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Best early spring Zip Trip - Eastern Canada?
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Gotta take a break soon. Ottawa, MTL or Que to the east or Vancouver / Vicoria
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Re: Best early spring Zip Trip - Eastern Canada? [racin_rusty] [ In reply to ]
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Spring has finally sprung out west here. It's starting to get really nice. If you come out, let me know. Would gladly share a pint somewhere, and I'm sure Owen could be coaxed out of the boonies too.

Long Chile was a silly place.
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Re: Best early spring Zip Trip - Eastern Canada? [BCtriguy1] [ In reply to ]
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A redneck train wreck.... hmmm Van & Vic are on the list!
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Re: Best early spring Zip Trip - Eastern Canada? [racin_rusty] [ In reply to ]
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Fishin is kinda spotty right now.... if you can, I'd save a Victoria trip for July/August when the pink and large chinook are running.

Getting my boat wet for the first time tomorrow!
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Re: Best early spring Zip Trip - Eastern Canada? [BCtriguy1] [ In reply to ]
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More snowfall warnings for a lot of the southern B.C today. Up to 25 cm in Whistler and warnings in the Fraser Valley again. Spring is going to be delayed for a bit.
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Re: Best early spring Zip Trip - Eastern Canada? [Sanuk] [ In reply to ]
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Fuck! I'm in Kamloops, will be driving the coqihalla home tomorrow...

Long Chile was a silly place.
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Re: Best early spring Zip Trip - Eastern Canada? [racin_rusty] [ In reply to ]
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Ottawa is a bit bland to me, perhaps because I've lived there. A nice small city in Ontario that's worth a visit is Kingston and the Thousand Islands area, especially if the boat tours are running. I always enjoy the old part of Montreal and Quebec City. They're quite unique. I visit Montreal three or four times a year and we're thinking about a Quebec City long weekend. But.....you sure can't go wrong with Vancouver or Victoria. I'll be visiting my daughter in Vancouver and my son on the Island this summer. The ferry between the two is also very nice if you get a decent weather day.
Last edited by: cerveloguy: Mar 18, 17 12:06
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Re: Best early spring Zip Trip - Eastern Canada? [cerveloguy] [ In reply to ]
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I've been to Mtl & PQ a couple of times, never to Ottawa and TO was basically running from the AC terminal to the CP terminal - yes a long time ago. Don't have any family in TO or Ottawa though. A friend of mind is a prof @ Laval but he's buried right now due to a strike. I really need to get away from this place for a few days. I'm tired of the idea fairies, promises and goal that have no hope in hell of ever being attained. Halifax crossed my mind too. Winnipeg, well uhm not so much lol.
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Re: Best early spring Zip Trip - Eastern Canada? [racin_rusty] [ In reply to ]
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I'd tell you to come to PEI but things are pretty blah here this time of year. Halifax would have more to do.
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Re: Best early spring Zip Trip - Eastern Canada? [Zenmaster28] [ In reply to ]
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Definitely a summer type trip.
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Re: Best early spring Zip Trip - Eastern Canada? [racin_rusty] [ In reply to ]
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What is it you're looking to do??
I've been in Halifax for 15+ years....I've never really thought of it as being very exciting, but that's just me.
I lived in TO for a couple years, and miss it a lot. For night life / entertainment / shopping / anything, TO is awesome.
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Re: Best early spring Zip Trip - Eastern Canada? [SBRcoffee] [ In reply to ]
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I'm not really into "night life", more into the nerd type stuff especially history & nature. Wouldn't mind wetting a hook.
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Re: Best early spring Zip Trip - Eastern Canada? [owen.] [ In reply to ]
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owen. wrote:
Fishin is kinda spotty right now.... if you can, I'd save a Victoria trip for July/August when the pink and large chinook are running.

Getting my boat wet for the first time tomorrow!

Salmon run? WTF would I do one of those things? Give it away? If I kept one my wife would make me eat it. Yes, I realize that most people like salmon, but most people, when they're were a kid didn't have their mother force feed a child salmon loaf (a culinary crime on it's own) and then 12 hours later have their guts ripped out during emergency surgery either. I'm sure the salmon didn't make me sick, but it's only in the last 5 years or so that I could eat it with out feeling physically sick afterwards. Is there dino fishing on the island? Haven't tried that yet. We booked Easter Sunday - Saturday. Going to use AirBnB for a place to stay.

