nicolos1

Hello,
My wife and I and another couple are in the early stages of planning a 2-3 week trip in September to Vancouver. We would be interested in traveling by car to Whistler from Vancouver, and then motoring to Seattle. We would be flying from the Boston area. At this point not sure if it would make more sense to fly to Seattle, rent a car, then drive to Vancouver, or to reverse direction. We're interested in doing some moderate hiking, plus experiencing the history and culture of the area, and certainly the cuisine of the the Northwest. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks.
Nick

elberko

We were in Vancouver in September 08. Flying from Philadelphia, we found it MUCH cheaper to fly to Seattle and rent a car for the 3 hour drive to Vancouver.

~Liz

nicolos1

Thanks Liz.
Nick

NWWanderer

I'm not sure if you're considering flying into one city and out of the other, but if so, one way car rentals are quite expensive. The train may be a better option if that's your plan.

sludick

We usually fly into Seattle also, for price reasons. September is a great time of year to go there, and there is so much to do. Are you also considering visiting Vancouver Island (Victoria, Tofino, etc.)?

BAK

Ecohing the concern about car drops offs somewhere other than where you rent it in the first place. It's especially awkward across borders. Problem one is finding a rental company welling to do this, and problem two is paying the fees.

Americans are welcome to rent in the US, drive into Canada and return to the US, of course. Make sure your ccar rental agreement allows this, but that's easy enough to arrange.

2-3 weeks is lots of time to allow this circle, plus lots of sightseeing in Canada and in Northern Washington.

Great time of year; I still remember Vancouver on Labour Day in a convertible borrowed from my cousin, more than 40 years ago. *White Chevy OO, for thos curious, Sonny and Cher and Barry McGuire on the radio)

BAK

And you can set up a circle route that's fun to drive. Seattle to Vancouver Island to BC mainland to Washing State still on the mainland, in a sort of a circle.

T

SMac

Maybe you could consider taking Amtrak out of Seattle to Vancouver. You'll end up downtown and can either arrange car rental out of the train station, or take a cab to your hotel (or skytrain) and arrange car rental at the hotel.

By the way – September is a great time to visit Vancouver.

nicolos1

hi everyone,
Thanks SMac on your suggestion to take a train from seattle to vancouver.We are still in the planning stages of our trip, but have changed a few things. Hope everyone can excuse my rambling. We have settled on our dates from sept.14th- sept.30th. we have decided to do an open jaw trip flying from boston to seattle, and returning to boston from calgary. Right now we would fly into seattle on tues. sept. 14th. and take the train to vancouver on sept.17th. We would like to base ourselves in Vancouver for 3-4 days, then visit Victoria and the the Torfino-Ucluelet by car. Not sure how many days to spend in these areas. Also not sure if a trip to Whistler is worth the time. From vancouver we would like to drive to kamloops, then revelstoke, possibly explore glacier national park, then calgary, and banff. Any suggestions on length of time to spend in each area, accomodations, and resturants would be appreciated. Thanks. Nick

sludick

We took another couple on a similar trip last year, only we did not have the luxury of flying out of Calgary. I am assuming you'll pick your car up in Vancouver? Here's some thoughts:

- You can get excellent Priceline wins in Vancouver downtown. Bid on 4-star hotels in Downtown Vancouver. Check www.biddingfortravel.com or www.betterbidding.com for bidding strategies and some idea of what people have been paying. Maybe 2 nights there, although I will defer to those who say 3.

- You might take the ferry out of Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo and then head for Tofino-Ucluelet. It's not a quick drive, with a winding road in spots, a couple of little towns (slow traffic), and gorgeous scenery to pull over to oogle. Link to ferries: http://www.bcferries.com/

- You must stop at Coombs to see the goats on the roof, browse the shops, and pick up some eats for the picnic lunch you will surely want to have on the trip. Check it out: http://www.oldcountrymarket.com/

- You will be advised to stay a minimum of 3 nights in Tofino or Ucluelet. We have gone a few times and have only stayed 2 nights. It's doable, but not enough time to do much. By the time you get there, it will be late afternoon, and you will need to leave in the morning on your departure day. So yes, 3 nights.

- After Tofino, head for Victoria. Don't miss Buchart Gardens (about 1/2 hour out of town) or the Royal BC Museum. Traveller69 and others will give you great advice on what to do here. One or two nights in Victoria.

- Take the ferry out of Swartz Bay (near Victoria) to Tsawwassen and head for the mountains. No, not Whistler - wouldn't bother - head for the Canadian Rockies.

- Consider stopping in the Okanagan Valley one night, and if you like wine, perhaps two. http://okanaganbritishcolumbia.com/

- There are a few different options for how you get from Vancouver to Banff. One way we enjoy is to go from Osoyoos (Okanagan) to Nelson, stay a night at The Hume, then cut up on a very scenic drive that takes us to Revelstoke. From there, drive through Canadian Glacier National Park over Rogers Pass and into Banff/Lake Louise.

