Victoria Cache Machine II preliminary questions

[+travisl]

I'll be creating the event page soon, but wanted to have a few preliminary topics out to discuss.

• I've pretty much committed to several cachers that the event will be September 20. This doesn't conflict with any other major regional caching events, right?
   
  
• For VCM I (event page), we got a good hotel rate at Paul's Motor Inn. I've e-mailed them again, and based on their current rates, would be surprised if we don't get a rate of about $90 a night. If you can find better, please let me know.
   
  
• The cheapest way to the island (car + driver) that I've found would be to ride the Coho ferry from Port Angeles ($100 round trip). Other alternatives are
  • BC ferries from Vancouver ($112 round trip),
    
  • the Victoria Express Port Angeles ferry ($118 round trip, based on $25 fare + $15 parking + $78 rental car), and
    
  • Washington State Ferry from Anacortes ($140 round trip).
    

  Carpooling would drop the per-person rate quite a bit. The Victoria Clipper is outrageously priced (about $115 passenger only). Roundtrip airfare isn't cheap, either.

  [*]I found a blogger who's reviewed Victoria buffets (blog), but any other local Victorians who know the area could help me pick a good buffet to end the route at. Any suggestions?

[+coreynjoey]

I really miss the old days when the Canadian currency was around half the US dollar. We were thinking of staying at The Empress, but dayyam, it's pricey!

[+Half-Canadian]

For those of you in the Choice Hotels points program, the Comfort Inn in Victoria has all their rooms available for the bargain points redemption of only 6,000 points per night.

 

I just reserved their top-priced suite ($269.00 per night) using my surplus points. And they accept dogs, too!

[+Prying Pandora]

I'll be creating the event page soon, but wanted to have a few preliminary topics out to discuss.

• I've pretty much committed to several cachers that the event will be September 20. This doesn't conflict with any other major regional caching events, right?
  

No other events posted for that weekend. Can't wait, I love Victoria!

[+coreynjoey]

What kind of I.D. does one need these days when crossing the border? Will just a drivers license work or do you need more now? We have passports, so I'm assuming we're good to go, but what if we didn't have them?

[+Half-Canadian]

What kind of I.D. does one need these days when crossing the border? Will just a drivers license work or do you need more now? We have passports, so I'm assuming we're good to go, but what if we didn't have them?

 

Assuming you're a US or Canadian citizen, it's very straight forward:

 

If you are crossing a land border by private vehicle, bus, train; or a water crossing by ferry, you must have one of the following:

• A valid passport
  
• A US or Canadian issued birth certificate and a government issued photo ID (driver's license)
  
• One of the new "enhanced" driver's licenses
  
• A Nexus or Fast Pass card
  

Don't even bother trying to drive through the border with just a driver's license any more. The days of being scolded by a friendly customs officer about "remember your ID next time" and being allowed through are long gone.

 

If you are travelling by air, you must have a valid passport in order to fly between the US and Canada. They will not allow you to board the aircraft without it.

 

These rules apply to children travelling with you, as well. If you are travelling with minor children, there are also some additional requirements at the border -- I can provide links to anyone who needs them.

[+LandRover]

For those of you in the Choice Hotels points program, the Comfort Inn in Victoria has all their rooms available for the bargain points redemption of only 6,000 points per night.

 

I just reserved their top-priced suite ($269.00 per night) using my surplus points. And they accept dogs, too!

I tried to use my reward points and the site says

"This rate program cannot be made more than 30 days in advance.

However, the rooms listed below are currently available at the Standard Rate."

 

Any special tricks to reserve a room now?

[+hydnsek]

For those of you in the Choice Hotels points program, the Comfort Inn in Victoria has all their rooms available for the bargain points redemption of only 6,000 points per night.

 

I just reserved their top-priced suite ($269.00 per night) using my surplus points. And they accept dogs, too!

I tried to use my reward points and the site says

"This rate program cannot be made more than 30 days in advance.

