audra

I'm overwhelmed here, folks. Trying to plan a trip to Vancouver to see the city and maybe include some whale watching and also then swing down to the USA Olympic National Park. Where to start? How to do it? Driving from Calgary and feeling frustrated. Can anyone give me a rough draft, in terms of how to do it? Thanks all for your help.

gary

Audra it's difficult to answer your question with somany blanks. first of all how much time are you giving yourself. If you're driving from Calgary I guess that's where you start and as for whale watdching I'ld check out the previous posts on it. But first let us know how much time you've planned on spending altogether and remember - you're talking 12-13 hours nonstop driving from Calgary to Vancouver and then you'ld be missing a lot of of worthwhile places in between.

April

One option is to go to Vancouver, take the ferry to Victoria if you want to whale watch from there, maybe stay a night and then take the first Coho ferry out in the morning to Port Angeles. Or are you looking for a driving route straight from Vancouver to the Olympic Peninsula?

audra

Thanks for the quick replies. We have 7-8 days. We'd like to stop at Glacier, then continue straight through to Vancouver, spend a couple days there, see some whales, then go to Olympic and the rain forest there. Again, this is very tentative as I'm just stumped about finding the right ferries and etc. to the various places in Vancouver. I did a search here and am more confused. And help is much appreciated folks. Thanks!!!!!!!!

g mitchell

Audra:<BR>It would help to know where you are writing from and what your interests are. Are you flying into Calgary ? Where are you leaving from ? Why, for instance, the Olympic Peninsula ? <BR>You are trying to pack a lot into a short while but lacking any further info, here are some suggestions.<BR><BR>Day 1 Calgary to Banff or Lake Louise area ( lots of accommodation in Canmore just east of the park boundary )Spend the day in the Rockies ( should be longer )<BR>Day 2 Banff to Revelstoke or Kamloops via Highway 1 spend some time along the way in Glacier National Park.<BR><BR>Day 3 Revelstoke or Kamloops via #1 and then #5 out of Kamloops to Hope then #1 into Vancouver.<BR><BR>Day Day 4,5 Vancouver<BR>see http://arbutushouse.com/van_main.html for info on Vancouver and http://vancouverwhalewatch.com for whale watching tours out of Steveston just south of Vancouver<BR><BR>Day 6 Drive Vancouver to Olympic Peninsula either via Vancouver to Anacortes Island / Whidby Island ( #99 south which becomes I5 at the border, then #20 at Burlington to Anacortes and south on Whidby Isl to Keystone )take the Keystone ferry to Port Townsend.<BR>see: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/schedules/current/index.cfm?route=pt-key<BR>#20 south out of Port Townsend ( you might want to spend some time here as it is an interesting little town ) then #101 out of P.T around the Olympic Peninsula.<BR><BR>Now what ?

audra

Thanks for the long reply. We will be in Calgary on business (my husbnad's) and thought we would combine a little vacation with it. <BR><BR>Our interests are seeing new places, which all of these would be. But it does sound like it may be too much for 8 days, maximum 9.<BR><BR>But your tentative itinerary gives me hope, and I will look into it further.<BR><BR>Tell me this: Day 4-5 could possibly be combined into one, if we just want to whale watch. Then, approximately how much time is needed to take the Keystone Ferry to Pt. Townsend, and how long will it take to drive to the Hoh Rain Forest?<BR><BR>I've asked alot of questions again, but am ever so thankful for your help!!!!

g mitchell

If you don't take time to explore Vancouver, you are doing your holiday an injustice. What is the facination with the Olympic Peninsula ? If it happens to be raining, you really don't want to be there. Don't get me wrong, it is a lovely area but you are not really going to experience it by just driving there, taking a look and driving back. If it is just big trees you want to see, you can see them almost anywhere in coastal BC or Washington.<BR>Vancouver to Port Townsend via Whidby Island would take an afternoon --about 5 hr depending on the border and ferry schedule.<BR>Port Townsend to the lower Hoh would be about 80-90 miles.<BR><BR>BTW you are missing some gorgeous areas of BC and Alberta by rushing ( the Rockies--both Banff Area and Jasper -- are worth a week alone, the Fraser Canyon or Okanagan Valley, Whistler and Howe Sound, Victoria, Long Beach ( Tofino )

April

I thought maybe you lived in Calgary and were familiar with the Rockies, but since you're not I am also wondering why you would cut your time short in the most fabulous spot in Canada (my opinion) to go to the Olympic peninsula. <BR><BR>You can drive between Vancouver and Calgary in a day. I prefer two. If it must be included, I would stay there and drive around West Vancouver and up the Sea to Sky Highway for some more spectacular scenery.

i live here

I second April's response. The Rockies adn area and wonderful. There's way too much to do in all these areas to do it all in 7 days so don't even try! Scale back and concentrate on one or two areas. And to heck with the Olympic Penisula!

audra

Ok okay! You convinced me! But can we at least drive as far as Vancouver? I've always heard such wonderful things about it and may never be this close again.<BR><BR>We've been to Calgary before, so want to venture into Banff (HAVE seen Lake Lousise) and Glacier, mayber Jasper.<BR><BR>THEN, should we go to Vancouver CITY or the island, or both? And if BOTH, which FERRY do we take from city to island!<BR><BR>Thank you all very very much. Words can't express my / our appreciation.

audra

No no no, I didn't mean Jasper, I meant Revelstoke. Adding Jasper AND Vancouver would be too much, right? Or maybe????

April

I can see wanting to include Vancouver if you think you might not be this way again. I wouldn't decided on whether or not to go to Victoria until I got to Vancouver. These things can sound fine in theory but sometimes one gets tired of being on the move. Besides there is lots to see in Vancouver. Good food too.<BR><BR>Then, if you really felt like it, you could take the bus (via Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay ferry) or float plane (harbour to harbour) over to Victoria for the day, leaving luggage and car line-up hassles behind.

TravelDude

Think about going around the Selkirk Loop in Idaho, BC, and Washington and then driving to Vancouver via Kelowna. Check out some web sites before leaving:<BR>"wwe.selkirkloop.org"<BR>"www.britishc olumbia.ca.com"<BR>"www.mapquest.com"<BR>There are tons more, but you need to probe these little beauties yourself. Buen Viaje!

audra

Ok! I'm making great strides in planning this trip, thanks everyone!<BR><BR>One big question remains: From what side should we take our whale watching tour? Most outfitters are from the west (victoria) altho there are a few on the east. Does it really make a difference? Can anyone recomment ONE specific outfitter? I know sightings canNOT be guaranteed either --- so from what location do we have the best chance of seeing them?<BR><BR>Thanks again!

g mitchell

It doesn't matter, they are all the same whales. Pods J,K,L are resident and those are what are "watched" from both Vancouver and the Victoria area. The pods travel up and down the Straight and sometimes they are closer to Vancouver, sometimes closer to Victoria -- depends on the day.<BR><BR>If you go to Victoria, you have a 3 hr trip from Vancouver ( and another 3 hr back ) plus the extra expense of the ferries.<BR>We had some guests who went out yesterday and saw so many that the people on the boat actually asked to be returned earlier than the designated time.

audra

Thanks again, for all your help.<BR><BR>Regarding Banff and Glacier....how much time should we plan there....will two nights, three days be enough for each park? Is that possibly too much for Glacier (canada's)?<BR><BR>And approx. how many hours is the drive to Glacier (Canada's) from Banff AND approx how many hours from Waterton-Glacier Int'l Park to Banff?<BR><BR>Thanks so much for the wonderful help!!