Vancouver, Sunshine Coast and the Island 2006

NEW: 2006-11-12 - CHECK OUT VEE'S SLIDESHOW: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHxvyXuvcOc

We just returned from our 2006 B.C. trip. As a customer of mine says, B.C. doesn't stand for British Columbia, it stands for Bring Cash! Luckily Vanessa did a great job of setting aside cash for the trip and with a few notable exceptions we stayed in fantastic hotels and ate at great restaurants throughout the trip!

Loosely following an itinerary from a Hello B.C. publication, we laid out an ambitious route that added up to 1500 KM on the rental car and close to 75 nautical miles on BC Ferries!

It went something like this:

DAY 1 & 2
-weather was cool, clear, and crisp, very sunny!
-stayed at our favourite Vancouver hotel, the Hampton Inn, www.hamptoninnvancouver.com
-walked a goodly portion of the Stanley Park sea wall
-visited the Vancouver Aquarium, www.vanaqua.org
-took the Grouse Mountain skyride to the peak and ate lunch, www.grousemountain.com
-dined at a revolving restaurant
-dined at The Cannery, www.canneryseafood.com
-made 2 failed attempts to visit Wilkinson's Automobilia, http://www.eautomobilia.com/
-drove to New Westminster to purchase two head rests for the Lime (from a www.thesamba.com ad)
-visited Granville Island
-drove up Mount Seymour, took pictures of the city

DAY 3
-hiked all through Lighthose Park, http://www.westvancouver.net/article.asp?a=2011&c=649
-ate lunch (fish and chips) at Troll's Seafood
-drove up the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler
-the reconstruction of this highway is well underway and to driving enthusiasts like myself this represents a real dissapointment as many of the tightest and most complex sections will soon be straighted and levelled
-stayed at The Hilton in Whistler in a beautiful room with a fireplace and jacuzzi tub (thanks to off season rates), http://www.hiltonwhistler.com/

DAY 4
-descended the Sea to Sky Highway to Horseshoe Bay
-due to construction and an unexpected Police stop, we missed the ferry by three minutes
-ate breakfast at Troll's and caught the next Ferry, The Queen of Surrey, http://www.bcferries.com/about/fleet/profile-queen_of_surrey.html, to Langdale on the Sunshine Coast (this is near Gibsons)
-drove from Langdale to Earl's Cove (1.5 hours) and waited, and waited, and waited, and waited for The Queen of Chilliwack, http://www.bcferries.com/about/fleet/profile-queen_of_chilliwack.html, to take us to Saltery Bay
-drove from Saltery Bay to Powell River and ate at McDonalds
-waited and waited and waited and waited and waited for the Queen of Burnaby, http://www.bcferries.com/about/fleet/profile-queen_of_burnaby.html, to take us to Comox, on Vancouver Island
-We arrived (finally) at about 10pm in Comox and stayed at a Best Western in Courtenay
-I would NOT recommend this route to anyone. The Sunshine Coast doesn't offer much in the way of sightseeing, accomodation, or attractions, which adds up to lots of waiting and meandering. I would suggest the Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo route (about 1hr, 2omin) and eliminate visiting the Sunshine Coast or Comox areas!

DAY 5
-drove from Courtenay to Tofino (about 3 hours)
-beautiful driving along highway 4 from the east to the west coast of Vancouver Island!
-drove through the Pacific Rim National Park
-ate lunch at the Schooner Restaurant in Tofino
-Checked into the Tin Wis resort in Tofino, http://www.tinwis.com/, and secured a beautiful suite with jacuzzi tub and a view of the Pacific
-combed the beaches at low tide
-at dinner at the resort

DAY 6
-spent more time at Long Beach @ Pacific Rim
-walked the Rainforest trails @ Pacific Rim
-drove to Victoria (5 hours)
-checked into the Dalton Hotel (DON'T GO HERE!!)
-ate at http://www.marinarestaurant.com/

DAY 7
-shopped in Victoria
-boarded the Spirit of Vancouver Island, http://www.bcferries.com/about/fleet/profile-spirit_of_vancouver_island.html, and sailed back to Tswwassan on the mainland
-visited Wilkinson's and purchased an original manual for the Crown Jewel (the '1956 Sedan)
-checked into the Hampton Inn and got upgraded to a suite
-ate at a Sakana Sushi restaurant in Yaletown

DAY 8
-flew home

Overall it was a great overview of these areas of BC. I'm not sure the island measures up to its reputation. I was a little underwhelmed by Tofino and Pacific Rim Park. Don't get me wrong, they're beautiful places and I'm happy I saw them but I would recommend people lower their expectations a little before they go to avoid dissappointment. The exception to this rule is the sheer number of air-cooled VW's on the island. This was a nice surprise as they were EVERYWHERE!