However, the rooms listed below are currently available at the Standard Rate."

 

Any special tricks to reserve a room now?

Wow, much better points redemption than Quality Inn Waddling Dog, where I've stayed before. However, I got the same result as LandRover when I tried to book using my Choice Reward Points - could only book a room at paying rates. What's your secret, Laurie? Do they just treat Half-Canadians better?

[+Lookout Lisa]

Last time I visited Victoria we took the Tsawwassen ferry to the Swartz Bay Terminal -and it seemed to me there were some conveniently located wineries and parks and of course caches along the way back down to Victoria...

 

I just checked the rate for one adult and car: $56.00 -oh that's one way, so same fare!

Edited July 22, 2008 by Lookout Lisa

[+Half-Canadian]

For those of you in the Choice Hotels points program, the Comfort Inn in Victoria has all their rooms available for the bargain points redemption of only 6,000 points per night.

 

I just reserved their top-priced suite ($269.00 per night) using my surplus points. And they accept dogs, too!

I tried to use my reward points and the site says

"This rate program cannot be made more than 30 days in advance.

However, the rooms listed below are currently available at the Standard Rate."

 

Any special tricks to reserve a room now?

Wow, much better points redemption than Quality Inn Waddling Dog, where I've stayed before. However, I got the same result as LandRover when I tried to book using my Choice Reward Points - could only book a room at paying rates. What's your secret, Laurie? Do they just treat Half-Canadians better?

 

I'm in their elite "platinum" level this year since I stayed at Choice Hotels so often last year on a cross country trip. As I recall, that allows me to make reservations with points 90 days in advance instead of 30. I forgot about that -- hope there are still rooms available for you guys next month!

[+hydnsek]

For those of you in the Choice Hotels points program, the Comfort Inn in Victoria has all their rooms available for the bargain points redemption of only 6,000 points per night.

 

I just reserved their top-priced suite ($269.00 per night) using my surplus points. And they accept dogs, too!

I tried to use my reward points and the site says

"This rate program cannot be made more than 30 days in advance.

However, the rooms listed below are currently available at the Standard Rate."

 

Any special tricks to reserve a room now?

Wow, much better points redemption than Quality Inn Waddling Dog, where I've stayed before. However, I got the same result as LandRover when I tried to book using my Choice Reward Points - could only book a room at paying rates. What's your secret, Laurie? Do they just treat Half-Canadians better?

 

I'm in their elite "platinum" level this year since I stayed at Choice Hotels so often last year on a cross country trip. As I recall, that allows me to make reservations with points 90 days in advance instead of 30. I forgot about that -- hope there are still rooms available for you guys next month!

Hmm...that sounds like the super-secret Platinum level of Groundspeak membership.

 

I did check on availability for Sept 19-21 (2 nights) at AAA rate, and that Comfort Inn is already almost booked. Only room showing available is smoking, two double beds, $126. Bummer.

[+Half-Canadian]

[i did check on availability for Sept 19-21 (2 nights) at AAA rate, and that Comfort Inn is already almost booked. Only room showing available is smoking, two double beds, $126. Bummer.

 

True, but if you check again using their "standard" rate, you'll see that they have plenty of rooms of all types still available -- and that same array of rooms shows up for me on the "redeem points" option. Check again at the 30-day mark, and I bet you'll have some pretty good results.

[+Half-Canadian]

[i did check on availability for Sept 19-21 (2 nights) at AAA rate, and that Comfort Inn is already almost booked. Only room showing available is smoking, two double beds, $126. Bummer.

 

I also noticed, if you can rustle up some feeble excuse for travelling on government or military status, you can reserve any of their rooms for $65.00 a night. Not that I would ever do a think like that

Edited July 22, 2008 by Half-Canadian

[+Half-Canadian]

I'll be creating the event page soon, but wanted to have a few preliminary topics out to discuss.

