lorraine

Does anyone have a tried and true driving itinerary for seeing the sights? We are seven adults arriving and departing from Calgary (in Sept) for an eight day trip. We are not necessarily hikers. Trying to decide how many nights where/when, etc. If anyone has any suggestions, including hotels, we would be most appreciative!

herself

Lorraine, <BR>We did this trip last October. <BR>The Palliser HOtel in Calgary is beautiful and is a good first night stay. It is walking distance to many of the Calgary sights. Next door to the needle. (Show your room pass, and you go to the top free). Walking distance to Fort Calgary. <BR>For the second, third and fourth night we stayed at the Post Hotel at Lake Louise. Total luxury. Have at least one dinner at the Post. There is a nice inexpensive, good food restaurant next to it. Lake Louise Inn (?) not to be mistaken for Lake Louise Chateau. From the Post you can go to the Lake Loise Chateau, walk along the lake, takes loads of pictures. Horse back to Tea House. Other sights from this area is Emeral Lake, Takkakaw Falls. <BR>Fifth, Sixth and seventh night, we stayed just outside Jasper at Alpine Lodge. See Jasper, Maligne Lake, Mount Edith Cavell, Loads of elk, sheep, bears and moose along the road, especially at dawn and dusk. Each morning we would drive to Maligne Lake just to see all the animals on the road. Best count was 31. Last night was in Banff, at the Banff Park Lodge. <BR>From Lake Louise to Jasper you travel on the Icefield Parkway. Make sure you take the Brewster Snocoach to the Athabasca Glacier. <BR>Again, bring lots of film. Have fun, it was a wonderful trip.

Bob Brown

I could not have made a better list myself!! <BR>I have been there 7 times and you have a winner. I can make a couple of very minor suggestions. Near Lake Louise is the beautiful Moraine Lake. I encourage you to drive the short distance and see it. <BR>Peyto Lake nice view, abd <BR>Emerald Lake is pretty. I think you will enjoy it. From Jasper, I strongly recommend that you visit Mount Edith Cavell and have a look at the Angel Glacier as it flows over the flank of the northeast slope of the mountain. <BR>The last time I was there we could walk into an ice cave at the base of the ice flow. <BR>If you have a clear day, drive from Jasper to Mt. Robson. It is the highest point in the Canadian Rockies and, on a clear day, you can see the top, some 8,000 vertical feet above you. <BR>If you are not adverse to a relatively level hike of 2 miles (total), there are some unadvertised water falls of great beauty just off of the Icefields Parkway. <BR>You find a place to park near a diversion ditch 9.5 miles north of the Icefields Center. You then walk through a little group of trees to the old road, which is cut up. You walk back toward the creek until you see a well beaten track going east into the trees along the north bank of the creek. <BR>Follow that for a ways and you come to Stanley Falls. Not many people know about these and you can get a feeling of seclusion and enjoy the quiet of the forest. <BR>Another hidden water fall is known as Panther Falls which is on Nigel Creek. On Sunwapta Pass, the "Big Hill", there is a parking lot. Across the deep valley there are some falls, but these are not the onces I mean. At the low end of the parking lot a half mile trail leads to where you can see part of Panther Falls. <BR>But the trail is often wet from spray. <BR>So if you to there be careful. <BR>And one more place that I like very much is Parker's Ridge. It is in Banff Park, but near the boundry with Jasper National Park. It is marked and on the west side of the road, or to your left going north toward Jasper. From the ridge you can see the glaciers very well. It is a short walk and requires nothing more than a little energy and some suitable shoes or light boots. <BR>I could go on a while longer, but you have more now than you will be able to see in the 8 days that you have there. <BR> <BR>Too bad that you do not have enough time to visit the Royal Tyrrell of Paleontology in Drumheller. It is a World Heritage site and has more famous paleontologists per square yard than any place on earth, including the almost legendary Phil Currie. <BR>Have a great trip and when you go by Mt. Cephren, think of the trail that leads to the lake and think of the time I got drowned from the bushes trying to get there. That was the day I ripped up my poncho and shortly thereafter bought some L L Bean clothes, parka and trousers that were made of Goretex. (I will not tell you about my speech to the conditions and my lack of sense to be there. I was so wet that I had to change clothes to continue. )

Bob Brown

Near Lake Louise we have stayed in private homes that rent suites. You can find some in the town of Field. <BR>The Park Wardens have a list. Because of the Burgess Shale Learning Center, <BR>renting rooms to visitors has become a local industry. <BR>In Jasper I have two favorites: <BR>Jasper House Bungalows and Becker's Roaring River Chalets. Jasper House has some units that will sleep four with a sitting area and a kitchen area. <BR>Quite nice actually. We have stayed there 3 times.

lorraine

thank you both for responding...this is wonderful information that will serve as a guide as i begin to plan this trip. <BR>Bob, thank you as well for the suggestions re the bungalows/chalets. we were, in fact, considering a suite type arrangement for the seven of us. While we wanted a more rustic feel to our accommodations in view of the environs, we didn't want to sacrifice comforts. I will definitely check into your suggestions. I'm sure i will be calling on you again as I do our fine-tuning! Regards.

Bob Brown

Both Beckers and Jasper House have a certain rustic appeal, or near rustic. They are a few miles south of the townsite, and both are situated so that you can walk down to the river. We wandered down to the edge of the stream, were rewarded as a raft tour came by. Everybody seemed to be enjoying themselves. That might be something to do. By the time you get to Jasper, the afternoons will be nice and long. <BR>I do not know the size of the largest bungalow at Jasper House. The one we had would sleep 4. There may be some that are larger. But don't hesitate to reserve. Both Beckers and Jasper House are popular with tour bus companies and a bus load can fill up a high percentage of the rooms. <BR> <BR>Just in case you get "shorted" on finding accommodations, there are conventional motels in Golden. Although it has been a few years since I was there, the Rondo was an adequate place. There are also quite a few B and B's in Canmore, which is east of Jasper. <BR>The last 4 trips we have stayed in an apartment in a private home in Field. <BR>These are cheaper usually than hotels near Lake Louise. <BR> <BR>I forgot to mention that one interesting view is one of the spiral tunnels on the Canadian Pacific rail line as it goes over Kicking Horse Pass. You can stop and view the rail line on your way to Takkakaw Falls, which plunge some 800 feet to the valley floor. Truly special. I have walked on the Iceline Trail up high enough to get a view of the Daly Glacier which supplies the water as well as a view of the falls themselves. (I think the plural here is indicated because Takkakaw is in two sections.) <BR>I know you said you were not hikers, so the climb up is steep. You might not be tempted to take it. A walk around Emerald Lake is nice, and it is level. <BR>

dnorrie

I have an alternative to the Palliser in Calgary. I live in Southern Alberta and twice a year venture to Calgary for a "romantic" w/e. We always stayed at the Palliser (great staff who go out of their way to help you and also lovely rooms), the Westin (wonderful dining at the Owl's Nest) but have recently stayed on the Gold Floor at the Sheraton eau Claire and cannot say enough good about this great hotel. It is right next door to Eau Claire Market and within walking distance to downtown and not as far from Kensington as the Westin and Palliser. The rooms were wonderful, free drinks and snacks (almost constituted a meal) during happy hour, no noise from small children left alone (lest you think otherwise, I like small children, just not on a w/e such as this), a wonderful breakfast which was just supposed to be croissants, etc. but was bacon, eggs, toast, juice, champagne. <BR> <BR>Look them up on the internet - the others are also wonderful but the Sheraton eau Claire ranks tops in my books. Have fun.