We have been talking about going to BC next year..what is the best time to go?? also does anyone have any favorite areas?? were not sure were we want to go but want to try several areas out....we will be bringing several of are kids 17+ and want to make sure they do not get to bored..are there amusement parks in BC??can anyone recommend good web sites or books to help out with our research....
BC is like Oregon - lots to do in lots of dif places.
In Vancouver there is the PNE late August - a big fair with lots to do in a day. times to come are May 1 - October 15
Okanagon is hot and dry, coast is wet(er) and lusher. Northern BC is amazing for wildlife. West side of Vancouver Island is great for fishing. Eastern BC has more amazing mountains and scenery.
What kind of stuff do you want to do? hike, culture, wildlife, ski? etc
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I haven't paid much attention to things like amusement parks when planning my trips in BC, but I'll try to make some suggestions that might work for you.
One idea is to make a loop, entering the province from the Puget Sound area, and leaving in the east (or vv). Along the way you could catch some amusements in the Seattle area, and at the other end stop at Silverwood Theme Park near Coeur D'Alane ID. I may be wrong about this, but Silverwood seems to be the closest thing we have in the NW to a full blown theme park.
You could connect the two ends with a drive across BC on the Crowsnest Hwy (#3). This roughly parallels the BC/Washington border, giving a good cross section of the province.
At the west end you could take a ferry to Vancouver Island, taking in the sights of Victoria, maybe making a loop north to Comox (with beaches, island, and old growth forest), and back to the mainland at Powell River and back to the Vancouver area (several ferry rides). From there take 99 north to Whistler, which should have some amusements of interest to the kids (downhill bike riding from the top of the ski lifts? Bungee jumping). If you are up to some mountain driving, continue north to Lillooet to see the dry, deep Fraser River canyon country.
From the Lillooet area you could go east to Kamloops and Vernon, or south along the Fraser to Hope (the more scenic option). From Hope hwy 3 takes you through Manning Prov. Park (great hiking). Either way you'll end up the Okanagon Valley, with lots of warm weather, lake oriented vacation options.
Further east you get into wetter mountains and valleys of the Kootenays. Nelson is perhaps the most interesting town in the area. There's a lot of mining history in the area, and a number of hot springs.
The next major valley to the east is the Rocky Mtn Trench, which you can enter either from the Trans Canada in the north (after a scenic drive through the Canadian Glacier National Park), or from 3 in the south. Radium Hot Springs is an attraction in this area. Once this close, it's tempting to continue on into the Canadian Rockies parks - Yoho, Koontenay, Banff, Jasper.
Also consider dude ranches in the interior BC if you or the kids are interested in activities like horse back riding and fishing. Renting a house boat is an option on some of the large lakes along the TransCanada east of Kamloops. There are ski resorts in the mountains of SE BC which might have summer activities (Silver Star, Big White, Apex, etc).
* This post was
edited 07/09/08 10:59am by paulj *
Squamish is a good stop too, rock climbing, cross-country mountain biking, wind surfing, white water rafting, golf, hiking, it's all there. Check out the adventure center and you drive into town.
Second, the drive from Whistler to Lillooet(Duffy Lake Road) is a definate must if you are driving through BC. The road is a bit tight and hilly, but absolutely breath taking, and there are a couple of first come first served Provencial Campsites along the way. No hookups, but if for stopping for the night, I highly recommend this drive. I used to do it twice a month (each way) travelling from school in Kamloops to my parent's home in Squamish.
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All great suggestions, however, for a first timer with teens, providing you are wine consumers, the Okanagan Valley just can't be topped. Lakes, beaches, fruits and vineyards, golfing, water skiing. Cities of Osoyoos, Penticton and Vernon get my vote. Kelowna is just another big city with traffic hassles. Many cg's of different levels of services from provincial (bare bones), private (with meat on the bones). Check it out on Google.
If you are going through on highway 3, I suggest staying at Kettle River RV PArk.. We floated the river 4 times in 5 days earlier this summer and had a great time. Saw a fair number of teens on the river too. I really enjoy the Kootenany's myself but then I live in the Okanagan and get to play here whenever Im not camping
For amusement parks, there is CAlaway Park outside of Calgary, PNE already mentioned and Silver wood.. we are going to Calaway next Wednesday
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The best time to travel in BC is September. Not too hot, not rainy or cold. A usually rainy Vancouver is at its best weather-wise. Kids are all back at school, so RV Parks and campgrounds will be less busy and most still open. If you want to travel before school starts, just make sure NOT to come during the August long weekend (first Monday in August). It's nearly impossible to get a reservation.
We don't have too many amusement parks. Vancouver has Playland (at the PNE grounds), but they are very limited for cool rides (esp. if your kids are used to Six Flags-type parks). The roller coaster is great for wooden coaster enthusiasts, but pretty tame compared to most of the modern coasters.
If it were me with teenagers, I'd concentrate on Whistler (Sept. is cheaper and there's lots of bike trails and fun things to do like Ziplining!) & Vancouver (the Aquarium, roller-blading/biking along the seawall in Stanley Park and Capilano Suspension Bridge have been my young relatives favs), then take a drive up to the National Parks (Jasper & Banff, in particular). Venture over to Edmonton after a trip to Jasper to visit West Edmonton Mall. Their theme park is pretty decent and there's lots of things to keep kids that age entertained. Then come home through Calgary & Idaho as mentioned above.
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