Talk to me about BC-Vancouver/Island/Whistler!

[vintagelover229]

Hello wonderful PSers!

I am excited to share that my DH and I were gifted a timeshare from my Grandma and we are spending 15 days in BC! I've been there before many years ago but it was only for a few days and I can't wait to go back!

We are staying a week at this resort http://www.pacific-shores.com/ but we are flying in a couple of days early and are planning on staying about a week after camping on the mainland.

While the place we are staying is wonderful-the timeshare gave us a jr. suite which doesn't have a kitchen (I'm a stickler for cooking while your on vacation to help save on costs). I know that BC isn't inexpensive to travel with at all-so I'm looking for affordable options for meals while on the island and while on the mainland. So I'm hoping some locals can chime in!

While on the Island we will be traveling all over. If able I would like to go panning for gold (we'll see if I can convince hubby of that!) but mostly it will be swimming/beach combing/hiking/exploring/snorkeling. We will be taking a day trip to Tofino to visit the hot springs/water falls and hopefully buy some local sea food from the locals
http://vancouverisland.com/regions/towns/?townID=28

We will be right next to parksville and not to far of a drive from Victoria. I will be 6/7 months pregnant at the time of the trip (I know!) but I'm very excited about it (although a bit disappointed since I have to be careful with the hot springs and no diving for me )

While on the mainland we will be camping in the Whistler area and I would love recommendations while there. I've looked at all sorts of great campsites (yet to book but will be soon) and have seen many local gardens in the Vancouver area as well as waterfalls/hiking/etc.

Since we will have just moved into our house that needs work and will be expecting just a few short months after our trip we want to keep this as budget friendly as possible. We are looking to rent a car but it appears Vancouver has a pretty great transit system that perhaps we can get away with not using one for the first couple of days. Doubt DH will go for that though

Also since we will be in the area I would love to meet up with some PSers if anyone is interested in maybe meeting up for lunch/dinner one of the nights. We are pretty easy going and fun (at least I think so) and are schedule is pretty open after we are done on the island. I'm so excited since we used aero-miles to get our flights and the time share was a wedding gift-so the only costs we will have is the car rental, food costs (which is looking expensive!) and maybe a few shopping/tours but even those we plan on keeping to a minimal.

Has anyone else traveled while that far along and gone hiking? Am I out of my mind?

Thanks so much for all the help everyone. I'm super stoked and can't wait to share pictures with all the traveling PSers!

 

[hlmr]

I have family in Vancouver, and have done some hiking in Squamish/Whistler area. Absolutely gorgeous country!!!!!! I think you will be fine being that far along in your pregnancy. You will know when it is too much. Sorry that I don't have any further info to add, but just wanted to say......enjoy!

 

[sonnyjane]

What month will you be there exactly? If it's during the season, be sure to catch a whale-watching tour. I used to work on a whale boat in the San Juan's and it was so incredible. You can also check out the aquarium, it's one of the best in the world.

 

[aliceinwonderland]

Hi,

Whistler is awesome! We go often you will enjoy it for hiking for sure. You can take the gondola to the top of the mountain and do some hiking provided the snow pack melts enough. It's fun to go even if the hiking is not great just for the view. If you are planning to rent a car look into that ASAP as car rentals there can be very expensive and if you book in advance that can cut down on the cost immensely. Alternately there is a bus that runs up the sea to sky highway it used to be called perimeter but now now's pacific something or other. I remember it being close to $100 round trip but usually we drive so I'm not sure the current rate. I'm pretty sure this is the website www.pacificcoach.com

You will find food in Whistler food VERY VERY expensive even if you are cooking on your own as groceries cost a lot more. If you drive up you may find groceries in Squamish much cheaper as it's a bit bigger and it's the last big stop before Whistler on the Sea to Sky Highway (99). Once you get there, there are a ton of amazing paved trails (called the valley trail) for easier walking/ biking and there are a couple of bike shops in the village that you can rent from easily if you decide to use bikes to get around while there. There is also public transit in Whistler that you can use.

There is also a really neat first nations cultural centre in Whistler that is really interesting to see and some days it's by donation only so it's much cheaper. http://www.slcc.ca/ I was really impressed with the museum.

I am a little bit curious about your camping plan. They do sometimes have a lot of bears in the summer....I'm assuming you have considered that already though!

There is also some nice swimming at Lost Lake Beach which is cold but really nice, a bit more of a locals beach. Just make sure you rinse off using the showers to avoid swimmers itch. Lastly you can canoe the river of golden dreams which is a very faced paced canoe ride if the water levels are high and it leaves from Alta Lake.

