Discussion
Much to my excitement I'm heading to Canada in July, landing in Calgary. After seeing that and a bit of the Stampede, we'll be on Lake Shuswap for a few days, and then have a week or so to take in as much of the country as possible. I love scenery, mountains, lakes, wilderness but also like somewhere decent to stay. We'll hire a car and could take short flights to something good (I'd like to try a floatplane as I haven't been in one before). So my question is - could you make some suggestions for a first-time tourist to that side of Canada please?
Oh yes, and do I need to buy a cowboy outfit and big white hat for the Stampede?
Oh yes, and do I need to buy a cowboy outfit and big white hat for the Stampede?
Head to the Badlands of Alberta, for ghost towns and quite interesting Canyon country (looks like proper friday night western territory), The Royal Tyrell dinosaur museum in Drumheller is pretty cool. and only an hour or so east of calgary
The Rockies - Banff etc is a couple of hours drive west., further west whale watching in vancouver
Also you could head south over the border to mount Rushmore (probably best to fly)
The Rockies - Banff etc is a couple of hours drive west., further west whale watching in vancouver
Also you could head south over the border to mount Rushmore (probably best to fly)
Simpo Two said:
Oh yes, and do I need to buy a cowboy outfit and big white hat for the Stampede?
Dress up like this fellow here--
Make sure you have two nickel plated pearl handled revolvers and snakeskin cowboy boots.
If you want to go "tactical", wear a BLACK ten gallon hat, two overlapping bandaleros loaded with ammunition different than your "wheel guns".
Canada's a very polite country, so greet everyone with a hearty "Howdy Pard, got some goats to rope, eh?".
With your British cockney accent, you'll be the belle of the ball, and fit right in.
This get-up'll work in southern California too--in certain parts of Hollywood.
Warning: don't go to Texas dressed like this, they'll shoot you deader than the Ringo kid.
sawman said:
Head to the Badlands of Alberta, for ghost towns and quite interesting Canyon country (looks like proper friday night western territory), The Royal Tyrell dinosaur museum in Drumheller is pretty cool. and only an hour or so east of calgary
The Rockies - Banff etc is a couple of hours drive west., further west whale watching in vancouver
Also you could head south over the border to mount Rushmore (probably best to fly)
Thanks for the ideas. Vancouver has a certain draw - perhaps not the city for its own sake but the Pacific coast area. So if we look at the area between there and Sicamous/Lake Shuswap... there's Kamloops, Kelowna... a series of hops by car perhaps, or maybe a flight - are there any suitable airfields without going all the way back to Calgary? Would like to include a floatplane trip - can one lake-hop? Would need accommodation each night of course, maybe a nice motel tucked away somewhere scenic...The Rockies - Banff etc is a couple of hours drive west., further west whale watching in vancouver
Also you could head south over the border to mount Rushmore (probably best to fly)
Simpo Two said:
Thanks for the ideas. Vancouver has a certain draw - perhaps not the city for its own sake but the Pacific coast area. So if we look at the area between there and Sicamous/Lake Shuswap... there's Kamloops, Kelowna... a series of hops by car perhaps, or maybe a flight - are there any suitable airfields without going all the way back to Calgary? Would like to include a floatplane trip - can one lake-hop? Would need accommodation each night of course, maybe a nice motel tucked away somewhere scenic...
Some great pics on this site: http://www.okanagan.com/might be some useful links
If you want to see the most spectacular mountain scenery then take the Icefields Parkway from Lake Louise to Jasper. You can head south to Kamloops from there. I don't think anyone would go to Kamloops for it's own sake but it makes a useful stopover point, to either go further westwards or back to the Shuswap area. If you wanted to go all the way to Vancouver from there I'd highly recommend taking highway 99 via Whistler and the Sea-to-Sky highway, then back via either the Frazer Canyon or the Okanogon.
One thing that never ceases to amaze me when driving across the Rockies is the variety of different types of mountain scenery on offer, and you'll see some awesome sights whichever way you go.
One thing that never ceases to amaze me when driving across the Rockies is the variety of different types of mountain scenery on offer, and you'll see some awesome sights whichever way you go.
Kamloops: a s
thole. Well, more of a st trench really. Stretched out along a river valley in land that is geographically a desert.
I'm not sure that there's that much of interest between the west side of the Rockies and Vancouver. We spent an afternoon by the lakeside in a tiny place called Nakusp (I think),which was pretty, but there wasn't much to do except sit by the lakeside. Hope is great if you want to see where First Blood was shot. Otherwise not so much. That lake you mentioned - IIRC it is vaguely X-shaped - good place if you can get onto the lake to to water activities, otherwise a giant PITA to drive around due to its shape (we've done both).
