Pacific Northwest - yet another non-Europe question

There is wonderful hiking on the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail: http://www.juandefucamarinetrail.com/
(Note that this is different from the West Coast Trail, which is more difficult) The Juan de Fuca Trail links up various beaches (Botanical Beach at the west end is amazing) and spends some time in the forest. You can pick sections to hike. We stayed near Sooke, a small town west of Victoria, to do the hiking, in this Tree hOuse: http://www.frenchbeachretreats.com/pic02a.html The Sooke Harbour House is renouned for its food and wine. You can dine there even if you are not staying as a guest. Reservations essential: http://www.sookeharbourhouse.com/wine-cellar/ I have friends who are wild about Tofino for bear-watching and whale-watching, although I have never been: http://www.my-tofino.com/adventure/bearwatching.htm Just off the east coast about halfway up the island, Quadra Island is beautiful. I was there for the fishing, but I see they do have hiking traisl: http://www.quadraisland.ca/recreation/hiking_trails/index.html The views across to the fjords on the BC coast are spectacular.

Chani, Not sure if you've seen the Vancouver Island tourism site, but it would be a good place to start.... www.vancouverisland.travel/ www.hellobc.com/british-columbia/transportation-maps/maps.aspx www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/bc/fortroddhill/index.aspx ONLY two days in Victoria. There's more to see there in addition to Butchart Gardens (ie: the Royal B.C. Museum). You could also take one of the Trolleys or horse-drawn carriages around the harbour. I vaguely recall that there are Whale watching boat trips are available in Victoria, but I'd have to check. With five days, you could easily get up to Campbell River if you're interested in seeing Whales. Here's one possibility: www.campbellriverwhalewatching.com/ There's a LOT to see in Beautiful British Columbia (which is the motto on our license plates), and Vancouver Island is only scratching the surface. As you're interested in wine tasting, be sure to schedule a trip to the Okanangan Valley next time: www.okanaganwines.ca/ Some of the wineries have gourmet restaurants, and I'll be headed down to Gray Monk sometime soon for a fine hot meal. Mission Hill will be holding concerts this summmer with Chris Botti and LeAnne Rimes (among others). You could also treat yourself to a European style Wellness Spa (which is next to the award winning 18-hole Predator Ridge Golf Courses and has the first Cold Sauna in North America which treats ailments at -110 degrees C.): www.sparklinghill.com/ Sparkling Hill is an easy drive from the airport in Kelowna. Happy travels in B.C.!

Hi Chani
I live just outside of Victoria so maybe some ideas to help you plan your trip. September is a great month to visit not only the Island, but B.C. in general. In most cases, weather on VI is warm days/cool evenings and sunny The chance of rain can still happen. You actually have chosen one of the best months to travel - kids are back at school and weather is generally good. Five days after Victoria I would suggest the following: Drive up Island and stop in Chemainus (approximately one hour north) and see the murals. This was a mill town until it shut down. To save the town, murals were painted on the buildings depicting the history of the region. Continue on to Parksville and stay the night. If the tide is out, you can walk the sandy beaches for miles. There are a number of good resorts, such as Tigh na Mara and Beach Acres. We have stayed at both and can recommend both. Continue on the next morning to Tofino on the "wild" West Coast of the Island. Stop at Cathedral Grove and see the centuries old Douglas Fir and Cedar trees. Parksville to Tofino is about a 2.5 hour drive with beautiful scenery. You may even see a bear or two. Tofino is a fishing town with great scenery. You will pass through Pacific Rim National Park just before the town of Tofino. There are many long sandy beaches (Long Beach is one), you can surf, hike along many of the trails in the National Park, beach comb, go whale watching, and if the weather is stormy, watch the surf pound the shore. You mays see bears and most likely eagles. There are many resorts, motels, and b and bs in Tofino. We like Middle Beach Lodge, but check for deals at the others. On you last day, I would take a relaxed drive back to Victoria and you can either easily catch the Saturday night ferry to Port Angeles or stay the night and enjoy Victoria.

Hi Chani, So pleased that you are going to visit our beautiful island. While you are in the Victoria area, there are some wineries/cidery on the Saanich Peninsula and about 45 minutes to the north there is the Cowichan Valley which has many other wineries and beautiful scenery, especially in September. One of my favourites is Vignetti Zanatta with a lovely restaurant on-site. There is also the winery Venturi Schulze that also makes Balsamic Vinegar (Giordano is from Modena, Italy). During your dates, I would check for opening dates and hours as it may well be harvest time. Cowichan Bay has a wonderful artisanal bakery and a gourmet cheese shop.There are wine touring brochures/maps svsilable, possibly on the MV Coho ferry from Port Angeles. If not, the Tourist/Visitors Information Center is very close to the ferry terminal on the Inner Harbour. Just north of the valley is the small village of Chemainus that re-invented itself from a logging/timber community to a tourist site with wonderful murals everywhere. Saltspring Island is another wonderful island to visit and is accessible by car ferry from Crofton just a little more north. Farmers market on Saturday, art galleries,good restaurants, Saltspring Is. lamb is renowned. To the west as was mentioned, there is Pacific Rim National Park on the wild west coast of the island. Whale watching (Orcas (southern resident group) and occasionally Humpback whales can be spotted from whale watching vessels leaving Victoria's harbour or you can come north to Campbell River where there are tours to view the northern resident group. It is getting a little late in the season but there should still be some whales around. To the west of Campbell River you can also drive to Strathcona Provincial Park. Great hiking there from gentle to strenuous. Please feel free to PM me if you want more details. Happy planning. Sherry

And if you are taking the car on the ferry, make a reservation to avoid disappointment. Also, make sure you rental company allows you to take the car from one country to the other.