• I've pretty much committed to several cachers that the event will be September 20. This doesn't conflict with any other major regional caching events, right?
   
  
• For VCM I (event page), we got a good hotel rate at Paul's Motor Inn. I've e-mailed them again, and based on their current rates, would be surprised if we don't get a rate of about $90 a night. If you can find better, please let me know.
   
  
• The cheapest way to the island (car + driver) that I've found would be to ride the Coho ferry from Port Angeles ($100 round trip). Other alternatives are
  • 
    
  • BC ferries from Vancouver ($112 round trip),
    
  • the Victoria Express Port Angeles ferry ($118 round trip, based on $25 fare + $15 parking + $78 rental car), and
    
  • Washington State Ferry from Anacortes ($140 round trip).
    

  Carpooling would drop the per-person rate quite a bit. The Victoria Clipper is outrageously priced (about $115 passenger only). Roundtrip airfare isn't cheap, either.

  [*]I found a blogger who's reviewed Victoria buffets (blog), but any other local Victorians who know the area could help me pick a good buffet to end the route at. Any suggestions?

 

For those weighing the options for travel, BC Ferries just announced another new fuel charge to take effect August 1 on all their runs. This latest increase will push the round trip cost for a car and driver between Vancouver (Tsawwassen or Horseshoe Bay) and Victoria (Swartz Bay) to $123.00.

[+hydnsek]

[i did check on availability for Sept 19-21 (2 nights) at AAA rate, and that Comfort Inn is already almost booked. Only room showing available is smoking, two double beds, $126. Bummer.

 

I also noticed, if you can rustle up some feeble excuse for travelling on government or military status, you can reserve any of their rooms for $65.00 a night. Not that I would ever do a think like that

I think you have to show govt' or military ID for that, though. Know any good forgers?

[+cache crop]

Anyone want to stay at our place..we have floor space or tent space for a few bodies, check the Just Because It's June BBQ for co-ords

[+travisl]

The page is up. I hope to have the first draft of the route up tonight. Holy smoke, there's a lot of caches up there. My first attempt at a route had more than 200 caches and three days of hunting. I really had to pare it down to fit it in a 13 hour schedule.

[+2Fidoes]

Hi, ONE of the 2Fidoes from Victoria, beautiful BC here.

 

While the Anacortes ferry may coast a bit more, it does save you about an hour of driving up to the border, another potential hour waiting at the Peace Arch crossing, and then another chunk of time driving to the ferry and possibly missing a sailing... and having to wait another 2 hours for the next one! Besides, clearing customs/immigration is MUCH easier coming off the ferry than it is at the Peace Arch crossing. Just something to think about!

 

Hopefully both of the 2Fidoes can join in, too... sounds like fun! Especially the dinner part! We have an African all-you-can-eat buffet just down the road from our house, and there is also a really good East Indian buffet not far away.

[+travisl]

We have an African all-you-can-eat buffet just down the road from our house, and there is also a really good East Indian buffet not far away.

 

Thanks, but I already checked with another local blogger, who highly recommended Crystal Jade. Because the event is really the dinner (with the cache finding as a prelude to it) and the coordinates posted are for Crystal Jade, it's unlikely that I'll be changing it unless it turns out that they're closed or something.

 

And if it's the Blue Nile you're talking about, I've heard it's great, but it's a bit off the route. My first draft (to be posted soon) is entirely east of the Esquimalt peninsula, and entirely south of McKenzie Ave. The majority of caches on the route are clustered downtown, at the University of Victoria (or just south of it), and on a peninsula just east of UVic.

[+YeOleImposter]

I just looked at BiddingForTravel.com to see what kind of deals people have been getting when using priceline.com Does not look very promising:

 

2* Vacation Inn Victoria 6/21/08 $85

3* Holiday Inn Victoria 5/17-5/19 $111

4* Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort 6/20 $125

[+travisl]

The first draft of the route is up.

