OTHER SIGHTS TO SEE.Byline: - ALESSANDRA DJURKLOU VANCOUVER, British Columbia British Columbia, province (2001 pop. 3,907,738), 366,255 sq mi (948,600 sq km), including 6,976 sq mi (18,068 sq km) of water surface, W Canada. Geography -- Even though you'll find plenty to do in Vancouver, there are nearby destinations definitely worth a look. Among the must-sees are Vancouver Island Vancouver Island (1991 pop. 579,921), 12,408 sq mi (32,137 sq km), SW British Columbia, Canada, in the Pacific Ocean; largest island off W North America. It is c.285 mi (460 km) long and c. , with historic Victoria and Butchart Gardens The Butchart Gardens are a botanical tourist attraction located in the neighbourhood Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, a small village on the Saanich Peninsula , Whistler whistler: see marmot. See Windows XP. , and the North Shore, with Grouse grouse, common name for a game bird of the colder parts of the Northern Hemisphere. There are about 18 species. Grouse are henlike terrestrial birds, protectively plumaged in shades of red, brown, and gray. Mountain and the nausea-inducing Capilano Suspension Bridge suspension bridge: see bridge. . But if you don't want to deal with the hassle of renting a car, and don't like those cattle-sized tours, we found a good option that was recommended by the concierge at our hotel. It was Vancouver-based Landsea Tours, which has small buses seating no more than 24 people. For between about $80 and $125 U.S., you get picked up at your hotel and taken to the locations mentioned above, then dropped off at day's end. We splurged and went for three of their packages: to Victoria (an all-day trip), to Whistler (also all day, with a side trip to Squamish Falls) and to the North Shore (half day). The Victoria trip was particularly satisfying, since getting there is pretty much impossible on public transport. For one thing, the Vancouver Island ferry terminal is quite far away from Vancouver, and usually packed. And once you get to Vancouver Island after about a two-hour trip, it's a haul from the terminal to Victoria itself. Further, what many people don't realize is that Vancouver Island is huge -- about the size of England. It has less than a million people on it, though, so if you get lost, there aren't a lot of places to get directions. Butchart Gardens, the beautiful botanical gardens A botanical garden is a place where plants, especially ferns, conifers and flowering plants, are grown and displayed for the purposes of research, conservation, and education. built in a former quarry, are also not particularly convenient to the ferry terminal or to Victoria, so you definitely need a car. The company took care of all the details (ferry and Butchart admission were included), so we were able to just drink it all in. The mountainous ride to Whistler was even more pleasant since we didn't have to worry about navigating winding and sometimes treacherous roads, and could just enjoy the pretty view. If you are staying in a downtown hotel, the concierge can make reservations for a Landsea tour. If not, call (604) 255-7272 or visit www.vancouvertours.com. |
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