I second David's recommendation for Tofino. Spectacular scenery, wildlife includes black bears, whales, sea lions, otters, eagles, puffins, oystercatchers and many other birds. My husband and I visited there last Sept. for four days and saw nine black bears (including 4 cubs), gray whales, sea lions, otters, oystercatchers and puffins. The beaches are awesome and it was truly memorable part of our Vancouver Island vacation. We will definitely return in the future. Happy travels!

Hi Chani and welcome in advance to beautiful Victoria and Vancouver Island! Great suggestions from previous posters about side trips from Victoria. While in the city, the path along the Dallas Road waterfront is an easy, scenic walk, as is the harbour walkway from Fisherman's Wharf, around the inner harbour, over the bridge and out to West Bay Marina. If you fancy, try high tea at the Empress Hotel (but be prepared to some serious cash) For dinner you must try Pagliacci's - loved by locals, and under the same ownership for about 25+ years. Go early unless you don't mind lining up outside on the sidewalk and sipping red wine out of coffee cups! To satisfy any eclectic shopping habits visit Capital Iron - there's no store like it! Walk out the breakwater and have coffee at the adjacent cafe. Have fish and chips at Barb's at Fisherman's Wharf - and feed the resident sea lion. Take a drive through the Uplands - where the rich folks live! Hike up Mt Douglas for spectacular views - you can park at the bottom and walk up - about 20 min. I'm happy to provide more suggestions if you pm me. You will have a wonderful visit in Victoria!

Chani, I like everyones suggestions, like Davids itinerary best, and oh yeah on way to Tofino do not miss stopping at Cathderal Grove, old growth forest with massive tress.
I am only baffled by the Capital Iron recommendation, its in a scrungy area of town, and sells camping gear, home hardware , and camping, work, or sports type clothing.. not sure why any tourist would be interested, lol For places to eat, I love go to Pagilaccis for lunch and getting their all you can eat soup and bread( fresh made focaccia ) or one of them massive yummy and wacky salads.. look it up. Also stopping in Coombs on way to Tofino and checking out the market there, all sorts of interesting food stuffs, great bakery and they sell local and artisanal cheeses etc.

Hi guys. Thank you all for your ideas. I am working on it and will be back with a tentative itinerary in a couple more days. I was in Victoria 7 years ago for 2 days as part of a much longer trip, and ever since I have longed to return to Vancouver Island. So this is another of my dream-come-true trips. I'm meeting a friend who moved to Seattle a year ago. We'll be driving her comfy Subaru Outback. ( Lola, thanks anyway for the heads up about rentals). She's just from her first trip to Vancouver and an Inside Passage cruise, and hopefully she saw some whales. My experience with whale-watching hasn't been great (even with a week on the Alaska State Ferry), so we won't go on any tours, just hope to see some as we go along. Here's the plan: (please criticize and suggest) Day 1, Saturday: drive from Bellevue to Anacortes, arrive about 1.00 for the 2.50 ferry (booked in advance). Enjoy the scenic sail through the San Juans. Maybe scenic walk (thanks, Kathleen) before dark (sunset 7.00) but we'll pass on the sea lions (too many years for both of us in the Bay Area to make that a highlight). Miniature World (open til 9.00). Late dinner at Pagliacci's (will it be crowded around 9-9.30 on Saturday night?) Day 2, Sunday: Craigdarroch Castle, Royal BC Museum, Miniature World if we didn't go on Saturday. Dinner at Il Terrazzo. Day 3, Monday: Butchart Gardens, including afternoon tea. I considered the Empress, but at $60 and a lousy exchange rate for our US paper. . . Maybe a scenic drive? After walking the gardens all day, I don't think we'll be up for a scenic walk back in Victoria. Light supper (maybe even in our hotel, from the supermarket).

Days 4 to 8 (Tuesday-Saturday). Leave Victoria early Tuesday, return by 6.00 on Saturday for the 7.30 ferry to Port Angeles (overnight). I'm still working on the itinerary for these 4 days. Too much to see and do, too little time. Day 9, Sunday: leisurely drive with sightseeing from Port Angeles to Bellevue. Get home early Sunday evening.

9-9:30 Saturday night at Pags SHOULD be ok, the later the bette to minimize line up possibility. Il Terrazzo is a wonderful choice - you won't be disappointed there! If you do go to Craigdarroch Castle, say hi to my family dishes in the breakfast room. My mother donated them to the Castle many years ago and they are always on display. Lovely bright blue and white china, had been in my family for 8 generations.

