Itinerary help Calgary to Whistler
Jan 6th, 2007 | 05:19 PM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 8
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Itinerary help Calgary to Whistler
Hi
I will be travelling by hire car Calgary to Whistler from 10 June to 30 June. I wish to also visit Drumheller(?dinosaur park), and Glacier NP/Waterton. I am wanting to spend a couple of days in Whistler for mountain biking. I am not into day hikes, but hikes of a few hours. Also, will there be problems with Whistler and construction for the olympics at that time? Any recommendations for accom in Whistler? I will be spending 5 days in Vancouver/Victoria prior to a 7 day cruise and 9 day tour of Alaska - the trip from Calgary follows this. Any recommendations?
I will be travelling by hire car Calgary to Whistler from 10 June to 30 June. I wish to also visit Drumheller(?dinosaur park), and Glacier NP/Waterton. I am wanting to spend a couple of days in Whistler for mountain biking. I am not into day hikes, but hikes of a few hours. Also, will there be problems with Whistler and construction for the olympics at that time? Any recommendations for accom in Whistler? I will be spending 5 days in Vancouver/Victoria prior to a 7 day cruise and 9 day tour of Alaska - the trip from Calgary follows this. Any recommendations?
Jan 6th, 2007 | 11:13 PM
#2
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 3,501
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Hi gizzymo,
My husband and I did a day trip from Vancouver to Whistler in July 2006. There was some construction on the Sea to Sky Highway (Hwy #99), but it delayed us only a little. We did not run into any construction in Whistler itself.
I don't know if I've correctly understood the Calgary - Whistler portion of your journey. I'm guessing you'll be flying from Alaska to Calgary, but I don't know what time you'll arrive in Calgary. I assume that the 2 days of mountain biking has to come out of the June 10th to June 30th period that you've allotted for the drive from Calgary to Whistler. I don't know on which day you have to leave Whistler. Anyway, here is a suggested itinerary that is based on my understanding of what you want:
10 – Land in Calgary.
11 – Explore Calgary.
12 – Drive to Drumheller, visit Royal Tyrrell Museum.
13 – Drive to Brooks, visit Dinosaur Provincial Park.
14 – Second day in Dinosaur Provincial Park and second night in Brooks.
15 – Drive to Waterton.
16 – Explore Waterton Lakes National Park.
17, 18, 19 – Glacier National Park. (Drive to the east side of Glacier National Park, drive westwards on the Going to the Sun Road, and emerge at the west end of Glacier National Park, in the vicinity of West Glacier / Whitefish, Montana.)
20 – Drive from West Glacier / Whitefish, through Cranbrook, British Columbia, up to Lake Louise, Alberta (or, if you prefer, Banff, Alberta).
21, 22, 23 – From your Lake Louise or Banff townsite base, explore Banff and Yoho National Parks.
24 – Drive the Icefields Parkway (Hwy #93) to Jasper.
25, 26 – From your Jasper townsite base, explore Jasper National Park.
27 – Drive to Clearwater, BC or Sun Peaks, BC.
28 – Drive to Whistler.
29, 30 – Whistler.
If you read the sample itineraries on my website, you'll get ideas of what to see in Calgary and in Banff, Yoho and Jasper National Parks:
http://groups.msn.com/CalgaryandCana...kiesTravelTips
Hope that helps.
My husband and I did a day trip from Vancouver to Whistler in July 2006. There was some construction on the Sea to Sky Highway (Hwy #99), but it delayed us only a little. We did not run into any construction in Whistler itself.
I don't know if I've correctly understood the Calgary - Whistler portion of your journey. I'm guessing you'll be flying from Alaska to Calgary, but I don't know what time you'll arrive in Calgary. I assume that the 2 days of mountain biking has to come out of the June 10th to June 30th period that you've allotted for the drive from Calgary to Whistler. I don't know on which day you have to leave Whistler. Anyway, here is a suggested itinerary that is based on my understanding of what you want:
10 – Land in Calgary.
11 – Explore Calgary.
12 – Drive to Drumheller, visit Royal Tyrrell Museum.
