhurried day browsing a variety of shops, antique stores and art galleries,
soaking up the street life, or enjoying quiet parks, gardens and beaches. Outdoor
enthusiasts will find endless marine, cycling and gardening adventures. Oak
Bay is Canada’s Palm Tree Capital.
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Travel Media Contact:
Heather Leary
Oak Bay Tourism Media Relations
250-385-2285
hleary@shaw.ca
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