Not sure if that answers any of your 'questions' but I know you will have a wonderful time in Whistler. While in Vancouver you should try and check out the Capilano suspension bridge as it's 'hike like' while having some cool scenery to check out!

Have fun!

 

[bright ice]

I have been to Vancouver, the island and Whistler. I had a wonderful experience but I really don't know enough to make good recommendations. I hope you enjoy your trip.

 

[rainwood]

You might want to reconsider the day trip to Tofino. Although the road doesn't look that far in kilometers, it's quite the twisty, turny experience so it can take quite awhile to get there and back leaving you very little time actually in Tofino. So I'd say either stay overnight or think long and hard about it. And you'd want to make sure that you don't get car sick at that stage in your pregnancy.

You didn't say when you were going, but I assume it's in summer. If it's earlier than the middle of July, Tofino is more likely to be rainy than nice. That can also be true of the rest of B.C., but it's particularly true for Tofino. You'll want to have a back-up plan if the weather turns out to be less than stellar on a day you'd planned outdoor activities. Either that or pack some serious rain gear. I say that as someone who lives in the Pacific Northwest on the U.S. side of the border.

I haven't been there but Parksville is supposed to be a great summer vacation place. Have a great time!

 

[maplefemme]

We do a ton of hiking and camping in BC, I live in Alberta. If you're going to be camping around Whistler then bear spray is a must, as well as food precautions if you're packing any or cooking outside. A small air horn and a bear bell each is a good idea on the hiking trails also as bears are not a rarity there, we see them often.
When are you going?
Sounds like a great trip!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Friends have property in Qualicum--but might be out of your way. Lots of nice fresh food/organic markets, small community.

cheers--Sharon

 

[HopeDream]

Hi Vintagelover 229,

When are you coming to Vancouver? Bring an umbrella!

I can definitely help you out with Vancouver food recommendations, although urban spoon is also a great resource in this area: http://www.urbanspoon.com/c/14/Vancouver-restaurants.html

I take transit everywhere in Vancouver, and find that using google maps for transit directions is more accurate than the traslink website. If you're planning on taking a lot of transit, I strongly recomment buying a book of transit tickets - it will save you a little money and is much more conveniant. parking in Downtown Vancouver is quite expensive.

What kind of things do you like to do?

• The Vancouver Aquarium and Science World are popular, as is taking the seabus to lonsdale quay, or browsing around on granville island.
  Walking the seawall between Science World and Granville island will give you a gorgeous view of the city.
  The seawall walk around Stanley park is nice too, but dont underestimate it - it's about 8km long - if you can, rent bikes.
  Dr Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden is pleasant - go to the free side first, and then decide if you want to pay for the rest - the guided tour can be quite dull.
  The Scotiabank movie theater downtown is my favorite place to see films.
  There is a nice tiny conservatory in the middle of Queen Elizabeth Park.
  The Vandusen botanical garden is nice if you like flowers.
  This could save you money if you want to do mostly touristy stuff: http://www.citypassports.com/cities/vancouver/?vancouver_06-07.gif
  If you want to see lots of hipsters, cafe deux solei on commercial drive is the best. They have poetry slams monday night.
  Dim sum at Floata in Chinatown is fun and lively - especialy if you go on a weekend. Aberdeen center in Richmond is like stepping into China, if you want to see something a bit different (Take the Skytrain).
  Whitespot has my favorite local hamburger.
  I think Britania mine museum is halfway between Vancouver and Whistler if you want to stop on your way http://www.bcmm.ca/index.html
  Walking down Robson street is a lovely shopping stroll.
  Gastown is another fun neighbourhood to walk around in.
  Spence diamonds has a ton (hundreds) of fun settings out to try on - everything is done in non-precious materials and open for the public to play with.

Let me know if you need more info

 

[vintagelover229]

I have family in Vancouver, and have done some hiking in Squamish/Whistler area. Absolutely gorgeous country!!!!!! I think you will be fine being that far along in your pregnancy. You will know when it is too much. Sorry that I don't have any further info to add, but just wanted to say......enjoy!

hlmr: Thank you so much! I am thinking I will be fine. Just will be sure to find a good walking stick to help me along

What month will you be there exactly? If it's during the season, be sure to catch a whale-watching tour. I used to work on a whale boat in the San Juan's and it was so incredible. You can also check out the aquarium, it's one of the best in the world.

