Okay I am trying to book some places for my scouting trip (leaving Tuesday) and want to stay somewhere around Vancouver for a day or so to look around. I have no idea where to book when it comes to:
Mission
Maple Ridge
Burnaby
West/North Van
etc. and so on
The only thing I have decided is to avoid Downtown Vancouver.
So, where is a good area to aim for (or avoid at all costs) if I want:
- to see the area (so close enough I can just drive to other areas and see them
- fairly safe/relaxed
- not going to cost the moon (which it seems the downtown does and parking is probably a drag in that area I would assume).
BTw the plan the AAA came up with didn't have me in the area at all but jumping right from Chilliwackto Victoria so now I am figuring I'll skip Chilliwack and go straight to Vancouver area instead. So I don't really have time to get them to give me tips (they weren't that speedy I found).
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Well I loved the whole trip. I had forgotten how nice a driving trip can be. I can't say I did any touristy type things since I was scouting out living locations and looking at some pretty basic things. I did the whole of Southern BC and really enjoyed places like Nelson (really a cute little town/city with a good eye for colour and just making the town pretty and nice to walk on the main streets but they also have all the lake things and hiking etc). Some areas like Osoyoos were almost desert like around the town but very lush in the town. it also was a really pretty place as is most of the Okanogan and it seems like there is a lot to do as a tourist from the lake activities to shopping to wine tours. You name it. Lots of hotels and resort type action too.
There were also a lot of small places kind of by themselves (like Christina Lake for instance) that seem to be summer places, just nice quiet lake for boating and swimming and such and basically out of the urban areas that would be nice places to just relax and enjoy the lake.
I didn't really stop at all in the Vancouver region but loved the island. If you check the Victoria Tourism site (or the sites for any region) they have deals for visitors that beat pretty much any other sites. I got my hotel in Victoria for $30 off a night and was upgraded to a suite too. Much better than AAA or any other rate I could have found myself. Also part of that deal was ferry passes which saves about $70/ ferry trip. It seems most of the gov't/local assoc. tourism sites offer packages for everything from whale watching to concerts to wine tasting to skiing to basic sight seeing at a very reasonable cost (compared to arranging it yourself). They change with season and for instance if I had been a couple of days earlier I would have had a ferry pass for the trip both ways instead of just one way but the season changed right on Sept 30 and I was there Oct 2. If you look them up region by region you can get a good idea of what tourists like to do in those areas while getting deals at the same time.
Parts of the Island are very rustic while Victoria itself is very much a downtown kind of place with lots of interesting shops and buildings and the wharf being down there. I noticed a lot of people were down there at all times of the day which is not something you see in downtown Calgary at all. I also loved it up the east coast of the island at places like Qualicum Beach and the Comox area were very nice. I could see going to areas like that to hike, roam the beaches and just relax. As I understand it the other side of the island is more wild and better for wilderness type adventure. I would like to see places like Salt Spring etc. but didn't have time this trip. I think you could spend a lot of time on that Island and always see something new.
Please let me know how everything went with this trip and what your favorite things are. I am thinking of planning a trip up there for next spring
thanks!
enjoy the trip....
DBD, Have you thought of renting at a nice pet friendly bed and breakfast home? My DSL's sister did that while she was in transition buying and selling homes out west and I think she worked out something to pay monthly for a few months. It might be nice if you could find one with a private bath and a yard for Ebony. Just another option you might want to consider.
Those would be nice Pearl but I am afraid way out of my budget.
I called the place I stayed before and as of next Monday they are beginning renovating so that threw a hammer into things. Anyway they were good enough to recommend a motel next door to them and so I looked them up and they rated fairly good on tripadvisor so I called. I hope they are good because they are almost half the price of the other place for a weekly or monthly stay. he even said with a stay of over a week I don't have to pay extra for the dog (which was $15/night at the other place). Nice it's off season I guess.
As of today, my move is now set for the 29th, the utilities have all be given their notices and it looks like all I need to do now is pack a bit (to save some packing costs) and get rid of some stuff (oh and pick up my brand new Mac that is waiting for me..:bliss:) oh, and get some snow tires so I can get through the mountains again without going over the edge with all the snow that has been falling in this region.