13 – Drive to Brooks, visit Dinosaur Provincial Park.
14 – Second day in Dinosaur Provincial Park and second night in Brooks.
15 – Drive to Waterton.
16 – Explore Waterton Lakes National Park.
17, 18, 19 – Glacier National Park. (Drive to the east side of Glacier National Park, drive westwards on the Going to the Sun Road, and emerge at the west end of Glacier National Park, in the vicinity of West Glacier / Whitefish, Montana.)
20 – Drive from West Glacier / Whitefish, through Cranbrook, British Columbia, up to Lake Louise, Alberta (or, if you prefer, Banff, Alberta).
21, 22, 23 – From your Lake Louise or Banff townsite base, explore Banff and Yoho National Parks.
24 – Drive the Icefields Parkway (Hwy #93) to Jasper.
25, 26 – From your Jasper townsite base, explore Jasper National Park.
27 – Drive to Clearwater, BC or Sun Peaks, BC.
28 – Drive to Whistler.
29, 30 – Whistler.
If you read the sample itineraries on my website, you'll get ideas of what to see in Calgary and in Banff, Yoho and Jasper National Parks:
http://groups.msn.com/CalgaryandCana...kiesTravelTips
Hope that helps.
Jan 13th, 2007 | 03:27 PM
#3
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 373
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Hi, I like the Horstman house at Whistler. The rooms all have full kitchen and is on the free bus route. Also have area to lock up your bike. If the weather is nice take the gondola up whistler and then the peak chair up to the top. Great views and short hikes up there.
Jan 17th, 2007 | 07:35 AM
#4
Guest
Posts: n/a
My two cents, but you will probably find one day at the Royal Tyrell and one day at Dinosaur PP more than enough - I've never found a third day to be necessary. I have done this trip many, many times with guests from out of town, and two days are plenty. This would give you an extra day at any of the other sites along the way you fancy eg) extra day of mtn biking in Whistler, which is really great. You might be interested to know that there is world class mountain biking trails in Canmore, at the Canmore Nordic Centre. The trails go from easy to extremely difficult, the Nordic Centre holds world class mtn biking events, and you would definitely have a good day of riding there. Just in case you're not familiar with the area, Canmore is about 20min east of Banff.
Jan 22nd, 2007 | 12:09 AM
#5
Original Poster
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Thank you for your help. Another query - if I were to skip Dinosair Park and just visit Drumheller (following researching Fodors), would I take a different route to Waterton, and where should I stop off on the way? Thanks
Jan 22nd, 2007 | 06:25 AM
#6
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 3,501
Likes: 0
Go to Map Quest ( www.mapquest.com ).
Click on the "Directions" icon.
Request directions from Drumheller AB to Waterton Park AB.
The website will give you a map.
The drive will take you 4.5 hours, not counting stops.
You don't have to stop on the way, but you could do a detour and visit Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Interpretive Centre between Fort Macleod and Pincher Creek. If you did that, it would add 3 hours to your day (2 hours to go through the museum and 1 hour of extra driving).
HSIBIC depicts the traditional lifestyle of the First Nations people of the plains. I personally find it fascinating, but not everyone does. You would know if that sort of thing interests you or not.
I wonder if you've actually read my website, to which I provided a link. If you had read it you might have found, on the TIPS page, the link to another page entitled Driving Times & Distances which, in turn, has a link to the Map Quest website.
Click on the "Directions" icon.
Request directions from Drumheller AB to Waterton Park AB.
The website will give you a map.
The drive will take you 4.5 hours, not counting stops.
You don't have to stop on the way, but you could do a detour and visit Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Interpretive Centre between Fort Macleod and Pincher Creek. If you did that, it would add 3 hours to your day (2 hours to go through the museum and 1 hour of extra driving).
HSIBIC depicts the traditional lifestyle of the First Nations people of the plains. I personally find it fascinating, but not everyone does. You would know if that sort of thing interests you or not.
I wonder if you've actually read my website, to which I provided a link. If you had read it you might have found, on the TIPS page, the link to another page entitled Driving Times & Distances which, in turn, has a link to the Map Quest website.
