Please feel free to comment on my proposed agenda on our up coming trip to the Canandian Rockies this July.

Do I have us doing too many things & not enough days? Am I missing anything?

Arrive: Sat, July 9th in Calgary (from Detroit, MI area) Rest one day & spend Monday, July 11th at Royal Tyrrell Museum.

Any recommandations for RV parks in Calgary?

Tues, July 12 & 13th reservations at Mt. Kidd, Kananskis area.
visit area...peter lougheed park
Do hiking in area

Thur. July 14th, 15th, 16th stay at Tunnel Mountain, Banff.
visit area attrations: yoho (Emerald Lake), lake louise, lake moraine

Sunday July 17th travel the Ice Field Parkway
Sno coach ride
Athabasca Falls
(Can we do both the sno coach ride and the Athabasca in one day?)

Check in at Whislters Campground July 17, 18, 19, 20, 21
Tramway up to Whistler Mt.
Whitewater Rafting
Mt. Edith Cavel
Maligne Canyon
Miette Hot Springs

July 21st drive back through the ice field parkway
See any other attrations....like Peyto Lake & Sunwapta Falls

thanks, I got a lot of information off this site to help in planning our trip.
thanks for any comments! jeanine

Hi again, Jeanine,

Your itinerary looks very good to me.

I followed your signature, and found the previous thread that you started a while back. That helped to refresh my memory about the fact that you'd be coming to this area from Detroit.

I don't know which routes you'll be using to reach Calgary and to return home. If you'll be using the TransCanada Highway (Hwy #1) to drive through Moose Jaw and Swift Current, Saskatchewan and Medicine Hat and Brooks, Alberta, it actually would make sense to do the relatively short detour north from Hwy #1 to visit the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller <b>before </b> you reached Calgary. If you visited Drumheller from your base in Calgary, you might be double backing on the route you'd already driven, depending on which route you'd used to access Calgary. Another alternative is to visit Drumheller <b>after</b> Calgary and the mountains, again depending on which route you'll use to get home.

Yes, you can ride the Snocoach and see Athabasca Falls in one day. You may even be able to fit Peyto Lake and Sunwapta Falls into that day as well.

I don't believe you'll be able to drive your motorhome to Mount Edith Cavell, as the road that leads to it has tight bends. If you'll be pulling a toad you'll be able to use it to reach Mount Edith Cavell. But there will be more than enough to keep you occupied in the Jasper area anyway.

Hope you have a great trip.

Thanks Judy, that what I has hoping to get help with....making sure we weren't backtracking, etc...So the tip about going up to the Royal Tyrell Museaum first is a good one!

We actually haven't completely firmed up our route out, except we were looking at going through the northern states up into Saskachewan and accross hwy 1 into Calagry. NOw I see what you mean about back tracking.

Do you think we should find a camp before we get to Drumheller and stay there the night of July 9th (sunday), then drive up to Drumheller and after a day at Drumheller drive toward Calagry (or past towards our next destanation which would be Mt. Kidd) and check into a camp site for July 10 &amp; July 11th before moving to Mt. Kidd July 12th? Any recommdations for camp parks?

I relize that the calgary stampede will be in town that weekend, so I figured camp parks will be busy. At this point, we have decided to forgo the Calgary Stampede--too many other things everyone wants to see &amp; would prefer to put money in that direction.

Yes, we are planning on towing--so, we should be able to eventually get up to Mt. Edith Cavel.

Just a side note about Drumheller. I was on the phone with a very helpful &amp; informative gentleman at one of your providence parks and he was telling me Drumheller is interesting place it visit because it has such a different landscape from the rockies area. He said that he needs to warn people about the bears and the park services in Drumheller need to warn people about rattle snakes!! I had to laugh---will I be able to let my kids out of the motor home?