I just added to the name of the thread since I can't figure out the best way to start a new thread as some of the posts here are more about moving.
As for date, I am waiting for the moving company to call me back right now because I want to change it from the 28th to the 29th. The house closes on the 30th and originally I thought a day to clean would be a good idea but it's not that bad that it will take a whole day to clean and if I can save paying a hotel room for a night that will be good. So about 2 weeks to get it all together.
I assume (having never sold and not been in town for it before) that I need to plan to be here the day of closing just to address any lawyer type things but will check. If I can just have the movers arrive, do a sweep, and hit the road I'd rather pay for a hotel night in Banff or somewhere on the way than in Calgary. A lot of any of that planning depends on when the movers can arrive and how long they think it will take to load. Given I've cleared so much stuff out of this house (and may do more) it shouldn't take as long as my other moves did so I could be out of here fast enough to do the drive to Kelowna the same day if they come early and the roads are relatively good.
Yes, it all goes into storage (apparently here in Calgary when done through the mover) until I give them the final destination. I have to say I have really been taking a look at my stuff. Like do I want to pack and move (paying for it by weight and such) things like glasses that only cost me $20. They could well cost me $50 to move. Same with dishes, my bed (that is probably up for replacement in the next year or two anyway) and other things that may be better just to donate or throw away. Now I see why people have moving sales as so much is just not worth what it costs to move it when you are paying yourself.
What I am going to try and do is see if I can get a mortgage or not and if I can, have it put on the shelf for me to use if I want later. Otherwise renting seems to be the option that is most practical especially given the price of things there and me being unfamiliar with the area.
I also need to find out what prices are like to do weekly/monthly rates at hotels and such while I look for a place to live. I did price the place I stayed there but would like to see if I could find a better price before I book something longer than a couple of days.
I might just do a bit of research on that while I am here (the trip advisor and bedbug registry site has been really helpful to avoid picking up those pests and some are very nice hotels too) and then book the place I was at for a few days so I can take a closer look at temp accommodation once I am there. If I learned anything with this trip, not having a really clear idea of what the location and rooms are like could be a big mistake when thinking of booking for weeks at a time. Also having the dog means I'd like to make sure getting her outside when she needs is easy (one place I stayed it was a very long hallway walk, plus elevator, then across a parking lot and that was really pushing my luck sometimes as Eb is not used to giving me that kind of notice when she needs to go outside).
As far as where I end up, I do think being right in Kelowna would be the most convenient. I am used to being close to things with where I live now and the idea of having to drive half an hour to get to a vet when there is an emergency or just all the extra miles on the car doesn't sit well with me when I could be closer. Sheesh, half the reason to move to a smaller place is to have things close and Kelowna seems to have everything I need right there within a few minutes of any part of that town/city so may as well try there first.
When is your move out day? I've been trying to follow your plans. Will you move all your big possessions to a holding spot and then continue looking to rent or buy.
Jmo, in your shoes, I'd start by renting in Kelowna and then venturing out to smaller areas around it for better exploring. Those little places may seem to not be very far away until you have to get in a car and drive for half an hour to pick up what was the norm before. Many, many people move from huge cities thinking that a 30 minutes drive isn't far away until they see all the people going the same places in 10 minutes.
If you found a place to buy in Kelowna, I don't think you'd be unhappy with the city itself. It's just finding that right place.
Good luck. May be time to start a new thread as this title is misleading now.
I'm open to all those places and checked the house and rental prices for them. All are about the same as Kelowna (and some more expensive even). I'll have to see what comes up when I am there again in two weeks (the big move...dun dun dun dun). It's kind of funny since I was told about how much travel that would be but after trying to get across Calgary on a good day, it's really not a big deal to me to drive 30 minutes on a highway. Sheesh, it took me nearly 45 minutes going 110 justto get out of town here when I left on my trip with the distance and traffic this city has.
