SW Canada

[Robert M. Gary]

I'm planing on being in NW Washington state next month and thought it
would be cool to hop up to Canada for a couple days. I can get the
crossing type information from AOPA but I'm curious..

1) where the best places to land (near Vancouver)
2) What types of activities can you do near there?
3) Can I rent a car with a California DL?
4) Where is the best place to get airport information (AOPA web
sight?)
5) Should I get approach plates, do you get much IMC this time of
year?


-Robert

[Peter Duniho]

"Robert M. Gary" > wrote in message
om...
> 1) where the best places to land (near Vancouver)

For GA, Boundary Bay airport is probably your best bet.

> 2) What types of activities can you do near there?

Vancouver is a real city. You can do pretty much whatever you'd do in any
other major city. I prefer the outdoor activities, and for in-town outdoor
stuff, Stanley Park is a really nice place to go.
http://www.seestanleypark.com/

There are lots of great restaurants, a nice science center/museum, and
shows.

If you're into Asian food, especially Chinese or Taiwanese, Vancouver has a
great Chinatown, and for the more modern stuff, Richmond just south of
Vancouver is a great place to go too.

> 3) Can I rent a car with a California DL?

I can't imagine that you wouldn't be able to, but I've never tried, so I
don't know for sure.

> 4) Where is the best place to get airport information (AOPA web
> sight?)

Get the Canadian Aerodrome supplement. It's their equivalent of our A/FD,
and is chock-full of great information.

> 5) Should I get approach plates, do you get much IMC this time of
> year?

You can never rule out instrument flying, but generally speaking we're
getting into our good weather season. It will be much more reliable in
August and September, but even in June and July there are numerous
good-weather flying days (not just basic VFR).

Since you're doing the tour, you might also consider checking out Victoria,
over on Vancouver Island. The airport is pretty far from the city, but it's
easy to get a taxiride in, and taxi drivers are great resources for local
info. A very popular tourism site in Victoria is the Butchart Gardens
(imagine a couple dozen different styles of gardens, all at the same
location, spread over a large area), but of course the Victoria downtown
itself is a great attraction. Get a tour of the Parliament, go have high
tea at the Empress Hotel, have a spectacular Sunday brunch at the Laurel
Point Inn, see the Crystal Gardens Conservatory, or just wander around
downtown.

Pete

[Paul Tomblin]

In a previous article, "Peter Duniho" > said:
>If you're into Asian food, especially Chinese or Taiwanese, Vancouver has a
s/has/is/
>great Chinatown, and for the more modern stuff, Richmond just south of

:-)

--
Paul Tomblin > http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
"We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not
because they are easy, but because they are hard...." - John F Kennedy

[Peter Duniho]

"Paul Tomblin" > wrote in message
...
> In a previous article, "Peter Duniho" > said:
> >If you're into Asian food, especially Chinese or Taiwanese, Vancouver has
a
> s/has/is/

Sure, I guess that's one way to look at it. :)

Pete

[Ben Jackson]

In article >,
Peter Duniho > wrote:
>"Robert M. Gary" > wrote in message
om...
>> 1) where the best places to land (near Vancouver)
>
>For GA, Boundary Bay airport is probably your best bet.

That's where I landed. Friendly place, about CAN$45 for a cab to downtown
Vancouver from Delta. Stay near Canada Place (a "landmark facility" on
the water) or BC Place (a stadium) and you'll be within walking distance
of Stanley park (which would take days to fully explore), Chinatown, the
art museum, and ferries to the science museum and Granville island. When
we were there the busses were CAN$2 and you could get to other attractions
like the gardens that way.

Boundary Bay does think like a big airport and they have a lot of VFR
procedures (and associated landmarks) that they'll expect you to know.

--
Ben Jackson
>
http://www.ben.com/

[Robert M. Gary]

"Peter Duniho" > wrote in message >...
> "Robert M. Gary" > wrote in message
> om...
> > 1) where the best places to land (near Vancouver)
>
> For GA, Boundary Bay airport is probably your best bet.
>
> > 2) What types of activities can you do near there?
>
> Vancouver is a real city. You can do pretty much whatever you'd do in any
> other major city. I prefer the outdoor activities, and for in-town outdoor
> stuff, Stanley Park is a really nice place to go.
> http://www.seestanleypark.com/

I'm looking for something relaxing and quiet but with some light
activities for a young family (my kids are 8 and 9). Perhaps the
Nanaimo area? Would I be better off just going to Victoria Island? Do
they have good GA service? Is the Victoria Island area nice to drive
around?

-Robert

[Peter Duniho]

"Robert M. Gary" > wrote in message
om...
> I'm looking for something relaxing and quiet but with some light
> activities for a young family (my kids are 8 and 9). Perhaps the
> Nanaimo area? Would I be better off just going to Victoria Island? Do
> they have good GA service? Is the Victoria Island area nice to drive
> around?

