Headed to the PNW-?s re: Vancouver + Victoria

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

So the missus and I (sorry ladies) are planning our vacation to the PNW at the end of July. We’re flying into Portland to hook up with some of her friends, driving up to Seattle to meet up with a few of my relatives, and then on to Vancouver.

I’m fairly familiar with Seattle, having visited many times. However, I’ve only briefly been to Vancouver and Victoria. We’re hoping to do some camping on the island, which we know next to nothing about. Any tips and/or recommendations?

This is also a bit of a scouting trip- we want to move west sometime in the next few years, and have SW BC high on the list.

So, Quiddity, kung fu lola, Larry Mudd and uh, any other BC dopers care to drop some wisdom on me?

I sure hope I remembered locations of fellow dopers correctly.

2

How do you like to camp? (And how rugged is your missus?)

If you want an unforgettable camping experience, I recommend you check out Dionisio, on the northernmost bit of Galiano Island. It’s a bit of a hike (okay, a huge hike) to get in to it, but it’s worth it - unbelievably beautiful, and uncluttered. There is no shortage of awesome Bed & Breakfasts on Galiano, too. (I fecking love Galiano.)

If you’re looking for something more accessible, there’s always Long Beach. It’s nice, but with all the conveniences and easy access - so a lot of partiers, generally.

3

Sorry, I see that first link is busted. Dionisio Park on Galiano. Howzzat?

4

Ah, Larry, where else would you recommend in reasonable driving from Van (say, 4 hours or less)? We can’t really bike or bike out since we’re camping with a parrot. We tried Alice Lake which was pleasant enough, but will probably get crazy later in the season-- other suggestions along those lines? Is there camping on Bowen Island, I wonder?

5

We’re both pretty good at rugged conditions- however, I don’t know how much camping equipment we’ll have- ie stove, water purifier, etc. Also, I can’t hike to far or too rugged- I’ve broken an ankle and have arthritis. So I’m only good for a couple hours at a go.

I haven’t had a chance to look at your links, but will do so soon. Thanks, and keep’em coming.

6

Irish Times Pub in Victoria.

Simply the nicest bar I’ve ever been to.

7

Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island near Victoria is really spectacular if you are into that sort of thing. I went on a killer whale watching trip out of Victoria that was well, killer! Unfortunately, I can’t remember which outfit I went with. They have an efficient system of spotter planes and radios that gives them a pretty high success rate of seeing orcas. I went on a larger boat rather than one of the Zodiac types, but felt that it was a pretty great experience. I’m not into getting my digital SLR soaked in salt water anyhow.

8

Chapters has a few books about camping in BC. I haven’t read any of them but I’d suggest the "camp free’ one just because the provincial campsites are often filled with partying kids.

9

Whistlerwould be a great place to check out. It’s only 1.5 hours north of Vancouver and the drive up is spectacular. Once there, you can walk around the village or take a gondola up the mountain for some amazing views.

If you are on Vancouver Island, you would do very well to check out Long Beach, as mentioned. The whole area is a national park, and rightly so. It’s stunning. And not just beach: there are plenty of little rainforest hikes on offer, as well. The nearby towns of Tofino (there is a town in there) and Ucluelet are also great. There is camping in the area but book ahead if you can, especially in the park itself.

10

I’ve never been to Galiano, but i had some good times camping on Denman and Hornby Islands, north of Nanaimo, If you go there, it’s best to take the ferry from Horseshoe Bay in West Van rather than from Tsawwassen, which, of course, makes it a bit hard (or at least a much longer drive) to visit Victoria.

Depending on what time of year you go, the islands can get pretty busy, and Denman and Hornby were both very ppular with the new-age hippy/granola crowd when i was there. But i don’t mind that, and camping there was lots of fun. You should be able to get to those islands in just over 4 hours from Vancouver, as long as you’re not waiting too long for the ferry.

I also like camping on Buttle Lake in Strathcona National Park, but that’s a longer drive. You have to go past Denman and Hornby islands and continue north past Comox, then turn inland. Well worth the drive, though, in my opinion.