If you like the Kelowna area and find it expensive, Penticton is definitely a viable alternative. There is also Peachland and Summerland in between - there is a lot more to it than you see from the highway so it might be worth exploring. Of course, it means any shopping trip is a drive to either Penticton or Kelowna so it's a trade off. Penticton and Summerland both have dog parks. If you continue south you have more options - Kaleden, Ok Falls, Oliver, Osoyoos - but again anything but basic shopping means a drive to Penticton or Kelowna. I suspect anything smaller than Penticton might be more of a culture shock than you want to deal with though.
The island is beautiful - I haven't lived there just visited. I know the Okanagan is colder in winter, hotter in summer, and dryer. Can't wait to see what you decide.
It's kind of funny when I think about who commented on the Island being cold. It was all men. Wonder if they have a different climate control than women do. One I met on the ferry told me he moved from the island to Banff because he likes the weather there better and doesn't freeze to death :confused:
Meanwhile I spoke with SIL who has a good friend that just moved to the island 2 years ago and she said the locals seem to complain about the cold but she's sure they would die in real winter because it's just not that bad.
I have to really take a look at the web for rental info in both places as well as MLS. I called my broker to see what was possible when it comes to a mortgage (iffy when self-employed and moving to a new location apparently). Renting seems to make sense but holy cow both Kelowna and the island cost for rent so it's like money out the window to me yet it does seem like the most sensible given me being unsure of where I want to be. So, I'll be doing some research the next few days.
What I have to do is get my move date solidified and have everything put into storage I guess until I decide on where it gets delivered. Boy after just finding my bed again, the idea of it not being around for more than a month is a hard one to consider. Maybe I'll have to load the car with my featherbed and duvet to keep my comfort factor up where ever I end up staying for a while. Could be interesting...I don't know if my car will hold my suitcases, dog, dog bed (what it did this trip) plus bedding, computer, monitor, etc. Dog may need to stick to the front seat if it gets too crowded.
Good to hear you had a nice trip it is very hard to decide where to move I have done exactly that. I can tell you that the dampness may feel cold but wearing sandels in Feb. makes it worth it. DH could never get used to the Island but man I loved it and that is one thing that made it worth it was the winter was over before it really started. Good luck on your decision and if I can say from my moving experience rent first and feel settled before buying we didn't and it was our biggest mistake ever. We built a house and DH hated it and we were stuck there for 2 years because we had a hard time selling and that wasn't fun.
I guess if you moved to the Kelowna area you'd be that much closer to the island for long weekends. If you can't afford it, you can't afford it. And the dampness would bother me too. I know in November we get weather like that in the Ottawa area and it is just bone chilling and I can't wait for the first snowfall because that kind of warms things up somehow.
DBD,
Those pics are beautiful, thanks for sharing.... Hope u stay warm. :)
Hopefully Ontario gives me nice weather today and the rain stays away.
yes I am considering Kelowna and south. Vernon didn't do it for me for some reason.
anyway, as of a couple of hours ago I am home... I am soooo happy to see my mac again (and wow, this monitor is huge, like a movie screen after that netbook!...not to mention I got in here without even having to log in once never mind 872 times). I also totally get that Ikea bed commercial now as I had a nice ahhh moment when I put fresh sheets on it so I can hunker down tonight in total comfort.
I have to say I am FEEEZING! I have the heat cranked (not something I ever do) because I just can't get warm. I went from a nice 14 or so to -15 with windchill and a house that was only set at 15 while I was away. Everything here is frozen, the leaves are gone, there is snow on my patio roof and my garden hose is frozen solid. My SIL tells me it's going to stay like this for the next 4 days at least. I think I will be inside packing and drinking hot chocolate as much as possible. I am not impressed.
At least the majority of the snow was gone off the roads by the time I hit it. I was a little concerned since the weather network had a shot of the snow just when I left my hotel and were saying east of Banff was blocked due to numerous accidents so I had visions of a hellish trip for the last part. I had some chats with people in Golden who were knocking clumps of ice off their cars and trying to clean their windows so they could see again. They said it was a nightmare from Calgary to about 20 minutes out of Golden but when I went through it was pretty dry. There is good reason sometimes to not be an early bird.
