Rockies long trip
Oct 19th, 2006, 04:17 AM
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Rockies long trip
Any advice or comments would be welcomed on this suggested itinerary for about a month away from UK for my wife and me. We prefer late summer/fall weather rather than the heat of July.May have to adjust a day or two depending on flights available.
Thanks in anticipation!
UK Calgary (3 nights)
Pincher Creek/Waterton Lakes NP (2nights)
Glacier NP (USA) (2)
Creston BC (1)(via Libby MT or any other suggested scenic crossing back into Canada)
Revelstoke (1)
Banff (3)
Jasper (3)
Clearwater/Kamloops (2)
Vancouver - pick up 7 night cruise - inside passage/Alaska
Vancouver (3 nights)
Fly home to UK from Vancouver.
Thanks in anticipation!
UK Calgary (3 nights)
Pincher Creek/Waterton Lakes NP (2nights)
Glacier NP (USA) (2)
Creston BC (1)(via Libby MT or any other suggested scenic crossing back into Canada)
Revelstoke (1)
Banff (3)
Jasper (3)
Clearwater/Kamloops (2)
Vancouver - pick up 7 night cruise - inside passage/Alaska
Vancouver (3 nights)
Fly home to UK from Vancouver.
Oct 20th, 2006, 05:39 AM
#3
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Hi - Are you travelling by car? I live near Toronto, but have visited out west a number of times. Of course, I don't know your specific interests, but "mountain scenery" seems to be the focus of your trip. The only comment, just from my own personal point of view of course, is that I might find this itinerary highlighted a lot of similar scenery. If you enjoy day-hikes, this itinerary would certainly offer a large selection of trails.
I have not spent much time in Calgary, but an alternative might be to spend a portion of those 3 nights experiencing some different scenery a little east of Calgary towards Drumheller, the desert-like Badlands and the Tyrell Museum of Paleontology (major dinosaur finds in the area). I visited Waterton Lakes years ago, it's lovely, quieter than Banff and Jasper. We met some Americans there who had come up through Glacier NP U.S. and told us that Waterton was much nicer in their view. The Icefields Parkway which links Banff and Jasper is one of North America's most spectacular drives. Creston has a wildlife preserve popular with bird-watchers, and I've been told that nearby Nelson is nice. You might want to consider the Okanagan Valley (Kelowna area) on the way to Vancouver - big wine region. The cruise should be spectacular. Too bad you're not making it to Vancouver Island after going so far - Victoria is a popular city for tourists, and Pacific Rim National Park on the Island's west coast is spectacular, and offers another change of scenery (wild wind-swept beaches backed by old growth forests).
Weather can be somewhat cool in the mountains, I visited Jasper a few years back on Labour Day weekend and we needed jackets. I remember visiting Banff in early July and recall sometimes needing a jacket or sweater even then. Late summer (late August) should be a nice choice.
I have not spent much time in Calgary, but an alternative might be to spend a portion of those 3 nights experiencing some different scenery a little east of Calgary towards Drumheller, the desert-like Badlands and the Tyrell Museum of Paleontology (major dinosaur finds in the area). I visited Waterton Lakes years ago, it's lovely, quieter than Banff and Jasper. We met some Americans there who had come up through Glacier NP U.S. and told us that Waterton was much nicer in their view. The Icefields Parkway which links Banff and Jasper is one of North America's most spectacular drives. Creston has a wildlife preserve popular with bird-watchers, and I've been told that nearby Nelson is nice. You might want to consider the Okanagan Valley (Kelowna area) on the way to Vancouver - big wine region. The cruise should be spectacular. Too bad you're not making it to Vancouver Island after going so far - Victoria is a popular city for tourists, and Pacific Rim National Park on the Island's west coast is spectacular, and offers another change of scenery (wild wind-swept beaches backed by old growth forests).
Weather can be somewhat cool in the mountains, I visited Jasper a few years back on Labour Day weekend and we needed jackets. I remember visiting Banff in early July and recall sometimes needing a jacket or sweater even then. Late summer (late August) should be a nice choice.
Oct 22nd, 2006, 05:28 AM
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While in Creston, take a canoe trip through the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area (http://www.crestonwildlife.ca) and then travel up 3A across Kootenay Lake and Arrow Lake ferries up to Revelstoke.
Oct 22nd, 2006, 02:23 PM
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>>>>>>Too much time in Calgary. Spend just one night, then use the other two nights for a stop in Victoria at the end of the trip.<<<<<<
Saltymuffin, under normal circumstances I would agree with you. I've lost count of the number of times I've suggested that posters skip Calgary and devote more time to some other part of their itinerary that they had short changed. I came close to suggesting to MartinH exactly what you've suggested. However, a few factors changed my mind:
* MartinH lives in the UK. I personally <b>love</b> Victoria, but it usually is less impressive to European visitors than it is to North American visitors. Europeans do not find it as "British" as North Americans tend to do.
* The crossing of the Georgia Strait is very pretty, but on the other hand MartinH is going to finish his trip with an Alaska cruise. That should more than make up for the omission of the voyage from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay.
* Since MartinH's trip is relatively generous in length, I think he can afford to spend some time in Calgary, visit the western outfitting stores downtown, and so on.
MartinH, I believe saltymuffin's suggestion of visiting Victoria has a lot of merit. It is a charming little city, and not only because it has a reputation as the most "British" city in North America.
If you do decide to spend 3 nights in Calgary after all, I recommend that you spend one day visiting the Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller and one day exploring downtown Calgary. There is a suggested walking itinerary of Calgary on my website:
http://tinyurl.com/hx4pl
Hope that helps.