The best route we've taken by road is to stay north and head to Vancouver via Lilloet, Pemberton, Whistler and Squamish. The first of these has scenery, the second not much, the third you could make a holiday of all by itself and is well worth a few days, and the fourth has a neat cable car ride and more bald eagles than the whole of the USA.
Vancouver is a lovely city to spend time in. A bit lime SFO crossed with SEA, and then made better. Once you get there, a floatplane over to Vancouver Island is pretty cool. There are some fantastic beaches on the east coast of the island, and some great stormwatching on the west coast (Tofino, but book accommodation early - the pick of the bunch is the Wickaninish (?sp) Inn which gets booked very early).
Another option is to head waaay north on the mainland to Prince Rupert and then get the ferry down the coast. We've never done that due to the lack of things to stop off for on the road to PR. But the ferry ride is supposed to be amazing.
thole. Well, more of a st trench really. Stretched out along a river valley in land that is geographically a desert. I'm not sure that there's that much of interest between the west side of the Rockies and Vancouver. We spent an afternoon by the lakeside in a tiny place called Nakusp (I think),which was pretty, but there wasn't much to do except sit by the lakeside. Hope is great if you want to see where First Blood was shot. Otherwise not so much. That lake you mentioned - IIRC it is vaguely X-shaped - good place if you can get onto the lake to to water activities, otherwise a giant PITA to drive around due to its shape (we've done both).
The best route we've taken by road is to stay north and head to Vancouver via Lilloet, Pemberton, Whistler and Squamish. The first of these has scenery, the second not much, the third you could make a holiday of all by itself and is well worth a few days, and the fourth has a neat cable car ride and more bald eagles than the whole of the USA.
Vancouver is a lovely city to spend time in. A bit lime SFO crossed with SEA, and then made better. Once you get there, a floatplane over to Vancouver Island is pretty cool. There are some fantastic beaches on the east coast of the island, and some great stormwatching on the west coast (Tofino, but book accommodation early - the pick of the bunch is the Wickaninish (?sp) Inn which gets booked very early).
Another option is to head waaay north on the mainland to Prince Rupert and then get the ferry down the coast. We've never done that due to the lack of things to stop off for on the road to PR. But the ferry ride is supposed to be amazing.
Better pack you jeans and grab a hat to blend in with the stampede. I've done the stampede quite a few times now and for the last couple I've given my liver a break from the 'stampede breakfasts' 
At the stampede - catch the evening show - excellent stuff. You can either buy a stadium seat for the rodeo / chuckwagon races or blend in on your feet down low with everyone else - but make sure you catch the evening show.
We did something similar a couple of years back; here's our route :
We started Calgary - went south, went west, north, and then east again back to Calgary.
Nothing really planned apart from a few days on a houseboat on Shuswap right at the end of the season when we saw the grand total of one other boat on the lake. Very pleasant sitting in the evening with a glass of wine/whisky in the roof top hot tub. Take lots of food / wine / books with you having said that most of them have Siruis radio and internet access.
If you're in Calgary for a few days - one place to go is the Heritage Park. Great little garage of signs / pumps / cars. Then there's the historic town part of the park which is very picturesque but no doubt heaving with people.
The run East to Drum Heller is boring as hell until when you enter Drum Heller and drop down into the crevice. I found the Tyrell museum to be interesting but not something that would hold my interest - a short trip west in the crevice gets you to the hoodoo's which are more interesting for me. Lots of flat landscapes around there. There's a lovely little road goes out to a one horse town called Wayne crossing lots of bridges. .Get yourself a drink at the Last Chance Saloon.
Waterton lakes is lovely and I'd go back there again- We did take some time out to go see the HeadSmashedin Buffalo Jump en-route to Waterton and apart from a small rock face the nice part was how they integrated the visitor centre into the rocks. We'd not do that again.
Lots of lovely little places to see e.g. Franks Slide, Nelson etc. I can thoroughly recommend a place on Cowboy trail (2) leaving Calgary for breakfast - steak and eggs to die for.
We toured about and as I said - had no accommodation booked - sometimes we'd strike out e.g. in Kaslo (lovely small place) but then we'd come up trumps finding Kaslos quaintest hotel. It really was lovely we'd also find cracking prices for rooms at hotels that should be more expensive than they were (in Kimberley).
Osoyoos was lovely - and the journey down into it very pleasing. Nice wine and plenty of fresh fruit.
