Holidays....
Nov 5th 2006, 6:30 pm
#1
Account Closed
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 959
Holidays....
It's all dark & cold so time to plan my holidays...
Thinking of Vancouver - Powell River - Courtenay/Qualicum Beach - Vancouver with a possible sidetrip to Tofino maybe..
Anyone got any thoughts on this - places to stay or eat, that sort of thing.
Nothing too exciting, my favourite things are hotsprings/eating/sitting and OH likes to hike, other than that, we don't do much on holiday.
Thinking of Vancouver - Powell River - Courtenay/Qualicum Beach - Vancouver with a possible sidetrip to Tofino maybe..
Anyone got any thoughts on this - places to stay or eat, that sort of thing.
Nothing too exciting, my favourite things are hotsprings/eating/sitting and OH likes to hike, other than that, we don't do much on holiday.
Nov 5th 2006, 7:53 pm
#2
Now on Vancouver Island
Joined: Feb 2005
Location: Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 6,935
Re: Holidays....
Since you've expressed a desire to include Powell River in your itinerary, you may be interested to know about BC Ferries' CirclePac fare.
You can use a CirclePac ticket to get from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver to Langdale at the southern end of the Sunshine Coast. Drive up the first bit of the Sunshine Coast to Earl's Cove. Catch the next ferry to Saltery Bay. Drive up the second bit of the Sunshine Coast to Powell River. Then catch the ferry to Comox / Courtenay on Vancouver Island. Drive down the east coast of the island to Qualicum Beach. Then, if you wish, do a detour to Ucluelet / Tofino on the west side of the island (that would be very nice). Return to the Nanaimo area on the east side of the island. You then have a choice of crossing the Georgia Strait from Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver or to Tsawwassen, which is to the south of Vancouver. Alternatively, you could carry on driving down the east coast of the island to Victoria. Then you could catch the ferry from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen.
This circle route is brilliant. Of course you could do it clockwise, rather than counter-clockwise as I've described it.
The rapids and whirlpools that form when the tide turns in the Skookumchuck Narrows are an amazing phenomenon to observe on the Sunshine Coast. To get to the hiking trail from which you can see this, you need to drive east from Earl's Cove to Egmont.
Don't know what your travel budget is. A Vancouver hotel that is a perennial favourite is the Sylvia. It's an older hotel in the West End, near Stanley Park (which of course is another "must see") and close to English Bay. If you stay at places that are much less expensive than the Sylvia, you can start to get into a somewhat dodgy range of accommodation.
I have found Dine Here to be an excellent dining guide for Vancouver, Victoria and Whistler. You can sort restaurants by price range, neighbourhood, type of cuisine, customer ratings, etc.
You can use a CirclePac ticket to get from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver to Langdale at the southern end of the Sunshine Coast. Drive up the first bit of the Sunshine Coast to Earl's Cove. Catch the next ferry to Saltery Bay. Drive up the second bit of the Sunshine Coast to Powell River. Then catch the ferry to Comox / Courtenay on Vancouver Island. Drive down the east coast of the island to Qualicum Beach. Then, if you wish, do a detour to Ucluelet / Tofino on the west side of the island (that would be very nice). Return to the Nanaimo area on the east side of the island. You then have a choice of crossing the Georgia Strait from Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver or to Tsawwassen, which is to the south of Vancouver. Alternatively, you could carry on driving down the east coast of the island to Victoria. Then you could catch the ferry from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen.
This circle route is brilliant. Of course you could do it clockwise, rather than counter-clockwise as I've described it.
The rapids and whirlpools that form when the tide turns in the Skookumchuck Narrows are an amazing phenomenon to observe on the Sunshine Coast. To get to the hiking trail from which you can see this, you need to drive east from Earl's Cove to Egmont.
Don't know what your travel budget is. A Vancouver hotel that is a perennial favourite is the Sylvia. It's an older hotel in the West End, near Stanley Park (which of course is another "must see") and close to English Bay. If you stay at places that are much less expensive than the Sylvia, you can start to get into a somewhat dodgy range of accommodation.
I have found Dine Here to be an excellent dining guide for Vancouver, Victoria and Whistler. You can sort restaurants by price range, neighbourhood, type of cuisine, customer ratings, etc.
Nov 5th 2006, 8:01 pm
#3
Account Closed
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 959
Re: Holidays....
Originally Posted by Judy in Calgary
Since you've expressed a desire to include Powell River in your itinerary, you may be interested to know about BC Ferries' CirclePac fare.
You can use a CirclePac ticket to get from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver to Langdale at the southern end of the Sunshine Coast. Drive up the first bit of the Sunshine Coast to Earl's Cove. Catch the next ferry to Saltery Bay. Drive up the second bit of the Sunshine Coast to Powell River. Then catch the ferry to Comox / Courtenay on Vancouver Island. Drive down the east coast of the island to Qualicum Beach. Then, if you wish, do a detour to Ucluelet / Tofino on the west side of the island (that would be very nice). Return to the Nanaimo area on the east side of the island. You then have a choice of crossing the Georgia Strait from Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver or to Tsawwassen, which is to the south of Vancouver. Alternatively, you could carry on driving down the east coast of the island to Victoria. Then you could catch the ferry from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen.
