Is it possible?
Dec 26th, 1999, 07:25 PM
#2
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Driving from Seattle to the city of Vancouver is quite do-able. I have made the drive a couple of times. BUT: you will want to avoid traffic during the week at normal "rush" hour times, unless you like sitting in traffic jams. I 5 and 405 have a tendency to become parking lots at those times. The distance is about 150 miles, depending on exactly where you start and stop. So 3 hours should be ample time to make the trip, even with a few stops. <BR>Vancouver is loaded with ethnic enclaves that provide a high degree of shopping diversity. The little town of White Rock is interesting but small. It is west of the main road, but easily accessed. <BR> <BR>If by "Vancouver" you mean the island of Vancouver, you can still drive there. <BR>The big BC Ferries terminal is south of Vancouver in an area known geographically as Tsawassan. There are frequent ferry runs to the Island on big ferries that hold upwards of 400 vehicles. <BR>There is an excellent BC Ferries website.
Dec 27th, 1999, 10:59 AM
#3
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For hiking and quaint shops the Olympic peninsula comes to mind - Dungeness Spit for instance; the Victorian buildings of Port Townsend... even the old part of Norwegian-style Poulsbo. However, these are not along your route, so White Rock might be a good bet - little shops, several restaurants and a nice boardwalk along the beach. In Vancouver you can get a good walk in at Stanley Park or along English Bay or head out to West Vancouver. Try Granville Island for an amusing shopping experience. <BR> <BR>I would allow extra time for the border crossing because, with recent events, they're extra edgy now. I know someone who went through two days ago and he said two customs agents checked everything in his car.
Dec 27th, 1999, 03:22 PM
#4
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They are edgy alright!! I suggest taking your passport to minimize delays -- hopefully. I know Canada does not require a passport of US citizens for entry, nor does the US require one of US citizens for return, but the checking has gotten tight, particularly at airports. A few weeks ago at the airport in Toronto I saved myself a major discussion by having my passport with me. It was scrutinized both coming and going. <BR> <BR>Coming home, the guy ahead of me in line thought his driver's license would be enough. He was still there talking when I went on my way after after pausing long enough for the immigration officer to run my passport through the code scanner. <BR>In Europe on my last trip, I don't think any border official even stamped it. In Switzerland the border guard did not even look at the picture!! <BR>
Dec 27th, 1999, 05:45 PM
#5
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Hi! <BR> <BR>I think I may be able to help.... I have lived most of my life halfway between Vancouver and Seattle and I am a travel consultant, so you have found one of my favorite topics.... <BR> <BR>It is about 120 miles on straight interstate from Seattle to Vancouver. You will want to avoid early morning, midday and late afternoon in Seattle and Vancouver, but otherwise, you should have no real problem with traffic. In Seattle, look east on Interstate 90 (past Issaquah -said IssaKwah) to Mt. Si for a nice day hike. If you would like some quaint shops, avoid Seattle and head to Queen Anne Hill or Ballard, north and west of downtown. Further further north, check out La Conner, home of the tulip fields, and west of Mt. Vernon and about 60 miles north of Seattle. Bellingham's Fairhaven District, about 90 miles north of Seattle, is small, but good. In Vancouver, visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge and North Vancouver for a nice walk. Granville Island is a farmer's market, but do check out the shopping on Granville Street and in the Kitsilano District (known to us natives as Kits) for cute shops. Victoria is also great for shopping, but arrive early to the ferries to avoid a wait at Tsawassen (said Tuh-wah-sen), check out the ferries at http://www.bcferries.com . <BR> <BR>As for the borders, a passport is never wrong. My husband and I sat at the border (try to avoid the Peach Arch crossing at Blaine - try Aldergrove, B.C. or the Blaine truck crossing) near Vancouver for nearly 3 hours on 26 December for a quick question on citizenship to re-enter the US. There is no heightened security into Canada. With the borders, if you are honest and serious, I have never had anyone grill me or ask for identification in thousands of visits to Canada. Have fun!
Dec 29th, 1999, 01:12 PM
#7
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Interesting comments on border crossings. I have crossed quite a few times myself. I was stopped once crossing from Montana into BC, north of Kalispell when we naively said we had fruit in the car. So my wife and I ended up eating 5 plums each. The option was to throw them away. <BR> <BR>Once I was behind a man in a van who smarted off to the Canadian border official when asked about the possession of firearms. I did not all of the answer but it was flippant and inappropriate enough to annoy the Canadians. <BR>The van driver was ordered to pull over for what amounted to a vehicle strip search. As we left, the doors of the van were coming open and the insides were coming out. <BR> <BR>Most of the "hard time of it" when crossing the American-Canadian border usually comes from American officials. Last summer, I flew into Calgary and rented a car. We drove south from Calgary to Lethbridge and on to Great Falls. At the border crossing I was quizzed for several minutes about the vehicle and my driving it. An American driving a Canadian vehicle?? <BR>My wife had pulled out the rental contract, and I had my passport out of the holder when the fellow finally decided we could go. The contract was plainly marked HERTZ and my passport was clearly visible. <BR> <BR>One of my wife's co-workers was returning from a ski vacation in Canada. At the airport he was given the 3rd degree because he did not have his passport. He had a voter registration card and a picture ID, but that was not sufficient to placate the immigration official. I just found it much simpler last summer to show my passport. Granted, nor everyone has one of those documents. Airport checking seems more thorough than highway crossings. <BR> <BR>
