Flying up to Vancouver to drop our daughter off for her first semester at UBC. We'll rent a car and hang around for a few weeks taking in SW BC. Plan to tour Vancouver Island. Also thinking about camping up near Desolation Sound and perhaps renting a motorboat to explore the area where we might return with a sailboat someday. We'll do a little hiking on the west coast of Vancouver Island I think. Probably rent some kayaks somewhere too. Any suggestions?

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Powell River. I grew up there its really pretty and good fishing too. You can take the ferry from Horshoe Bay up the Sunshine coast. Parents have a cabin on the water they rent out. Can give you contact info if your interested.

Go to Victoria! Take your rental and put it on the ferry boat and then drive it down to the city, you will love it

And explore the residences outside the downtown, you will be surprised at how nice they are...

And drive across the bridge in town over to Esquimalt and check out the full sized replicas (of) "Anne Hathaway's Cottages"

High tea at the Empress Hotel is delightful, and the nearby model trains and towns nearby are still fun to see.

Go up the Island for sure, and see the Bouchart Gardens, which might be the best in north America.

I'd suggest also when done, take the ferry boat back down to Mukilteo, past all the little islands such as Friday harbor. Then go through Deception Pass and across the bridge into the farm country. it is incredibly lovely and breathtaking; I would NEVER have found it, but a native told me to do this, and boy was she right! It is simply stunning.

Have fun. (I have no doubt you will...)

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

Yes, we were planning on heading up that way to get a look at Desolation Sound. I had looked at a camping/cabin area called yKnot since they rented a variety of boats. Where is your parent's cabin? We may be interested.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Victoria's on the list. We're going to have to focus on the CA side since our daughter starts a 2 week orientation when we get there and then she moves into a dorm room right before we leave so we have to be in Vancouver at both ends of the trip.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Sounds like fun!

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Pacific Rim National Park,, take an afternoon,, walk the beach and walk the path through the old growth forest,,,it will change you.

I remember the thread you started a while ago about your daughter's decision to go to a school in the U.S. or Canada, and Columbia? was on the list.

What was the determining factor to go to UBC?

I travel to Vancouver on business once or twice a year, and I love the city.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

NYU. UBC and NYU were comparably ranked schools (which may not be a very significant criteria by itself) but UBC was about one-fifth the cost. Both cities were appealing. Canada is also an appealing country. It was my daughter's decision though.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Okanagan Valley Pinot Noir is unobtanium here. Hit the valley wineries, take a tour. Bring some home. Trust me.

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You're a daisy if you do.
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84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
04 Honda Element AWD
1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler
1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4
1993 Toyota 4wd Pickup 226K and counting

I think she made a great choice. I believe it's one of Canada's highest rated schools.

I love Canada...wish we had a similar health care system here (and this is not an invitation to discuss Obamacare).

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

$64 per month for health care.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

That's what I'm talking about.

Japan has a similar system, and it worked for us when we lived there.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

Is she somehow getting resident tuition?

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You're a daisy if you do.
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84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
04 Honda Element AWD
1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler
1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4
1993 Toyota 4wd Pickup 226K and counting

Yes. My wife, and hence our daughter is Canadian. She actually has triple citizenship, USA, UK and Canada. UK, at least Edinburgh, doesn't offer resident tuition for citizens who haven't paid taxes in the UK for X number of years. Canada is more lenient.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13