Saltymuffin, under normal circumstances I would agree with you. I've lost count of the number of times I've suggested that posters skip Calgary and devote more time to some other part of their itinerary that they had short changed. I came close to suggesting to MartinH exactly what you've suggested. However, a few factors changed my mind:
* MartinH lives in the UK. I personally <b>love</b> Victoria, but it usually is less impressive to European visitors than it is to North American visitors. Europeans do not find it as "British" as North Americans tend to do.
* The crossing of the Georgia Strait is very pretty, but on the other hand MartinH is going to finish his trip with an Alaska cruise. That should more than make up for the omission of the voyage from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay.
* Since MartinH's trip is relatively generous in length, I think he can afford to spend some time in Calgary, visit the western outfitting stores downtown, and so on.
MartinH, I believe saltymuffin's suggestion of visiting Victoria has a lot of merit. It is a charming little city, and not only because it has a reputation as the most "British" city in North America.
If you do decide to spend 3 nights in Calgary after all, I recommend that you spend one day visiting the Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller and one day exploring downtown Calgary. There is a suggested walking itinerary of Calgary on my website:
http://tinyurl.com/hx4pl
Hope that helps.
Oct 23rd, 2006, 09:24 AM
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Judy, you make some really good points. Maybe adding Victoria isn't the best idea, but I still think I would place at least one of those Calgary nights elsewhere.
Perhaps Creston? One night between drives isn't much time to see the area.
A day trip to Drumheller makes excellent use of a day in Calgary.
Perhaps Creston? One night between drives isn't much time to see the area.
A day trip to Drumheller makes excellent use of a day in Calgary.
Oct 23rd, 2006, 09:36 AM
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Yes, saltymuffin, I think a good argument could be made for eliminating one night from Calgary and adding it to Creston.
Other towns to consider instead of Creston include Castlegar or Nelson.
Any one of them would be a good choice.
Other towns to consider instead of Creston include Castlegar or Nelson.
Any one of them would be a good choice.
Oct 28th, 2006, 03:46 AM
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Thank you very much for your helpful comments.We have booked our cruise from Vancouver on 19th September but nothing else yet.Canadianaffair has the most convenient flights so far found: To Calgary with Thomas Cook and returning from Vancouver with MyTravel. Has anyone any experience of these?
Bearing in mind we shall probably arrive mid day Canadian time after a nine hour plus flight(plus 7-8 hour time difference) plus added time for formalities we usually end up after similar trips going straight to bed! Am attracted to Drumheller & museum and wondering about driving straight there; Bed; Full leisurely day at museum etc to start getting over jet-lag then driving down to Waterton on next day. I am also tempted to add another day to Creston as there is quite a long drive (for us) from Glacier NP and we do like to look around. Any comment?
Thank you
Bearing in mind we shall probably arrive mid day Canadian time after a nine hour plus flight(plus 7-8 hour time difference) plus added time for formalities we usually end up after similar trips going straight to bed! Am attracted to Drumheller & museum and wondering about driving straight there; Bed; Full leisurely day at museum etc to start getting over jet-lag then driving down to Waterton on next day. I am also tempted to add another day to Creston as there is quite a long drive (for us) from Glacier NP and we do like to look around. Any comment?
Thank you
Oct 28th, 2006, 08:24 AM
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Don't have personal experience of Thomas Cook and MyTravel.
Spending your first night in Drumheller would be a good idea if you think you'll be alert enough for the drive.
Assume immigration and customs formalities will take about an hour. Since the airport is in the northeast part of Calgary, and since Drumheller is to the northeast of Calgary, you're already part of the way towards Drumheller when you land. That's in contrast to my own situation. When I drive to Drumheller, I have to drive through a good chunk of Calgary before I'm on the highway to Drumheller. Once you set out for Drumheller, it should take you 1.5 hours to get there. Soon after leaving the airport you'll be on a good, open highway with little traffic.
If you think that driving after climbing off the plane will be too much of a challenge, and if you'll want to go straight to bed without sight seeing in Calgary, you could consider staying at a hotel in the northeast quadrant, near the airport. Those hotels are recogizable by the fact that their street addresses end in NE and they often have the word "airport" in their name. Note, however, that there is only one hotel that is actually INSIDE the airport complex, and that is the Delta Calgary Airport Hotel.
Yes, I think it would be a good idea to break up your drive from Glacier National Park to Revelstoke with a 2-night stay somewhere instead of a 1-night stay. Creston is a nice little town, and it would be a fine place to stay. If it was my trip, however, I think I might stay in Nelson instead.
Spending your first night in Drumheller would be a good idea if you think you'll be alert enough for the drive.
Assume immigration and customs formalities will take about an hour. Since the airport is in the northeast part of Calgary, and since Drumheller is to the northeast of Calgary, you're already part of the way towards Drumheller when you land. That's in contrast to my own situation. When I drive to Drumheller, I have to drive through a good chunk of Calgary before I'm on the highway to Drumheller. Once you set out for Drumheller, it should take you 1.5 hours to get there. Soon after leaving the airport you'll be on a good, open highway with little traffic.
If you think that driving after climbing off the plane will be too much of a challenge, and if you'll want to go straight to bed without sight seeing in Calgary, you could consider staying at a hotel in the northeast quadrant, near the airport. Those hotels are recogizable by the fact that their street addresses end in NE and they often have the word "airport" in their name. Note, however, that there is only one hotel that is actually INSIDE the airport complex, and that is the Delta Calgary Airport Hotel.
Yes, I think it would be a good idea to break up your drive from Glacier National Park to Revelstoke with a 2-night stay somewhere instead of a 1-night stay. Creston is a nice little town, and it would be a fine place to stay. If it was my trip, however, I think I might stay in Nelson instead.