Victoria is the city. Vancouver Island is the island. To further
complicate things, the airport is actually north of Victoria, in Sidney, BC.

When I've flown to Victoria, I park over at the flying club tiedowns. They
are very friendly and easy-going. But then I've had the same easy
experience over at Boundary Bay. Because of the short distance I have to
fly, I've never had to deal with getting fuel or other services (though, I
did have to have a Sunday afternoon repair of my ignition system one time,
which went about as well as one could expect), but judging from the general
attitudes I've found, I can't imagine anyone having anything but a pleasant
experience.

As for whether it's nice to drive around, it's at least as nice as any of
the rest of the rural Pacific Northwest, which is to say it's beautiful,
with plenty of outdoor activities and scenery.

I can't say that Victoria/Vancouver Island would be any more or less
appropriate than the San Juans. Each have plenty to offer, and to some
extent it depends on how self-sufficient your family is with respect to
finding things to do. Personally, I think Orcas Island has enough to keep a
family busy for at least a weekend, if not an entire week, but if you're
looking for guided tours, museums, and other kid-friendly tourist
attractions, Victoria and Vancouver are likely to be better bets (as would
any larger city with a relatively dense population).

If you're asking about a comparison between Vancouver and Victoria, I guess
that depends. Near Vancouver it's mostly farmland, but if you head north
and west, you wind up in very similar terrain to that found on Vancouver
Island. Heading inland north, you wind up going toward the
Whistler/Blackcomb area, where they have great skiing in the winter, and the
usual outdoor mountain activities in the summer. Of course there are other
parks and outdoor areas all around.

Personally, I find Victoria and Vancouver very similar, but each with their
own unique tourist attractions and specific differences.

You might want to take a look at a map before you consider literally driving
around Vancouver Island. It's *big*. :)

If you do wind up driving on Vancouver Island, you might think about heading
up the southwestern coast to Sprout Lake (near Port Alberni) to visit the
Martin Mars water bomber operation.

Pete

[Paul Tomblin]

In a previous article, "Peter Duniho" > said:
>"Robert M. Gary" > wrote in message
om...
>> I'm looking for something relaxing and quiet but with some light
>> activities for a young family (my kids are 8 and 9). Perhaps the
>> Nanaimo area? Would I be better off just going to Victoria Island? Do

Nanaimo is also on Vancouver Island.

>Victoria is the city. Vancouver Island is the island. To further
>complicate things, the airport is actually north of Victoria, in Sidney, BC.
[snip]
>If you do wind up driving on Vancouver Island, you might think about heading
>up the southwestern coast to Sprout Lake (near Port Alberni) to visit the
>Martin Mars water bomber operation.

It's Sproat Lake, not Sprout Lake. Last time I was there, several years
ago, there was nothing much to see of the "operation", but I did paddle a
canoe up pretty close to one of the Mars. They are HUGE!


--
Paul Tomblin > http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
It's fun to mock old people. They're going to die soon anyway.
-- Mike Sphar

[James Robinson]

"Robert M. Gary" wrote:
>
> I'm looking for something relaxing and quiet but with some light
> activities for a young family (my kids are 8 and 9).

Another option is to fly a bit inland, perhaps to Abbotsford. You can
rent cars there, then drive up the Fraser river to Hope and north to
Boston Bar.

Along the way is the Bridal Veil Falls, which make a spectacular drop
over the cliff, and with a short climb you can reach its base.

Near Hope there is a park with a path through a rugged canyon that is on
an abandoned railroad. It passes through about 4 short tunnels, and
across three bridges over a rushing river.

Each of these walks is in an area of spectacular scenery, and would take
about 45 minutes, which would be great for your kids. Not too strenuous,
but more than a simple walk across the street.

North of Hope, the highway follows the most rugged section of the Fraser
River, which is impressive to see. There are places to have a picnic,
and watch for fish. Boston Bar has a couple of restaurants that aren't
too bad.

I found the following site, where someone flew into Abbotsford and
Chilliwack for a $100 pie, and which might give you some ideas.

http://www.popularaviation.com/ListNewsArticleDtl.asp?id=151

[smackey]

(Robert M. Gary) wrote in message >
1) where the best places to land (near Vancouver)?

Boundry Bay is about as convenient as it gets for a GA airport.
Personally, I found it a little remote but, except for Vancouver Intl,
it's prbably as good as you'll get. We used Enterprise car rental,
and of course had to wait for the ride back to the rental agency.
Can't comment on adequacy of Hertz, etc.

> 2) What types of activities can you do near there?

