girlonthego

Thank you Thank you Thank you for all of these wonderful and long posts! I wish I could take a trip there tomorrow! Although Vancouver is the farthest, I think it would be the most interesting for us. Old Quebec sounds very nice, but I am thinking the Pacific Northwest would be a unique and wonderful experience. Now, I just have to convince my husband that this is a must see trip for him!!! ha ha... I am still researching. Thanks again. I am enjoying reading all of your recommendations and why you liked these places!

stringer

If you've decided on Vancouver, a great choice. But try to do what I call the "Big 3": Vancouver, Whistler, and Victoria. Three summers ago we did this loop in 12 days and weren't too rushed, with sufficient down time in each location. We flew into Seattle and rented a minivan and drove to Vancouver. I rented the van about 2 months ahead of time for about $600. After 3 full days in Vancouver we drove up to Whistler, which if I recall is about 3 hours or so -awsome scenery. Take my word for it - your kids will love Whistler, parents, too! Plan on at least 3 full days to really enjoy it. We then returned to Vancouver for the ferry ride to Victoria. (NOTE: Summertime is very busy for the BCFerry service. It is a must that you make specific plans a good 6 weeks ahead of time by reserving your place on the ferry, both directions; failure to do so will likely result in loooong waits in the unreserved lines. The passage is less than 2 hours. If you get a quesy stomach easily, take a low-drowsy OTC motion sickness tablet. We then returned on the ferry to Vancouver, drove back to Seattle for flight home the following day. All 3 locations are very different and have fun things to do for entire family. The pacific NW is majestic and will beckon your return. My family is heading back in a year or 2 for a repeat since we loved it so much.

msr3017

We are fellow Virginians and have taken three Canadian vacations in the last few years -- driving trips to Toronto and Montreal, and a trip to Vancouver Island and Vancouver.

The Pacific Northwest is beautiful and I have nothing to say against it -- but I actually preferred our trip to Seattle and the Olympic Peninsula to the Canadian part of the trip.

We had a great time on our driving trip to Toronto. The first day we drove from Virginia to Corning, New York where we toured the glass museum, which is really great. Then we went to Watkins Glen State Park and spent a couple of days relaxing by the shores of Seneca Lake. We drove from there to Niagara Falls, stopping in Buffalo to sample the chicken wings at the Anchor Bar, where "buffalo wings" was invented. A night at Niagara Falls (do NOT miss the Maid of the Mist!!) and then to Toronto for three days.

Lots of great stuff to do in Toronto with kids -- the zoo, the science center, a Blue Jays game, great shopping and excellent food.

I enjoy driving trips more than flying, and this was a great one.