Help Me Plan a Trip to Seattle and Victoria, BC

Post date: 2018-04-24 11:14:45

I'm visiting Seattle and Vancouver Island in early August. Where should I go and how should I get there?

My mother and I are spending a week in the PNW this August. We have never been to this part of the world before. We're flying into Seattle on a Saturday and will spend a couple days in the city. Mom says she's always wanted to go to Vancouver Island, so we're planning on spending the rest of the week in and around Victoria. We'll be flying out of Seattle the following Saturday.

Our common interests include history, natural beauty, and kitsch. Travel limitations: My mother has chronic pain; she enjoys walking, but anything more intense than a gentle two-mile hike is out. I once got horribly seasick boating on the James River, so I will be avoiding small boats when possible.

Suggestions for our time in Seattle are welcome, but mainly I want to know how we should get to Victoria, what we should do once we're there, and how we should travel back to Seattle.

QUESTIONS:

-I'd love to drive to Victoria on the way up and take the Clipper on the way back (to save time and add variety). Can we rent a car in Seattle and leave it in Canada?? If we do drive, what's the most scenic route(s)? Or should we just take the Clipper both ways (or take some other option I don't know about?)

-I'm looking at day trips up the coast of Vancouver Island. Looks like there's lots to do on the mainland. Will we be sad if we skip the Gulf Islands? (Similarly, we are skipping the San Juan Islands, seem okay?)

-Considering my worries about seasickness, I definitely shouldn't try to go whale-watching, right?

-I would like to learn about and financially support Native / First Nations peoples during my travels; where should I go?

Thanks so much!

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