We are heading there at the end of June/early July. We are hoping to see whales on the ferrie rides but if you know of a place to get a coupon for a 2 way trip with a car that would be wonderful info to have. Also any good links to discounts on tours for the whale watching that would be wonderful too! We will have to check out the aquarium for sure-I love them and didn't know they had one. Might be one of our first stops

Hi,

Whistler is awesome! We go often you will enjoy it for hiking for sure. You can take the gondola to the top of the mountain and do some hiking provided the snow pack melts enough. It's fun to go even if the hiking is not great just for the view. If you are planning to rent a car look into that ASAP as car rentals there can be very expensive and if you book in advance that can cut down on the cost immensely. Alternately there is a bus that runs up the sea to sky highway it used to be called perimeter but now now's pacific something or other. I remember it being close to $100 round trip but usually we drive so I'm not sure the current rate. I'm pretty sure this is the website www.pacificcoach.com

You will find food in Whistler food VERY VERY expensive even if you are cooking on your own as groceries cost a lot more. If you drive up you may find groceries in Squamish much cheaper as it's a bit bigger and it's the last big stop before Whistler on the Sea to Sky Highway (99). Once you get there, there are a ton of amazing paved trails (called the valley trail) for easier walking/ biking and there are a couple of bike shops in the village that you can rent from easily if you decide to use bikes to get around while there. There is also public transit in Whistler that you can use.

There is also a really neat first nations cultural centre in Whistler that is really interesting to see and some days it's by donation only so it's much cheaper. http://www.slcc.ca/ I was really impressed with the museum.

I am a little bit curious about your camping plan. They do sometimes have a lot of bears in the summer....I'm assuming you have considered that already though!

There is also some nice swimming at Lost Lake Beach which is cold but really nice, a bit more of a locals beach. Just make sure you rinse off using the showers to avoid swimmers itch. Lastly you can canoe the river of golden dreams which is a very faced paced canoe ride if the water levels are high and it leaves from Alta Lake.

Not sure if that answers any of your 'questions' but I know you will have a wonderful time in Whistler. While in Vancouver you should try and check out the Capilano suspension bridge as it's 'hike like' while having some cool scenery to check out!

Have fun!

Thank you SO MUCH for all that good info. I am checking with a company called rent a wreck and my DH is also a preferred avis member and I checked online for rentals and it looks to be inbetween 400-600.00 for the rental for 14 days. Which is much better than I was expecting and that's without his membership info put in. We'll get that set up asap though!

My DH is also a scout and a hard core camper. We've got a good amount of camping experience between the two of us and we have bears here in Ontario as well. Usually we have the blue barrel for our food supplies but I'm fairly certain our camping food will be limited to Mac-n-Cheese with protein bars and eating out along the way. We won't have the supplies that we usually would since we're flying in and everything has to fit in our packs and be in the weight limits.

Thank you so much for the ideas and good info. I'll be printing off urbanspoon for both the island, whistler and vancouver for our records to bring along as well as this page and hopefully-coupons! The bridge sounds interesting and I'm sure we'll get to see that too!

I have been to Vancouver, the island and Whistler. I had a wonderful experience but I really don't know enough to make good recommendations. I hope you enjoy your trip.

Thank you! I'm so excited!

You might want to reconsider the day trip to Tofino. Although the road doesn't look that far in kilometers, it's quite the twisty, turny experience so it can take quite awhile to get there and back leaving you very little time actually in Tofino. So I'd say either stay overnight or think long and hard about it. And you'd want to make sure that you don't get car sick at that stage in your pregnancy.

You didn't say when you were going, but I assume it's in summer. If it's earlier than the middle of July, Tofino is more likely to be rainy than nice. That can also be true of the rest of B.C., but it's particularly true for Tofino. You'll want to have a back-up plan if the weather turns out to be less than stellar on a day you'd planned outdoor activities. Either that or pack some serious rain gear. I say that as someone who lives in the Pacific Northwest on the U.S. side of the border.

I haven't been there but Parksville is supposed to be a great summer vacation place. Have a great time!

Thank you so much for the info! I knew that Tofino can be pretty hard core to get there. As of right now the plan is to hit it at the end of our trip and probably camp over night. We fly in a couple days before the resort and will spend that in the Vancouver area-the hit the resort and will drive around the parksville/victoria area for site seeing and perhaps just a bit north of parksville. Then I think we'll hit the northern part of the island and after a night ferrie it back to the mainland and begin our camping there. We'll probably buy an umbrella while we are in town since those are a pain to pack. Usually we have pretty good tarps set up to protect ourselves while camping but those take up a ton of space so we'll have to improvise while we are out and about. We both have full rain gear suites though since we're hard core campers

We do a ton of hiking and camping in BC, I live in Alberta. If you're going to be camping around Whistler then bear spray is a must, as well as food precautions if you're packing any or cooking outside. A small air horn and a bear bell each is a good idea on the hiking trails also as bears are not a rarity there, we see them often.
When are you going?
Sounds like a great trip!

