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My sister in law is visiting me here in the Pacific Northwest; yesterday morning I fell out of bed early to take her to the train station to catch the Vancouver, Canada bound Cascades line. It's only a few hours from Seattle to Vancouver -- I've done it for the day, a bit much, but doable, that's how close it is. SIL is on a more reasonable schedule, taking her time to visit not just Vancouver, but Whistler, which is being developed like crazy in anticipation of the upcoming winter Olympics, and Victoria, the twee little city on Vancouver Island that's a slice of England very far from the Queen's actual home. I'd wallow in envy, but I'm going myself in a few weeks -- I have a week of island hopping in mid-September scheduled, right after school starts.
BC Tourism has a blog associated with their official site -- it's got posts not just by the tourism staff, but by visitors as well. I found this darned cute video about Victoria by Tessa Cheri and here's some footage of the brand new gondola at Whistler.
Travels with Two has a "travel binder" on their blog for BC -- it's a round up of resources that are useful if you're planning a trip to the region. They blogged their travels in the region as well, I loved looking at this beautiful garden photo from Sooke, way out west.
Jeanette Kimmel, who blogs at Intelligent Travel, National Geographic's travel blog, did a "Plan My Trip" post for Victoria in July. I love these "readers, tell me where to go" exercises, they're all about the comments. (Oh, it's too late now, Jeannette, but my pick? The Royal BC Museum [vanity link]. Wow.
I always like to check out local city/place blogs for travel advice -- the Visiting Vancouver Blog has a nice selection of ideas for travelers to the region. There's Day Trips Around Vancouver BC, Hidden Whistler Secrets, oh, poke around yourself if you're looking for inspiration for the region. There's also Beyond Robson and Metroblogging Vancouver. Sure, they're newsy, which may not be what you're looking for, but they also include local events. Victoria has Unknown Victoria and Victoria Daily Photo.
And hey, Americans, a little practical advice. Yes, you do need your passport (or some complicated collection of ID) in order to get in and out Canada these days. Those breezy days of rolling up north with nothing more than a driver's license are gone. It's re-entry into the US that's the bugbear, check the State Department regulations if you're not sure you've got the right paperwork.
BC is one of my favorite places to travel (okay, okay, where isn't?!) -- it's easy, for starters, and the scenery is breathtaking. I like Vancouver's cosmopolitan vibe and shiny skyscrapers, the big nature that's so close to the city is totally accessible, and the islands, well, sliding across the protected waters on the ferry can be amazing -- on our last trip we watched a ferry magically appear out of a thick fog. Because I'm a Pacific Northwesterner, I understand the weather and am never surprised by it -- one of the nicest weekends I've had in Vancouver was spent in absolutely February weather, though you can't argue with a sunny afternoon in Stanley Park.
Are you still reading this? You should be heading to BC!
Pam blogs about travel and other adventures at Nerd's Eye View.
