Itinerary Needed for Pacific NW, Canadian Rockies & Vancouver
May 10th, 2017, 01:29 PM
#1
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Itinerary Needed for Pacific NW, Canadian Rockies & Vancouver
Hi -
I feel so blessed to be able to take an 8 week sabbatical from work this summer. My husband is able to take 3 weeks off right at the beginning of July for us to travel with our 5 year old son. We travel extensively internationally but this time want to explore closer to home. We're interested in going to Portland, Washington, the Canadian Rockies and Vancouver. We'll want to visit any highly recommended national parks, restaurants (Indian/Italian/Mexican/Thai/Desserts), wineries and breweries, and anything that our son would especially enjoy. We're also open to any fun or adventurous excursions or activities (air/land/water). I've got the Canadian national parks pass for 2017 already. We haven't booked anything yet so we're open to flying open jaw and doing any or all of this as a road trip. All recommendations are welcome to form an amazing itinerary.
I feel so blessed to be able to take an 8 week sabbatical from work this summer. My husband is able to take 3 weeks off right at the beginning of July for us to travel with our 5 year old son. We travel extensively internationally but this time want to explore closer to home. We're interested in going to Portland, Washington, the Canadian Rockies and Vancouver. We'll want to visit any highly recommended national parks, restaurants (Indian/Italian/Mexican/Thai/Desserts), wineries and breweries, and anything that our son would especially enjoy. We're also open to any fun or adventurous excursions or activities (air/land/water). I've got the Canadian national parks pass for 2017 already. We haven't booked anything yet so we're open to flying open jaw and doing any or all of this as a road trip. All recommendations are welcome to form an amazing itinerary.
May 10th, 2017, 07:17 PM
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- I would highly recommend looking into the Rocky Mountaineer and take that train through the Rockies, but a car with kids will be easier.
- Visit Granville Island in Vancouver
- Take a beer tour via https://vancouverbrewerytours.com/ or if you want to combine a seaplane ride and beer tour check out https://butiqescapes.com/escape/seaplane-brew-tour/
- Visit Revelstoke and your son would most likely love the Mountain Coaster https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJxFbO0G94k
- As for wineries head out towards Mission/Abbotsford and you'll find a pretty dang good selection to visit unless you stop in the Okanagan on your way home..if you do, head to Oliver BC and specifically the Upper Bench wine region.
- Visit Granville Island in Vancouver
- Take a beer tour via https://vancouverbrewerytours.com/ or if you want to combine a seaplane ride and beer tour check out https://butiqescapes.com/escape/seaplane-brew-tour/
- Visit Revelstoke and your son would most likely love the Mountain Coaster https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJxFbO0G94k
- As for wineries head out towards Mission/Abbotsford and you'll find a pretty dang good selection to visit unless you stop in the Okanagan on your way home..if you do, head to Oliver BC and specifically the Upper Bench wine region.
May 11th, 2017, 12:30 PM
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I disagree about the Rocky Mountaineer. It's a very expensive tourist train and in your situation you have the time to drive, stopping where you want. With a five-year old that's even more important. I would take about half your 3 weeks in Portland, Washington, and Vancouver.
After Vancouver, I would plan about 10 days. Take Hwy 3 to Osoyoos, then travel up the Okanagan Valley to Sicamous. From there follow the Trans-Canada Highway (Hwy 1) through Revelstoke, Glacier, Yoho and Banff National Parks. Then take the Icefields Parkway from Lake Louise to Jasper. After Jasper, follow the Yellowed Highway South-West to Kamloops. You can return to Vancouver either along the Trans-Canada through the Fraser Canyon, or take the faster Coquihalla Highway to Hope and then on to Vancouver. There are lots of interesting places to overnight along the way depending on your interests.
If you wanted to do this open-jaw, you might consider flying home from Calgary. In that case, from Jasper return to Lake Louise and Banff on the Icefields Parkway, as each direction is interesting in its own right. You could either stay a night or two in Calgary, or depending on your flight time, stay in Banff or Canmore and drive to Calgary airport from there.
After Vancouver, I would plan about 10 days. Take Hwy 3 to Osoyoos, then travel up the Okanagan Valley to Sicamous. From there follow the Trans-Canada Highway (Hwy 1) through Revelstoke, Glacier, Yoho and Banff National Parks. Then take the Icefields Parkway from Lake Louise to Jasper. After Jasper, follow the Yellowed Highway South-West to Kamloops. You can return to Vancouver either along the Trans-Canada through the Fraser Canyon, or take the faster Coquihalla Highway to Hope and then on to Vancouver. There are lots of interesting places to overnight along the way depending on your interests.