I’ve always found Victoria pretty dull, especially after you’ve been a couple of times. Butchart Gardens are lovely, and the orca watching is spectacular if you go out on a good day, but apart from that i’m not a huge fan of the town.

11

Several years ago, I had a great time camping out in Strathcona Park.
It has a lot of campgrounds, but also has a number of decent hotels/motels, if you don’t want to be roughing it all of the time.

I also want to recommend the trip to Whistler. The trip to the top gives you breathtaking views, and there are docents at the top to tell you all about the seven or so microclimates you go through on the way up, as well as the animals, etc. There are also a lot of mountain bike paths available - we saw a lot of kids taking the funicular about one third of the way up with their bikes, and biking down.

12

Are reservations for camping a good idea?

13

Hi, there. I live in Greater Victoria, and have since 1984 (with a break to go to Alaska). I have not done a lot of camping, alas, because my husband doesn’t like it. But I would suggest, if you’re on the Island, that you head up to Long Beach. It’s glorious.

I really do like living in Greater Victoria, despite the region’s growth and the changing weather patterns. The cost of living is high, but there are other benefits. Roses that bloom in December… T

Also, I have officially survived one Dopefest, and would attend another. :slight_smile: This is despite my paralysing shyness…

Heck, it’s been a hard day at work and I’ve been into the Stolichnaya. Email me if you want my take on living in Greater Victoria.

14

Camoing reservations? Yes. Especially for the high July-August season.

For BC Parks (Provincal Parks, that are run by private contractors): http://www.discovercamping.ca/

For National Parks (run by the fine people at Parks Canada:

http://www.pccamping.ca/parkscanada/ (the only National Parks around here that you would camp at would be Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (Long Beach/Broken Islands) http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/bc/pacificrim/index_E.asp

or at the new Gulf Islands NPR): http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/bc/gulf/index_E.asp

Pac Rim is astonishingly beautiful, about a five-hour drive north on Vancouver Island from Victoria. Miles of silver sand beaches on the open Pacific, backed by Coastal Rain Forest.

The Gulf Islands are a spotted patchwork of little islands, most half-filled with insanely expensive homes; gorgeous sub-mediterranean type climate scenery. Best seen with kayaks, but there are some larger ones that you can rent a car and drive to, with Bed and Breakfast places (Saltspring, for example).

The Royal BC Museum in Victoria is really very good (and has a Titanic exhibit on at the moment): http://www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/MainSite/default.aspx

There’s no shortage of whale-watching tours to choose from. “Prince of Whales” seems to be the biggest, if that means anything.

An excellent (if upscale, medium-expensive place) for a romantic special dinner would be the Deep Cove Chalet: http://www.deepcovechalet.com/ A blowout dinner for two might run $200-$300 with a really good wine, but watching the sunset over the inlet over what is likely one of the best meals of your life…priceless. Had my 21st birthday there (24 years ago, I note with alarm).

A nice lunch spot (considerably less expensive) would be Ottavio, a real Italian bakery/deli/gelateria in Oak Bay village. http://www.ottaviovictoria.com/

You could do a lot worse than getting some nice picnic items from Ottavio and coming out to my workplace, for a romantic lunch at the oldest lighthouse on Canada’s west coast (sorry, no wine allowed, though!) :frowning:

: http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/bc/fortroddhill/index_e.asp

Here’s another old “What to do in Victoria?” thread that has some other suggestions: http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=390803&highlight=Victoria

Enjoy!

15

How about bicycle rentals?

16

I’ve never rented a bike, but there are a couple of places listed here in Victoria:

http://www.sportsrentbc.com/ (downtown)

http://www.martysmountaincycle.com/ (this one is in Esquimalt, about 10 minutes’ drive west of downtown Victoria, west over the Johnston Street “Blue Bridge” in the Inner Harbour)

This one has locations here in Victoria, and in Vancouver (and also does scooters and motorbikes, as well as pedal bikes):

17

Awesome. Thanks for your help, Rodd, and everyone else.