For comparison, here are some shots I took last weekend in Victoria and what I am in now (blurry because I was shooting while driving.. bad but hey, my cell phone was not in use). That white shiny stuff on the road is ice near Banff. The only stretch in the whole trip where a rock got my windshield... You can see, green or white, still alive or quite dead. The contrast to me is striking as Calgary is just brown and white and wintery and I am glad to think I could be in green soon again.
As of this moment I want to be back in Victoria... or the Okanagon, or Nanaimo, or Penticton... I still can't quite get the island off my mind. Silly me realized that of almost 500 pictures I downloaded from the camera, I only have 1 shot of Kelowna from the highway way far away. I have no idea what I was thinking given I pretty much covered the other places I was at and here I missed the one I am considering and spent over 4 days checking out.
Oh well. At least I have my nice deep soaker tub, a fresh comfy familiar bed, and my Mac (and and and, a message that the new one I ordered arrived yesterday... too cool. Now do I leave it in the box until after I move or have some fun right now?).
Personally I like the whole Okanagan. Naturally that's a good thing as I live here.
Had to laugh at your comment about transported Calgarians. In the summer a minimum of 1/3 of the licence plates are from Alberta.
Know time is limited but if you can try the drive from Penticton or Vernon to Costco or any other Kelowna places, you'll notice a big difference. Being further south, Penticton does have a longer summer. Nice. In the big picture, there isn't too much weather difference from these three places. With a little/lot of searching, I believe you can find a special place in Kelowna which does seem well suited to you.
Northern Miner has a point - although the doggy community in Kelowna is great. They have a doggy day care and drop in doggy bath places advertised at one of the dog parks as well as the holistic vet I mentioned earlier.
Penticton is close enough to make day trips to Kelowna though, and is also doggy friendly.
I think it's worth looking a little more at the real estate in Kelowna though, there are lots of little "pocket neighbourhoods" where you could get lucky.
Looks like you are focused on 'K' town, which is very nice and as you are discovering, a little more expensive.
Have you wandered down to Penticton or over to Vernon? They deserve a look --- I'm partial to the southern area - always liked Penticton.
Yes I was figuring out the various parts of the city today and had some advice from one of the staff at the hotel here who gave me a head's up about an area that might be considered somewhat iffy. I also hit one of the sites where a lot of rentals and real estate appear...eye opening to say the least. I may have to do a head adjustment to rent when the prices are something that seems like a waste to me considering I'm used to paying a little less for my mortgage but then houses here seem to start at 400,000 and average seems over $500,000 which I am not in any position to consider right now given i don't have an established income here or anything. I may be calling my mortgage broker in Calgary and seeing what he knows about what lenders are like in this type of situation.
It also kills me to imagine living in beige again (as per most rentals and the reason I grew totally aganst it to begin with).
Also hit the dog park again today and got invited to a group who meets in the morning there for coffee and dog play. Apparently there are Calgary transplants among them. I don't know if I can function that early but it might be worth it to make some contacts right now.
Glad to see that you like Kelowona. Seemed like a logical place for you as it has everything but an Ikea. Wish Magnolia was still active because she would be a big aid.
Only thing I'd suggest is a place with A/C or one that is easy for it to be installed. Sure you can live without it but unlikely that you would want to. I'm willing to live with those few hot stretches than long, cold winters.
The only other thing you might want to question your realtor about is crime in the area. True it can be everywhere but some areas are known for having problems.
Good luck.
Good to hear from you. Fingers crossed that you find a place that makes you happy! :)
I'm not surprised that having the dog along helps. We don't have one, but we've met a lot of people in the neighbourhood who do. We don't always know the name of the people, but the kids always remember the dogs's name!
Hearing about your adventures here is so much fun. I am so glad that you are having a good time and that the weather here has been so nice for you. You should could yourself lucky as you really lucked out with the ferry :) We live just outside of Vancouver quite near the border so you were probably cruising by yesterday. I am glad that you like Kelowna area. I hope that you find somewhere you love in the next few days!
Hi kids
Well between log in problems and the hotel in Victoria having unreliable Internet I feel like I died and went to heaven to get on tonight. I loved the island but after spending 3 days driving all over it and speaking with as many folks as possible (good ol' dog helping there again) I think I am better to stick with the interior. Everyone mentioned the damp cold being really cold. One even told me it bugs her son to come back from Fort Mac because he finds the island too cold in winter.