This circle route is brilliant. Of course you could do it clockwise, rather than counter-clockwise as I've described it.
The rapids and whirlpools that form when the tide turns in the Skookumchuck Narrows are an amazing phenomenon to observe on the Sunshine Coast. To get to the hiking trail from which you can see this, you need to drive east from Earl's Cove to Egmont.
Don't know what your travel budget is. A Vancouver hotel that is a perennial favourite is the Sylvia. It's an older hotel in the West End, near Stanley Park (which of course is another "must see") and close to English Bay. If you stay at places that are much less expensive than the Sylvia, you can start to get into a somewhat dodgy range of accommodation.
I have found Dine Here to be an excellent dining guide for Vancouver, Victoria and Whistler. You can sort restaurants by price range, neighbourhood, type of cuisine, customer ratings, etc.
You can use a CirclePac ticket to get from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver to Langdale at the southern end of the Sunshine Coast. Drive up the first bit of the Sunshine Coast to Earl's Cove. Catch the next ferry to Saltery Bay. Drive up the second bit of the Sunshine Coast to Powell River. Then catch the ferry to Comox / Courtenay on Vancouver Island. Drive down the east coast of the island to Qualicum Beach. Then, if you wish, do a detour to Ucluelet / Tofino on the west side of the island (that would be very nice). Return to the Nanaimo area on the east side of the island. You then have a choice of crossing the Georgia Strait from Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver or to Tsawwassen, which is to the south of Vancouver. Alternatively, you could carry on driving down the east coast of the island to Victoria. Then you could catch the ferry from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen.
This circle route is brilliant. Of course you could do it clockwise, rather than counter-clockwise as I've described it.
The rapids and whirlpools that form when the tide turns in the Skookumchuck Narrows are an amazing phenomenon to observe on the Sunshine Coast. To get to the hiking trail from which you can see this, you need to drive east from Earl's Cove to Egmont.
Don't know what your travel budget is. A Vancouver hotel that is a perennial favourite is the Sylvia. It's an older hotel in the West End, near Stanley Park (which of course is another "must see") and close to English Bay. If you stay at places that are much less expensive than the Sylvia, you can start to get into a somewhat dodgy range of accommodation.
I have found Dine Here to be an excellent dining guide for Vancouver, Victoria and Whistler. You can sort restaurants by price range, neighbourhood, type of cuisine, customer ratings, etc.
Nov 6th 2006, 1:26 am
#4
little snowy owl
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,921
Re: Holidays....
After a sabbatical, Judy is well back, and on form as ever!!!!
Good one Judy!
Good one Judy!
Nov 6th 2006, 1:36 pm
#5
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 7,715
Re: Holidays....
Originally Posted by yonk
It's all dark & cold so time to plan my holidays...
Thinking of Vancouver - Powell River - Courtenay/Qualicum Beach - Vancouver with a possible sidetrip to Tofino maybe..
Anyone got any thoughts on this - places to stay or eat, that sort of thing.
Nothing too exciting, my favourite things are hotsprings/eating/sitting and OH likes to hike, other than that, we don't do much on holiday.
Thinking of Vancouver - Powell River - Courtenay/Qualicum Beach - Vancouver with a possible sidetrip to Tofino maybe..
Anyone got any thoughts on this - places to stay or eat, that sort of thing.
Nothing too exciting, my favourite things are hotsprings/eating/sitting and OH likes to hike, other than that, we don't do much on holiday.
No Maybees about Yonk; Tofino must be you destination with the rest being side trips or even 'ah, let's see that next time... maybe's
Google: Middle Beach Lodge and Hot Springs Cove as well as the usual Long Beach searches.
Dec 16th 2006, 2:51 pm
#7
Just Joined
Joined: Dec 2006
Location: Worthing, Sussex
Posts: 21
Re: Holidays....
Visited the Powell River area for a long w/e in Oct 2004 - fantastic pub food at The Shinglemill on Powell Lake, Powell River and we had a gorgeous a la carte meal at The Laughing Oyster at Okeover Arm (a turning off the road down to Lund out in the sticks but well worth the drive) http://www.laughingoyster.ca
We've now decided to settle in the Comox Valley hopefully later this year - checkout Paradise Meadows up at Mount Washington these are gorgeous alpine meadows some of the area is boardwalked and you can also do longer trails from here into Strathcona National Park.
We've now decided to settle in the Comox Valley hopefully later this year - checkout Paradise Meadows up at Mount Washington these are gorgeous alpine meadows some of the area is boardwalked and you can also do longer trails from here into Strathcona National Park.
Dec 16th 2006, 3:12 pm
#8
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Shawnigan Lake, Vancouver Island, BC
Posts: 1,464
Re: Holidays....
went to powell river for a day visit end of september i think, it was lovely. Also take a drive to Lund just a short ride from there and well worth it. On the way back we stopped at a great restaurant and had a lovely meal but the name escapes me 
