<p>This is great information. Thanks!</p>
<p>Two of us negligently let our passports expire. From what I’ve been reading, we won’t need a passport if we’re arriving from Canada by boat or car, only if traveling by air. The rules requiring a passport for boat or car will not be in effect until Jan 2008 . Does anyone know if this is correct?</p>
<p>rbrmom, sorry for riding on your thread coattail.</p>
<p>Yeah, a day trip to Whistler would be worth the effort!</p>
<p>Granville Island is also very fun, kind of farmer’s market meets artist’s market.</p>
<p>You do not yet need a passport to drive across, just a photo ID and birth cert (they do prefer certified birth certs & NOT copies)</p>
<p>Also, any one with a DUI or any other felonies, good luck crossing. Canada is EXTREMELY strict about US residents with DUIs not being allowed in. not sure how all the databases talk to each other, but I have seen people turned away. It apparently is a bad thing for TEN years! An embarassing surprise if any one is vulnerable to that restriction, plus you would have waited in the border line to be turned away and then have to wait in line to go back!</p>
<p>Gee somemom, things have certainly changed since my last bordern crossing into British Columbia about 8 years ago. At that time all the Canadian agent asked was whether or not the toddlers in the car were my kids. What really gave me anxiety was when he asked if the absent parent (the spouse was back at home) knew that the kids “were being taken out of the country.” Well of course their mom knew that jr. and I were on vacation visiting the folks in Seattle, but our day trip to BC was a last minute plan. I resonded to the Canadian agent with a mumbled “yes, of course”. And he waived us through.</p>
<p>hmm
I really like Vancouver- I would suggest the clipper as well-
and Stanley Park
Leavonworth is dull- unless you are going hiking- the drive is pretty</p>
<p>My top choice would be to do the waterfront- the Art Museum, Ivars fish and chips- a ferry ride, Pike Place Market, Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe, The Seattle Aquarium, Safeco field baseball, Elliot Bay Bookstore/Pioneer Square, GoldRush Museum
Underground Tour, Sea Garden in the ID district for dinner
Those things will take a few days- then go to Ballard Locks & Golden Gardens beach , Archie Mc Phees, and Ballard Seafood fest
[ya</a> sure ya betcha ;)](<a href=“http://www.seafoodfest.org/]ya”>http://www.seafoodfest.org/)</p>
<p>ek4, thanks for the reminder about the remodeled Art Museum, it’s by a Portland architect firm, I’m anxious to see it. That also brings to mind the Seattle Public Library, deisgned by Rem Koolhaas, very cool and another freebee. The Vancouver Public Library is also very interesting, check it out if you’re walking around downtown.</p>
<p>over30, you do not yet need a passport if you’re crossing by car, although it is still recommended. The air and sea law went into effect in January of this year, and although some sites are saying that it is just air travel that is presently affected by the rules, I have heard of two separate instances of people without passports having a problem crossing on the Clipper from Seattle to Victoria. So, if you’re planning on doing that, I’d check first. In any case, even by car, you’ll need proof of citizenship and photo I.D.</p>
<p>The 17 year old might like the Capilano bridge:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.capbridge.com/[/url]”>http://www.capbridge.com/</a></p>
<p>no problem over30…i’m glad we’re both getting some great info. we were originally thinking of spending more time in vancouver, but it sounds like victoria might be better given our limited time.</p>
<p>rbrmom - I find the travel books to be highly inaccurate for the PNW. When I travel, I always prepare extensively by researching books and online. Oregon to Whistler were nothing like we anticipated according to our research.</p>
<p>Another fun thing to do is take a seaplane ride between Vancouver and Victoria, instead of a ferry. However, if you are determined to fly to Seattle, in the time you specify, you should rent a car and visit San Juan Island and Victoria. Or, skip Seattle, and do Victoria, Vancouver and some other areas in BC. </p>
<p>Also take into consideration the time of year. It is the height of the season, and you can have bad weather the whole time.</p>
<p>If you want some really cool places to stay and things to do in the San Juan Islands, I have more information.</p>
<p>Incidentally, my last trip in the PNW, we intended to go to Seattle, but as we drove by on the highway, and saw how it looked, we just kept going further north and didn’t stop there. The rest of the state of Washington is much more interesting.</p>
<p>We’re definitely going to be in Seattle for part of the trip to visit my son who’s working there this summer. But my dad said we had to get to Victoria and this advice is wonderful to help us plan what to see.</p>
<p>That bridge looks like fun!</p>
<p>I live near Seattle, and I much prefer Victoria to Vancouver. (My neighbors love Vancouver though, and go there often.) Victoria is so charming and accessible–you can walk everywhere around the harbor area. There is a tour on double decker buses that starts in front of the Empress Hotel that I have taken several times. I also like taking the Clipper to Victoria better than driving–it’s a long drive to get there. The Clipper company has some package deals with hotels–we did that once and stayed at the Empress and it worked out well. They take your luggage to and from the hotel for you and you can just walk to the hotel. </p>
<p>Although the tea at the Empress is expensive, we loved the food in the main dining room. Very nice buffets at breakfast and dinner–much more reasonable than the expensive tea. </p>
<p>I also love the museum in Victoria. It’s right by the harbor too. They have wonderful totem poles, a nice gift shop, and a special exhibit every summer. This year it is on the Titanic.
