Seattle to Tswassen Border Crossing
 

We'll be traveling from Seattle to Tswassen July 14 for a ferry ride to Vancouver Island. Please help on the best place to cross the border. We need to make the 12 noon ferry. We are looking forward to 4 days in Tofino, 3 days in Victoria and 3 days in Vancouver. Any suggestions for good seafood restaurants in Vancouver?

Whatever you do, do NOT take the main "Peace Arch" border crossing (essentially the end of I-5 and the beginning of Hwy 99). You will more than likely spend a good chunk of time waiting in line there with hundreds of other people. <BR> <BR>Instead, in Blaine there will be signs saying "Truck Crossing". It's the very last exit on I-5 before the Peace Arch crossing. Take it. It will take you east for a few blocks to a smaller border crossing. There will be a few lineups for the cargo trucks, and a few lines for regular vehicals. The lineup waiting time is just a fraction of that of Peace Arch. Once you get through the crossing, there will be signs pointing you back to the main highway to Vancouver (Hwy 99). It's a 2 minute detour that might even save you an hour of waiting time!

About seafood restaurants in Vancouver, there's a casual restaurant on English Bay downtown (with a great patio) called the Boathouse. They usually have a good selection of food. <BR> <BR>Another favourite of mine is the Fish House in Stanley Park. They're one of the top seafood restaurants in the city and always seem to get good reviews. <BR> <BR>http://www.vanmag.com/diningout/Seafood.html is Vancouver Magazine's reviews on a few of their favourite seafood restaurants.

I agree with Robyn's suggestion to go to the truck crossing, since it's a Saturday in July (although normally the waits going into Canada are not nearly as long as the waits to come back into the US--you definitely don't want to use the main Peach Arch crossing back into the US!). To make the noon ferry, you'd want to leave Seattle by 7:30-8 AM at the latest, and if you absolutely must be on that sailing, make a reservation. <BR> <BR>Another suggestion for seafood, in addition to Robyn's: C, at the foot of Howe Street overlooking Granville Island. It's on the upscale, expensive side but I really liked the food and the dramatic presentations.

Thanks for the information, Robyn.

Sherry, We did make a reservation for the ferry. I appreciate all your info. We are looking forward to our trip to Canada.