I was actually going to stay a few more days but the hotel Internet drove me nuts so I decided to pack the car this morning and here I sit back in Kelowna till Friday. I skipped Vancouver entirely given figuring out I don't mind snow, I just mind when it's possible 10 months of the year. I can live with it for 3 or 4 months easy, not so sure about humid cold or rain. The island and coast area also seem to require beaucoup bucks while the interior seems to be just shy of beaucoup and still in range given it's similar to Calgary.
I sure have to say I felt so good being where things are still in bloom and seeing the snow in Calgary. Nothing unusual there at all having that dump now and I imagine it's gone by now, but it's just too soon for me to even see it and that reinforced it for me. Time to move.
So, I will spend the next few days seeing about the possibilities here.
As for the ferry, have to say I drove from Kamloops just following signs (and there was snow and rain on the Colquilhalla but it was just at the summit and not too bad.. today it was clear all the way) and found the ferry no problem. Also no traffic and when I got there the booth took my money, told me to step on it, and I drove in and had them shut the doors behind me. I was not even sure I was on the ferry until the door shut behind me. Perfect timing and I was last one to get on. Today coming back they yelled 'full' right at me and then said they thought they could fit 2 more so I got lucky again and was let on.
Today was fun:rolleyes:. I saw some places I hadn't actually planned on thanks to some wrong turns coming off the ferry. Gee I had no idea the border was so close... When I finally was back on track it was fine except since doing highway driving I've noticed a huge difference in my car's use of gas. So when I hit the last leg I figured no biggie when the sign said 'no gas for 77km'. Mistake. About 40 km in the light went on the needle dropped.Must hve been more climbing or something to use up the gas like that. I was having visions of waiting by the side of road well into the night waiting for AAA to bring some gas. Fortunately, it was downhill from there on so I coasted when I could and managed to just make it to the first gas station as the car started to sputter a bit. It was a nail biter and as it turned out the guy pumping beside me said he had done the very same thing so we were both thankfull for downhill the last part of the drive.
So without going on and on about the island and the plants and how pretty it is, I am going to make some coffee and see if my log in is still good when I'm set to read more posts.
Please cross you fingers for me I can find a place here this week and then all I have to do is get packed and move.
Yesterday I was really wondering what she was up to. Hopefully all is well and she's having a good time.:)
I think the girls are having a good time. No posts now in three days.;)
Hi DBD, When your in Victoria, don't forget to go to Sydney, it's just about a 20 minute drive north of Victoria, it's on the same road going out to the ferry. Have fun this weekend in Victoria.
Be careful today I see that there is quite a lot of snow on the Coquillhala. Kelowna is beautiful and the weather there is usually perfect. Enjoy the island.
Well Kelowna and area was a bit hit with me.I spent half the day wandering there before hitting the road again. No wonder so many people are attracted to that area. DBD would love to live there she thinks.
I have give you tip 1 about an effort like this. Take the dog. I found out oodles of great info at the dogpark today. Nothing for folks to do except wait for their dogs to get tuckered out so lots of talk time without appearing like a goof. So she's helped me a lot when it comes to meeting local folks who are good natured (dog lovers) and willing to fill me in (and she doesn't complain when I am singing alone in the car either...not that she probably wouldn't just love to tell me what she thinks if she could).
After the drive today, I don't think the areas north of Kamloops (Vernon, Salmon Arm, Kamloops) are quite as appealling as those to the south. I really liked the Okanogan (gee did I even spell that right?).
Trivia question...I got to wondering today (roads aren't quite as demanding I guess so had time to let my mind wander) how come some lakes are named with the word 'lake' first, and some with it after? LIke there is Lake Huron, Lake Miniwonka, Lake Louise and then there is Christina Lake, Okanogan Lake, etc. and so on. So how does that work?
So onto Victoria tomorrow where I will spend the weekend looking around and figuring out my plan for the return trip. I see a few days in the Kelowna area probably on that agenda unless the coast dazzles me (and that is entirely possible since tonight is the first night when I haven't liked the new place more than the previous as each one has just impressed me as the road has unfolded).