Thanks for the heads up! I'll let my DH know and while we are picking up camping supplies after we arrive we'll get that figured out too

HI:

Friends have property in Qualicum--but might be out of your way. Lots of nice fresh food/organic markets, small community.

cheers--Sharon

Ohhh! I saw that the island is trying really hard to get self sustaining since they import most of their food goods. I saw quite a few organic farms that I know we'll be checking out-but now that I know where we might have to put that on the list if it's near where we will be! Thanks so much!

Hi Vintagelover 229,

When are you coming to Vancouver? Bring an umbrella!

I can definitely help you out with Vancouver food recommendations, although urban spoon is also a great resource in this area: http://www.urbanspoon.com/c/14/Vancouver-restaurants.html

I take transit everywhere in Vancouver, and find that using google maps for transit directions is more accurate than the traslink website. If you're planning on taking a lot of transit, I strongly recomment buying a book of transit tickets - it will save you a little money and is much more conveniant. parking in Downtown Vancouver is quite expensive.

What kind of things do you like to do?

• The Vancouver Aquarium and Science World are popular, as is taking the seabus to lonsdale quay, or browsing around on granville island.
  Walking the seawall between Science World and Granville island will give you a gorgeous view of the city.
  The seawall walk around Stanley park is nice too, but dont underestimate it - it's about 8km long - if you can, rent bikes.
  Dr Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden is pleasant - go to the free side first, and then decide if you want to pay for the rest - the guided tour can be quite dull.
  The Scotiabank movie theater downtown is my favorite place to see films.
  There is a nice tiny conservatory in the middle of Queen Elizabeth Park.
  The Vandusen botanical garden is nice if you like flowers.
  This could save you money if you want to do mostly touristy stuff: http://www.citypassports.com/cities/vancouver/?vancouver_06-07.gif
  If you want to see lots of hipsters, cafe deux solei on commercial drive is the best. They have poetry slams monday night.
  Dim sum at Floata in Chinatown is fun and lively - especialy if you go on a weekend. Aberdeen center in Richmond is like stepping into China, if you want to see something a bit different (Take the Skytrain).
  Whitespot has my favorite local hamburger.
  I think Britania mine museum is halfway between Vancouver and Whistler if you want to stop on your way http://www.bcmm.ca/index.html
  Walking down Robson street is a lovely shopping stroll.
  Gastown is another fun neighbourhood to walk around in.
  Spence diamonds has a ton (hundreds) of fun settings out to try on - everything is done in non-precious materials and open for the public to play with.

Let me know if you need more info

Thank you so much for all those links! I'll be printing them out to bring along and to show my DH to help figure out what to do. We'll be bringing the urbanspoon list for each of the regions so we know pricepoints/addresses to help us get around. I'm totally interested in seeing Chinatown and we'll have to do that in the first couple of days we are there. I've been to spence diamonds but I highly doubt I can convince my DH to spend any time in there since he already thinks my bling obsessions is a bit but goes with it since he loves watches. We REALLY love antiques though and I would love to find a few good thrift stores and markets where we can do that if there are any in the area.

Thank you all so much!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

You might want to reconsider the day trip to Tofino. Although the road doesn't look that far in kilometers, it's quite the twisty, turny experience so it can take quite awhile to get there and back leaving you very little time actually in Tofino. So I'd say either stay overnight or think long and hard about it. And you'd want to make sure that you don't get car sick at that stage in your pregnancy.

2nd to Tafino. We went there and the drive is russian roulette. The road is scary and at one point I thought we were going to die going around a corner on a narrow road with a semi coming straight at us. It's a fun, cute, town though and if you do go, I'd recommend going kayaking with a tour group. We took a double kayak out and the gal took us around to some of the tiny islands and we all got out at one and she took us on trails and told us the history of the region. We spent three nights there and rented a beach front apartment w/a kitchen and all. Right before the season began and got a great deal! (not sure if you'd wanna do that while pregnant, though... )

Oh, and it did rain too! I am use to that though as I live in the Pac Northwest.

ETA - also be sure to bring a spare tire. We drove to Whistler and again, it was a long drive and we ended up driving through a pot hole and my tire split and there was nowhere to get it fixed. Luckily we had a spare!