Good places to dine out? Best places to find fresh table fare for stayin' in? Farmer's Markets? Hutterite colony ;) (j/k) Shore fishing? Good place to drop ship my tackle rather than humping it around - don't have much for salty hooks any way but just the same. Also, if I were to decide to fish do I need to buy a fresh water and salt water licence. Hawaii was simple, arrive, wash hooks, go home, no salt water license required.
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Re: Best early spring Zip Trip - Eastern Canada? [racin_rusty] [ In reply to ]
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I guess I missed it where are you going

They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot

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Re: Best early spring Zip Trip - Eastern Canada? [racin_rusty] [ In reply to ]
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racin_rusty wrote:
I'm not really into "night life", more into the nerd type stuff especially history & nature. Wouldn't mind wetting a hook.

I know you aren't big on Toronto but there's plenty of history stuff here (Fort York, ROM etc...) and nature/fishing? Algonquin Park is amazing and is only 3 hours away.

How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?
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Re: Best early spring Zip Trip - Eastern Canada? [len] [ In reply to ]
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We decided on Victoria for a variety of reasons, mostly because I have never been on the island, it's close & affordable easy to do as a short trip. PQ & the maritimes will both make better long trips. The maritimes in the fall would be spectacular if we get it timed right.
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Re: Best early spring Zip Trip - Eastern Canada? [racin_rusty] [ In reply to ]
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racin_rusty wrote:
The maritimes in the fall would be spectacular if we get it timed right.

I've heard its nice. Haven't seen it though.

But Algonquin in the fall I have seen, and it's unreal (but you have to get away from all the tourist buses on Highway 60 to truly enjoy it though).

How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?
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Re: Best early spring Zip Trip - Eastern Canada? [racin_rusty] [ In reply to ]
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I'm from Ontario but the Royal BC Museum is fun. The Empress is close and maybe you get brownie points for taking your wife for tea. BC hasn't got much history unless you include the Indians which is what the museum does. If you like gardens you can probably see awesome spring garden stuff. There are good public ones and Bueckhart (sic) gardens too.

They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot

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Re: Best early spring Zip Trip - Eastern Canada? [racin_rusty] [ In reply to ]
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Fair enough re: salmon. I'm not a big fan either unless its raw or smoked. No sturgeon on the island but there is halibut and rockfish. I dont know much in the way of ocean shore fishing but some guys do throw buzz bombs off of the various points... not sure how productive that'd be in mid-April. There are a few freshwater lakes that are stocked but I doubt it'd be terribly interesting compared to northern lake fishing unless you want to try carp fishing in Elk Lake. You'll need both a tidal and non-tidal license, both can be done online and cheaply... I think a 5 day tidal license is $12. Canadian resident non-tidal might be a bit more. There is a good halibut tide on April 21st, my arm might be twisted to play hooky from work but hali fishing has been slow.

The farmers markets generally don't get going until May or so but there is the Victoria Public Market... I've never been inside. Red Barn Market is a chain of local grocers that have top notch products, their double smoked bacon is awesome. Thrifties and The Market are the better grocery stores, might as well shop at Walmart/SuperStore with the rest of 'em. Finest by the Sea has great seafood.

There are lots of good restaurants but we might eat in the city once or twice a year.... Fireside Grill, Primastrada Pizza, and Il Terrazzo are some of our favourites. The fish n chip place at Fisherman's wharf is a must do tourist event, but no idea if it'll be open in April. Victoria is a pub city... some have good food, some have good history, and some are just convenient local watering holes. I definitely recommend a beer at either 6-mile or 17-mile pub, they're both over 100 years old.
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Re: Best early spring Zip Trip - Eastern Canada? [owen.] [ In reply to ]
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Sorry to hear about your cough, isn't medical science amazing? We can see that the disease projectory peaks at ideal tide for halibut?
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Re: Best early spring Zip Trip - Eastern Canada? [racin_rusty] [ In reply to ]
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I think I gave it to BCtriguy1 too when I won that impromptu lets race a triathlon bet (in a speedo no less) a few years back.
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Re: Best early spring Zip Trip - Eastern Canada? [owen.] [ In reply to ]
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owen. wrote:
I think I gave it to BCtriguy1 too when I won that impromptu lets race a triathlon bet (in a speedo no less) a few years back.


