Originally Posted by
himalayaji
looking for itinerary advice for an very-relaxing 2 week vacation with family & 6,7 year old kids, visiting July/Aug 2011.
initially destination was Toronto , changed my mind to Vancouver & neighboring areas , after glancing over few threads, as they have much more to offer (nature,scenic).
Good Lord yes. Apologies to Torontonians but there really is no comparison for a vacation.
1) should we fly to Seattle or Vancouver(canada), from Dallas.
2) wish to spend, 1 week in Seattle & 1 week in Vancouver, but flexible
3) suggest day-trips only , anything that is kids-friendly, beaches, cablecars, treehouse etc
4) like to be very RELAXED tour.
5) kindly recommend family/kids friendly hotels for stay
6) we are vegetarians, don't want venture miles away from city, where vegetarian food becomes a challenge.
1. Fly to whichever is the cheapest,
after making allowance for any difference in car rental rates at the two (assuming you are renting a car ?). Without sparking a heated debate, Canadian formalities (immigration, security etc.)
tend to be less intimidating than US.
2. Add a diversion to Victoria BC (Vancouver Island) on the way up or down. It does overplay its British heritage to some degree, but worth a visit anyway.
3. You'll get lots of personal suggestions. For Vancouver the Grouse Mountain Skyride (cable car) and Capilano Suspension Bridge are easy half-day (at most) outings. There are beaches within the city limits - English Bay, 1st/2nd/3rd beach, but IMO Spanish Banks is the best.
5. Tough call. I'd stay away from the downtown core as most there are business-oriented, although the Westin Bayshore is worth looking at. Don't go too far out though (Burnaby, North Shore) as the traffic can be annoying. Somewhere in upper Granville or along Broadway perhaps.