[+Lizzy]

3 or 4 nights ago, I think I heard mentioned on the news how some of the places in Victoria are throwing around the idea of paying for ferry tickets for people who come stay at their hotels. Did anyone else hear that? I'd love to find out who/where...

[+Harriet the Spy]

I found a linky to the news article

http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/C...ishColumbiaHome

 

And I found info on the Victoria Tourism site

http://www.tourismvictoria.com/setsail/

[+Lizzy]

I found a linky to the news article

http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/C...ishColumbiaHome

 

And I found info on the Victoria Tourism site

http://www.tourismvictoria.com/setsail/

 

Bummer - not for September travel. Maybe by the end of August, they'll extend the promotion into September.

[dragling]

We've just heard back from the Traveller's Inn a local chain of Motels/Hotels and they have passed on the following rate information for anyone participating in the Cache Machine. All you have to do is contact the hotel/motel in question and say that you are with the Geocachers to get the quoted rate.

 

From Kyja Pimlott (Sales Manager)

www.TravellersInn.com

The rate I would be able to offer the Geocachers for these dates would be $79.95Cdn for a room with one bed and $89.95Cdn for a room with two beds plus applicable taxes.

 

This rate would be applicable at our

 

Traveller’s Inn – City Center (1961 Douglas St) 250-953-1000 Toll Free :1-888-877-9444,

 

Traveller’s Inn – Downtown (1850 Douglas St) Toll Free :1-888-254-6476,

 

Traveller’s Inn – Douglas/Blanshard (710 Queens Ave) Toll Free :1-888-753-3774.

 

Traveller's Inn Hotels & Resorts

 

' 250.477.1000

 

Fax 250.477.1001

 

Voted #1 Hotel Value by Victoria News - 9 Years Running!

3 Stars

www.TravellersInn.com

Edited July 29, 2008 by dragling

[+Prying Pandora]

We just booked at Paul's Motor Inn. It gets a pretty good review on Trip Advisor, and it's $99 Cdn per night.

 

Here's the Trip Advisor reviews for all the lodging mentioned in previous posts:

Comfort Inn & Suites

Vacation Inn (No review for this one, but oddly their website shows a photo of Traveller's Inn)

Holiday Inn

Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort

Traveller's Inn City Center

Traveller's Inn Downtown

Traveller's Inn - Douglas / Blanshard

[dragling]

FYI- Vacation Inn is part of the Traveller's Inn Chain, they have nine different facilities with different names but are all Traveller's Inns however the rates posted above are only for their three downtown locations only.

 

We just booked at Paul's Motor Inn. It gets a pretty good review on Trip Advisor, and it's $99 Cdn per night.

 

Here's the Trip Advisor reviews for all the lodging mentioned in previous posts:

Comfort Inn & Suites

Vacation Inn (No review for this one, but oddly their website shows a photo of Traveller's Inn)

Holiday Inn

Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort

Traveller's Inn City Center

Traveller's Inn Downtown

Traveller's Inn - Douglas / Blanshard

[+Scoutbound]

Thinking of going but unfamiliar with how a cache machine works exactly. I understand the concept of finding lots of caches in a small amount of time (which is very appealing to me ), but how does transportation work? Does everyone take their own car or do we carpool? If you carpool, do people leave their vehicles at the first cache?

 

Just a few things we need to know with gas prices going through the roof.

[+hydnsek]

Thinking of going but unfamiliar with how a cache machine works exactly. I understand the concept of finding lots of caches in a small amount of time (which is very appealing to me ), but how does transportation work? Does everyone take their own car or do we carpool? If you carpool, do people leave their vehicles at the first cache?

 

Just a few things we need to know with gas prices going through the roof.

Most people do CMs as part of a team and carpool. Some folks have regular groups they do the CMs with, others advertise looking for teammates. Where the extra cars are left depends on how the groups decide to organize and meet. Some carpool from the home city, some meet at their hotel, some leave cars at the first cache (which usually has enough parking for a few cars to be left). All depends.