Well day 3 is nearly done. I'm breathing in Kelowna air now. Did Nelson last night. Gee you sure have to pay attention driving around here...those mtn passes don't even let you day dream or get sleepy at all with the twists and turns constantly happening. The weather is co-operating a bit by being sunny part of the day and then socked in some others so I can see what it's like when it's cloudy/foggy at least. I do not need to see snow I don't think. Sheesh, here they still have some flowers in their gardens and some places still look more like summer than fall.
So far I am really liking what I have seen so far so this may get difficult to choose. I shall carry on and see what happens.
I can tell you all this car time has me thinking a new interior decor would be nice. Some colour, some better organization of just where we're supposed to put purses, maps, cup, CD's (found some in Nelson and here), dog, case of pop, luggage. By the end of the day it just seems like there is stuff floating all over the place. They need some of us in there to make the interiors work better because after allll day driving, it is really not working well.
BTW the first thing I did in Kelowna was hit the Costco (even I didn't think I could be so happy to see one). No,not shopping exactly but was having trouble figuring out how I was going to download my camera into this netbook and the phone help didn't (help). Anyway, I loaded my travel bag with it all and took it in and holy cow, this great guy in tech spent about half an hour showing me all sorts of neat things and got me all sorted. I now have a mouse too so I am much happier. He actually knew what the phone help didn't so I am really pleased.
Maybe I've been appearing totally hopeless or somethinbg, but other than some guy I gave to finger to driving (I think that makes twice in my whole life I've done that), everyone in BC has been so helpful (even this nice woman who caught me with coffee flying all over me as Eb lunged down the stairs at the place I was staying yesterday. (Note to self, never carry hot coffee in the same hand as the leash even when you have a suitcase to maneuver) For some reason Eb was not her usual well behaved self andI ended up soaked in coffee and more than stressed. Nice woman offered to take care of Eb while I went and cleaned up. Guess she saw a little dog who was in danger if someone didn't get a chance ot regroup.
I have to say having a cute little dog around seems to help. I got to speak with more than a few people in Nelson abourt what it was like to live there, just walking her around.
So lasst leg in the interior tomorrow and then on to the island....
Welcome to BC! :)
Hey, I'm here I'm here! Let thebells ring out and the banners fly! (and if you know where that phrase comes from without looking you win a gold star). I refer of course to figuring out this netbook and then the wireless and then it only took me about 8 tries to log in...Now to get used to this itty bitty keyboard which I can't seem to locate a backspace key on (can only fine the delete key|) I already downloaded firefox so I don't have to figure out more MS stuff. I see I need to get an ad blocker going too...holy cow what a difference not having that.
I can't quite figure out how to get the spell check working on this version so with smaller keyboard, no backspace, no spell check, please excuse while I experience technical difficulties.
Any way, we are no enroute and it's Nelson tomorrow night. Eb doesn't seem too impressed to have to share the back of the car (hatch back) with luggage and she's been giving me the 'when are we going home and why is my bed here? look tonight. I have to say I crossed the border into BC and it was almost spooky how the grass went from dead ol' brown to green nearly instantly. I hadn't expected that since Fernie is barely an hour from Crowsnest, same terrain (mountains), yet the grass is definitely green here vs a very fall like Crowsnest. Geuss I'm pretty easy to impress now.
Last time I was in this town I was an abnoxious teen who couldn't believe my parents had lived here and I had been born here (oh the horrors!) but now it's a really cute little town. Now I wished I had been paying attention to them showing me where we lived etc. instead of rolling my eyes since nothing was familiar when I took a drive around trying to jog my memory.
I did have my first taste of small town so note to self, this is too small. I forgot my CD's for the car when the radio dies in the mtns and there I was a 7 pm looking for someplace to buy some...I tried the grocery store that was open (grasping at straws) and was told maybe Cdn.Tire...no drug store or anything that I could find so I realized how used to getting what I want when I want I am. I sure had to adjust my attitude really quickly to bygone days when it was just wait till daylight and maybe something will be open.
Okay, now that the basics are done, I can now go read the posts to see what I missed today.