pdeepak

Hi,

I am planning a road trip from Seattle to Vancouver all the way to Dawson city with 3 adults & 2 kids in July, here is a tentative plan, would appreciate any specifics in terms of not to miss places, general hotels to stay & if this seems feasible at all.

12 July Vancouver- Revelstock
13 July Revelstock-Banff
14 July Banff-Mc Bride
15 July Mc Bride-Jade city
16 July Jade city-White horse
17 July Whitehorse -Dawson city
18 July Rest day
19 July Dawson city-White horse
20 July White horse- Good hope
21 July Good hope-Kitwanga
22 July Kitwanga-Quesnel
23 July Quesnel-Vancouver

I can extend this to 28th July.

-DP

BC_Robyn

Not to miss is Barkerville, about an hour drive east of Quesnel. It's the original gold rush town, the largest of its kind north of San Francisco, west of Chicago, back in the 1860s. It would be a real shame to just speed by it. Ideally you'll want to spend a night or two in Quesnel (or even closer to Barkerville, like the tiny town of Wells) so you can spend an entire day in Barkerville:

https://www.barkerville.ca/

Also, it's Revelstoke, not Revelstock.

Finally, if you can extend this several more days, which you say you can, I would highly encourage you to do so. You're spending almost your entire time driving and no time spending time in the destinations upon your arrival. You will want a few days in some of these places. Banff, for example, deserves a few days. Then you'll want a few days in Jasper before heading to McBride. Quesnel needs a night or two so you can experience Barkerville properly. Vancouver can easily occupy 3 days at the minimum, or even more if you want to spend time in the surrounding nature and wilderness, which Vancouver is famous for.

mdinbc

This sounds like a rushed trip with an awful lot of driving! I'm not sure how old the kids are but they may be bored with that much driving. Do you realize McBride to Jade City is 16 hours? That's not stopping for lunch, construction (which of course always happens in summer) or interesting sites.
The sites in the Rockies demand taking your time. Banff, Lake Louise, and a stop at Johnston Canyon north of Banff for an amazing hike. There are too many sites to mention, that you don't want to rush because you've got to be at a certain spot by a certain time. Allow yourself some flexibility if you can. We stayed in the cabins at Johnston Canyon instead of Banff, since Banff fills up quickly and hotels are expensive. Jasper is a lovely town with lots of hiking opportunities, and a tram up to the mountaintop.
Take the extra days if possible, otherwise it may be just a long drive with bored kids. I've only been as far as Meziadin Junction, and then to Stewart which is a beautiful trip.
There is so much beauty to see in BC, but hate for most of your sites to be rushed.

pdeepak

Thanks BC_Robyn & mdinbc....Agree too much driving, kids are 13 & 6....extending the trip from July 10th to 30th - as you suggested Banff needs at least 3 days & another 2 for Jasper - reworking the routes...

mdinbc

I love a road trip, but we have certain rules. On routes we have seen we can make a bee-line to where we want to be for the evening, even if it means driving all day. Otherwise, I like to do around 4 - 6 hours max per day. Granted there are parts of BC with a whole lot of nothing but highway and trees. McBride to Prince George for instance... a very long 2.5 hours, but keep your eyes out for bears and moose. If you have room for camping supplies it would add another dimension to the trip. There are some beautiful campgrounds that may give you those magical quiet moments or opportunities for the kids to meet others.

mdinbc

Also... have you thought of ferrying back? You could go Whitehorse to Juneau, take the Alaska Ferry to Prince Rupert, then BC Ferry down to Vancouver Island (Port Hardy). Tour down Vancouver Island and another ferry back from Victoria. I know the ferry is more expensive, but a very unique experience.