It's a big, cosmopolitan city. We love it. Best comparison I can
come up with is SF, but with much nicer physical setting. Better,
even, than Seattle. Fabulous restaurants and shopping. When we were
there, the US $ equaled $1.50 CAN, but I believe its lower now.
(Thanks, George)

> 3) Can I rent a car with a California DL?

Well, I had no probelem with a Montana license, but California...?
;)

> 4) Where is the best place to get airport information (AOPA web
> sight?)

The "Canadian Flight Supplement" is really a must. Despite its
apparent similar appearance to the US AF/D, its more useful. Make
sure you have the Canadian version of sectional and terminal charts.
The AOPA materials are invaluable.

> 5) Should I get approach plates, do you get much IMC this time of
> year?
>
> Don't know. I was only VFR then.

[Brian Burger]

On Fri, 4 Jun 2004, James Robinson wrote:

> "Robert M. Gary" wrote:
> >
> > I'm looking for something relaxing and quiet but with some light
> > activities for a young family (my kids are 8 and 9).
>
> Another option is to fly a bit inland, perhaps to Abbotsford. You can
> rent cars there, then drive up the Fraser river to Hope and north to
> Boston Bar.

If you want to explore the Fraser River Canyon area (north of Hope), and
grass runways don't scare you, Hope has a very, very nice 3900' grass
strip; it's a little ways out of town, but there's a clean little Pilot's
Lounge w/ phone to call a cab.

Chilliwack is a nice paved 3900' strip, GREAT on-field cafe with the best
pie at any airport in the PNW...

Brian.
- PP-ASEL/Night -

> Along the way is the Bridal Veil Falls, which make a spectacular drop
> over the cliff, and with a short climb you can reach its base.
>
> Near Hope there is a park with a path through a rugged canyon that is on
> an abandoned railroad. It passes through about 4 short tunnels, and
> across three bridges over a rushing river.
>
> Each of these walks is in an area of spectacular scenery, and would take
> about 45 minutes, which would be great for your kids. Not too strenuous,
> but more than a simple walk across the street.
>
> North of Hope, the highway follows the most rugged section of the Fraser
> River, which is impressive to see. There are places to have a picnic,
> and watch for fish. Boston Bar has a couple of restaurants that aren't
> too bad.
>
> I found the following site, where someone flew into Abbotsford and
> Chilliwack for a $100 pie, and which might give you some ideas.
>
> http://www.popularaviation.com/ListNewsArticleDtl.asp?id=151
>

[Brian Burger]

On Thu, 3 Jun 2004, Robert M. Gary wrote:

> "Peter Duniho" > wrote in message >...
> > "Robert M. Gary" > wrote in message
> > om...
> > > 1) where the best places to land (near Vancouver)
> >
> > For GA, Boundary Bay airport is probably your best bet.
> >
> > > 2) What types of activities can you do near there?
> >
> > Vancouver is a real city. You can do pretty much whatever you'd do in any
> > other major city. I prefer the outdoor activities, and for in-town outdoor
> > stuff, Stanley Park is a really nice place to go.
> > http://www.seestanleypark.com/
>
> I'm looking for something relaxing and quiet but with some light
> activities for a young family (my kids are 8 and 9). Perhaps the
> Nanaimo area? Would I be better off just going to Victoria Island? Do
> they have good GA service? Is the Victoria Island area nice to drive
> around?

There's more visitor/tourist stuff in Victoria than Nanaimo. Vancouver
Island (not Victoria Is...) is pretty big - driving around it (really from
one end to the other, because there are no roads along the west coast) is
a week's vacation in itself, really.

Victoria's my hometown; Victoria Int'l is my home airport; I'm a member of
the Victoria Flying Club, which someone else has already recommended for
tiedowns & fuel. Feel free to drop me an email if you want more
information on flying or touristing in the area...

Vict. Tourist Info: http://www.tourismvictoria.com/
Vict. Flying Club: http://www.flyvfc.com/

Hope the trip goes as (eventually) planned!

Brian.

[C J Campbell]

"Robert M. Gary" > wrote in message
om...
> 2) What types of activities can you do near there?

Shop. Visit the gardens. The two most famous gardens are Stanley Gardens and
the Sun Yat Sen Chinese Garden.

Personally, I prefer Victoria, which has Butchart Gardens, the British
Columbia Museum (a truly amazing place), and a really neat atmosphere.

> 3) Can I rent a car with a California DL?

Yes.

> 5) Should I get approach plates, do you get much IMC this time of
> year?

Not much.

[C J Campbell]

"Robert M. Gary" > wrote in message
om...
> "Peter Duniho" > wrote in message
>...
>
> I'm looking for something relaxing and quiet but with some light
> activities for a young family (my kids are 8 and 9). Perhaps the
> Nanaimo area?