Lake Louise is very pleasant but will be heaving with people even early in the morning - Moraine Lake is a little bit further of a drive (not much) but is much more dramatic I feel. If you're staying in the Lake Louise area make sure you book a table at the lake Louise Station for evening dinner. Lovely way to finish it off before you head back to Calgary.
There's a back road from Banff that goes into Calgary - I'd advise you taking that one if you want to see wildlife. A 400mm (or larger) lens is close enough for a bear encounter.
You'll have a cracking time - just make sure you understand on the road that pedestrians have right of way over vehicles. Always and watch out for speed traps even through the roads into the mountains want to make you put your foot down.
At the stampede - catch the evening show - excellent stuff. You can either buy a stadium seat for the rodeo / chuckwagon races or blend in on your feet down low with everyone else - but make sure you catch the evening show.
We did something similar a couple of years back; here's our route :
We started Calgary - went south, went west, north, and then east again back to Calgary.
Nothing really planned apart from a few days on a houseboat on Shuswap right at the end of the season when we saw the grand total of one other boat on the lake. Very pleasant sitting in the evening with a glass of wine/whisky in the roof top hot tub. Take lots of food / wine / books with you having said that most of them have Siruis radio and internet access.
If you're in Calgary for a few days - one place to go is the Heritage Park. Great little garage of signs / pumps / cars. Then there's the historic town part of the park which is very picturesque but no doubt heaving with people.
The run East to Drum Heller is boring as hell until when you enter Drum Heller and drop down into the crevice. I found the Tyrell museum to be interesting but not something that would hold my interest - a short trip west in the crevice gets you to the hoodoo's which are more interesting for me. Lots of flat landscapes around there. There's a lovely little road goes out to a one horse town called Wayne crossing lots of bridges. .Get yourself a drink at the Last Chance Saloon.
Waterton lakes is lovely and I'd go back there again- We did take some time out to go see the HeadSmashedin Buffalo Jump en-route to Waterton and apart from a small rock face the nice part was how they integrated the visitor centre into the rocks. We'd not do that again.
Lots of lovely little places to see e.g. Franks Slide, Nelson etc. I can thoroughly recommend a place on Cowboy trail (2) leaving Calgary for breakfast - steak and eggs to die for.
We toured about and as I said - had no accommodation booked - sometimes we'd strike out e.g. in Kaslo (lovely small place) but then we'd come up trumps finding Kaslos quaintest hotel. It really was lovely we'd also find cracking prices for rooms at hotels that should be more expensive than they were (in Kimberley).
Osoyoos was lovely - and the journey down into it very pleasing. Nice wine and plenty of fresh fruit.
Lake Louise is very pleasant but will be heaving with people even early in the morning - Moraine Lake is a little bit further of a drive (not much) but is much more dramatic I feel. If you're staying in the Lake Louise area make sure you book a table at the lake Louise Station for evening dinner. Lovely way to finish it off before you head back to Calgary.
There's a back road from Banff that goes into Calgary - I'd advise you taking that one if you want to see wildlife. A 400mm (or larger) lens is close enough for a bear encounter.
You'll have a cracking time - just make sure you understand on the road that pedestrians have right of way over vehicles. Always and watch out for speed traps even through the roads into the mountains want to make you put your foot down.
Edited by crmcatee on Sunday 1st February 11:57
I have done the Calgary to Vancouver trip a couple of times. Kamloops isn't very good as said earlier.
It may not be of much interest to you depending upon time constraints, but my favourite spots were Vancouver Island and Whistler (this was in the pre winter Olympic days so I don't know what Whistler is like now), I am usually not a great fan of cities but liked Vancouver too. There were commercial float plane operations going from Vancouver to Victoria the Capitol, on the island.
The island has some nice scenery, Victoria is a great spot and Whale watching was a high-light for us.
I love it out there, and have been several times to that side. Given a choice of where to go that is my preferred destination.
It may not be of much interest to you depending upon time constraints, but my favourite spots were Vancouver Island and Whistler (this was in the pre winter Olympic days so I don't know what Whistler is like now), I am usually not a great fan of cities but liked Vancouver too. There were commercial float plane operations going from Vancouver to Victoria the Capitol, on the island.
The island has some nice scenery, Victoria is a great spot and Whale watching was a high-light for us.
I love it out there, and have been several times to that side. Given a choice of where to go that is my preferred destination.
You could head West to Vancouver for a day/night then back to Hope and head off along highway 3 , stunning scenery , lots of golf courses , plenty of stopovers although bear in mind the school holidays , and you might get your float plane trip . Creston is well worth a visit at that time of year for the orchards , and also worth a tour of the Kokanee brewery .
