bill rochford

we are going to vancouver&victoria soon. we have planned 6 nights. friends says theat we should go and visit whistler (ski resort) is this a good idea in the summer? we've rented a mini-van. we have a 16 year old,14 year old and a 12 year old. should we stay in downtown vancouver or outside? i'm interested in a hotel or b&b or resort that my family would always remember. is 2 days ok for vancouver? how much time do i allocate for victoria? should i visit seattle since i'm close?

linda

I live in Victoria and visit Vancouver frequently. I suggest you spend the bulk of your time in Vancouver, and maybe spend 1 or 2 days in Victoria as there really isn't all that much to see here. Some areas in Vancouver that you might like are: Gastown, Chinatown, Stanley Park, Science centre, Museum of Anthropology and maybe the PNE, depending on when it is that you are going. I've also been up to Whistler and love it there. If you like outdoor activities, it's definitely worth your while. It's about an hour and a half outside of Vancouver and they have biking, hiking, horseback riding as well as summer skiing. Definitely worth a visit if you are from a urban area. The scenery is spectacular! Have fun

linda

Me again. Forgot to tell you that if you plan to come to Victoria, it is a good idea to get to the ferry terminal well ahead of time since the ferries are very busy during the summer months, particularly on Fridays and Sundays. I think you can make reservations now, but not positive. You may want to check that out. On holiday weekends, there are sometimes 2 sailing waits if you don't plan accordingly.

Dennis Holland

That's an awful lot to try and cram into six nights. In Vancouver Stanley Park and English Bay are great in the summer. Whistler is a year round resort and the drive on Highway 99, Sea to Sky highway is wonderfully scenic with lots of places to stop and take short walks. Whistler has all kinds of sports including indoor ice arean/swimming complex, tennis, golf, hiking. Cheaper rates in summer.
Dennis

SGorcester

Skip Victoria, it's nice but there are better tradeoffs. Your kids will not enjoy it as much as the other choices. You can't miss heading up Squamish inlet to Whistler. Your kids will enjoy the scenery, the stops, and the ski lifts in summer. However, I would drop everything after a good look around Vancouver, and take to option to drive down here (Seattle). It's about 3 hours, take a detour off I-5 down Chuckanut Drive. Visit Pike Place Market, go up the Space Needle, walk the waterfront, checkout Gameworks, Westlake Mall, ride the monorail, tour old underground Seattle, grab some Mariners tix and head to the game. All of this can be done without touching your car. Back in Van, do Granville Island, QE Park, Gastown, China Town, Grouse Mountain, Lynne Canyon suspension bridge. If you foresake my advice and go to Victoria, you will here "I'm bored!" in that whiny 12 yo voice we all hate (sorry kid).