Vancouver Island is a fantastic place. Nanaimo is interesting from the air,
but the main activity there is fishing. You will need to make reservations
in advance for that. I do NOT recommend staying on the Princess there.

[Dan Thomas]

Brian Burger > wrote in message . ca>...
> On Fri, 4 Jun 2004, James Robinson wrote:
>
> > "Robert M. Gary" wrote:
> > >
> > > I'm looking for something relaxing and quiet but with some light
> > > activities for a young family (my kids are 8 and 9).
> >
> > Another option is to fly a bit inland, perhaps to Abbotsford. You can
> > rent cars there, then drive up the Fraser river to Hope and north to
> > Boston Bar.
>
> If you want to explore the Fraser River Canyon area (north of Hope), and
> grass runways don't scare you, Hope has a very, very nice 3900' grass
> strip; it's a little ways out of town, but there's a clean little Pilot's
> Lounge w/ phone to call a cab.
>
> Chilliwack is a nice paved 3900' strip, GREAT on-field cafe with the best
> pie at any airport in the PNW...
>
> Brian.
> - PP-ASEL/Night -

If you decide to fly further inland, make sure the weather is
manageable. The terrain rises pretty sharply east of Hope, and many
pilots have run into sudden storms and ended up spread across some
mountainside. The Fraser Canyon is lower than the Coquihalla route and
the weather is usually not as bad. If it's CAVU, the scenery is
spectacular and well worth the trip to Kamloops or the Okanagan
Valley. Mountain flying training would be very advisable.

Dan

[Harry Shin]

"Brian Burger" > wrote in message
a.tc.ca...
<snip>
>
> Chilliwack is a nice paved 3900' strip, GREAT on-field cafe with the best
> pie at any airport in the PNW...
>
> Brian.
> - PP-ASEL/Night -
>

Yes! The restaurant at Chilliwack airport offers probably 20 different types
of pie, all made fresh. When I told the waitress I'd flown 800 miles for
the pie she looked at me like I was a little nuts...

Harry

[Rosspilot]

If you go up north of Kelowna, there is a small village called Vernon. I
rented a Skyhawk there (very reasonable, and the rental check-out consisted of
once around the pattern) and flew up into the mountains--it was spectacular
scenery with snow caps at 10,000 ft in August.


www.Rosspilot.com

[Robert M. Gary]

Brian Burger > wrote in message . ca>...
> On Fri, 4 Jun 2004, James Robinson wrote:
>
> > "Robert M. Gary" wrote:
> > >
> > > I'm looking for something relaxing and quiet but with some light
> > > activities for a young family (my kids are 8 and 9).
> >
> > Another option is to fly a bit inland, perhaps to Abbotsford. You can
> > rent cars there, then drive up the Fraser river to Hope and north to
> > Boston Bar.
>
> If you want to explore the Fraser River Canyon area (north of Hope), and
> grass runways don't scare you, Hope has a very, very nice 3900' grass
> strip; it's a little ways out of town, but there's a clean little Pilot's
> Lounge w/ phone to call a cab.

Grass runways don't scare me but they do scare my Mooney (the ground
clearance between the bottom of the tire and the gear door is about
1.5 inches)

[Brian Burger]

On Fri, 4 Jun 2004, Robert M. Gary wrote:

> Brian Burger > wrote in message . ca>...
> > On Fri, 4 Jun 2004, James Robinson wrote:
> >
> > > "Robert M. Gary" wrote:
> > > >
> > > > I'm looking for something relaxing and quiet but with some light
> > > > activities for a young family (my kids are 8 and 9).
> > >
> > > Another option is to fly a bit inland, perhaps to Abbotsford. You can
> > > rent cars there, then drive up the Fraser river to Hope and north to
> > > Boston Bar.
> >
> > If you want to explore the Fraser River Canyon area (north of Hope), and
> > grass runways don't scare you, Hope has a very, very nice 3900' grass
> > strip; it's a little ways out of town, but there's a clean little Pilot's
> > Lounge w/ phone to call a cab.
>
> Grass runways don't scare me but they do scare my Mooney (the ground
> clearance between the bottom of the tire and the gear door is about
> 1.5 inches)

Ah, that'd do it! You're excused! :) I've only taken Cessnas in there, and
ones w/ no wheel pants, at that...

Too bad, though, because Hope (CYHE) really is a neat strip; it's the only
large (over 1900') public grass strip in this quarter of BC. It's owned &
run by the Regional District/municipality, and they do a beautiful job.
The strip itself is rolled & mowed, and the pilot's lounge is immaculatly
kept and well equipped - there's a whole fridge & counter full of snacks,
and just an open coffee tin for your money.

They're holding an airport festival there on the 21st of June; I'm
planning on being there!

Brian.