ADVICE? Driving from Calgary Eastward
 

Hello All!
We will be driving from Calgary back to Ontario end of May/early June. Should we take # 1 (southerly route, via Regina) or #16 (from Edmonton, thru Sakatoon, etc)? Which route offers the best sights, and why? Thanks in advance for your help!

If you get anywhere near Regina, pay a visit to legendary gas station worker "Dick Assman".

Look up his legend on Google before you go.

(*** and yes, this is a real person, made famous for a short while by a real late night talk show host)

From Calgary, the logical route would be southerly unless there was some outstanding reason you wanted to visit Edmonton or Saskatoon.

I've done the drive back and forth a few times, and I suppose it depends where in Ontario you're going, but for me, driving through the States will save you time and money in gas. We were always driving through, not sightseeing, but you can visit Mt. Rushmore, the Wind Cave Park and Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota if you've never been. Or even stop for a day or two in Chicago....which is a great city.

Going through Canada offers you the rugged beauty of Northern Ontario, but if you've spent time in the Rockies, you can't compare the two. <):)

Goodness, I hate to say this but don't travel #1 east from Calgary. BORING highway. From Brooks to Medicine hat there is about a 30 km stretch where you could tie the steering wheel to the door and sleep - that straight.

Southern Saskatchewan is not attractive unless you like endless wheat fields. There is not much of anything until you get about an hour east of Winnipeg and hit the Canadian Shield.

Go through Edmonton and Saskatoon - somewhat better but not great scenery, or try the US as the other poster said.

Hi Larry,
There is no reason to drive 3 hrs. from Calgary to Edmonton along the boring #2 highway, to avoid another boring drive. :-?
If you did want to go via Saskatoon, I would go across country via Three Hills and Drumheller for a change of pace. That drive would be only a couple hours more to Winnipeg than going directly from Calgary.
I guess it depends on what you're looking for as far as "sights" are concerned.

Driving north and then driving south again makes no sense.

As you appraoch the Saskatchewan border, get out your maps and find a route more or less parallel to the highway, but south. You'll be in great rolling cowboy-style land.

Around REgina, while there's no land stickingup, there are valleys that are beautiful.

East of Regina, look for Moose Mountain Park.

I've done all this several times, and it's a good drive.

But, as someone suggested, there's perhaps even more to be said for going though the USA.

BAK

Hi. We tend to be a bit practical doing lots of long distance drives to visit family. Drive straight through from Calgary to Winnipeg on one day and get the prarie part over with. Then take the rest of your time to leisurely enjoy the Canadian Shield and all the lakes and resorts and camp areas from Eastrn Manitoba through to hour home in Ontario. Childrenès Festival is often on in early June so if you have small family members you may wish to take that in.

As a child, we would drive every summer from Calgary to southern Manitoba to visit my grandparents. We used to leave in the evening and drive all night long. I think so we kids would sleep a good part of the way. However, I recall seeing some of the most amazing northern lights displays as we went through Saskatchewan. As we got older, we did more daylight travelling. I actually find the prairies quite lovely to drive through.

If you drive straight from Calgary to Winnipeg, it's about a 14 hour drive. If that's too much for you (it is for most people) go to Regina and stop for the night and carry on the next day.