I will be in the Vancouver area in September, and have 3 open days. Does anyone have a recommendation on Vancouver Island sites, where to stay and eat? Also, should we fly or take the ferry? We will depart for Victoria area immediately after arriving in Vancouver via air. Thanks

If you enjoy boats in general, take the ferry. We loved seeing the islands, the gulls, etc. It was breezy and a bit chilly out on deck, but a lot of us
were out there.

If you like flowers and gardens, go north to the
Buchardt (sp) Gardens. It is a lovely place to walk around and admire the flowers and landscape archi-
tecture. It is about a half hour drive from Victoria. There's a very nice restaurant/cafeteria
for lunch. If you have any time at all in Vancouver City, visit the waterfront and park there. It is a
beautiful city to drive around.

Are you renting a car? You would generally not want to fly from Vancouver to Victoria. If you are going by car you can stop along the way. For example, Burchart Gardens is closer to the ferry terminal than to Victoria. My recommendation would be somewhat different though. I sould take the ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Naniamo up Island from Victoria. Stay one, preferably two nights at Yellow Point Lodge (in one of the cliff cabins) if you can get in. Drive to Victoria after that, have a look around, visit Burchart Gardens and then take the Tawassan (sp?) ferry back to Vancouver. That would make a fine loop and show you some of the more remote parts of the Island. Yellow Point Lodge is a Northwest phenomenon, little known elsewhere, because Northwesterners like it that way.

Definitely take the ferry. It is only an hour and a half ride and allows you to take a car. Both ferry routes are beautiful, but the ferries from Horeshoe Bay to Nanaimo are older and keep in mind that when you get to Nanaimo you are about two hours north of Victoria still, which is ok if you enjoy driving and want to see the island. In Victoria, the Parliament buildings and Empress Hotel are impressive sights ( right on the harbour) and the BC Museum is amazing .. for all ages. Best Italian restaurant anywhere is Pagliacci's on Broad Street (NOT the same as the one in Nanaimo which you can SKIP). Amazing food, fabulous atmosphere, owner wanders around, prepare to line up but soo worth it. Ocean Pointe Resort is across the Johnson Street Bridge ( 3 minute drive from downtown), but still on the harbor, has a sea wall around it that you can follow to walk to pubs, etc., pool, is beautiful and often cheaper than others. Enjoy!

Went to Vancouver-Victoria this summer with family. Rented a car at Vancouver airport, which is only about 15 miles north of ferry port at Tsawwassen. If you went to other port at Horseshoe Bay, you would have to drive through Vancouver and its traffic, bridges, etc. It's also possible to reserve a ferry spot for a specific departure by phone with credit card. See B.C. Ferries schedules on B.C. web site. Ferry arrival at Vancouver Island is about 35 minutes from Victoria. We stayed at "Stay 'N Save" Motor Inn, a good-quality lower cost British Columbia chain (about $80 AAA rate). We enjoyed the Victoria waterfronts, harbor, and Butchart Gardens. Also the British Columbia museum near the parliament building and Empress Hotel. There really aren't a lot of other sites, except for soaking in the ambience and seascapes, with mountains in the background. When finished in Victoria, we drove the semi-scenic road to Nanaimo, boarded the ferry for the ride to Horseshoe Bay, stopped off at the Grouse Mountain tramway for a great view of Vancouver below. Good luck.

Yellow Point Lodge sounds good, but where is it (town)?