The Official Kilt Kamp 2014 Registration thread

[Dixiecat]

I'm driving through. My plan, so far, is to pass through Vancouver, then take a ferry across, and drive down the east side of the island to Victoria. It's a scenic route Steve suggested. On the way I want to visit friends in Bellingham, WA. They're both busy medical professionals, and I don't know yet just when and for how long we can visit. We can only visit on my trip up, they both have commitments that will prevent me from seeing them on the return trip. The only definite plan I have is to arrive in Victoria by evening on the 2nd. I'm figuring on traveling from Bellingham to Victoria on the 2nd, it shouldn't be too long a trip. Maybe we can work something out.

It would be great if we can meet up and share ride and ferry costs of course. I'll send you an email David. Hopefully we'll be able to arrange something.

[KiltedKnome]

As someone who travels from the Lower Mainland (Squamish, Vancouver, etc.) to Victoria monthly, this is the ferry situation.

Visit http://www.bcferries.com/ and click on the schedules for Metro Vancouver-Vancouver Island- Sunshine Coast.

There are two possible routes:

You can catch a ferry at Tsawwassen over to Schwartz Bay, which is then a 30 - 40 minute drive to Victoria along the Pat Bay Highway. Please remember the road signs are in kilometers per hour and not miles per hour on the highway, or you will be pulled over to the side of the road by one of our "friendly" peace keepers. This ferry takes you through the smaller islands, and sometimes you can see orcas, etc.

You can catch a ferry at Horseshoe Bay over to Nanaimo, which is upisland (cool local word, sort of like "outwith" in Scotland). You will then drive 1-1/2 hours (some people do it in 1 hour) down the island to Victoria, going over our mountain range called the Malahat. You are on open water a bit more on this ferry.

YOU ARE COMING TO TOWN AT THE START OF A LONG WEEKEND. THE FERRIES AND ROADS LEADING TO THE FERRIES WILL BE BUSY. If you are pretty sure when you will be wanting to catch the ferry, you can make a reservation (see that website above). Otherwise, plan on the possibility of a sailing wait. In summer, I always make a reservation (and fork over the extra money) if I want to catch the Horseshoe Bay ferry, since it is several hours to the next ferry -- makes a rough sailing wait. There are more ferries sailing from Tsawwassen to Schwarz Bay, so a sailing wait is not as onerous. Please note, if you are on the bus that travels between Vancouver and Victoria, you will not be affected by any ferry waits (due to more customers than room), since the buses are guaranteed.

If anyone is catching the bus over from the Vancouver Airport, either Steve or I can meet them at the Victoria bus terminal. That bus takes the Tsawwassen-to-Schwarz Bay ferry. We are also available to meet flights at the Victoria airport. We have at least one group coming over on the Coho Ferry (Washington State Ferry out of Port Angeles) into the Inner Harbour of Victoria.

Folks driving to Kilt Kamp and intending to take a BC ferry....

I checked the ferry situation this morning (www.bcferries.com), and the Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo ferry has no reservations available anymore on the Friday before Kilt Kamp, but there are still some reservation spots available on the Saturday (August 2). This does not mean you cannot still drive on the ferry, you just may not make the sailing you want and would be shifted to a later sailing. If you plan on taking that ferry, I strongly recommend you either (a) make a reservation on one of the available sailings, or (b) plan on arriving at the ferry terminal several sailings ahead of time so that, if there is a sailing wait, you still have a chance of making a sailing over to the Island. Trust me....there is nothing worse than realizing you have missed the last sailing of the day!

There are still reservation slots available on the Tsawwassen to Schwartz Bay ferry on both August 1st and August 2nd. [Tsawwassen (for those who are curious) is pronounced /təˈwɑːsən/.] This ferry goes every hour so, even if you don't have a reservation you should only have to wait at most 2 hours. Once again, though, if you are not making a reservation, please try to get to the terminal several sailings ahead of the last sailing of the day, for the same reason as noted above.

If anyone plans on walking on a ferry, or catching a bus that drives on a ferry, you would not be affected by sailing waits unless the latter is for something like a (a) marine emergency, (b) operational issue (equipment breakdown or shortage of ferry crew so sailing delayed until full complement obtained), (c) etc.

The joys of living on a island!

[jhockin]

I worked nearby Tsawwassen lands, for a number of years, and they pronounced it : " sah WASS sin" ( with a slight slurring of the "s" sounds ( no "tee" sound).
( as for the comment about "operational issues, usually a ferry worker slept in" .. I'll just mention the same caution I got, on another post: "rules". ;0)

[KiltedKnome]

I worked nearby Tsawwassen lands, for a number of years, and they pronounced it : " sah WASS sin" ( with a slight slurring of the "s" sounds ( no "tee" sound).
( as for the comment about "operational issues, usually a ferry worker slept in" .. I'll just mention the same caution I got, on another post: "rules". ;0)

Sorry if anyone is offended by that comment or if I broke a rule -- Perhaps I should have written "or shortage of ferry crew so sailing delayed until full complement obtained". I will go back and change the post.

[jhockin]

Not offended, at all; just " a poke" ;0)... (From what we would hear on marine radio, usual "operational delays" were maintance issues)

[Benning Boy]

It's been a while, but as I remember the last time I was in Canada I was able to pay for things with US dollars. Can I still do that, or should I convert some to Canadian dollars? If so, are there places near the boarder crossing between Bellingham and Vancouver I can do that?