<a href=“http://www.clippervacations.com/seattle-victoria_overnight[/url]”>http://www.clippervacations.com/seattle-victoria_overnight</a>
<a href=“http://www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/MainSite/default.aspx[/url]”>http://www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/MainSite/default.aspx</a></p>
<p>The Butchart Gardens are lovely, but crowded. Go early or late if you go. We had a very nice lunch there in the original house of the Butchart family.</p>
<p>Any suggestions on hotels that aren’t going to break the budget? A couple of friends suggested we stay in the downtown area. My son is living very close to the university, so hotels in that area might work as well.</p>
<p>Check this out. </p>
<p><a href=“http://p070.ezboard.com/Canada--British-Columbia-Vancouver-Victoria/fpricelineandexpediabiddingfrm210[/url]”>http://p070.ezboard.com/Canada--British-Columbia-Vancouver-Victoria/fpricelineandexpediabiddingfrm210</a></p>
<p>The only problem for the above link is that there is no cancellation,it’s priceline. But this website will tell you what people have bidded succesfully, then use priceline to bid.</p>
<p>When I travelled to BC, I used AAA book, called the hotel, got some nice corporate discount. I had a luxury suite with ocean view for regular price. It may worth your time to ask the hotel if they give corporate discount.</p>
<p>Weve stayed at the Sheraton Wall Centre in Vancouver
fabulous
( although I think the US dollar is weaker now)
Also stayed at the Sylvia hotel- which has a great location next to Stanley Park, rooms are “quaint” but I also would recommend it.</p>
<p>I can’t remember any hotels in the vicinity of UBC.</p>
<p>The Marriott Renaissance is nice and is downtown. Try to get an upper floor harbor view.</p>
<p>I meant dowtown Seattle. Thanks</p>
<p>In Seattle (this is going back a few years, though)
King Cafe used to be great in downtown Seattle for Dim Sum
Phinney Ridge Cafe for breakfast (near Woodland Park Zoo) - best cinnamon rolls ever!
The Dilletante - for chocolate lovers desserts and coffee on Capitol Hill
Whidbey Island - stay at Captain Whidbey Inn; sea-kayak around the shore
the Olympic Penninsula - Dungeness; The Ho Rain Forrest; hike Hurricane Ridge; There are some great little towns that have PNW Indian tribes and crafts;
Snoqualmie Falls for brunch
In Victoria; we stayed at Anne Hathaway’s Cottage; cute reproduction complete with stocks to put the kids in if they misbehave.
The Parliament House is beautifullly lit at night.</p>
<p>For Indian material, the UBC museum (many many totem poles) and the BC provincial museum in Victoria.</p>
<p>We took a ferry from Seattle, then drove and ferried through several islands before getting back to the mainland and going on to Vancouver. A very nice trip.</p>
<p>over 30. I doubt that you will find a real good deal on a hotel room in downtown Seattle in summer, but you never know. Priceline or hotels.com cam come up with some great deals at times. I seem to recall that there are a couple small motel type places near UW, and that is really only 3-4 miles from downtown. The names University Inn & College Inn sound familiar, but it has been a few years since I spent much time in that area.</p>
<p>Good luck and have fun!</p>