louky52

After our visit to the Canadian Rockies next August, we will be heading from our last stop in Lake Louise down to Seattle. Should we had through Kamloops for an overnight there, or Kelowna? Suggestions please.

kgsneds

Kelowna, or even other places in the Okanagan or the Salmon Arm area. Kamloops is more of a collection of chain hotels on the highway and not particularly scenic.

I stayed near Salmon Arm headed from Canmore to Seattle, and it was really nice. Lake country, so a nice change from the mountains, plus beautiful scenery, good local fruits/veggies and the lake for a morning swim!

louky52

Thanks, Kelowna it is then.

elbegewa

I totally agree re heading to either the area around Salmon Arm or Kelowna for your stop (lots depends on how far you get on the drive).

I know you have a full lengthy trip planned, but its a pity that you aren't including Vancouver BC. Even though I live in Seattle, if it were me, I'd trade all my days and nights in Seattle for equivalent days/nights in Vancouver BC and just dive through Seattle (or spend a night there), on your lengthy trip.

Seattle has lots to offer, and is a great destination. But it is more like the typical American city. Vancouver is very much different.
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/canada/vancouver
and
https://www.tourismvancouver.com/

elbegewa

Here's a map to get to Seattle via Vancouver:
https://goo.gl/maps/AGqdJhFynuL2
or, an alternative that's longer but with more features, going throuogh Whistler (Whistler and Vancouver were the site of the Winter Olympics:
https://goo.gl/maps/6mTvtAqvdYy

Downtown Whistler is much different from Banff and Lake Louise - its center is pedestrian only
https://www.whistler.com/summer/vid/
Between Whistler and Vancouver, 1/2 of the trip is alongside a lengthy fjord: Howe Sound: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...et=-1&filter=7

louky52

elbegewa, thanks for the advice, but we are visitng and staying with friends in Seattle. We plan to save Vancouver for a future trip so we can devote a good period of time to see that area. I would love to see it, but don't want it to be a drive by or just a day or two.

elbegewa

In that case, *if* pressed for time, you could drive from Lake Louise down hwy 93 through Kootenay National Park to Radium Hot Springs to Cranbrook thence 95 to Sandpoint and Spokane, thence Seattle.

We've driven between Seattle & Alberta once or twice a year for 20 years and that's how we usually go ... less traffic, good roads, and faster (the Trans Canada 1 has lots of traffic and is 2 lane much of the way). However, it's a bit less scenic than using the Trans Canada.