What about security, especially when site seeing in Victoria, are there lots of metal detectors, scanners and x-ray machines to deal with when entering public buildings, or has Canada not gone crazy yet?

What about the thought police? From what I've been reading, Canadians are basically pretty friendly, but uptight when it comes to non PC thoughts. What do I need to do to stay out of trouble? For example, it's OK to call paleoimmigrant peoples Indians in the US, although the Caucasian dominated PC crowd enforce the term Native American, (Indians in the US very often refer to themselves as Indians, if you haven't checked lately, and the BIA is still the BIA) but I know Canadians like to use the term First Nations. If I slip up and use my native tongue and say Indians, are the thought police going to haul me before the human rights commission? Maybe I sound crazy, but the world is going crazy, and it's better safe than sorry. I'm a relic of the past.

[Steve Ashton]

Benning Boy,

Plastic is good anywhere. If you really want some Canadian money there are banks. And I could exchange some for you if you need. Most places in Victoria will take US money as we are a tourist town.

Victoria is not an airport. There are no metal detectors or X Ray machines on public buildings. I advise you to leave any weapons at home though. DO NOT attempt to cross the border with a firearm.
A sgian is OK if you are in your kilt.
The Victoria Police Dept. and the RCMP both gave me the same advice when I asked about a Sgian. It all depends on what you are doing with it at the time they come upon you. If you are walking down the street with a Sgian in your hose, no one will even bat an eye. If, however you are in the middle of the street brandishing it, well, they will probably have something to say then.

Canada is generally quite polite. No one will say a word if you use the word "Indian" to describe an indigenous person although we do use the term First Peoples and First Nations. (Those are two different things up here) But using Indian will give you away instantly as an American.

Basically, to stay out of trouble up here don't kill anyone, don't be a bigot, and don't be loud and rude.

Oh, we do use turn signals, obey speed limits, and do stop for pedestrians. We say please and thank you even when getting on and off a city bus. We say "excuse me" if we bump someone and we open and hold doors for others, not just for ladies.

In essence, slow down, be considerate of others, smile and say hi when you meet someone on the street.

[Aspiringloser]

Basically, don't act like such an American

[KiltedKnome]

It's been a while, but as I remember the last time I was in Canada I was able to pay for things with US dollars. Can I still do that, or should I convert some to Canadian dollars? If so, are there places near the boarder crossing between Bellingham and Vancouver I can do that?

What about security, especially when site seeing in Victoria, are there lots of metal detectors, scanners and x-ray machines to deal with when entering public buildings, or has Canada not gone crazy yet?

What about the thought police? From what I've been reading, Canadians are basically pretty friendly, but uptight when it comes to non PC thoughts. What do I need to do to stay out of trouble? For example, it's OK to call paleoimmigrant peoples Indians in the US, although the Caucasian dominated PC crowd enforce the term Native American, (Indians in the US very often refer to themselves as Indians, if you haven't checked lately, and the BIA is still the BIA) but I know Canadians like to use the term First Nations. If I slip up and use my native tongue and say Indians, are the thought police going to haul me before the human rights commission? Maybe I sound crazy, but the world is going crazy, and it's better safe than sorry. I'm a relic of the past.

1. You might want to scroll back and read posts # 8 and 9 regarding the use of US and Canadian money up here.
2. I am not sure about the security question ... this is a cosmopolitan tourist town this time of year. If you try to enter the courthouse you might have to pass through security, but I cannot see why you would want to enter the courthouse, so you should be okay. Can I ask why you are even asking this question....?
3. Thought police? Hmm, are Canadians PC....? Not sure how to answer that. Once again, I will reiterate that this is a tourist town in the summer, and if you wander around town, you are going to run into people from so many different countries, speaking so many different languages it will make your head spin. By and large, the locals are tolerant of "non-PC" statements, making the excuse in our heads that the person making the statement is a tourist and therefore tolerated.
4. Steve has explained the use of the moniker "Indian" in post #57. It will emphasize that you are from south of the border, but that is all.

[Benning Boy]

Knome, I ask about security because it's become so common in the US. I can't think of anywhere you can enter a federal tourist site without some sort of screening, there are always eyes on you, and even here in Kansas state sites are watched, you even have to pass through metal detectors etc. to get into some. Even the library wants metal detectors to keep legally armed citizens out. The whole security thing has gotten freaky. When I last entered Canada, using a passport card, not a regular passport book, they scanned it several times and asked me a lot of questions. I don't know why, but I got the impression I'm on someone's list, and I've always thought I was a good guy. Now I'm just paranoid about traveling.

As for courthouses, I entered the Nuremberg courthouse to see the Nazi trial room without anyone even bothering to look up, or ask my business, but there's no way I'd ever get into my own county courthouse so easily. Maybe Victoria's court house is an interesting example of 19th Cent. architecture. I might want to go in. I don't know.

Steve, this will be one of the most plasticized trips I've taken, but a little cash is always nice to have on hand. Yes, I may want some Canadian money to bring home as souvenirs, but mostly I'd want it or small purchases and tips and such.

My parents were frequently complimented on how polite we boys were. I haven't forgotten how to be polite. I still say you're welcome, not no problem. Generally I'm pretty quite. The loudest I get is singing opera. So Canadians shouldn't find my demeanor offensive. I won't even be traveling with anything more deadly than a Swiss Army Knife, so don't think I'll have any problems that way.

It's just that the world has gotten so crazy, and I do read quite often about Canada's ways of making the non-PC submit, but it's more often in the eastern provinces, that I'm wondering what to expect, just how often to check my six.