Nah, bud. The only thing you gave me that day was a shellacking on the race course. I was sick - in the hospital- the week prior though!

As for downtown, I'd go Zambri's over Il Terrazzo any day of the week. Way better food, around the same price, if not a shade cheaper. Terrazzo gets rave reviews... but I'm not sure why. It has a long and storied history in it's place, but the quality is just not there any more. It's largely pre-packaged foods, especially the pastas, and it's not even real Italian. You get shit like "pulled pork cannelloni" or some perfectly good pasta dish ruined with Asian fusion influence. Zambri's is the real deal, and pretty much my go to place for any special occasion or night out. I'll easily pack back a pasta dish as my appy, then a main course, while my wife gets a starter then a pasta as her main. http://www.zambris.ca/

If you want French, one of the best places in town is Brasserie L'ecole. Amazing wine list (but, it's largely french), top notch food, best service in town. Also, if you aren't in to french food, they probably serve the best steak in town and have a kick ass burger. No reservations, so go put your name on the list at 5 when they open, go out for a drink, then come back when they call you for dinner around 7. Also, the building has a lot of history. Used to be an opium den back in the fort victoria days. I did some work as part of a seismic upgrade to the building, know the owner, and got the rundown on the place. Very cool spot. http://www.lecole.ca/

Prima strada is the place to go for pizza. There are 3 locations now, but if you're staying downtown, the cook street location is a beautifully nice 20-30 minute walk from downtown through beacon hill park. On the way back, maybe don't walk through the park at night. It's totally safe (stumbled home through there, blindingly drunk, alone, many many times in my youth with no worries) but it is eerie and not well lit, so if you don't know the place, I'd probably stick to the roads). Across from the Cook St Prima Strada is the best neighbourhood pub in town, the Beagle. Awesome place. Used to live around the corner. https://pizzeriaprimastrada.com/

As Owen mentioned there are a ton of good pubs downtown. Best for food quality and value is probably the flying otter (where the sea planes to vancouver come in). Bard & Banker is nice (biggest scotch list in town) but very pricey. Down the road, Irish Times is nice as well, but also pricey.


http://www.flyingottergrill.com/

If you like wine, probably the best food/wine combo in town is Stage wine bar. It's 30-40 min walk from downtown in a cool neighbourhood called fernwood. For two, a meal will run you $2-300 if you really go all out, but, it's really, really fucking good. It's small plates so you get a few plates, a few different wines, and have a nice, slow meal there. A total sleeper and often overlooked as it's not in the downtown core. Also, a great neighbourhood pub across the street. https://www.stagewinebar.com/

Those would be my picks of places to eat. Not very touristy, excellent quality, all very unique places.

There's a lot of cool history downtown. In Bastion square (which is where the Irish Times pub is), there used to be public gallows (the old courthouse is right behind there). There are underground tunnels from Chinatown that were used for the opium trade. Fantan Alley is a really neat spot with lots of history. Lots of neat walking tours you can do to get some context.

Long Chile was a silly place.
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Re: Best early spring Zip Trip - Eastern Canada? [racin_rusty] [ In reply to ]
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See my reply to owen for places to eat.

If you have a place with a kitchen and want seafood, you can go down to the docks at Fishermans Wharf, get some fresh crab cleaned up and have a nice little meal at home.

Best place to buy groceries is probably red barn or root cellar, followed by thrifty's. If you want something special (like butchers meat) go to the Whole Beast, or Slaters Meats (my personal heaven).

I can't really help you on the fishing part, but would be happy to give recommendations for anything if you have questions.

Long Chile was a silly place.
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Re: Best early spring Zip Trip - Eastern Canada? [owen.] [ In reply to ]
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So we've done a few things. Hit fishermans wharf and did a lap of Fort Rodd Hill. The Yellowknife was out doing some sort of ex. Went to the BC Aviation Museum yesterday. Very impressed. Not that it has a lot to there but they provided a guide and that made quite a difference in the quality of the visit. Planning on going out and tossing a crab trap out. Maybe we'll get lucky and score some supper the hard way.
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