Dave

My wife and I and our 4 month old baby are flying out to Calgary on Sept 29th for a quick 1 week tour of the Banff Jasper area. I would appreciate any suggestions on the following questions: How long we should stay in Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper (or any place in between) respectively and any thoughts on some fairly easy hikes (baby would be carried on my front) or attractions that we could do or see with a baby. Suggestions on good experiences with moderately priced ($100-$130) accommodation in Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper would help. How long does it take to drive from Lake Louise to Jasper with the normal tourist stops along the way (say at the ice fields or anywhere else you can recommend). Should we be staying overnight on the way to Jasper or on the way back or both? <BR> <BR>Any help or suggestions on the above would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

Grant

Dave, <BR> <BR>My wife and I were in the Canadian Rockies at the end of July. Best vacation we've ever taken. I would start by spending a full day in Calgary, it deserves at least that much. Another recommendation would be to hit the Olympic Centre on the outskirts of town (try the luge!). We avoided the Trans-Canada as much as possible, driving through Cochrane and ranch country on 1A. The Western Heritage Centre was okay, but not a must see. In Banff and LL, be sure to check out the CP Chateaus, even if you're not staying there. At least stop by for lunch or a drink and soak in the atmosphere. We didn't think that LL deserved much more that the couple hours we spent there. Unlike Banff, there's not a whole lot to do. Give Banff at least a couple days. Take the Bow Valley Pkwy from Banff to LL. The Icefields Pkwy from LL to Jasper is spectacular. Spend the whole day taking the drive, as there are too many spots to pull off for hiking and photo opps. For specifics, consult The Rough Guide: Canada. It steered us right on everything from driving to dining to hiking. The only thing Banff and Jasper have in common is spectacular scenery. The latter is far more laid back, less sophisticated. It's almost a vacation in itself after being in Banff! For low cost, in-town lodging, try the Athabasca Hotel. Be sure and have a skillet breakfast at their restaurant in the morning. Again, even if you're not staying there, check out the Jasper Park Lodge. Try to take the Jasper Tramway and hike (huff and puff) to the top of Whistler's Mountain. Enjoy!

lisa

Dave: If you search this forum using the words "Canadian Rockies" or "Banff" or "Jasper" you will bring up a lot of threads with good recommendations about where to stay, what to do, etc. <BR>Since you only have a week, I would disagree with the previous poster and head straight out of Calgary and spend all your time in Banff and Jasper. I would stay in Banff for at least 3 nights because there's a lot to do there. One night in Lake Louise. 3 nights in Jasper (could do 2 if you want to stop one night on the drive between Banff and Jasper). You are heading into gorgeous country -- have a great time.

Wendy

Dave, <BR> We took our children (6 and 11) to Alberta this summer for a great family vacation .In Banff/Lake Louise,we stayed in a little cabin recommended in the Fodor's Canada book. It is called Castle Mountain Village (403-762-3868) and is located half way between Banff and Lake Louise on the Bow Valley Parkway.Traveling with a baby you might enjoy being in a cabin with a kitchen. Also convenient is the coin laundry on site. The location is half way between Banff and Lake Louise. It was a very easy ride (20 min.?) to both towns. Though you don't have the convenience of pushing the stroller out of your hotel into the center of town, you do avoid the crowds of Banff center and also avoid moving hotels with one in Banff and another in Lake Louise! Though small, the cabins are very clean and quiet with a beautiful view. The park ranger information center in the center of Banff gave us plenty of choices of family friendly hikes. Whether or not you choose to stay on the Icefields Parkway overnight or drive straight through depends on how well you and the baby do with all day driving and how many stops and hikes you choose to do along the way. We left Banff around 10 am and stopped to take pictures, picnic, and do a small hike at Peyto Lake (well worth the stop). We made it to the Athabasca Glacier around 2:30. By the time we finished the ice bus ride on the Glacier it was around 4. We did not continue all the way up to Jasper as we were leaving the next day. We chose to drive for about 40 minutes just to see scenery then turned around and headed back toward Banff. By then it was close to 6. We stopped about an hour out of Lake Louise (and about 30 minutes south of the Icefields Center) at a hotel called The Crossing(403-761-7000). It was clean and basic, with a restaurant on site for dinner. I think it is a big tour bus stop during the day for lunch.I hope this is helpful. Have a wonderful trip! Its a very beautiful place.

Diane Moll

We just returned from Canmore/Banff/Lake Louise area just two weeks ago. The weather was spectular. It was a short vacation after a work week in Seattle. We too flew into Calgary, rented a car and headed for Canmore. While our accomodation there was suitable, I was not overly impressed with that particular area. We did find however Lake Louise to be our favorite spot. We spent 2 different days in and out of Banff, but really found that to be a bit too touristy for us. On the way up to Lake Louise we took a side trip to Moraine Lake, worth the time. We checked out the cabins at Castle Mountain Village and I agree with a previous post that they were quite nice. We however, stayed at Paradise Lodge & Bungalows just down the road from the Chateau Lake Louise. Very, very nice - comfortable, kitchen, nice showers and a deck with lovely view, and in your price range. Their website is: www.paradiselodge.com. Drove almost to Jasper but time would not allow us to go all the way, we did stop at the icefields along the way, looked like an interesting tour but the wait was too long, also many, many tourists. If I can give you any specifics, please feel free to email me directly. Diane Moll. <BR> <BR>

sue

For info on all areas mention (I live in Calgary and my Mom lived in Banff and Jasper). Check out my slightly silly yet informative website at: <BR>http://www.telusplanet.net/public/al...ravelpage.html <BR>