Deals for people heading to the U.S.
Plenty of Canadian-friendly deals south of the border, writes Andrew McCredie.
Tourist in your own town. Staycation. Call it what you will, with the low-flying loonie, British Columbians are planning trips close to their nests this spring and summer. Which is great news for tourism boards the country over.
Likewise, many Americans are setting their travel sights north of the 49th to make their greenbacks go further (and quite possibly to do a little recon work in case The Donald takes up residence in the White House).
To counter the devalued Canuck buck, a number of U.S. tourism outlets and boards are offering deals tailored to Canadian travellers, from vaunted ‘Loonie at Par’ offers to extra nights free to savings coupons.
Here’s a look at a few ways to stretch your Loonie south of the border.
SEATTLE
We’ll start close to home, and a city that is a favourite with British Columbians in search of Major League Baseball, West Coast-infused foodie finds and weekend shopping sprees.
The Fairmont Olympic Hotel is offering Canadians a dollar-for-dollar booking option. Through to the end of April, Canadian visitors coming from Canada can book rooms (available for stays through June) at the equivalent rate in CAD to USD. Upcoming events in the Emerald City include this month’s Cherry Blossom Festival, and next month’s Seattle Beer Week and Seattle International Film Festival.
En route from the border to Seattle is Seattle Premium Outlets, a fashion outlet mall with 30 stores offering a “Show Your Canadian Passport and Save” promotion, where Canadians can show their residential identification and receive exclusive discounts from 10 to 50 per cent off purchases or ticket items. Participating stores include 7 For All Mankind, Columbia Sportswear, Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store and The North Face.
WINTHROP, WASH.
With a great snow season giving way to an even better spring season, this Okanogan County recreation area is a great place to spend a week or a weekend enjoying the great outdoors.
Better still, a number of local businesses are selling tickets, rentals, lodging and experiences at par for Canadians. Methow Trails Cross-Country Ski Area is offering all adult tickets at par for Canadians, and kids age 17 and under ski free everyday. The Cascades Outdoor Store has cross-country ski rentals at par, while you can rent a fat bike for par at Methow Cycle & Sport. Accommodations at par can be found at the Chewuch Inn and the Pine Near RV Park. And finally, Paula Christen Watercolors has a private learn to watercolour class at par.
CARLSBAD, CALIF. Just a couple of hours south by car of L.A., and less than an hour north from San Diego, Carlsbad is a wonderful base to explore this classic stretch of SoCal surf towns.
It’s also a great place for kids, with kilometres of sandy beaches and a laidback attitude lacking in the state’s larger centres.
It’s also home to Legoland, which is a theme park for all ages but of particular delight to the young ones ( by that we’re talking those 10 and under).
And there’s a great Legoland package being offered by the Westin Inn and Suites in Carlsbad: under $200 a night with free transportation to Legoland and anywhere in Carlsbad, free breakfast, cookies and milk at bedtime, free parking and Wi-Fi and more.
The property also has a three-acre farm on-site, with the produce served in the adjacent West Steak & Seafood Restaurant. For details visit westinnandsuites.com/carlsbad