 

Teams are the most efficient way to do a CM, because then one person can focus on driving, while a second navigates, and a third reads the cache page.

Edited August 13, 2008 by hydnsek

[+Shop99er]

[i did check on availability for Sept 19-21 (2 nights) at AAA rate, and that Comfort Inn is already almost booked. Only room showing available is smoking, two double beds, $126. Bummer.

 

I also noticed, if you can rustle up some feeble excuse for travelling on government or military status, you can reserve any of their rooms for $65.00 a night. Not that I would ever do a think like that

I think you have to show govt' or military ID for that, though. Know any good forgers?

 

Keep in mind, that the hotel has the right to ask to see your orders if you are on government/military buisness. If you can't procude them, you don't get the discount.

[+Harpo Marx]

When I heard the price of the ferry across I thought about the possibility of doing the route on bicycles. The caches seem so clustered together it that at first it looked possible. But then I realized that there's 60 miles of driving between caches and I don't think I'm up to the task. It's too bad, that could be a lot of fun.

Still planning on attending though. I'm 5 for 5 on the recent CM's and don't plan on missing one now.

[+travisl]

FWIW, I've tentatively booked the Howard Johnson on Gorge Road. HoJo.com has a low price guarantee that if you can find a lower rate, you get your first night free. Their lowest rate was 89.00 CAD.

 

GTAHotels.com had a lower rate, of 73.00 CAD. I've submitted the HoJo claim form, and if they accept it, it'll cost me just under $100 USD for the hotel for the weekend. If for some arbitrary reason they don't accept it, I'll cancel my reservation and keep looking elsewhere.

 

You might want to jump on this one quick, if you want to take the same risk.

 

Never mind HoJo. Buried information on the two sites (link, link) indicate that it's a prepaid voucher, which doesn't count.

Edited August 19, 2008 by travisl

[+travisl]

My cheapness strikes again: Red Lion Victoria, 3366 Douglas Street. US$60 per night, plus taxes, total $146.79, through Priceline name your own price. I bid $55 last week and didn't get it, but $60 at 2 stars got it.

 

(Expedia and Hotels.com were $78, Travelocity and Priceline straight up were $81.)

 

Second draft of the route should be up later this week.

[+travisl]

Draft 2 of the route is posted, both imperial and metric.

[+julebear]

Which one of the Traveller's Inns would be the best (most convenient) to stay at?

Where are most people staying?

And, the Cross the Pond package is in effect until sometime in 2009 (see prior link). It includes a booked passage and night's accommodation. I think it might work out to the same as booking with the $80/night and then chancing the ferry (which would be cheaper by $30) or reserving the ferry.

 

I'm trying to figure out if we can make it.

[+travisl]

I've decided on the location for the pre-event dinner. On Friday, September 19, at 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., last minute changes will be announced at the food court at the Mayfair Shopping Centre, N 48° 26.871, W 123° 22.184 (3147 Douglas Street).

 

Which one of the Traveller's Inns would be the best (most convenient) to stay at?

 

The three Traveller's Inns are within 5 blocks of each other, and they're all within a block of the route. Based solely on geography, I'd lean very slightly towards the 710 Queens Ave location, because its furthest from the downtown traffic and closest to the start point.

[+travisl]

I've just posted the final route. Any changes after this point will be announced on Friday night at dinner. Hope to see a lot of you there! (Route in metric and imperial.)

[+travisl]

troublejv has posted a bookmark list for our downloading goodness. Thanks!

 

Also, thanks to (deep breath):

• brockcrawler, xstitcher, & BMXer
  
• clueless in qualicum
  
• BoosPeople
  
• Brieze
  
• cache crop
  
• whitebear
  

for their tips and advice about new caches, disabled caches, cache availability hours, multis that are listed as traditional, dead ends, parking spots, and park-closing bicycling events. The route is considerably better because of their contributions.