WorldMark Owners :: View topic - Kapish's drive through the Pacific Northwest to Victoria, BC

kapish · Last edited by kapish on Sun 26 Feb 2006 12:47 pm; edited 2 times in total

Link to pictures from the trip

Greetings!

I have managed to book resorts in OR, WA and BC for July 4th week next year. Could you tell me if I can pull this off, or if I should cut it short? We have done long drives from San Jose, CA (to Oceanside, Vegas, Klamath Falls, Gand Canyon with minimal stops, and no one had major complaints.)

So, here is how it looks:

Jul 2nd: San Jose to Gleneden
Jul 3rd: Gleneden to Discovery Bay
Jul 7th: Discovery Bay to Victoria
Jul10th: Victoria to Depoe Bay
Jul 11th: Depoe Bay to San Jose

As an alternative I have also reserved Depoe Bay from July 7th to 10th, so I may not have to do the Vicoria, BC part if we think it is going to be too heavy for my family...

What do you guys think? Am I going insane? Is this possible?

Thanks in advance for your help and suggestions.

herindoors

Hey Kapish -- why the hurry to see everything?

I would certainly curtail it, sit back and relax a bit more. Victoria has lots of things to do and see! Discovery Bay is more laid back -- about 14 miles from any big towns. I would cut down my time there.

We have driven from here to San Diego many times, so know the distances you want to cover.

Of course, it is up to you, but I did want to give you the heads up about the Anacortes Ferry, if that is the route you are planning to take -- it needs to be booked ahead, and as you are looking at a busy travel time, you will have to make a decision!

Depoe Bay is spectacular.... have you been there before?

cheers, ann

LLW

surf rider

Geez Manoj, you won't even get to enjoy the scenery whipping by with that schedule.Like Ann said,'what's your hurry'? We just returned from Depoe Bay and loved it. Took a tour of Gleneden and wished we had some time to stay there also. You also need to remember the traffic for that time of year. Could get kinda busy. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Tonya

boaterkathy

Manoj, we DROVE to Florida(once all the way to Key West) twice with 2 young ones and managed to stay sane. (That's about 1400 miles one way) Drove to Connecticut in a Mercury Cougar with 3 kids. It is possible. Lots of stops, though!! I love to fly, but sometimes driving is nice if you have the time. I think the trip up the coast would be beautiful.
When we went to Oregon last summer, we had originally intended to try to hit Washington and British Columbia, too, but then had a reality check. We did drive a little way into Washington, but decided if we wanted a relaxing vacation, we had better save Washinton and BC resorts for another trip! You could spend your whole time at Depoe Bay and love it.
Sounds like a good trip, though!!

herindoors

Hi Kapish -- I am not sure if you are travelling with young children, but wanted to remind you that Discovery Bay does not have an outdoor pool. Although it is a popular destination, I think it appeals to those who just want to kick back and relax. After driving all that distance, it might be just what you want? However, if I had to choose between DB and Discovery, DB would win hands down!

a.

kapish

Wow! Thanks so much for the responses. I knew I could count on you all for some fantastic feedback. Thank you!

Ann and Robert:
It is all LLW's fault Smile

She told me about the stand alone days at Discovery Bay, and I constructed a vacation around it. My thought was, since we are going all the way to the border to Canada, why not spend a few days in Victoria? Also, I felt, I could be driving to Depoe Bay anytime, but not that often to Discovery Bay and Victoria.

Tonya, we have driven on 101 all the way to Crescent City before, so we were planning to just take I-5 to Gleneden.

Kathy: Wow! I am happy to hear you survived those long trips. I just bought a van with DVD system to keep the occupants busy for these long drives. We have driven to Vegas several times and my passengers haven't revolted, so I am hoping the drive through OR and WA won't be that bad.

Thanks again for all your input.

kapish

Lacobra42

allenke

herindoors

I must be getting old! Need a couple of grandkids around to bring back that excitement!! Mr. Green

I am sure there are LOTS of things to do around Discovery Bay... I didn't make it very clear, I guess..... but I just spent two nights there. I prefer to be in a more lively setting. Loved Port Townsend, (14 km away) but Sequim and Port Angeles were not my favs.

I know 4dabirds once put out a long e-mail with all sorts of things to do in and around the area. If I can find that I will bump it up for you Kapish!

I loved Depoe Bay because of the view, and the nearby beaches for walking, playing ( Twisted Evil

), etc. I guess it just depends what one wants from a holiday. HI!

So, Kapish!! Re-think again.... you might like Discovery Bay!! We all have our preferences, and I've been outvoted!! Razz

a.

herindoors

Ken -- your image keeps changing..... have you got more? Cool

kapish

Thanks Ann. I am still in information gathering phase, so nothing is ruled out Smile

Thanks for votes of confidence for Discovery Bay.

herindoors

Kapish -- this was a post by LLW that I've just found.....

"I am not the best one to advise on what to do, because I go to a resort mainly to vege out - relax and read. But here's my opinion, anyway:

WHAT TO DO/RESTAURANTS:
What to do depends on whether you will have kids with you. If yes, I have heard that the Olympic Game Farm is fun, where animals will come up to your car window. (Obviously I have never been there.)

I was there last July 4, and we went up to Hurricane Ridge. It was a gorgeous day and the mountains were at their full glory. You can see wildlife along the way. We have seen mountain goats, deer, all kinds of birds. If the weather is nice, this is a NOT TO MISS trip.

Port Townsend is about 20-30 minutes away, and has interesting buildings to look at. There's a restaurant near the ferry terminal, on the water, called Bayview, that has good food (the fish and chips were good), and great prices. There's a squary building in the downtown area which houses an interesting market. There are lots of restaurants downtown, including a couple of sushi restaurants.

Port Townsend restaurants close down early at night. Last January we were there a little after 8 p.m. and the pub was the only place that was open (till 11 p.m.). So the 4 of us ate at the pub, by the window. We noticed a cop car circling around on the street, and commented to the waiter on the abundance of cops. He said they were mainly going after DUIs. On our way home we noticed a cop following us for miles. I guess while we were watching him/her circling the pub, s/he was really waiting for us!

Port Townsend has the Fort Worten State Park, where they filmed "An Officer and a Gentleman". Besides the military stuff (which mainly provides lodging for tourists now), there was a marine museum, camping areas, and a lighthouse, which was closed when we were there. But we saw a submarine coming in (above water). To Bremerton, we think.

Port Angeles is about 30 minutes from the resort and has an interesting pier and public performance area. Different bands were performing on Wednesday nights during the summer. There is a local newspaper you can pick up at the resort which has the schedule. There was a marine museum there. The restaurant on the pier was pretty good (we had the crab feed which was good).

Sequim has numerous restaurants, and a Safeway and QFC that are newer and have great selections.

THE RESORT:
It is a nice resort. The units are all multi-level townhouse style, with a lot of stairs, except for the special needs units. The 2 BR and 2BR+s have 5 different levels, the Deluxes 2. All regular 2BRs are on the water. The other unit types have good to great views. In the non-deluxe units, the master bedrooms are on the lowest level, the second bedroom on the highest, and everything else in between. In the deluxe units, the living area and the second BR are on the first floor, and the master on the second. The Deluxe units are huge. All masters have jetted tubs. Small pool and game room. There is a tennis court and basket ball hoop.

The on-site restaurant was closed (looks like indefinitely) when we were there in January."

a.