Mt Rushmore in SD would be a 3 day round trip from there , and in all honesty you're better off exploring North of the 49th .
Mt Rushmore in SD would be a 3 day round trip from there , and in all honesty you're better off exploring North of the 49th .
I'm from Calgary and get out to the mountains quite frequently therefore I'll try to list off some good recommendations.
-Stampede is a blast, be sure to go to the Rodeo and chuck wagon races but also stroll down 17th ave for a great party scene or check out some of the giant beer tents downtown. Book your hotel early!!!
-Heading west from Calgary take highway 1A to Canmore instead of highway 1. Nicer scenery and less traffic. From Canmore you'll have to hop back on highway 1 to Banff. (Save highway 1 for the return drive)
-If you're in good shape and want a great hike with amazing views, when at Canmore head up the Smith Dorrian road and hike up Ha Ling Peak. This mountain overlooks Canmore and allows you to get a great view of the Rockies. This hike has a lot of elevation.
-Banff Springs Hotel is a must, expensive but worth it
-Bison restaurant in town is my favorite
-Lake Minnewka just north of the town of Banff (Good driving loop, scenery and often wildlife)
- Leaving Banff and heading west, hop back on highway 1A for better scenery, often wildlife (saw 3 bears last summer) and head to Johnston Canyon for a nice little hike.
-Continue down 1A towards the town of Lake Louise (Baker chalets is a decent place to stop for lunch or the night in their cabins.)
-Once at the town of Lake Louise head up to both Moraine Lake and Lake Louise for great scenery. Lake Louise Chalet is a great place to stay but pricey, there is also an alternative, Deer Lodge that is walking distance to Lake Louise but more affordable.
-From Lake Louise head west and I would highly recommend taking highway 93 north to Jasper. This road offers some of the best views from a vehicle in the Rockies. Lots of places to stop including the Columbia icefields and Athabasca Falls.
-Spend the night in Jasper then head SW on highway 5 towards Kamloops and onto the Shuswap if you already have that planned. The main fun around the Shuswap is on the lake so plan on renting a boat or research float planes around here.
Depending on how long you're in Canada and where you're flying out of you can complete the loop from here back on to highway 1 and head back to Calgary or continue on to Vancouver via highway 99 through Whistler for more scenery.
Vancouver is a beautiful city but it is quite far from Calgary. Maybe you could fly from Kamloops or Kelowna but flights aren't cheap within Canada.
If you do end up driving back to Calgary be sure to check out Takakkaw Falls just north of Field BC along highway 1. Beautiful and large falls. (300m +)
-Stampede is a blast, be sure to go to the Rodeo and chuck wagon races but also stroll down 17th ave for a great party scene or check out some of the giant beer tents downtown. Book your hotel early!!!
-Heading west from Calgary take highway 1A to Canmore instead of highway 1. Nicer scenery and less traffic. From Canmore you'll have to hop back on highway 1 to Banff. (Save highway 1 for the return drive)
-If you're in good shape and want a great hike with amazing views, when at Canmore head up the Smith Dorrian road and hike up Ha Ling Peak. This mountain overlooks Canmore and allows you to get a great view of the Rockies. This hike has a lot of elevation.
-Banff Springs Hotel is a must, expensive but worth it
-Bison restaurant in town is my favorite
-Lake Minnew
ka just north of the town of Banff (Good driving loop, scenery and often wildlife)- Leaving Banff and heading west, hop back on highway 1A for better scenery, often wildlife (saw 3 bears last summer) and head to Johnston Canyon for a nice little hike.
-Continue down 1A towards the town of Lake Louise (Baker chalets is a decent place to stop for lunch or the night in their cabins.)
-Once at the town of Lake Louise head up to both Moraine Lake and Lake Louise for great scenery. Lake Louise Chalet is a great place to stay but pricey, there is also an alternative, Deer Lodge that is walking distance to Lake Louise but more affordable.
-From Lake Louise head west and I would highly recommend taking highway 93 north to Jasper. This road offers some of the best views from a vehicle in the Rockies. Lots of places to stop including the Columbia icefields and Athabasca Falls.
-Spend the night in Jasper then head SW on highway 5 towards Kamloops and onto the Shuswap if you already have that planned. The main fun around the Shuswap is on the lake so plan on renting a boat or research float planes around here.
Depending on how long you're in Canada and where you're flying out of you can complete the loop from here back on to highway 1 and head back to Calgary or continue on to Vancouver via highway 99 through Whistler for more scenery.