We are really looking forward to the trip &amp; the kids are getting very excited! thanks again, jeanine

Hello Jeanine,

Something you could consider doing is spending the night of the 9th in or near Brooks, Alberta. Then you could spend the 10th exploring Dinosaur Provincial Park. Spend the night of the 10th in the same campground.

On the 11th you could drive 2 hours to Drumheller, visit the Tyrrell, and spend the night in Drumheller.

Then on the 12th you could drive to Mt. Kidd. You could by-pass Calgary by driving Drumheller - Beiseker - Airdrie - Cochrane .... and proceed as if you're going to Banff. However, before you reach Canmore, turn south onto Hwy #40, which takes you down into Kananaskis Country.

If you aren't planning to take in the Stampede, I don't know if there is any point in visiting Calgary and competing for spaces in campgrounds around Calgary, which I imagine are busy during Stampede.

Sorry, I'm not familiar with the campgrounds in the Drumheller and Brooks areas. I'm mean I've driven past campgrounds, but have not been into any of them.

Here's a web site that lists campgrounds in the Brooks area, in case you're interested:

http://www.brookslodging.worldweb.com/Campgrounds/

Here's a listing for Drumheller:

http://www.drumhellerlodging.worldwe...nds/index.html

Your plan looks ok. I have done the Icefields Parkway more than once.
My only suggestion is to think more about what you want to stop and see as you drive along it.

There is a world class view at every turn. There are so many that, in fact, I think the average person gets saturated.

Last year we drove the whole thing to Jasper and beyond in one day because we had a long ways to go that day. But it was hard, very hard to pass by some of the trails we always took in the past.

Don't worry, we had done them all before. Some, we had taken 3 or 4 times! And, I will make up for it in late August!

But, I do urge you to get a copy of The Canadian Rockies Trail Guide by Bart Robinson and Brian Patton and at least get an idea of what you will be missing on this quick run through you have planned. This guide is the best of its kind in English.

For example, as you drive up the Icefields Parkway, think for a few minutes about how few people even know Panther Falls are there, and strongly consider taking the short walk down to see them.

They are not highly visible because they are recessed deeply in the rock and there is no really top level viewing area. If you do walk down, go prepared for rain. The spray from the falls is the equal of a good thunderstorm.

I remember we came back once from viewing the falls on a very clear day. We got as close as we dared, and our rain suits were sopping wet. As we returned to the parking lot dripping like drowned rats, some old guy (perhaps 5 years younger than I am) could not figure it out. My wife made some helpful comment like, &quot;We went for a swim.&quot; She was not exaggerating all that much.

The Royal Tyrrell Museum is worth every minute it takes to get there and back. I have been there twice, and I am tempted to go again this year if I can squeeze it in. The educational program is good for all ages, and big kids like me enjoy it as much as the younger ones.
I would not trade my visits there for anything -- well maybe a new Acura TL.

And, no, I don't work for the Jasper T of C. In fact, I live 2,500 miles from there. I go back because there is nothing like it.

People ask me, &quot;Why don't you go to different places?&quot; My answer is rather short: &quot;I could, but I don't want to.&quot;

Bob, nice entry! Enjoyed your tale about Panther Falls. ;-)

May I ask...is Jasper your preferred region? (Over Banff, Lake Louise, Moraine, Kootenay?)

No, I think you enjoy Yoho the best, if I remember correctly?

Why I'm asking is if we do need to cut something from our 3rd trip to the Rockies...I'm trying to decide whether to cut out the northern region...to save some days for Waterton...or, whether to instead drop something else.

It's just so very hard to decide! Love it all. :-\ Tough choices.
Oops! Best not write more here, on another thread. Apologies.

Judy thank you for the suggested route, I'm looking into the campgrounds in those areas. I think it would be smart to not go through Calgary with the Stampede in town. Thanks again for all your suggestions!

Bob Brown thank you too for all your insites---it really helps to get information about certain spots--appreciate letting me know arout Panther Falls &amp; how to be prepared.
~jeanine