Well, there's a start. Hope there is something in this you can use.

nicolos1

Hi Sludick,

nicolos1

Hi Sludick,
Thank you very much for the information. It was very useful. I was looking at the Okanagan Valley last night, and it looks absolutely beautiful, and we do like wine. My thinking now is to explore this area and drive back to Vancouver instead of Calgary. We have to have a planning meeting with our friends because they have been to the Banff area. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again.
Nick

sludick

Do you prefer red or white wine? Dry or sweet? Or all of it? We've found that the best reds tend to be south, Oliver to Osoyoos, and that the farther north, the more whites. The region makes some excellent icewine and late harvest as well.

What are some of your interests and favorite activities? Mobility - hikers, walkers, or need to avoid that? Some more insights will help us give you best advice.

nicolos1

Hi Sludick,
We prefer reds. We do like to bike and hike and also play golf. We've traveled to Italy, Greece, France, and Croatia together so we are pretty comfortable with each other. We like to buy our bread and cheeses, etc for picnic lunches, and usually go out for our evening meal. I'm in my mid 60's, my wife will be 62 tomorrow, and our friends are in their early 70's. We are all in fairly good shape. We do enjoy the cultural and historical aspects of the areas we visit, and the occasional museum(s).Thanks again for any information. You have been most helpful.
Nick

Carmanah

Do spend a night or two (or three) in the Okanagan, especially if you enjoy wine and good food. One of my most memorable summers was spending 4 nights in the area between Naramata and Osoyoos touring the wineries, buying some bread, cheese, and local fresh fruit (which will all be ripe in September, especially local apples, peaches, and nectarines = yum!) and just relaxing. The area's best to be explored in a slow-going kind of way.

And if you're looking for a unique accommodation in Osoyoos, I can highly recommend the Observatory B&B.

Carmanah

It should also be mentioned that some wineries have their own restaurants. Burrowing Owl, for example, is highly rated:

http://www.bovwine.ca/

nicolos1

Hi Carmanah,
Thank you for your excellent information. Each response is helping to complete our itinerary.
Nick

sludick

In Tofino, we truly enjoy the Middle Beach Lodge. They will likely offer a whale-watching package in September, really good. http://www.middlebeach.com/

There are other places to stay, but since we haven't stayed there, I'll let others give their feedback on those.

nicolos1

Hi Sludick,
Thanks for the recommendation in Tofino. As I'm working on a tentative itinerary, other questions keep coming up.It looks like 3 days in Torfino, 2 in Victoria, back to Vancouver for one night, then to the Okanagan Valley for 5 days before returning to Vancouver for one night and flying out the next day. My question is where to stay in this loop in the Okanagan Valley. My thinking is to drive to Ossoyoos which is 246 miles. Not sure about Nelson, Revelstoke, Vernon, and finally Kamloops the last night which would be a 220 mile trip back to Vancouver. Are we better off to base ourselves in one or two places in those 5 days or go to a different place each day? I have to check flights out of Vancouver back to Boston because we will be flying to Seattle first then taking a train to Vancouver after 2 days. I know Boston to Seattle round trip is cheaper, but we have to consider time factor when we return. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks again.
Nick

sludick

Well, for your revised itinerary, I’d drop Nelson, Revelstoke, etc.

The Okanagan is long and narrow, so you might consider starting in the south and working your way north. Carmanah suggested the Observatory B&B, which is just east of Osoyoos as you climb the hill leaving town, I believe. Other suggestions in Osoyoos are:

• Spirit Ridge Resort & Winery (note the golf course) http://www.spiritridge.ca/
• Watermark Beach Resort (on the lake – we’re staying there for the first time this coming May)
• Burrowing Owl Winery – has a recently-added Guest House
• Walnut Beach Resort (also on the lake) http://www.walnutbeachosoyoos.com/

But do be warned that Osoyoos is a bit shabby and short on charm, other than possibly the above. Both Burrowing Owl and Nk’Mip wineries have patio dining and some excellent wines.

Farther up, there are wonderful wineries near Oliver, Okanagan Falls, and in the Naramata region (above Penticton and on the east of the lake). We’ve always wanted to try one of the B&Bs in the Naramata region; perhaps some fodorites could recommend a couple for you (and me). Here’s a map to help: http://www.discoverwines.com/wine-map.php

I would avoid staying in Kelowna or West Bank (by Kelowna); it’s a bigger city and there is lots of traffic. So somewhere in the Penticton/Naramata region would be a good next stop. Then continue working your way up, and perhaps stay a night in Salmon Arm. The countryside will open up a bit north of Kelowna, with beautiful pastures in front of mountain views.

In the south, the wineries are numerous, but they tend to be off on little roads (good signage for wineries), so it will take a while to visit some. Allow yourself plenty of time. There will be fruit and vegetable stands, and of course you’ll want to visit a few. Some of our favorite wineries: Hester Creek, Wild Goose, Gehringer Brothers, Tinhorn Creek, Silver Sage (would you believe sage-infused Cabernet?), Burrowing Owl, La Frenz, Inniskillin, See Ya Later.

immimi

Just to echo Sludick, Middlebeach Lodge in Tofino is a great
west-coast style place to stay. And 3 days spent in Tofino
make a wonderful break during a busy travelling schedule.
We've stayed in the Lodge, smaller cabin and a large cabin
and all would be suitable.

We've rented a suite at Spirit Ridge in Osoyoos and it was
a lovely place to use as a base for the wineries. And, yes,
Osoyoos is a rather humdrum little burg but its surroundings
are glorious - esp. in September.