Seeking opinions re BC/Vancouver/Victoria/San Juan Is./Rockies/Seattle?
 

Travelling to BC late Aug.(next month) and trying to figure out leisurely 7-8 day tour. Is Vancouver home base good idea, with short 1-2 day trips? Also thinking of starting in Seattle, ferry to Victoria (how long is trip? pick-up car there?), ferry around San Juan Islands (any reason to overnight there?), then on to Vancouver. Planning to stay at Vancouver's Century Plaza Hotel -- anybody know about this? Then perhaps go on to Banff/Lake Louise by car or plane and back to Vancouver. Is trying to go to Rockies too much or should I skip the San Juans and head for the Rockies? Are there any tours of X-Files landmarks in Vancouver? Thanks in advance. Nan

I think it depends on what you like to do in terms of seeing what is there to be seen. Victoria is a nice visit for perhaps two or three days. The leading attractions there are Butchart Gardens and some of the museums around the inner harbor. The official BC museum of territorial history and natural history is extremely effective in its presentation. <BR>My own preferences are in the Jasper and Lake Louise area. The premier drive for scenic mountains is the Icefields Parkway from Lake Louise to Jasper. <BR>I would give that area priority because I like that sort or stuff. If you hike at all, there are several short hikes in the area that are terrific.

As Bob said, it all depends on what you like. I do believe that it owuld be too much to try to do it all in 7-8 days. If you decide on the coastal route than let me suggest a route that will take care of everything. <BR> <BR>Start from Seattle and drive north on I-5 to Anacortes, WA ( about 60 miles ). Take the Washington State ferry from Anacortes to Sidney, BC ( about 20 miles from Victoria ). This ferry route is by far the most scenic as it takes toy right through the San Juan Islands. I wouldn't waste the time to actually stop at them but the ferry trip is great. Beware that this ferry gets very crowded with big lineups in the summer. Get a schedule and be there EARLY, like several hours. Try to pick a mid week day. Stay a couple days in Victoria to visit the sights etc. Then drive north from Victoria up the island to Nanaimo ( about 65 miles ). Take the ferry from Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay ( about 25 miles from Vancouver ). This will give you a glimpse of some of the scenery of Vancouver Island especially the Malahat. Drive into Vancouver and stay a few days there. Then drive back to Seattle via I-5. This route will give you the most for the time that you have. There are many other things you could see but time will not permit to do it all. <BR> <BR>Now I do agree with Bob about the BC Rockies if that is your inclination. I personally would go through the Windermere Valley as well as Banff, Jasper, etc. I ised to live in the Windermere Valley and consider it to be, one of, if not the most, scenic areas in the world. The trip from the Windermere Valley through the Kooteney and Banff National Parks is great. In any event there is a lot of things to see and you just have to decide what you prefer.

Since you're starting out without a car and with limited time, I would be inclined to skip the San Juans and take the 1½ hour Coho ferry trip from Port Angeles to the Victoria harbour. Of course the question there is how to get to Port Angeles, so scratch that. Maybe you'd be better off taking the Victoria Clipper out of Seattle. It also takes you to downtown Victoria (although not on a very scenic route). After a day or two in Victoria, you could take the bus to Vancouver. They leave about every hour from the bus depot beside the Empress Hotel/Conference Centre. You show up about 20 minutes beforehand and it takes you right across on the ferry into Vancouver. The ferry trip to the mainland is also about 1½ hours. In this way you wouldn't have to pick up a car until Vancouver. <BR> <BR>Allow a day for the drive to the Rockies (right Bob & Bob?). In my opinion, that will be the most spectacular part of the trip - the Rockies that is. In fact, you could do the route in reverse. That way you'd be sure not to be shortchanged in the best part. <BR>

PS <BR>The Clipper's website says the trip from Seattle is 2 - 3 hours long. <BR> <BR>http://www.ferrytravel.com/vicclipper.htm <BR>

Nan, sounds like a great trip, but do not try and do both the coast and the rockies in 8 days. You can do 8 days in both places without seeing everything and I think you would only be disappointed. Pick one and spend the time enjoying that area without the 2 days of driving between the coast and the mountains. If you want to do the mountains fly to Calgary and do a week. <BR>On the coast take the Clipper to Victoria. Do dwtn Victoria by foot, take a tour to the Butchart Gardens and the bus to Vancouver. Rent a car and drive to Whistler for a couple of nights and drive back to Seattle. Or rent a car when you get to Victoria and See if you can drop it off in Seattle or Vancouver.