Our family stay at Jason's place was nothing less than GREAT! This was a driving vacation for us 4 (from Portland, OR area); included son in college, another who will soon be in college, & "Izze" a smaller chocolate/husky mix. Coming off the Black Ball Ferry from Port Angeles, it was an easy 15 mins drive to get to Jason's. The flat/apartment/condo is on the bottom floor of a house built in 1916 that has been fully updated & remodeled. It is modern & comfortable; the type of apartment one always hopes to have some day. A private entrance made it easy not to disturb & vice versa. It was furnished with all the necessities we needed & then some. (Just never got around to using the blender for Margaritas - shoot!). Plenty towels, linens, housewares & space for family of 4 & 1/2. And new Cable TV ! It was great to meet Jason when we arrived, even though he is one busy guy! This is a guy who would give you the shirt off his back, and then offer to watch your dog while you have a dinner out. Even though it was a bustling neighborhood, the noise was not a factor when enjoying slumber in the comfortable beds. Our bikes stayed on the back porch unlocked our whole stay as Jason described the neighborhoods as one of the best in Victoria.
Gonzales Beach is less than a block from the door. What has not been mentioned was the awesome area and views from this neighborhood. The roads along the ocean are dotted with beautiful old & new houses that overlook the glorious Olympic Mt range and the Strait of San Juan de Fuca. Great gardens all around, we felt like we had our own "Butchart" around this neighborhood. Area was very bike friendly; perhaps the Pacific NW USA can learn from the drivers in Victoria who respect bike riders. Many active people & active DOGS :) Even though practically every beach is accessible, near Beacon Hill is a dog park which includes their own beach, a true Dog Heaven ! You must check out funky Cook St. for shops & great restaurant "Bubby's Kitchen". All these areas are a pleasant walking distance in 15 mins. You could walk to downtown Victoria (about 30 mins at least), but we chose to drive. When cruise ships are in port, it's very busy. Many tourist things to do, but NOT the tourist pressure you get in many places. When we travel, we strive to "blend in" like one of the locals, & we achieved it here, "AY". Only problem was, we would seriously consider retiring here, now we are "possessive" of this place. You'll see what I mean if you stay here. I'm not sure what else I could say to make you not waste your time looking at hotels & just book here. You won't be sorry. Thanks Jason for being our 5 star host :)