 

[Begonia]

Hi Vintage, I live in Victoria

The drive to Tofino would not be a daytrip, but if you stay over in Qualicum/Parksville, the trip wouldn't be as long for you. It is amazing scenery on the drive, and worthwhile to see the west coast of the west coast While on your way up island, Chemainus might be a nice stop to stretch your legs and see the murals.

Victoria has some nice shopping, and if in doubt for lunch, go to Rebar for their almond burger and a smoothie. Then stop at Silk Road and pick up some nice teas for later. There is usually a market on Government Street on either Saturday or Sunday with local wares. Sidney has their market usually Thursday night in the summer, and Saltspring Island on Saturdays.

You could do Butchart Gardens (all tourists do and then hit the Horticultural Centre of the Pacific for a more realistic version of a garden. If you do go out that way, The Roost has a nice turkey sandwich, homemade soup and coffee which you can eat in a converted bus or outside while watching their pet chickens. You could stop at the Sidney Bakery for homemade donuts. While in Sidney you could also do the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre and then take a ferry to the Sidney Spit. Go to Fish on Fifth for fish and chips. On the way back to Victoria, stop at Mount Doug Park for a 360 degree view of Victoria, but wear good shoes and do not go up if you have vertigo. It's an easy walk, but I went up while 8 months pregnant with vertigo and had to ask 3 young asian students to help me down Good times.

You could head out to Sooke for some sightseeing and check out the Sooke Potholes if the day is warm, then drive on to French Beach. Alas, Mom's Cafe is no longer what it used to be. A great place for a burger and milkshake, or in my case, platter of poutine. Maybe Mom has bought it back, so check.

I hope you have a great trip! We are on our way to Alberta at that time to see the dinosaurs! Pack for everything, cuz it could be raining, or we have had heat waves at that time as well.

 

[vintagelover229]

MC: Thank you so much for the info Originally the plan was to fly in and stay 2 days in Vancouver and then head over when our resort reservation was-however after thinking about it were heading to the island ASAP when we arrive (arrive early morning). We will head straight for Tofino and camp for 2 nights. While there we will be doing a whale watching tour/hot springs tour the day after we arrive. The day we arrive we'll spend time hiking/getting to know the area. I found an AMAZING chocolate shop that I'm dying to check out (you can't tell I'm pregnant can you -chocolate/food lol!)

http://www.chocolatetofino.com/about-us/

We will also be checking out the docks to see if we can get some local crab/fresh seafood for a good price. When we arrive in Vancouver since our ferrie isn't until the afternoon we will hit up a thrift store to pick up some cheap camping supplies that we can't pack in due to weight restrictions (pots/pans/etc) get some lunch and then head over. While in Vancouver (either on the way there or on the way to Whistler) I want to see the Lobster man. http://www.lobsterman.com/

After our stay at the resort (while there we will do hiking and day trips in the area. We might splurge and do a zip lining tour and maybe a cave tour) and check out tons of great hiking trails. Then since we are there over Canada day we've decided to camp near Victoria for Canada day on the island and to watch the fireworks in Victoria.

The day after we head back to the mainland and will stay 4 nights in the Whistler area to check out all the different hiking trails/parks/falls and then the final night we will be at a hotel near the airport and perhaps use that day to check out downtown Vancouver and the aquarium.

We have a full list that is for sure!


Begonia: Thank you SO MUCH for all that info! We will check out a few of those options for sure and thank you so much for all the food recommendations. We'll try to keep the eats as cheap as possible (except for one night we'll splurge) so that way we can do excursions and get to see everything that we want to. We've got the rental car set up and we got it for the entire 15 days (returning early on the last day) for ~500.00 inclusive of taxes! I'm so impressed

Keep the ideas coming if anyone has them. I'd really like to know where we can get cheap camping gear (such as a cast iron flat cooker to put on the fire) and other odds and ends. We don't want to spend much since we already own these and we can't bring them back home-but we can spend a little since we will be donating them again afterwords

 

[MichelleCarmen]

MC: Thank you so much for the info Originally the plan was to fly in and stay 2 days in Vancouver and then head over when our resort reservation was-however after thinking about it were heading to the island ASAP when we arrive (arrive early morning). We will head straight for Tofino and camp for 2 nights. While there we will be doing a whale watching tour/hot springs tour the day after we arrive. The day we arrive we'll spend time hiking/getting to know the area. I found an AMAZING chocolate shop that I'm dying to check out (you can't tell I'm pregnant can you -chocolate/food lol!)

