And now for something completely different...

[tinkerpea]

Sounds great,
When I was younger our trips was always at least 6wks long ( i was very lucky and I had American family) so over half our trip would be none disney! Only a wk normally was spent at Disney world.
We would do nashville and drive through to orlando then to St Petes beach.

I really want to do this with my boys and my aunt lives in nashville so next year,we're going to spend a few days up there.
Then drive through to orlando, however when ever it comes to spending money on other trips I always come back to Disney!!

I tell myself at least I managed to take my mum to China for two wks in 2014 and get some history and culture into my life
Lol

 

[LinderInWonderland]

One way to do Vancouver, BC/Seattle, WA/Portland, OR is by rail. The Coast Starlight has gorgeous scenery. We often take the train down to Portland. The plus of taking the train to Seattle is that it puts you right in downtown when you arrive, instead of having to make your way back into the city from Seatac (it's not hard, just feels like back-tracking, IMO). The Ace Hotel chain is nice (there is one in Seattle and Portland) and very well located in both cities for playing tourist.

In Seattle, I always take people to Pike Place Market and the Experience Music Project. There is also the Atrium at Columbia Tower for great views of the city, not to mention the Great Wheel for pretty night views. There is the Seattle CityPass that gives you admission to 5 tourist attractions for $70/person. This includes places like the Space Needle and the Chihuly Glass Garden next to it and EMP that is also right nearby. It's worth looking into.

Portland, OR is my favorite place to eat in all of the US. Seriously. The food truck scene alone is enough to keep anyone entertained for days. There are loads of excellent restaurants as well. I always have to go to Powell's Books, which takes up an entire city block.

In San Francisco, we did one of those hop on/hop off double decker bus tours at night, which was great. My favorite places on that trip were The Palace of Fine Arts and the Japanese Garden at Golden Gate Park. Tea in the garden was the highlight of my trip!

 

[Woodview]

Hubby and I always said that once we became a 'two holiday a year' family we would have one Disney and one non-Disney holiday. So far, that hasn't actually been the case but this year we are taking the plunge.

Just booked flights at the weekend for a West Coast trip, starting in Vancouver, Canada and ending up in San Francisco with stops in Seattle and Portland.

This is completely new territory for us so any and all recommendations, from things to do to hotels and restaurants would be most welcome

I take it that you have some time in Vancouver

Take free shuttle bus to The Radisson Hotel Vancouver Airport .... Pool but no free breakfast.

If time do Grouse Mountain tour .


I take it that you are flying to Seattle.


Then stay nearby the airport & take Bus into Seattle for your trips to The Needle

Never been to San Francisco.

.......................................................................

IF you are Driving then let us know ........ Seattle has mount Rainier & mount Olympic on the way to Portland

 

[wilma-bride]

Sounds great,
When I was younger our trips was always at least 6wks long ( i was very lucky and I had American family) so over half our trip would be none disney! Only a wk normally was spent at Disney world.
We would do nashville and drive through to orlando then to St Petes beach.

I really want to do this with my boys and my aunt lives in nashville so next year,we're going to spend a few days up there.
Then drive through to orlando, however when ever it comes to spending money on other trips I always come back to Disney!!

I tell myself at least I managed to take my mum to China for two wks in 2014 and get some history and culture into my life
Lol

I guess, as mush as it pains me to say it, we are all a little tired of disney. And it's not as if we don't have a Disney trip planned. We are there in March/April so I can live with not doing Disney in the summer

One way to do Vancouver, BC/Seattle, WA/Portland, OR is by rail. The Coast Starlight has gorgeous scenery. We often take the train down to Portland. The plus of taking the train to Seattle is that it puts you right in downtown when you arrive, instead of having to make your way back into the city from Seatac (it's not hard, just feels like back-tracking, IMO). The Ace Hotel chain is nice (there is one in Seattle and Portland) and very well located in both cities for playing tourist.

In Seattle, I always take people to Pike Place Market and the Experience Music Project. There is also the Atrium at Columbia Tower for great views of the city, not to mention the Great Wheel for pretty night views. There is the Seattle CityPass that gives you admission to 5 tourist attractions for $70/person. This includes places like the Space Needle and the Chihuly Glass Garden next to it and EMP that is also right nearby. It's worth looking into.

Portland, OR is my favorite place to eat in all of the US. Seriously. The food truck scene alone is enough to keep anyone entertained for days. There are loads of excellent restaurants as well. I always have to go to Powell's Books, which takes up an entire city block.

In San Francisco, we did one of those hop on/hop off double decker bus tours at night, which was great. My favorite places on that trip were The Palace of Fine Arts and the Japanese Garden at Golden Gate Park. Tea in the garden was the highlight of my trip!

Actually, we are planning to do exactly that - we are going to take the train from Vancouver down to San Francisco, stopping off at both Seattle and Portland.

Ace Hotel is actually on my shortlist for Seattle so thanks for the confirmation that it's OK And Pike Place Market and EMP is on the list too I will definitely look into that pass you mentioned, thank you.