Vancouver is a beautiful city but it is quite far from Calgary. Maybe you could fly from Kamloops or Kelowna but flights aren't cheap within Canada.
If you do end up driving back to Calgary be sure to check out Takakkaw Falls just north of Field BC along highway 1. Beautiful and large falls. (300m +)
Thanks to Vagon and fttm for the extra thoughts.
The trip is now largely fixed, all except three days when I'll leave the boat party on Lake Shuswap, and would like to head west to Victoria and Vancouver. I'll have a hire car at my disposal but to save time the idea is to drive to Kelowna, then fly direct to Victoria. Or I could drive to Vancouver I suppose, though am not a fan of driving on the right and would prefer to avoid city driving. So if I fly to Victoria I arrive at 3.45pm on a Thursday, and have until Sunday morning to see as much as possible.
I see that Harbour Air do a wide selection of trips and I'm sure those would fill my time very well, but they publish no times and despite e-mailing them twice have got no further forward. Tourist Offices send me links but don't seem keen to organise/fit together a schedule for me.
This is my 'must-do' trip http://www.harbourair.com/tours/whistler/alpine-la... - so I think one day will be dedicated to Whistler. I wonder if there are any bespoke travel agents to whom I can say 'This is the kind of stuff I like - fix up three days inclusive of everything and send me the bill'?
The trip is now largely fixed, all except three days when I'll leave the boat party on Lake Shuswap, and would like to head west to Victoria and Vancouver. I'll have a hire car at my disposal but to save time the idea is to drive to Kelowna, then fly direct to Victoria. Or I could drive to Vancouver I suppose, though am not a fan of driving on the right and would prefer to avoid city driving. So if I fly to Victoria I arrive at 3.45pm on a Thursday, and have until Sunday morning to see as much as possible.
I see that Harbour Air do a wide selection of trips and I'm sure those would fill my time very well, but they publish no times and despite e-mailing them twice have got no further forward. Tourist Offices send me links but don't seem keen to organise/fit together a schedule for me.
This is my 'must-do' trip http://www.harbourair.com/tours/whistler/alpine-la... - so I think one day will be dedicated to Whistler. I wonder if there are any bespoke travel agents to whom I can say 'This is the kind of stuff I like - fix up three days inclusive of everything and send me the bill'?
Simpo Two said:
This is my 'must-do' trip http://www.harbourair.com/tours/whistler/alpine-la... - so I think one day will be dedicated to Whistler. I wonder if there are any bespoke travel agents to whom I can say 'This is the kind of stuff I like - fix up three days inclusive of everything and send me the bill'?
Done that trip - it is vv good. Probably your best bet is to ring the Whistler office of Harbour Air direct (http://www.harbourair.com/contact-us/).
Heading over for a couple of weeks, arriving a few days before the end at the tail end of Stampede. Holiday being a mixture of seeing friends from my year-in-Calgary and a general holiday. Looking at renting an F150 with an RV body on the back as we fancy heading to the outdoors for a few nights. Although my Britishness wonders at the fuel cost of piloting one of those over to over to family friends in Saskatoon. Might have to economise with a Mustang instead for that week 
Nothing set in stone as of yet.
Nothing set in stone as of yet.downthepub said:
Although my Britishness wonders at the fuel cost of piloting one of those over to over to family friends in Saskatoon.
Unleaded is currently 81.9 in Calgary, which at the current exchange rate is 43p per litre. It's fluctuating quite a bit at the moment though; it's been as low as 71.9 and as high as the mid-90's in the past few weeks. It will be more expensive in Saskatchewan though.downthepub said:
Heading over for a couple of weeks, arriving a few days before the end at the tail end of Stampede. Holiday being a mixture of seeing friends from my year-in-Calgary and a general holiday. Looking at renting an F150 with an RV body on the back as we fancy heading to the outdoors for a few nights. Although my Britishness wonders at the fuel cost of piloting one of those over to over to family friends in Saskatoon. Might have to economise with a Mustang instead for that week Nothing set in stone as of yet.
Bugger all to see between Calgary and Toontown , although it's only a 6/7 hour drive . Might be worth a night at Wascasu Lake while you're there , good hotel and plenty of wildlife . Nothing set in stone as of yet.fttm said:
Bugger all to see between Calgary and Toontown , although it's only a 6/7 hour drive . Might be worth a night at Wascasu Lake while you're there , good hotel and plenty of wildlife .
Yeah, I know, done the drive a few times before. Best sport is "how long can I hold the steering wheel straight before a turn". Think my maximum was about 50km.Gassing Station | USA & Canada | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff