Travel to British Columbia ABOUT BRITISH COLUMBIA

To really see the beauty of British Columbia, rent a car. Driving is relatively easy even in the cities, as Canadians drive on the right side of the road, and a car is superior to any other option for seeing the countryside.

Unless you're looking for a "winter sports" vacation, the best time to visit British Columbia is the summer. While the southwestern part of British Columbia has a mild climate, there is much to see outside of Vancouver, some of it requiring driving on good, but mountainous, roads (1).

You must have appropriate documentation to enter and leave Canada. A driver's license is technically sufficient, but in this time of extra caution at all border crossings, anyone with a passport should take it with them and use it for travel identification purposes.

Other rules: seatbelts are the law in British Columbia. In addition, British Columbia requires you to turn on your headlights well before it gets dark and leave them on well after the sun rises. Speed limits are given in kilometers, not miles (1), so review how to read the speedometer. Finally, check with your auto insurance company to see what extra insurance coverage you may need before renting a car in Canada.

You do not need any special vaccinations to travel to Canada, and medical help if needed is both easy to find and inexpensive. Be sure to bring clothes you can layer, as the coastal area can either be cool or warm on any given day. In the interior, especially in the mountains, weather may be significantly cooler, so bring jackets as well. If you like to dress up for dinner, you'll have tha opportunity, although nice sports clothes will do in most places (1). However, bring comfortable walking shoes and active wear as well.

Of all of Canada's provinces, British Columbia has the most diverse geography. Thanks to a low population that tends to concentrate in a few larger towns and cities, visitors to British Columbia can visit countryside nearly untouched by modern civilization, as a day trip, and at the end of the day enjoy all the comforts that an outstanding hotel in a world-class city has to offer. Most of British Canada is mountainous, with Vancouver tucked between the sea and the Cascade Mountains (1). British Columbia has so many parks that their total square mileage makes them bigger than all of Switzerland (1), allowing for lots of hiking, canoeing, horse back riding or other outdoor activities.

Vancouver is British Columbia's largest city, with a population of over one million. The city is ethnically diverse including Dutch, French, Ukrainian and Sikh as well as people from Great Britain and China. In fact, Vancouver's China Town is the third largest on the continent: many Chinese came to work on the railroads and then made Vancouver their homes (1). This mix of cultures makes for a rich choice of restaurants, and while Victoria, on Vancouver Island, is famous for its British atmosphere, Vancouver contains a nearly countless number of ethnic restaurants.

Outside Vancouver, visitors can see a wide variety of wildlife. 144 mammals make British Columbia their home, and 74 of those species are not present in any other Canadian province (1). Of special interest is Vancouver Island across the strait from the city of Vancouver.

Industries include, in addition to tourism, fisheries, forestry, mining, and agriculture, especially fruits. Mining includes a recently opened factory for mining opals near Vernon, B.C. Travelers can go there and dig for opals themselves, keeping what they find. It's not quite gold but demonstrates the long history of mining in the area.

British Columbia provides a rich and diverse choice of sites to see, and numerous beautiful resorts nestled in the mountains. Vancouver Island provides much to d as well: the car ferry to Vancouver Island is enjoyable, and you may see a pod of killer whales as they are common in those waters (1). Once on the Island, you can visit Victoria, including the Empress Hotel, where you can have high tea British style as well as Butchert Gardens and the Royal British Columbia Museum (1).

Driving on Vancouver Island is pleasant in the summertime. North of Victoria is the smaller city of Sidney, a somewhat touristy but attractive seaside town. The further north you travel, the less tourist influence you will find.

British Columbia has hundreds of thousands of acreage that could be considered "Wilderness." As you visit these areas, make sure you never feed the wildlife -- on purpose or by accident. Do not try to coax an animal to you with food. Even the peaceful-looking moose will be aggressive if it perceives a threat. Do not put trash with food in it anywhere wild animals might find it. Take it back to the city with you and dispose of it there (1).

