# More Border Crossing Questions



## barndweller (Jul 29, 2007)

We 3 older adults are taking a trip to Victoria this week. We haven't been to Canada in over a decade & never traveled across the border from Seattle.

We are without a car and plan to take the Clipper to Victoria on Saturday morning. Will we encounter any border crossing problems or delays entering Canada this way? We all have valid US passports issued originally decades ago & renewed a few years ago before all the passprt brouhaha (thank GOD!) 

Our most recent trip out of the US was to Mexico last February with no delays going in  and on re-entering US all went quick & easy. I just want to be prepared for what to expect since we are "older" (Mom is 79 & tires easily when standing in lines like the 2+ hours at SFO for boarding passes for AA to Mexico which by the way I will never use again because of those horrendous lines at the airport! Ditto United to Hawaii...2 open windows for hundreds of passengers checking baggage. What has happened to the concept of good customer service?)


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## sfwilshire (Jul 30, 2007)

Julie,

I don't know the answer to your question, but have you seen those canes that fold out into a small stool? That looks like a wonderful solution for someone who isn't ready for a wheelchair but can't stand for long times. I've never seen anyone sit on one of them, so I don't know how careful you have to be to avoid tipping over.

Sheila


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## barndweller (Jul 30, 2007)

Sheila
Thanks for the suggestion. I think we even have one of those stool thingies from back when my dad used to play golf. We are flying into Seattle & doing carry-ons only this trip so the extra item to carry may be a hassle. We are doing everything we can think of to streamline the airport experience. The last few times have been really rough & we are almost to the point of giving up air travel. Unfortuneately, the swim to Hawaii may prove a bit taxing.:hysterical: But we may be driving to Orlando next year if the airlines don't do something about those horrible check-in lines.


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## DaveNV (Jul 30, 2007)

The Clipper sailings are limited, and they know you're only transiting for the day, so Customs inspection should only involve those who are on the boat with you, and should go rather quickly.  It's not like an airport with many flights feeding into the same lines.  With your passports and a picture ID, you should have no delays in either direction crossing the border.  I've crossed the WA-BC border many times, and have never had a problem. 

Dave

P.S.  Victoria is a great city, and you're going to have a fantastic time.  But there IS a fair amount of walking you may be doing, so the folding cane/stool idea isn't a bad idea, if that works for you.  You can probably find them at the kind of store that sells medical supplies like wheelchairs and crutches.  They may also have other devices that you might like.  If traveling with your mom is something you do a lot, you may want to invest anyway - if only for future trips.


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## barndweller (Jul 30, 2007)

Thanks, Dave. 
We are actually going to be in Victoria for a week. We plan to break up our sight seeing over the course of the week so that the walking will be managable each day. Actually the walking is not as tiring as the standing in one spot for hours. Mom does just fine as long as she can park on a bench every once in a while. And we have no problem walking all morning and then taking a taxi back when we get pooped. And we may rent a car for at least one day to go a bit farther afield.

We are really looking forward to this trip since none of us has ever been to Seattle or Victoria. We love the sense of adventure when we travel to a new spot.:whoopie:


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## DaveNV (Jul 30, 2007)

barndweller said:


> We are really looking forward to this trip since none of us has ever been to Seattle or Victoria. We love the sense of adventure when we travel to a new spot.:whoopie:



You're going to have a great time.  The weather this week is going to be in the upper 70s and clear, so it's perfect weather to enjoy both cities.  The Clipper ride through Puget Sound is amazing, too.  It's going to be fun for you both.  While in Victoria, be sure to visit Butchart Gardens.  It's awesome, and they have plenty of benches.  

Dave


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## sfwilshire (Jul 30, 2007)

Any suggestions on sources of discounts for Butchart Gardens? We definitely want to go there next year, but it seems a bit pricey for a large family.

Thanks,

Sheila


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## JimH (Jul 31, 2007)

I don't know about discounted tickets, but it may be possible to get more out of your tickets than you'd expect. I'm not sure if this policy is still in effect, you would have to check. Going back about 20 years ago (to when the kids were young) we were told by a relative living in Victoria that if you went into the gardens late (say 10 pm?, you'll have to check) you could visit the gardens that night (ideally, illuminated, on a nice warm starry night) and  then you got to use your ticket again the next day at no additional charge. We had the opportunity to do this and it was an amazing experience seeing the gardens late at night, illuminated, and we were absolutely alone in the gardens! I'll go so far as to call it a spiritual experience. It would be well worth a call in advance to see if this policy is still in effect, what hours are involved and whether the gardens will be illuminated (not sure what the effect would be if they weren't illuminated) on the night you might be interested in. Well worth the effort, especially if you get one of those ideal, warm, starry nights!


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Jul 31, 2007)

I took the Clipper to Victoria last November - departure was the first morning run on a Tuesday and the return was late afternoon on Friday. There was little delay on the departure  - took about 15 minutes to get through Canadian customs in Victoria.

On the return the lines in Victoria were quite long and took about one half hour to check in and clear Customs at the same time - I'm pretty sure US Customs was actually done in Victoria before departure, not in Seattle on arrival.


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