http://www.chocolatetofino.com/about-us/

Bring some food with you before heading to Tofino. It was years ago that we went, but if I remember correctly, the grocery store is really small and didn't have that great of a selection. Whistler is even worse! lol We went to Whistler in Dec (a few years back) and the store was super tiny and crowded. I felt like I was in a little European town...for sure not like a regular grocery store. Stock up on your regular staple foods if possible before you head on up/out there. It's a LONG drive from Vancouver to Whistler (4 hours?) and the only site we saw along the way was, of all places, a Walmart! lol

 

[Laughinggravy0]

Vancouver Island is one of my most favourite places on earth. So very beautiful!!! I lived in Vancouver for a year and loved it so i'm slightly jealous!! It was a while back. I wish I could remember the best beach I found, was it called Long Beach, could that make sense? It was superb. Great big dead trees here and there like mammoth skeletons and nothing but ocean in front of you. Photos photos photos pretty please

 

[vintagelover229]

Thanks MC-we'll keep that in mind. We plan on eating out mostly and having oatmeal/fruit for breakfast as well as bringing some canned goods (healthy I know ) and mac-n-cheese. It's good to know that before hand-we have quite a few hours before our ferrie so we'll stock up on some goods for the trip on the island and then when we return restock again before heading up to Whistler. We plan on making quite a few stops just to see things along the way so the trip will be broken up pretty well

Everyone has been so helpful! thanks so much!

 

[vintagelover229]

Laughinggravy: There is a beach on the island called Long beach and it has tons of driftwood trees

Just googled and took a couple of pictures-see below. We're actually planning on camping for 2 nights in this area which is about 15 minutes from Tofino!

Looking at pictures makes me SO excited to go!

 

[amc80]

Hi! Sounds like you have a great trip planned (or at least in the works). I can't offer much advice, since my only trip to BC was when I was about 5. But just wanted to add that you should talk to your OB if you plan on visiting any places with high altitude. It's generally advised against...unless, of course, you already live somewhere high up. Just wanted to throw in my (unsolicited) 2 cents!

 

[brownbear]

I would like to ditto MC re: grocieries in Whistler. It's been a few years since I've been there, but i seem to remember there being only one large-ish grocery store there (an IGA?) and it was pricey! Try to do your shopping on the way up there, in North Vancouver or West Vancouver or even Squamish.

Since you are camping, I highly advise that you book your campsites in advance through discovercamping.ca. Spots can get filled up pretty quickly especially on long weekends. One of my favourite campsites in the lower mainland is Porteau Cove. It's between West Vancouver and Squamish and right on the water - you can camp on a waterfront site... it is pretty cool! Bring ear plugs though... there's always a night train that goes by. For cheap camping gear, I would suggest Canadian Tire or 3 Vets in Vancouver.

For cheap eats, there's a lot of asian restaurants in vancouver. Chinese, taiwanese, vietnamese... they are your best bets for cheap eats. I can recommend a few places if you can tell me the general area you are staying in.

If you don't want to pay money to go to the Capilano suspension bridge, check out Lynn Valley suspension bridge. It's free!

 

[vintagelover229]

Hi! Sounds like you have a great trip planned (or at least in the works). I can't offer much advice, since my only trip to BC was when I was about 5. But just wanted to add that you should talk to your OB if you plan on visiting any places with high altitude. It's generally advised against...unless, of course, you already live somewhere high up. Just wanted to throw in my (unsolicited) 2 cents!

Thanks so much for the heads up I already plan on talking to my mid-wife about all of this. I also know I have to be careful at the hot springs as well but she'll know all the details of the trip before I go so we are aware of what we need to be more careful of

I would like to ditto MC re: grocieries in Whistler. It's been a few years since I've been there, but i seem to remember there being only one large-ish grocery store there (an IGA?) and it was pricey! Try to do your shopping on the way up there, in North Vancouver or West Vancouver or even Squamish.

Since you are camping, I highly advise that you book your campsites in advance through discovercamping.ca. Spots can get filled up pretty quickly especially on long weekends. One of my favourite campsites in the lower mainland is Porteau Cove. It's between West Vancouver and Squamish and right on the water - you can camp on a waterfront site... it is pretty cool! Bring ear plugs though... there's always a night train that goes by. For cheap camping gear, I would suggest Canadian Tire or 3 Vets in Vancouver.

For cheap eats, there's a lot of asian restaurants in vancouver. Chinese, taiwanese, vietnamese... they are your best bets for cheap eats. I can recommend a few places if you can tell me the general area you are staying in.

