Ferries dont run every hour to Nanaimo only every two hours or so....not an exact time anymore you need to look at the schedule.
http://www.bcferries.com/schedules/m...a-current.html
here is current schedule for Sept 7 to October 14, 2010

Thanks Carmanah and Live42day.

Hello,
I was reading on the B.C. forum today about Clipper Lines out of Seattle to Victoria that many people got seasick. Is there an alternative to get to Victoria from Seattle?

There's nothing direct via sea... you'd either have to take the Coho ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles and drive X amount of hours (2? 3?) to Seattle. Or you'd have to travel from Victoria half an hour north to Sidney, get on the Washington state ferry to Anacortes and then drive the hour or so to Seattle. The only issue is that the ferry schedules are limited.

You can also drive 30 minutes north of Victoria to Swartz Bay, take the BC Ferries to Tsawwassen (they typically leave every hour), then drive 20 minutes to the border, then 2 hours to Seattle.

FYI.......sludick gives reallu great advice.....I notice the itineraries suggested arevery doable.

As a staunch Vancouverite and a fervent traveler..... I would take most of his advice except I would skip the Okanagan which personally I find overrated and mostly ugly. Naramata being teh exceptin. If you have been in Italy or France or the Napa it does not hold a patch to the charm they offer.

Tofino is lovley and worth the trip. Sobo's restaurant or whatever the owenrs current version is will be delicious.

The pretty parts of Victoria are walkable in a morning. And worth driving around Rockland area . Butcharts Gardens is lovely though my "real gardener" friends point out it is not a botanical garden more a Show garden.

The BC Museum is a must! One of the most fascinating and worlds best small museums. The Haida exhibit is a must see. And there is more.

Otherwise we have found Victoria overpriced for the buck.

When booking Vancouver restaurants book on Open Table Vancouver. Lots of reviews. The citizens are real food nuts so it is a very active reveiw site. We are spoilt with the wonderful young chefs encouraged by some of the big names who have arrived on the scene thus raising the bar for everyone.

The trip of a lifetime between Vancouver to Banff/Jasper is on the Rocky Mountaineer train, travelling in the Gold Car if you can afford it...worth every penny. The onboard staff commentary is simply outstanding. They relate history, geography, gossip, flora/Fauna etc and comment on any excitement that comes along the way. You could pick up a car in Banff tour the icefields and fly out of Calgary.

September is usually a lovely time to be here. Great for walking and lapping up the ambience. Enjoy.

Thank you ragout,
Your comments will certainly be taken into consideration. thanks again.
Nick

Hello,
Is it worth on our trip to British Columbia to spend 5 nights in the Okanagan Valley? We have been to Provence, Istria, and Tuscany. Ragout seems to think Okanagan is overrated. We would like other opinions. I know that we have gotten positive feedback, and some negative feedback. We will be having our planning party with our fellow traveling partners soon, and would like to finalize our itinerary. Any thoughts? We would like to play maybe one round of golf, visit one or two wineries, and do some hiking. Thanks for any input.
Nick

<u>Nick</u>-I very much enjoy the Okanagan but have spent most of my time in small campgrounds, birding, fishing, swimming and visiting a few select wineries.

Certainly some of the place is overbuilt but if you want to follow the tourist crowds that's what you'll see.

There's excellent hiking along the old Kettle Valle Railway and few can resist the charm of Tickleberry's.

http://www.tickleberrys.com/

We love the Okanagan and its wineries - having grown up next to the Napa Valley, which has become way commercial and just a drinking binge atmosphere, we appreciate these smaller wineries. However - I think 5 days is way too much. You'd probably cover all you cared to see in 2 or 3 days, I think.

BTW - we're on vacation now. Flew into Spokane, spent the first night in Osoyoos (Watermark Beach Resort - beautiful and new). Then 2 weeks almost in Vancouver and the Sunshine Coast before returning to the Okanagan for 2 nights. This will give us plenty of time for wineries and meeting friends for a special occasion lunch at Burrowing Owl winery.