Would it be better to continue on to (where???) rather than return to Victoria after Butchart Gardens?

Unless you have a strong interest in models I suggest you skip Miniature World , that would be time you'll never get back in your life. Tea will be better at Butchards anyways.. Instead have a drink one evening in the Bengal Room in the Empress, even if you don't at least walk through the lobby and poke your head in there ,, the British Raj style is a hoot.

Hi Chani Your question above asking about going somewhere else rather than return to Victoria after your visit to Butchart Gardens: You are only about 25 minutes to downtown Victoria from the gardens. I would just return to your hotel then get an early start up Island the next day. You can take a more relaxed route back to Victoria via West Saanich Rd. which goes through the rural area of the Peninsula rather than the Pat Bay Highway. You can find some wonderful restaurants and pubs in downtown for dinner, wander up Government St., walk the Inner Harbour, walk the Ogden Point breakwater, Dallas Road, or through the James Bay neighbourhood. You could even take in an IMAX movie at the museum.

Return to Victoria after Butchards, unless you plan on taking the Brentwood Bay Ferry to Mill Bay and starting your drive up island which I personally wouldn't do in the evening, plus the ferry skips some nice view points on the Malahat ( highway section from Goldstream to Bamberton going upisland)

Chani, You might want to head for dinner at Pagliacci's a bit earlier. They close at 23:00 on Saturday night, so that wouldn't leave much time. If you arrive at 21:30, by the time you order and the food is delivered, it could take half an hour or more. That would leave you less than an hour to finish and be out the door. I'm not sure how busy Il Terrazzo will be on a Sunday night? I've found that Fridays / Saturdays are usually quite busy there. Reservations at both restaurants on the weekend would be prudent (IMO). Good luck with your continuing planning! Sounds like it's all coming together nicely.

Late September? Rainy season could be already starting but let's hope that you are lucky. Vancouver Island is beautiful everywhere. You cannot go wrong no matter where you go. But since I traveled Vancouver Island extensively since 1992 (I have relatives in Nanaimo) let me expose my secret - absolute cream and gem of Vancouver Island: Strathcona Provincial Park. Since you are time restricted I would recommend Buttle Lake Area. Views are absolutely stunning. If it were here it would be National Park. Some easy hikes: Lower Myra Falls, Upper Myra Falls, Bedwell Lake, Tennent Lake, to name a few. All day hike would be Landslide Lake on Elk River Trail. Incredibly beautiful lake with absolutely gorgeous views of high mountain peaks. Overnight stay could be in the park: http://www.strathcona.bc.ca/ or in nearby Gold River. Google Gold River accommodation. About 10 plus kilometres south of Gold River you can get to Nootka Sound (Muchalat Inlet). You can stay overnight on Nootka Island in Friendly Cove cabins. There are other options, too. For more information http://www.getwest.ca About Strathcona: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/strath/
When I go there I always feel like going back in time. North of Nanaimo hords of tourists start thinning. Nowhere so close to civilization (just several hours drive)I saw so much beauty with so few people around (or nobody - depending on weather). Chani, I wish you clear and sunny weather and let's keep it secret so it stays God forgotten place for a long time.

One of my favorite places in the entire world is Sol Duc hot springs in Olympic national forest, hiking to Sol Duc falls, and the gorgeous drive around cresent lake. Port Townsend is also quite lovely. The San Juan islands are Also worth a stop, particularly Friday harbor. Check out the American camp and the British camp, and picturesque Roach harbor.

I'm now seriously planning, with only 7 weeks until I land at SFO. We leave Victoria on Tuesday morning, Sept 24 and want to return to Victoria sometime on Saturday. We need to be at the ferry to Port Angeles by 6 p.m. If we get back earlier, we'll have afternoon tea at the White Heather (last seating at 3.45 p.m.). I'd like to do some wine and cider tasting in the Cowichan Valley (and buy a couple of bottles for the rest of our trip) that day but not before lunch time. I haven't figured out what to do in the morning, though. Maybe go to Duncan in the morning, then backtrack? The wineries open on Tuesday are Merridale (a must), Damali, Enrico & Blue Grouse, all near Mill Bay, and Averill Creek north of Duncan. Here's a list of what looks to suit us. Any help putting it into a workable itinerary would be wonderful, including where to spend the nights. ( Ken - the websites are great, way too many options :-) * Wine and especially cider tasting in the Cowichan Valley at/near the beginning of the trip to stock up for the rest of the week * Pacific Rim N.P. beach walk at low tide * Duncan - Cowichan Valley Museum, Quw'utsun' Cultural & Conference Centre, self-guided Totem walk * Tofino - Bear-watching tour, maybe whale-watching tour * Strathcona Park - nature walks and short trails. * Chemainus (murals) * Gabriola Island driving tour * Juan de Fuca Marine Trail - Drive between Sooke and Port Renfrew, beach walk? easy trail walk at Botany Bay? * Port Alberni - visit a salmon run nearby - this is probably the least important.