If you don't want to pay money to go to the Capilano suspension bridge, check out Lynn Valley suspension bridge. It's free!

Thanks so much brownbear! We are going to hit up places in the city before we go up or in Squamish. We know Whistler isn't going to be cheap but it's good to know that there isn't much in the area so we'll plan our meals accordingly

I was very worried about the camp sites but I checked (the same site) and they aren't allowing booking until March 15th. I plan on booking all the camp sites that very same day. We are hoping to get into Nairen Falls and camp there for a few days. The only camping we will be doing is on the northern part of the Island and then in the Whistler area. We don't plan on moving around to much-we'll keep that as our home base and explore from there.

We'll have to check out the Lynn Valley bridge instead since it's free! We like cheap/free since we have a baby on the way and a house that needs some TLC

We aren't even sure which area we will be in while we are downtown. I would say we are taking the southern ferrie (not horseshoe bay-the other one) anything in around that area. We will also be taking whatever ferrie is closest to Victoria back-so anything in around that area as well.

I'm so excited about all the advice I'm getting. And my DH wondered why I posted on PS about it I tell him it's NOT just jewelery but he doesn't get it-perhaps now he will!

 

[rainwood]

One other thing. If you're going to be taking the ferry to or from Vancouver Island on the first day or last day of Canada Day weekend, you should consider making a reservation for the ferry you want to get. It's extra money (I think it's about $20 for the Tsawwassen'Swartz Bay route, not sure about the Nanaimo/Horseshoe Bay route) but the lines can be horrendous on summer holiday weekends, and even summer weekends in general. You don't want to spend hours waiting in the ferry line so it can be money well spent. Or plan your crossing for off-peak days and hours so you won't need the rezzie.

 

[Laughinggravy0]

Vintagelover - yesss. That's it. Oh my..... I have a lovely photo but it is pre digital era and not scanned in. White beach, good blues and this huge whale skeleton of a bone white tree, entire. St-u-nning!
Your going to love it. And the people we met were so nice.

Enjoy

 

[vintagelover229]

One other thing. If you're going to be taking the ferry to or from Vancouver Island on the first day or last day of Canada Day weekend, you should consider making a reservation for the ferry you want to get. It's extra money (I think it's about $20 for the Tsawwassen'Swartz Bay route, not sure about the Nanaimo/Horseshoe Bay route) but the lines can be horrendous on summer holiday weekends, and even summer weekends in general. You don't want to spend hours waiting in the ferry line so it can be money well spent. Or plan your crossing for off-peak days and hours so you won't need the rezzie.

Thank you SO much for the heads up. We did check the routes earlier but my DH was thinking we'd just hang out and get the tickets when we needed them. But with this heads up we will be buying our tickets before hand. It's just 2 tickets and one will be right after the holiday. Better safe than sorry!

Vintagelover - yesss. That's it. Oh my..... I have a lovely photo but it is pre digital era and not scanned in. White beach, good blues and this huge whale skeleton of a bone white tree, entire. St-u-nning!
Your going to love it. And the people we met were so nice.

Enjoy

I'm very very excited about the trip I'm not sure what the beach rules are (many places no longer allow you to remove things from the beach) but if we're allowed I do believe my walking stick will come from this area

 

[PinkTower]

A slight thread jack, please. My husband and daughter are going to Vancouver for a week on Monday for her spring break. Have you heard of any whales being spotted yet? We live in Georgia

 

[vintagelover229]

A slight thread jack, please. My husband and daughter are going to Vancouver for a week on Monday for her spring break. Have you heard of any whales being spotted yet? We live in Georgia

Looks like Whale season starts on April 1st-so they may be a bit early. I'm not an expert though I just googled it. You'd be better off calling one of the companies that do the tours. They might get lucky since it's been warm earlier almost everywhere.

http://vancouverwhalewatch.com/

 

[chemgirl]

I don't have advice, but I'm visiting BC for the first time this summer so I'm reading this thread and getting excited!

I'm sure you'll have a great time. My dad was in Whistler like 10 years ago and still talks about hiking in the mountains.

 

[vintagelover229]

Man oh man-where does the time go?!

I'm already over the 5 month pregnancy mark and our honeymoon is in 21 DAYS!?!?!?!?!


I figured I'd do a quick update since I have another question about Vancouver

Does anyone know where I can find well made artisan jewelery? Something similar to Caleb/James Meyer or Ann Mckay?
http://www.annmckaystudio.com/Archive/LS0305.html
http://www.calebmeyer.com/

I would love to get once nice piece for a "push" present that has fine quality craftsmanship but is also something we pick up on our honeymoon. Google searches have bought up a ton of pages but most are silver (which is fine if I find the right piece) and much more "modern" than I'm looking for.