FLIGHT ITINERARY

JULY 29 FLIGHT ITINERARY

LEAVE LUBBOCK: (LBB)

AMERICAN AIRLINES: AMERICAN EAGLE

3520 LBB Lubbock

07:04 AM ARRIVE DALLAS/FORT WORTH: (DFW)

08:12 AM Travel Time: 1 hrs 8 min

LEAVE DALLAS/FORT WORTH: (DFW)

4, NOON.
YOUR HOTEL

You will be staying at the Georgian Court Hotel. It is described as European style, and is located close to the theater district and sports arenas, in the center of downtown. This hotel is air-conditioned with some rooms having windows that can be opened. Some rooms have two-line phones. The hotel has cable TV, in-house movies, underground parking, fine dining, a lounge, and fitness center, saunas and whirlpools. A standard room goes for $165 (Canadian) during the summer. Check the rate of exchange when you are there to estimate your final bill. Upgrade rooms include high-speed Internet access.

This is a four-star hotel that is also convenient to shopping. To view this hotel online, go to:

https://www.hellobc.com/snbc/tbc/bcescapes/resultlist.asp?pname=VAGC1&pricelist=BCC&reg_code=RVANCOUVER&city_code=&in_month=07&in_day=29&in_year=2004&out_month=08&out_day=4&out_year=2004&nr_adults=2

JULY 30

We suggest breakfast in your room as an easy and relaxed way to start your day. A picnic lunch has been ordered for you, so be sure you pick it up before leaving.

Then take the ferry to Victoria, and wear your walking shoes. Arrive at least 15 minutes early, as the ferry is first-come first-serve (1). Victoria is packed with history, with both the wharf area and other areas an easy walk, so park the car. Old Town recalls the "Naughty Nineties" during the gold rush, including specialty stores and street performers. Near there is "Fan Tan Alley," rich in cultural history and the area where opium dens and houses of gambling used to be located (1).

For shoppers, Victoria is a paradise, with an eclectic assortment of Native North American crafts, Inuit (Eskimo) art and imports from all over the world including gemstones, chocolate and spices, pottery and specialty British items (1).

Pick up your car; you're going to drive about 20 km north to Butchert Gardens, located on a private estate. These gardens are sunken, as they were originally a limestone quarry beautified by Mrs. Jennie Butchert to eliminate an eyesore (1). The garden is broken into sections including a Japanese garden, and English rose garden and others. Enjoy your picnic lunch at Butchert Gardens or any other site along the way that suits you. But don't stuff yourself, because you have reservations at The Empress Hotel at 5PM.

Take the ferry back to Vancouver. You have an 8 PM reservation at "Monk McQueens," a seafood restaurant. It overlooks False Creek and also offers great views of the city. The Oyster Bar has been rated as the best place for patio dining in Vancouver. Take a sweater in case the evening is cool. The upstairs location is more intimate and included both a small jazz band and a small dance floor with candlelight at the tables.

Monk McQueens

http://www.monkmcqueens.com/

601 Stamps Landing, Vancouver

JULY 31 good day to sightsee in Vancouver. Here are some options for you!

The H.R. MacMillan Space Centre contains state-of-the-art planetarium as well as virtual-reality rides through outer space that include motion simulators. It also includes hands on activities in the Cosmic Courtyard Exhibit Gallery. This Centre should not be missed.

H.R. MacMillan Space Centre

1100 Chestnut Street, VANCOUVER, BC V6J 3J9; Phone: Fax:

website: http://www.hrmacmillanspacecentre.com

Granville Island Brewing Co. Ltd. makes all natural beer. At their store you can also sample and buy locally-brewed wines as well as other souvenirs. The taproom is available for beer-tasting.

Granville Island Brewing Co. Ltd.

1441 Cartwright Street, Granville Island, Vancouver, BC V6H 3R7

Fax:

website: http://www.gib.ca

Just north of the city in North Vancouver you'll find the Capilano Suspension Bridge. In the 25-acre park you'll also find a center for native carving and other indigenous exhibits, a restaurant and gift store. The scenery is breath-taking. If you…