If you wanted to do this open-jaw, you might consider flying home from Calgary. In that case, from Jasper return to Lake Louise and Banff on the Icefields Parkway, as each direction is interesting in its own right. You could either stay a night or two in Calgary, or depending on your flight time, stay in Banff or Canmore and drive to Calgary airport from there.
May 14th, 2017, 11:32 AM
#4
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Should we fly into Portland and pick up a car and keep it for Portland and Washington? Then how should we get to Vancouver - drive from Washington or fly? Do we need a car in Vencouver? Do we drive from Vancouver to Calgary?
May 15th, 2017, 12:43 PM
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Have you booked accommodation for the Rockies??!
If you don't have accommodation yet, you need to book ASAP!! With Canada's 150 anniversary, free parks passes and the low CAN $$, we're expecting record-breaking crowds in the parks this summer and hotels are selling out or sold out. You may well be fairly limited as to accommodation, especially if you are on a budget.
If you want to visit Jasper/Banff/Lake Louise/Field, Revy etc., I suggest looking for accommodation ASAP and building your trip around availability there. Avoid the August long weekend (August 4-7) when things are likely sold out and try to do Jasper during the week.
In Jasper, hotels are pretty much selling out. Best bet is to go with private home accommodations (B&Bs more or less): www.stayinjasper.com . If LL/Banff have no availability or are too expensive, try Canmore.
I would strongly suggest doing the Icefields Parkway drive twice -- it's one of the most scenic drives in the world. If it happens to be cloudy or rainy and you're only doing it once, big bummer. And at 5 year old pace, you'll want two full days to explore all the sites.
General suggestion is to allow about a week in the Rockies. I like the idea of flying (to/)from Calgary.
You can drive or fly from Seattle to Vancouver, however you will likely find it impossible to a one way cross border rental (usually Seattle to Vancouver is the only route allowed). Plus one way rental also almost always incur significant one way fees.
I'd look into returning you car in Seattle and taking the train to Vancouver. Do Vancouver (don't need or want a car in the city). With only three weeks total and a 5-year old, I'd probably suggest flying to Calgary. Would save you one way rental fees and give you a bit more relaxed time in the Rockies. Plus more flexibility to find accommodation. Allot 2-3 nights in Jasper and 3-4 nights in Banff/LL/Canmore. Spend your last night in of the latter before you fly out of Calgary.
If you don't have accommodation yet, you need to book ASAP!! With Canada's 150 anniversary, free parks passes and the low CAN $$, we're expecting record-breaking crowds in the parks this summer and hotels are selling out or sold out. You may well be fairly limited as to accommodation, especially if you are on a budget.
If you want to visit Jasper/Banff/Lake Louise/Field, Revy etc., I suggest looking for accommodation ASAP and building your trip around availability there. Avoid the August long weekend (August 4-7) when things are likely sold out and try to do Jasper during the week.
In Jasper, hotels are pretty much selling out. Best bet is to go with private home accommodations (B&Bs more or less): www.stayinjasper.com . If LL/Banff have no availability or are too expensive, try Canmore.
I would strongly suggest doing the Icefields Parkway drive twice -- it's one of the most scenic drives in the world. If it happens to be cloudy or rainy and you're only doing it once, big bummer. And at 5 year old pace, you'll want two full days to explore all the sites.
General suggestion is to allow about a week in the Rockies. I like the idea of flying (to/)from Calgary.
You can drive or fly from Seattle to Vancouver, however you will likely find it impossible to a one way cross border rental (usually Seattle to Vancouver is the only route allowed). Plus one way rental also almost always incur significant one way fees.
I'd look into returning you car in Seattle and taking the train to Vancouver. Do Vancouver (don't need or want a car in the city). With only three weeks total and a 5-year old, I'd probably suggest flying to Calgary. Would save you one way rental fees and give you a bit more relaxed time in the Rockies. Plus more flexibility to find accommodation. Allot 2-3 nights in Jasper and 3-4 nights in Banff/LL/Canmore. Spend your last night in of the latter before you fly out of Calgary.
May 16th, 2017, 10:11 AM
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we haven't booked anything yet. i'll definitely start looking into accommodations for the rockies portion of the trip first. thanks for the suggestion!!
we have max 18 days but it could turn out to be less depending on airfare/accommodations - do you think i should cut out portland/washington from this trip and just do canadian rockies and vancouver? fly into one and out of the other?
we have max 18 days but it could turn out to be less depending on airfare/accommodations - do you think i should cut out portland/washington from this trip and just do canadian rockies and vancouver? fly into one and out of the other?