When we are in Portland, we will be meeting up with friends who are flying in from Atlanta so I think it will be up to them mostly what we do. We wanted to rent a car and drive out to Multnomah Falls but not sure if we will get the chance. If we do get a car, is there anything else that is worth seeing while we have it? Powell's Books sounds right up my street. I am an avid reader and love books so that will be added to the list now!

Thanks also for the San Fran recommendations. I really appreciate it

I take it that you have some time in Vancouver

Take free shuttle bus to The Radisson Hotel Vancouver Airport .... Pool but no free breakfast.

If time do Grouse Mountain tour .


I take it that you are flying to Seattle.


Then stay nearby the airport & take Bus into Seattle for your trips to The Needle

Never been to San Francisco.

.......................................................................

IF you are Driving then let us know ........ Seattle has mount Rainier & mount Olympic on the way to Portland

As I said above, we are actually taking the train and have no plans to rent a car, other than maybe a day in Portland.

I have read about Grouse Mountain, I heard there are bears that you can see there. And I think my husband wants to do the Capilano suspension bridge.

We are not flying in to Seattle so staying near the airport wouldn't really be of benefit, although I have noticed that hotels are much cheaper out that way

 

[LinderInWonderland]

I guess, as mush as it pains me to say it, we are all a little tired of disney. And it's not as if we don't have a Disney trip planned. We are there in March/April so I can live with not doing Disney in the summer



Actually, we are planning to do exactly that - we are going to take the train from Vancouver down to San Francisco, stopping off at both Seattle and Portland.

Ace Hotel is actually on my shortlist for Seattle so thanks for the confirmation that it's OK And Pike Place Market and EMP is on the list too I will definitely look into that pass you mentioned, thank you.

When we are in Portland, we will be meeting up with friends who are flying in from Atlanta so I think it will be up to them mostly what we do. We wanted to rent a car and drive out to Multnomah Falls but not sure if we will get the chance. If we do get a car, is there anything else that is worth seeing while we have it? Powell's Books sounds right up my street. I am an avid reader and love books so that will be added to the list now!

Thanks also for the San Fran recommendations. I really appreciate it



As I said above, we are actually taking the train and have no plans to rent a car, other than maybe a day in Portland.

I have read about Grouse Mountain, I heard there are bears that you can see there. And I think my husband wants to do the Capilano suspension bridge.

We are not flying in to Seattle so staying near the airport wouldn't really be of benefit, although I have noticed that hotels are much cheaper out that way

The only time we drive to Portland is if we're going to stay at the McMenamin's Edgefield Hotel in Troutdale, OR. That's another thought for you - The McMenamin Chain of hotels. They take old buildings and turn them into hotels, but retain the character of the original building. The Edgefield is their flagship. It was a work farm back in the early 1900's. Now it's a hotel with both fine dining and pub dining, pocket bars, a soaking pool and spa, and a brewery, distillery and winery on property. In Portland, they have several hotels and brew pubs. My second favorite to the Edgefield is The Kennedy School. The hotel rooms are classrooms, complete with chalkboards! If you are catching up with friends, these hotels are a great place to do it.

As for sightseeing, the only other place I have driven to see was The Grotto, which is a National Roman Catholic Sanctuary. My sister in law (who is not Catholic) took me (who is) there. Not everyone likes to visit churches when they travel, but this one is cool. It's more like a park setting against a cliff. There's a version of the Pieta set into the side of the cliff and you can ride an elevator up the cliff to the church with great glass windows that overlook the city. When we were there, people were running and dog-walking like they would at any park.

 

[jockey]

San Fran is amazing, Alcatraz cable car ride and walking down Lombard street are fab, also how about hiring some bikes and cycling over the golden gate bridge. If I was to visit Seattle I would do a tour of the Boeing factory..but I am a nerd lol!

 

[jockey]

Jo we stayed at the holiday inn at van ness avenue ... IT was fine ...quite central to everything ..

 

[bex7583]

This sounds fun , are you all going or is it a adult only trip?

i hope you fill us all in with a mini trippie at least

 

[Linda67]

Joh, I've been to Vancouver but as you know, I don't do trip reports We'll have to meet up at some point. I go to SF a couple of times a year so can help out there as well
Has anyone mentioned the Walt Disney Family Museum? It's well worth a visit and easy to get to from the center of SF

 

[Ware Bears]

Your trip sounds fabulous. We caught the Coast Starlight from Seattle to Los Angeles although we were allowed off at Portland for a short break, just long enough to take a photo by the station sign in order to prove we had stood on Oregon soil! It was a great stress-free way to travel, made even better by sharing a meal with a Disney imagineer!

 

[wilma-bride]

San Fran is amazing, Alcatraz cable car ride and walking down Lombard street are fab, also how about hiring some bikes and cycling over the golden gate bridge. If I was to visit Seattle I would do a tour of the Boeing factory..but I am a nerd lol!

Jo we stayed at the holiday inn at van ness avenue ... IT was fine ...quite central to everything ..

