martinaa

have just returned from our trip to bc and alberta and tks to everyone for all their tips before we left - very useful. trip was fabulous more than we expected and for a family with teenage children - 14 and 19 just the ticket. we spent our first week in vancouver in the aston rosellen suites which were clean and close to everything you would want. the staff couldn't have been nicer and nothing was too much bother so would recommend. vancouver had lots to offer - shopping was good and certainly for us (from ireland) very good value. there were so many things to see and do that it was easy to fill the week and we were glad that we had not taken a car as it is a very easy city to negotiate on foot. trip to grouse mountain is a must and stanley park great for walks etc. recommend the fish house restaurant in stanley park but would advise against rain city - overpriced and service and atmosphere lacking. left vancouver and headed to the rockies via frazer canyon stopping overnight in revelstoke - long journey but with the scenery it was worthwhile. travelled on to canmore which we used as a base for the next 6 days. stayed in mystic springs chalet and springs - really excellent. newly built suites two bedrooms and living room/kitchen everything spotless and once again very helpful staff. there is a hot tub and heated pool which was really good and they lent my son an xbox which he really enjoyed playing after a days walking!! we though that canmore was a great base although it is 40 minute drive from lake louise. weather here was not as good as vancouver with two wet days but only one that seriously disrupted walking etc. would recommend the moraine lake, the drive along the parkway between lake louise and banff and some of the smaller 'attractions' along here - didn't like banff townsite at all. icefields parkway great - be sure not to miss peyto lake and that athabasca glacier - both breathtaking. saw lots of wildlife along including as we were out walking a grizzly bear - close enough to be exciting but far enough away not to be terrifying. went white water rafting which was great and saw an osprey dive catch a fish and then circle the raft as crows tried to steal his food - marvellous. leaving canmore travelled back to vancouver via kamloops o/n and then onto whistler for 2 days. stayed in the whistler village inn and suites which was good. enjoyed whistler but imagine it would be a nightmare in the winter months. tks again for all the help and suggestions and we will definitely be back as still so much to see. martina

Vorkuta

Hello Martina,

Thanks for your report. I'm glad you enjoyed your trip. I live in Vancouver and it's good to hear such positive things about our city.

Funnily enough some friends of ours from overseas are visiting us next week and we'd wondered about taking them to Rain City. I looked at the menu posted outside and found it just a little pretentious...and your comments have made up my mind for me. Sounds as though the Fish House is a better choice.

Judy_in_Calgary

Hello Martina,

Thank you for your trip report. It's always good to hear how a vacation turned out after one has seen some of the planning that went into it. Glad you had a good time.

WhistlerAl

I , too, have heard lots of recommendations for the Rain City Grill, but our one time experience there was not great either. Whistler , in the winter , is not a nightmare. It is a vibrant , exciting, but , yes, busy place. Cheers , Al

alines

Hi Martinaa,

we will be travelling from Vancouver to the Rockies in just over a months time. We will be following a similar route as yourself, stopping either at Revelstoke or Golden along the way. Where abouts did you stay in Revelstoke and would you recommend it? Or would you recommed stopping overnight in Golden instead?

Thanks

Vorkuta

Hello alines,

I'm not martinaa, but thought I'd jump in and answer your post. Last May we visited Revelstoke (we live in Vancouver) and stayed at the Albert Canyon Hot Springs. It's on highway one, just east of Revelstoke (and an easy drive into town if you want). Here's the link.

http://www.canyonhotsprings.com/index.html

If you're into the whole hot springs ethos, this is a good place to stay. Even if you're not into hot springs, it's still a pleasant location. The staff were friendly and helpful as well.

I haven't been to Golden so can't comment on that. I do like the Revelstoke area very much: beautiful scenery...