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DUNCAN |
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DUNCAN , 60km north of Victoria, begins inauspiciously, with a
particularly scrappy section of highway spoiling what would otherwise be
an exquisitely pastoral patch of country. Still, the town's native
centre - the Cowichan Native Village - merits a stop, unlike the Glass
Castle, a messy affair made from glass bottles off the road to the south,
and the even sillier "World's Largest Hockey Stick", arranged as a
triumphal arch into the town centre.
Duncan's infocentre is at 381A Trans-Canada Hwy opposite the supermarket
on the main road (mid-April to mid-Oct Mon-Fri 8.30am-5pm, longer hours
July & Aug; tel 746-4636, duncancc@islandnet.com ), close to the bus
station , which has six daily connections to and from Victoria (1hr
10min). Duncan is not a place you want even to consider staying in -
though there are plenty of motels and campsites if you're stuck - but
for meals you could try the excellent Arbutus Café , 195 Kenneth St, at
Jubilee (tel 746-5443), which is much-frequented by locals keen for the
usual Italian- and Pacific Rim-influenced food. Just east of town, the
Quamichan Inn , 1478 Maple Bay Rd (tel 746-7028), serves up a similar
menu and also has its devotees. You could also visit one of several
local vineyards: one of the best is the Vigneti Zenatta Winery , 5039
Marshall Rd (call for tour details on tel 748-4981 or 748-2338), which
has been in business for over forty years; as well as their wine, you
can also buy meals here.
Three kilometres south of town on Hwy 1, the Pioneer House Restaurant
has a rustic log-cabin feel helped by a genuine saloon bar transplanted
from a period building in Montana. Alternatively, head 10km north of
Duncan to the Red Rooster Diner (by the Mount Sicker petrol station),
reputed to be the greasy spoon immortalized by Jack Nicholson in Five
Easy Pieces . It's still a classic - good, cheap food, vinyl booths and
all the authentic tacky trimmings you'd expect.
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