Boeing Field in Seattle, then on to Victoria

woodstock

woodstock

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Hi all

Planning a trip to Vancouver/Victoria in a few months (July). I am contemplating flying into/out of Seattle since I can get free/very cheap tickets. I understand I can either take a floatplane or a boat on to Victoria.

At any rate, I was just advised that if I do that, not to miss Boeing Field - the museum there. has anyone here visited it? Is this similar to the NASM here?

It sounds great but as my trip overall is only 9 days I may leave actually visiting Seattle for another time. (then again if the costs to get to BC after all that negate getting to Seattle cheaply, I may as well just fly right into Vancouver and use my ticket some other time).
 
That would be the Museum Of Flight. Part of it is the "Red Barn" where the first wooden Boeing seaplanes were built. They have an awesome museum in at least three buildings. They added some exhibits since I was there last summer. I can't wait to see what they have added.

It is well worth a whole day to see everything.
 
Been there, done that. Got the t-shirt...along with burning up 10 rolls of film (not kidding). Very, very cool. Bonus when we were there (during SeaFair): Blue Angels use the airport as a base. We watched the whole ceremonial takeoff stuff.
 
"Planning a trip to Vancouver/Victoria in a few months (July). I am contemplating flying into/out of Seattle since I can get free/very cheap tickets. I understand I can either take a floatplane or a boat on to Victoria."

Ferry: http://www.victoriaclipper.com/
Floatplane: http://www.kenmoreair.com/
Land-based flying: http://www.sanjuanairlines.com/flights/

The ferry is great because it's mellow, and the views through the San Juan Islands are fantastic. If you fly, do the floatplane. The Victoria airport is 20 miles out of town ($50 taxi, or rent a car); like the ferry, Kenmore Air's floatplanes take you right where you want to be.

"At any rate, I was just advised that if I do that, not to miss Boeing Field - the museum there. has anyone here visited it? Is this similar to the NASM here?"

The Museum of Flight is really good, as aviation museums go; it's no NASM, but it's worth 2 hours.

"It sounds great but as my trip overall is only 9 days I may leave actually visiting Seattle for another time. (then again if the costs to get to BC after all that negate getting to Seattle cheaply, I may as well just fly right into Vancouver and use my ticket some other time)."

Yes, the costs between Seattle and Victoria by ferry or floatplane may well make it more cost-effective for you to fly directly to BC. On the other hand, your freebie might take you only to Vancouver, from where the costs to and from Victoria likely aren't much different than from Seattle.

Have a great visit in our part of the world--

Hunter
 
woodstock said:
Hi all

Planning a trip to Vancouver/Victoria in a few months (July). I am contemplating flying into/out of Seattle since I can get free/very cheap tickets. I understand I can either take a floatplane or a boat on to Victoria.

At any rate, I was just advised that if I do that, not to miss Boeing Field - the museum there. has anyone here visited it? Is this similar to the NASM here?

It sounds great but as my trip overall is only 9 days I may leave actually visiting Seattle for another time. (then again if the costs to get to BC after all that negate getting to Seattle cheaply, I may as well just fly right into Vancouver and use my ticket some other time).
Click to expand...

Just a friendly word of caution... when seaplanes and landplanes fly out of Seattle almost hourly, for a pilot to voluntarily take a boat is, well, just wrong. <G>

We added the exceptionally well done "Personal Courage" Wing onto the museum recently. It's all a must see. Can be done quickly in 1/2 day walk through. There's a chance I could fly you up to Victoria out of BFI if you like, both schedules pending. We're often flying just across the straight.
 
thank you to everyone! Dave, that sounds fabulous, thank you! and a lot of fun. I'll be in touch. Haven't gotten as far as actually looking into hotels, pricing anything, and so on. debating whether to get a car in Victoria as I don't know how far afield I'll go, daily, and if what I do end up doing out of town can just as easily be reached via public transport. when I started all this I even thought of spending a few days in the Chilcotin area, which I would still like to do sometime, but I'm wondering if I'm biting off more than I can chew in a relatively short trip (about 9 days).

I guess I better sit down and pencil in some sort of itinerary huh.

I can't wait to visit, I wonder if I will want to come back. I have never been and I hear it's a simply beautiful part of the world.
 
woodstock said:
Hi all

Planning a trip to Vancouver/Victoria in a few months (July). I am contemplating flying into/out of Seattle since I can get free/very cheap tickets. I understand I can either take a floatplane or a boat on to Victoria.

At any rate, I was just advised that if I do that, not to miss Boeing Field - the museum there. has anyone here visited it? Is this similar to the NASM here?

It sounds great but as my trip overall is only 9 days I may leave actually visiting Seattle for another time. (then again if the costs to get to BC after all that negate getting to Seattle cheaply, I may as well just fly right into Vancouver and use my ticket some other time).
Click to expand...

I've been out that way twice and both times it was cheaper to fly into Seattle than Vancouver, but recently I've seen some good rates into BC. The first time I was going on a cruise that left from BC, but the friend I went with and I spent a night in Victoria and took the international ferry over. It was pretty reasonably priced compared to a floatplane. Down by the docks there are a bunch of restaurants and I would recommend Ivar's Acres of Clams. Just look for the guy in the clam suit (I took pictures...couldn't help it... ;) )

The second time, I was on my way to Whistler, BC for some skiing, and Lar and I didn't stop to see anything in Seattle.

So ya know, TD is on Whidbey Island and would probably be overjoyed to show you the Fairchild restoration if you let him know you'll be around. If only Lar and I had had more time, we'd have seen it too, but at least we were able to have dinner with him (and 200kts and av8ryx) at a mutually inconvenient restaurant on our way back to SEA.

Victoria is beautiful. I want to go back so I can see it properly. One day was *definitely* not enough! Enjoy yourself! :)

Carolyn
 
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