Karen7272

We are family of three, teenage daughter , 14,. We are from Toronto and going to wedding at the Banff Springs hotel on the July 30. We are in Calgary July 29 and Banff Springs hotel on July 30 & 31. We are thinking of flying to Vanouver July 24 or 25 and driving across to Calgary. I don't think we have the time for Tofino. My daughter wants to see the Dinosaur park and glacier park. My husband has a wine passion so maybe the Okanogan Valley. I need a plan. Any hotel suggestions would be great.(at least 4 star). Even a nice bed & breakfast is fine. I know how much work planning can be and I know that this is well travelled route so I am sure there is info out there I can use.

Karen7272

Actually we are flying to Vancouver on the July 22 or July 23 which gives us a few more days.

laverendrye

If you drive from Vancouver to Osoyoos via Hwy 3, there are a couple of very nice places to stay at wineries:

Burrowing Owl, outside Oliver

http://www.bovwine.ca/guest_house.html

Spirit Ridge, at Osoyoos

http://www.spiritridge.ca/

There are a number of routes from there to Calgary depending on the time available. The simplest is to head up the Okanagan Valley to Sicamous and then follow the Trans-Canada to Calgary. You will pass through Revelstoke, Glacier, Yoho and Banff National Parks on the way.

At bit longer, but a very picturesque route would be to head to Vernon and then take Hwy 6 to Naksup and then north along the Arrow Lakes to Revelstoke, meeting up with the Trans-Canada.

Another route from Osoyoos would be to follow Hwy 3 through the Crowsnest Pass and then north to Calgary on 22. It's very pretty, but you would miss the spectuacular mountain national parks.

qwovadis

mapquest.com good routing info

I really like the Lakeside resort at Penticton

booking.com many other nice options

Competed and actually won the Ultraman Canada Masters there

Swam all of Lake Okanagan(very chilly) south to north

Did not get eaten by the Ogopogo but beautiful country

Had a wonderful time.

www.ogopogomonster.com/lake-okanagan.htm

LindainOhio

Have you already made your plane reservations? There is so much to do in Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper, that you could fly into Calgary and spend the entire time there and have a lot less driving. I am assuming that you are planning to fly home from Calgary. I think I remember posters mentioning that you can do a one way car rental from Vancouver to Calgary without a one way drop off fee. I would be sure to check that before making the open jaw arrangements.

If your plane reservations are made, can you skip Calgary in the middle of your trip? That would give you another day to explore Banff and Lake Louise.

The Banff Springs will be an amazing place for a wedding. The Canadian Rockies are one of our favorite destinations for scenic beauty.

All the Fairmont properties would be considered 4*. Moraine Lake Lodge, Emerald Lake Lodge and Cathedral Mountain I think would be considered 4*. We have never stayed at any of the Fairmonts. We enjoyed our cabin at Paradise Lodge in Lake Louise. I think the cabins with the decks are really wonderful--we stayed in the cheapest Wilson cabins. Lovely continental breakfast served in their library. I would love to stay in one of the cabins on Emerald Lake--we stayed in a small upper room in the fourplex units they have--we just had peek-a-boo views of the lake through the trees. Loved it there.