There aren’t many pacific islands where you can surf in the morning and ski in the afternoon, especially ones that are ranked number one by more than one famous travel magazine, many years running!

But there is one!

An island with a history stretching back as far as the ice age, that perches on the western edge of a great continent and one that is growing very quickly as a “must see” destination.

Only about three hundred and fifty miles in length , Vancouver Island sits in the Straits of Georgia, north-west of Seattle and an hour and forty minutes by ferry from the mainland of British Columbia, on the west coast of Canada. Vancouver Island is home to the capital city of British Columbia, Victoria, and has been since 1850 at which time the interior gold rush brought prospectors and a supporting cast of many people to this pristine island.

Today, the temperate climate, stunning scenery and world class amenities make this island a travelers mecca, and for good reason: or to be precise, many good reasons. English speaking, well actually “Canadian” speaking, easy to drive and everything within fairly short distances helps make any vacation here very enjoyable and relatively stress free, especially as accommodations and food services are widespread, well located and of the highest standard: many rated the best on the continent and some, the best in the world.

But it’s the diversity that is the main attraction. Whale watching, body surfing, long cycling trails, wilderness camping, world class spa-resorts, museums, historical sites, famous gardens, ski-ing, sailing, salmon fishing, diving, real wild-life, or spa treatment with a Pacific ocean view. Home grown produce markets, fresh seafoods, local wineries, breweries and cideries, wilderness camping, bed and breakfast or famous five star hotels,

Vancouver Island supports it all and it’s there to be discovered. Jazz festivals, art festivals, opera, book fairs, antique fairs, garden tours, agricultural fairs, theaters and ghost walks. Marathons, cycling races, golf, lacrosse, soccer and ice hockey: and even the tall ships make an appearance!

Vancouver island is a celebration of agricultural, maritime and historical; of First Nations peoples and others from many nations. Of British and Spanish and Asian influences against a backdrop of stunning mountain scenery: a wilderness with all the amenities. Quality shopping, extensive tourist services, modern transportation and yet, the unusual. Float plane services, eagles on the lamp posts, art galleries on the walls, eight hundred year old trees, sea kayaking and afternoon tea with triangular sandwiches.

But more to the point, what shall we have for lunch!

How about some local oysters to start with, followed by a home grown emu burger on a home baked bun with garden grown tomatoes and locally grown herbs picked fresh for the table. Perhaps some locally made goat cheese and a pint of ale brewed on the premises. Actually I think I will have a small glass of the locally made blueberry port wine with my home grown strawberries, although the flambe’ pears look rather nice!

Hey, take some time to Discover Vancouver Island for yourself, you will be glad you did.

About the Author

Dave is a retired Canadian who has taken up building websites. For more, in-depth information for the traveler to Vancouver Island visit ‘Discover Vancouver Island.com’ and check out the FREE travel videos!

North of the U.S./Canadian boarder; the Pacific coast of British Columbia has one of the most interesting and dramatic cruising grounds in the world. Here you will find snow capped mountains, waterfalls cascading down rugged cliffs, plenty of islands and quiet, still fjords. The 282 mile (456 km) long Vancouver Island give shelter to most of the mainland from the Pacific Ocean and creates an inland sea.

There are a lot of places where you can go sailing in Canada, but the place to start is British Columbia. There are more than 70 marine parks scattered all around this area, and they are well preserved in compliance with the environmental laws of this country. This Canadian province is bordered by the Pacific Coast. The best time to go sailing will be in the summer, when the weather is dry and warm. There are also several bays and inlets such as Black Lake, which could be a good place for kayaking.

The Gulf Islands North of the Strait of Georgia is also an interesting venue to visit during your holiday vacation. There are simply countless places to explore, including the Wallace and Prevost Islands. You may also want to enjoy the flora and fauna of the various marine parks, such as Pirates’ Cove and the Sidney Spit. These locations aren’t only fabulous for couples, but for families as well. You can set up camp or go fishing in addition to enjoying some amazing sailing in Canada. Then you can all go down to the main village in Saltspring Island, Ganges. Moreover, if you want to most wonderful view of Gulf Island, don’t forget to continue to Mount Norman, found in the island of South Pendar.

Vancouver Island, on the other hand, is mainly made up of fjords and inlets, where you can bring your yacht charter. One of the most renowned is referred to as Alberni Inlet. If sailing suddenly wears you out, you can move to the mountains of Malahat. It is more than 1,000 feet above sea level. If you want some great challenge you better prepare your mountain gear.

Finally, go on a sailing vacation in Canada and enjoy one of the most beautiful marine parks there is found in Desolation Sound. It’s very huge, covering more than 20,000 acres of shoreline and land. You can also set on a trail and explore the hills and waters of the Gifford Peninsula.

About the Author

D. Browall is with http://www.sboats.com , an independent directory on yacht charter and sailing vacations. Visit his website if you want to find companies offering yacht charters in Canada

Cypress Mountain- West of Vancouver BC. where snowboarding, freestyle skiing, moguls and ski cross will take place.

Whistler Sliding Area – Blackcomb Mountain is the site for the bobsleigh, Luge, and Skelton

Whistler Creekside – Whistler Mountain will host the Alpine Skiing, Downhill, and the Super G.

Whistler Olympic Park – Callaghan Valley will hold the Biathlon, Cross country Skiing, Nordic Combined, and Ski Jumping.

UBC Winter Sports Centre – University of B.C. is the home of the Ice Hockey games and Ice Sledge Hockey.

Pacific Coliseum – Hastings Park will have the Figure Skating events and Short Track SpeedSkating.

Hillcrest/ Nat Bailey Stadium Park will host the Curling events.

General Motors Place – Downtown Vancouver will also hold some of the Hockey games.

BC Place Stadium will hold the Opening and Closing ceremonies, the medal round of Hockey, as well as nightly victory ceremonies.

Whistler Celebration Plaza will also hold some of the Victory celebration ceremonies.

Ticket sales:

Tickets will go on sale around October 11, 2008. You can go to www.cosport.com to fill out an inquiry form. They will be sold in 4 different stages. Ticket prices will range from $25.00 – $1100.00. Opening Ceremonies $175-$1100 Closing Ceremonies $175-$775 Ice Hockey Finals $350, $450, $775 Figure Skating Gala Exhibition $175-$525 The Cheapest tickets will be for the cross country skiing $25-$75 and the Women’s Ice Hockey will have some for $25. Some the more sought after events will be sold as a lottery. There will also by an on-line ticket buy-sell exchange program.

General information:

It would be best to start planning your trip to the Winter Olympics as soon as possible as lodging could be limited. If you plan on flying, the airport is Vancouver International Airport (YVR). Whistler is about a 2 hour drive from the airport. Another lodging alternative would be to stay in Seattle WA. The airport in Seattle is called Sea-Tac Airport. It is about a 3 hour drive and you would have the border crossing to go through. Remember that passports will be required at the crossing by that time.

About the Author:

I like to write articles with useful information. You can visit my website for more information on this and other tops. www.mypandabear.com