I also should add that we no longer are camping. We confirmed that we could get the deal though the delta (I was worried since it was a holiday week he couldn't get us the discount) and so we are staying at a B&B in Tofino for 2 nights (79.00 a night)-doing our whale watching/hot springs tour before heading to the resort. While there we will hit up Parksville and do the cave tour as well as local stuff (like visiting a cheese factory lol! http://www.cheeseworks.ca ). One day we will hit Victoria and see the castle that is there as well as the gardens-and we scored groupons to 2 nice restaurants and a pub. Another day we will be heading to Sooke to swim in the sinkholes and we'll spend many mornings beach combing and also snorkeling off the coast.

When we are in downtown Vancouver (near Granville Island) we will see the aquarium-the lynn canyon park suspension bridge and enjoy the seawall/Stanley Park and probably rent bikes while there.

While in Whistler we are planning on taking a 20 minute sea plane tour-doing a ziptrek tour (just the walking one-no ziplining for me) and also doing the gondola ride up the mountain. We will also be doing a brewery tour and checking out lost lake-which is only 6 minutes from our hotel or a 30 minute walk!


I would LOVE any recommendations for REALLY REALLY REALLY good local seafood. We have no issues splurging on a nice dinner but if we could find a few really good places that are hole in the walls or mom and pop shops that we could enjoy a few different times-I'm in LOVE with crab/lobster and I never get to enjoy it.

I hope everyone else is enjoying their summer thus far and I can't wait to get back and share pictures with everyone. My dad sent me his old Nikon zoom lens for my camera and my DH brother bought an awesome head camera that has great resolution and storage (and works for 2.5 hrs!) and can go underwater so we'll also be borrowing that.

Thanks so much everyone!

 

[pinkelephant]

Hi! I live in Vancouver and would suggest the following restaurants for seafood. Coast restaurant, The Sandbar (try to get a seat on the patio), The Fish House, and C Restaurant. You will be coming during the end of the BC spot prawn season, so I hope you get a chance to taste them; they are delicious!

If you are looking for artisan type jewelry, Granville island has a few spots. There are also some beautiful pieces of jewelry there that have native engraving on them.

You mentioned venturing into China Town. I just want to let you know that China Town borders the Downtown Eastside which is considered the poorest postal code in Canada. That being said, it is an interesting part of town and is also very close to gastown. Gastown has some interesting little shops and places to eat. I would suggest a place called Meat and Bread. It is a casual place that offers a limited menu, but is delicious. There are typically line ups out the door! They have a maple bacon ice cream sandwich that is yummy!

Please let me know if you would like any other tips about the city!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

You mentioned venturing into China Town. I just want to let you know that China Town borders the Downtown Eastside which is considered the poorest postal code in Canada. That being said, it is an interesting part of town and is also very close to gastown.!

We visiting that part of town and I recall it being really scary. We drove along Hastings street (I think, it was) and I locked my car door. And, it's not a matter of just thinking we'd be in danger as we were approached by people at least twice when we got out and walked around.

 

[vintagelover229]

Hi! I live in Vancouver and would suggest the following restaurants for seafood. Coast restaurant, The Sandbar (try to get a seat on the patio), The Fish House, and C Restaurant. You will be coming during the end of the BC spot prawn season, so I hope you get a chance to taste them; they are delicious!

If you are looking for artisan type jewelry, Granville island has a few spots. There are also some beautiful pieces of jewelry there that have native engraving on them.

You mentioned venturing into China Town. I just want to let you know that China Town borders the Downtown Eastside which is considered the poorest postal code in Canada. That being said, it is an interesting part of town and is also very close to gastown. Gastown has some interesting little shops and places to eat. I would suggest a place called Meat and Bread. It is a casual place that offers a limited menu, but is delicious. There are typically line ups out the door! They have a maple bacon ice cream sandwich that is yummy!

Please let me know if you would like any other tips about the city!

thanks so much for the food recommendations! We will be checking out meat and bread for SURE-since I see both of the locations are just minutes from both of the hotels we are staying at while there.

MC: I'm not sure we will have time to check out China town. We really have a LOT going on already and I just realize that the Lobster man is right down the road from where we will be exploring and so for fresh seafood (it's a market but they'll cook it right there for you!) that is probably where I'm going to go and big out. Then my husband will have to wheel me around since I'll have eaten so much crab and lobster and prawns!