My partner and I are planning a trip to BC with my Mother this spring. We're flying into Seattle and plan to spend 4-5 days in Canada. What would be the better destination for a gay couple and a 70 year old woman? Vancouver or Victoria?

Any suggested accommodations, etc. would also be appreciated.

Thanks. Peabody.

Hello Peabody,

I don't see this as being an issue in either Vancouver or Victoria. If I were you I would plan the trip based on other criteria, e.g., whether you want a larger or smaller city, etc.

Hi Peabody - Judy is right. Plan your trip based more on what you want to see and do. Some 70-year-olds enjoy the gardens and slightly slower pace of Victoria. Some would enjoy the busier atmosphere of Vancouver - what would your mother, and you and your partner, prefer? "Gay friendly" is so not an issue here. Vancouver has the largest gay population of any city in Canada. This province, and the country as a whole, doesn't discriminate - you will be very welcome whichever destination you choose.

Thanks. That being said, I think Victoria would be better for my mother. We can get enough of the "big city" when we're in Seattle for a few days.

I thought I should ask the question since in the US it is a widely held belief that my partner and I have caused the demise of traditional marriage, the decay of morality in general and the corruption of everything good. Having only traveled to Canada once, I wasn't sure if "gay friendly" extended beyond major metro areas. I'm glad to hear that it does.

Thanks again.

BTW, sorry about GWB.

I hope you have a nice visit!
I suppose if you went into some small towns here you might possibly notice a bit of a different attitude (an example of the country's state of mind: marriage is still being debated in Parliament and in society, although it's legal in most provinces and likely will become so in the whole country).. but I doubt anyone would be nasty. And Victoria and Vancouver will certainly welcome you! You actually do have time to see a bit of both cities if you want, or take one of them at a slower pace.
As far as Victoria accomodation goes, the new Hotel Grand Pacific gets good reviews. You should try to stay somewhere on the inner harbour. Butchart Gardens (outside the city - drive or take a bus) is a popular attraction. Also the Royal BC Museum. Victoria is a very popular spot, so a search on this forum will turn up lots of good info.

taggie or anyone else, is the Fairmont Empress nice in Victoria? The location looks very pretty and I do like the Fairmont properties we've stayed at in the past.

Also, any opinions on the Wedgewood Hotel in Vancouver? It looks like a wonderful place to stay. Now, what is the best way to get from Seattle to Victoria then over to Vancouver? ***kim***

The Empress is a beautiful hotel, but in my opinion wildly overpriced.
The Wedgewood, on the other hand, is expensive but worth every penny. I've gone on about it at great length on this board, and a number of other people have recommended it as well; perhaps a search would turn up some of the comments.
If I were going from Seattle to Victoria and then to Vancouver, I would probably drive to Anacortes and take the Washington State ferry to Sidney, just north of Victoria. From there you can drive a short distance to Swartz Bay and get the ferry to Vancouver. I assume, though, that you plan to stay in Victoria for a while and not go directly to Vancouver - ??

Probably a couple of nights in Victoria at the Empress and then a couple of nights at the Wedgewood in Vancouver. Then we would drive straight south to Seaside, OR where we will be staying at our beach cottage.

I'm planning on about a six hour drive from Vancouver down to Seaside, is that about right?

Is there a ferry from Anacortes that goes directly to Victora and back? We don't want to spend too much time traveling, but the ferry rides are so fun and relaxing! ***kim***

I grew up staying in the old CP hotels - now mostly Fairmont properties - across the country. You can't beat them for atmosphere but because they are old, some of the rooms are small and the bathrooms tiny. So consequently they seem overpriced. Suites are, of course, larger but also costlier.

The Wedgewood is wonderful.

Taking a car ferry to Victoria always means you land at Sydney - that's where the terminal is. About a 20 minute drive to the centre of Victoria depending on traffic.

6 hours is about right from Vancouver to Seaside (I prefer Cannon Beach myself).

Have a good trip.

What are you favorite places to see in Victoria? Any great restaurants? ***kim***

Since I no longer have family in Victoria I'm afraid I don't get over there as often as I used to, so I don't have too much to recommend in the way of restaurants.
Try Rebar Modern Food in Bastion Square (downtown) - lots of variety of the "West Coast" kind; you can see the menus on their website.
I also always liked Pagliacci's for pasta and pizza (also downtown).
And a stroll along the harbour path to Spinnaker's Brew Pub was something I liked to do.
We used to go to The Blethering Place in Oak Bay - it's a sort of tea room - serves brunches, lunches, teas and dinners. If staying downtown you'd have to drive.
The nice thing about Victoria is that lots of activity is centred around the inner harbour so you can easily walk most of the time; downtown is very handy. The Royal BC Museum is great. Also Butchart Gardens (you can drive or take a bus). And try a horse-drawn carriage tour if that appeals.

The Blethering Place is very nice for tea, but our favourite is Point Ellice House. You can get there via water taxi from the inner harbour. It's an old house that's been restored to what it would have looked like during the latter part of the 19th century. You get a self-guided audio tour (via cassette) as you walk through the house, and then they serve tea in the garden. The flowers are all heirloom flowers that have been collected and planted as they would have been when the family was living there. As far as I'm concerned it's a much better bargain than the much-touted tea at the Empress, which costs a lot more and isn't as pleasant.

Everyting sounds so pretty in Victoria. I hope three days will be enough to see everything before we go to Vancouver.

Any opinions on Matisse for dinner? Also, is Chinatown worth seeing? ***kim***

Chinatown is worth seeing for Fan Tan Alley (a very narrow alley with hole-in-the-wall shops that seem to expand once you're in them). However, keep in mind that Victoria's Chinatown is very, very tiny. We're talking about 2 blocks here.

Vancouver is where you want to be, the prettiest city in North America. Great gay scene there. Hotel Sylvia is the place to stay.