We’re starting to think about next years holiday but we’re unsure if it can be done. We have 4 weeks.

I want to surf
She wants to mtb – i also want to mtb a bit.

Can we do a whistler and Vancouver island then hire a camper and drive through Oregon To LA
Passing through various surf beaches and Mtb places?

Is there a camper firm who will let us dump the camper in LA?
Where shall we go? (besides the set of goonies in Oregon)

Where would you go?

If we can’t get a camper what about a car and tent? Bears eat people and I’m scared?

Shall i hire some bikes or take our own?

Basically has anyone done such a trip, is it a go’er or should we either do California OR Canada.

Thanks for any advice help etc…

It’s a lot of driving but would be a good trip as the west coast is beautiful. Once you’re done with Canada, get over to the Olympic peninsula and drive highway 101 down through Washington and Oregon. Make sure to visit Rialto and Ruby beaches and the Hoh rainforest as they’re spectacular.

Timewise it’s doable but costs of a camper one way trip might be prohibitive.

I’ve camped plenty of places around there and haven’t been eaten by a bear. 🙂 No food in tents and you’ll be fine.

I tried to rent a car with collection in Vancouver and drop off in Calgary several years ago, they weren’t that keen on out of state drops and wanted to charge an excess. As it happens I picked up a Calgary car in Whistler and took it back for them and they still charged me extra despite it all working out well for them.

So the chances of collecting in Canada and dropping off in another country aren’t great. Might be worth working out a bus/train leg around the border then keeping it internal to the country you are in at the time.

I’m no travelling pro though!

Not sure I’d want to travel from whistler to van island without transport, esp with bikes.
If you really want to do both, you’d prob be better off getting the coach from vancouver to seattle and hiring a camper there. Dumping it in Cali would likely cost a bit though.
We did a month in BC in a camper (RV) and it was brilliant.
Vancouver to van island to squamish to whistler to kelowna to Nelson and drove back to van. Would prob try and find alternative to kelowna next time or spend a bit more time on van island. Loads of riding and other things to do. Canada is ace.

How good a surfer is your wife? We finished an 8 day hike on Vancouver Island by getting a float plane to Tofino, spent 2 days surfing in 2-4 foot swell on Cox Bay, loved it. Wetsuits required though! Think there are several other surf spots on the West Coast of Vancouver island.

For a wilder feel, you could check out Raft Cove, apparently a popular surf break if you don’t mind driving along 60km of forest roads and hiking 2km to get to it!

Camping in Canada really isn’t that big a deal, I spent two weeks either keeping food in bear caches (found in provincial park campsites and better private campsites) or if really necessary hanging it in trees (research ‘PCT Method’, super simple and cheap). Odor proof bags can be purchased in the major outdoor chains in Vancouver (MEC being the biggest) and give extra peace of mind for $12.

I pretty much went looking for bears and wolves and only ever saw tracks, elusive b@st@rds 👿

Hire bikes might go for $100 a day give or take, perhaps more to swap brakes. AirTransat will take bikes for £30 each, I did it several times.