Thanks Jill, we will definitely ride the cable car. Not sure the Boeing factory is me though

This sounds fun , are you all going or is it a adult only trip?

i hope you fill us all in with a mini trippie at least

It will be me, hubby and Daniel (our son, 13). I can't promise a trip report (I suspect most people are only interested in Disney anyway) but I will see.

Joh, I've been to Vancouver but as you know, I don't do trip reports We'll have to meet up at some point. I go to SF a couple of times a year so can help out there as well
Has anyone mentioned the Walt Disney Family Museum? It's well worth a visit and easy to get to from the center of SF

An excuse to get together for a couple of drinks, Linda, so you can impart your knowledge

Your trip sounds fabulous. We caught the Coast Starlight from Seattle to Los Angeles although we were allowed off at Portland for a short break, just long enough to take a photo by the station sign in order to prove we had stood on Oregon soil! It was a great stress-free way to travel, made even better by sharing a meal with a Disney imagineer!

Elaine, we plan to catch the Coast Starlight just as far as San Francisco, it sounds like a great way to travel.

 

[Dimplenose]

Hello,

I need to fill in an ETA this year. I think I have all the info they want but was unsure what to enter in the Country (UK or GBR?) Province (presumably I put my county, Surrey, here) and District (leave blank?)

Thanks for any advice.

Libby

 

[wilma-bride]

I forget exactly what I put Libby, sorry. I am pretty sure I put UK (I normally do if England isn't an option). I don't remember it asking for provine and district once I had changed the country but, if it did, I would have put County for Province and Town for District.

 

[wayneg]

I forget exactly what I put Libby, sorry. I am pretty sure I put UK (I normally do if England isn't an option). I don't remember it asking for provine and district once I had changed the country but, if it did, I would have put County for Province and Town for District.

I would have said exactly the same, UK or England, don't remember Province or district but maybe they have changed it in the last 2 years since I did it, I need to renew in a couple of months.

 

[wilma-bride]

I would have said exactly the same, UK or England, don't remember Province or district but maybe they have changed it in the last 2 years since I did it, I need to renew in a couple of months.

Wayne, this is the Canadian ETA - it is a new thing so don't suppose you have done one before.

 

[wayneg]

Wayne, this is the Canadian ETA - it is a new thing so don't suppose you have done one before.

You are correct Joh, I misread it as ESTA, Oops.

 

[karen1987]

Sounds like a wonderful trip! I can only comment on San Francisco, as I've done a two night stop-over there on the way to New Zealand.

We stayed at:

- The Mosser, 54 Fourth Street - Reasonable price (for San Fran!), great central location, rooms on the smaller side, en-suite and shared bathroom option, modern decor, very clean, complimentary coffee and muffins in the lobby each morning, very close to public transportation, shops and restaurants. Took about 30-40 mins to get to the hotel from SFO as traffic was quite heavy.

Places we visited:

- The Walt Disney Family Museum (wonderful museum and a must visit, with views of the Golden Gate Bridge from the museum)
- Golden Gate Bridge (we were able to walk there from the The Walt Disney Family Museum, took about 20 minutes)
- Pier 39 (noisy seals!)
- Ferry Building Marketplace (boutique shops and cafes)
- Painted Ladies
- San Francisco Botanical Garden (very pretty gardens and a nice break away from the busy CBD)
- Castro District, Harvey Milk's Camera Store and GLBT History Museum (an important place for us to visit personally)
- Union Square (not much going on when visited due to construction work)

Food recommendations:

- Hollywood Cafe (try the pancakes! Massive portions! Gets busy with locals, but worth waiting for table)
- Super Duper Burgers (amazing burgers with plenty of options on the menu)
- Food court underneath the Westfield Shopping Centre (plenty of options to suit everyone, we liked Bristol Farms, it was similar to Whole Foods and offered a range of fresh and healthy options to take away in differing box sizes)

Public Transportation:

- We purchased a 3 day MUNI pass for $30 each, which enabled us to ride unlimited on Muni, Muni Metro, historic streetcars and cable cars. We brought the passes from a Walgreens Pharmacy across the street from the hotel.

 

[Dimplenose]

I forget exactly what I put Libby, sorry. I am pretty sure I put UK (I normally do if England isn't an option). I don't remember it asking for provine and district once I had changed the country but, if it did, I would have put County for Province and Town for District.

Thanks for replying. No wonder you can't remember what you put - we've just done ours and had different options for country in different sections including British Citizen, England and UK and Colonies!

Well, they are all done and approved It was quite quick in the end taking about 10 minutes per person.

 

[Minniesgal]

Ooh fantastic trip and one I'd love to do.

We have only been to San Francisco and loved it. We stayed in Fisher as wharf and for some reasons one of our favourite memories is just walking up Lombard street, don't miss Ghirardelli square

 

[dabootie]

For cheaper accommodation in the San Francisco bay area I can recommend Berkeley which is on the Bart system. We also stayed out near the airport and took the Bart into town. As for NYC we have booked a place called The Leo House, its run by a religious order but takes bookings from anyone...we fly out at the end of April so time will tell...