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Vancouver versus Victoria BC

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Old Jan 16th, 2012, 12:05 PM
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Vancouver versus Victoria BC

We are planning a week celebration for our 60th birthday, (now 2 years past), with our 3 grown children and their spouses. (There will be 8 of us all together). We love cooking and spending time together but also love exploring and seeing new things, doing out door things as well as city things but coming home at night to roost and relax. We are trying to decide between Vancouver and Victoria house rentals and can't decide which one would fit the bill of a combination of activities and just being together. I had decided on a rental outside of Victoria but my daughter is rooting for Vancouver, I think she is worried that Victoria might not offer enough activities. (Shopping is not a priority)
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Old Jan 16th, 2012, 04:13 PM
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We were in Victoria and Vancouver last summer.

While Victoria was very nice it's also small. You'll go thru the central core in a day and then look for things to do.

Vancouver really surprised me. It's a big city.

You could spend a day biking and picnicking in Stanley park alone.

You could wander Robson and downtown. Then Chinatown and Gastown.

I vote for Vancouver.
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Old Jan 17th, 2012, 03:06 AM
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How long were you thinking of spending?

I could see Victoria even for a week say if you're more of an outdoors enthusiast and don't need to be doing bigger city activities and checking sites off a list every day (those sorts of activities will be done after maybe 3 days due to Victoria's smaller size). The Royal BC Museum is terrific by the way, as is Butchart's Gardens. Victoria is in a beautiful locale and I think would be a great place to relax and get exercise (I enjoyed some beautiful bike rides!).

Vancouver would be the place if your daughter needs a greater density of people, areas to explore and city buzz. Outdoors activities (hiking) would also be plenty available in Vancouver too. There's a bit of a buzz too in Victoria, just not as much.

Have fun whatever you decide! Daniel
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Old Jan 17th, 2012, 12:58 PM
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I think I would use as criteria the original destinations of everybody involved. If many are coming from a trillion miles away, then Vancouver, hands down.

If, say, you are from Oregon or Idaho or someplace where all parties could realistically hope to get back to B.C. to hit the other one someday reasonably soon, then go ahead and do Victoria.

Vancouver just has SO MUCH... and within such a small-ish area... that you just really can't run out of things to do. By some point a few days in, you and YOUR spouse would just be entertained by the younger set HAVING IDEAS and sorta dragging (the whole group) to this or that... (largely so you wouldn't have to 'think')

How many of the eight of you have ever been to Vancouver.

(if by any chance 5 or more have never been to Vancouver, then cease thoughts of 'Victoria' this instant)
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