Cross Canada Honeymoon Ideas Needed
May 11th, 2017, 12:01 PM
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Cross Canada Honeymoon Ideas Needed
Hello! Im looking for ideas. We are planning a month long cross canada roadtrip for our honeymoon. Leaving from Muskoka, Ontario, taking a week to enjoy the beautiful trip up to Alberta, then taking another week to see banff and jasper, followed by a trip through BC down to whistler ending at victoria, and finally ending with a week travelling back to Ontario. (4 weeks total).
We are not booking any hotels. We didnt plan to book any campsites but maybe we should with the parks being free for canadas 150!?
We have a Jeep geared up to go offroad and a roof rack with a rooftop tent. So we can park and sleep anywhere!!!
Questions are:
1. Anyone know of good spots we can pull over for the night (with a view).
2. What are the must-see's we need to stop at along the way?
3. Anyone know of some less explored beautiful areas for hiking?
4. We will be just arriving in Alberta for Canada Day... thinking of staying close to waterton lakes national park for fireworks... or possibly pushing towards Calgary... what would be best!?
5. We will be in Jasper for my birthday.... any suggestions on what we should do to celebrate?
Thank you!! Last minute planning for the win!
We are not booking any hotels. We didnt plan to book any campsites but maybe we should with the parks being free for canadas 150!?
We have a Jeep geared up to go offroad and a roof rack with a rooftop tent. So we can park and sleep anywhere!!!
Questions are:
1. Anyone know of good spots we can pull over for the night (with a view).
2. What are the must-see's we need to stop at along the way?
3. Anyone know of some less explored beautiful areas for hiking?
4. We will be just arriving in Alberta for Canada Day... thinking of staying close to waterton lakes national park for fireworks... or possibly pushing towards Calgary... what would be best!?
5. We will be in Jasper for my birthday.... any suggestions on what we should do to celebrate?
Thank you!! Last minute planning for the win!
May 11th, 2017, 12:12 PM
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<<We are not booking any hotels. We didnt plan to book any campsites but maybe we should with the parks being free for canadas 150!? >>
Big mistake. For BC and Alberta, especially the National Parks, you should be booking accommodation right now.
Big mistake. For BC and Alberta, especially the National Parks, you should be booking accommodation right now.
May 12th, 2017, 07:41 AM
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what fun! Sounds like you have a sense of adventure -- and 4 weeks to enjoy it. =)
I don't have input for Manitoba or ON, a few suggestions for AB. Heading westward on Hwy 1, consider taking Hwy 43 south to Cypress Hills. CH straddles the Sask/Ab border, Elkwater is a beautiful spot with a lake, hiking and campground. Somewhat alpine with wildlife except for bears. Imo, in the "hidden gem" category... but it's your honeymoon. Less than 30 min each way from Hwy 1. Not a quick overnight, but worth considering.
I'll also comment on question 5, Jasper for your birthday. My top 3 suggestions to check out on line: Jasper Tramway with lunch at the top; Maligne Canyon but especially Maligne Lake - take the lake tour down to Spirit Island; river rafting followed by dinner at Tekarra Lodge's restaurant which is not right in town, but tucked away on Hwy 93A. Pricey but we think worth it.
Tenting sites will hopefully be not as crazy for you to pick up but absolutely reserve when you can. I suggest Honeymoon Lake (not just bc of the name!) in Jasper National Park. Wapiti is nearer Jasper town site with showers et al. Hope this helps and best wishes.
I don't have input for Manitoba or ON, a few suggestions for AB. Heading westward on Hwy 1, consider taking Hwy 43 south to Cypress Hills. CH straddles the Sask/Ab border, Elkwater is a beautiful spot with a lake, hiking and campground. Somewhat alpine with wildlife except for bears. Imo, in the "hidden gem" category... but it's your honeymoon. Less than 30 min each way from Hwy 1. Not a quick overnight, but worth considering.
I'll also comment on question 5, Jasper for your birthday. My top 3 suggestions to check out on line: Jasper Tramway with lunch at the top; Maligne Canyon but especially Maligne Lake - take the lake tour down to Spirit Island; river rafting followed by dinner at Tekarra Lodge's restaurant which is not right in town, but tucked away on Hwy 93A. Pricey but we think worth it.
Tenting sites will hopefully be not as crazy for you to pick up but absolutely reserve when you can. I suggest Honeymoon Lake (not just bc of the name!) in Jasper National Park. Wapiti is nearer Jasper town site with showers et al. Hope this helps and best wishes.
May 12th, 2017, 09:53 AM
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I get really tired of people who insist you need to reserve ahead who in fact are obviously writing about something they have little or no experience of.
'Road trip' and 'reserve' simple don't belong in the same sentence as far as I am concerned. I never reserve ahead if a trip will involve moving around. The whole idea of a road trip is to stop when and where you want for as long as you want. It isn't a TOUR. A tour is planned, that's what the word refers to, a planned route and stops. You may have a rough plan of where you expect to go on a road trip but the whole point is that it be flexible. That makes reserving ahead, IMPOSSIBLE.
So I suggest you ignore the 'you should reserve' comments aporter5049 and do some research on more relevant things like, where to camp for free.
https://www.google.ca/search?q=free+...hrome&ie=UTF-8
And 'stealth camping'.
https://www.google.ca/search?q=free+...camping+canada
With a Jeep and tent on top, you should have no problem finding places to camp anywhere you go. At official campgrounds in National Parks etc. it is common to see cars parked at the side of the road before the Park Entrance when the campgrounds are full when people arrive. They park and wait for the next morning when campers leave and a site becomes available. They are sleeping in their cars! You've got a tent on top!
Stopping in any highway rest stop and getting some sleep is what long haul truck drivers do all the time. So can you, what a surprise, no reservation needed, ever.
Driving up a dirt road a few miles and stopping by the roadside for the night is unlikely to be a problem anywhere in less populated areas.
The number of ways you can find a place to park and sleep is limited only by your ingenuity.
You may not always find a perfect spot with a view to park and camp in but it isn't as if you will have to drive around all night and not sleep which is what some seem to think will happen to you if you don't reserve ahead.
People who travel with a bed on board as you plan to, have all kinds of knowledge about how to do so and how to deal with all kinds of things that people staying in hotels etc. never even think of. They also tend to be good at knowing how to do things for free. Like any Library for free WIFI. Or almost every McDonald's for the same. Any YMCA/YWCA for a free shower. Often Tourist Visitor Centres will allow free overnight parking. The list goes on and on.
Check out videos like this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=squQ_PZN6dM
There is nothing wrong with camping in 'campgrounds' in places like Banff National Park or Jasper etc. but it doesn't mean you have to reserve everything ahead of time or risk having no where to sleep.
'Road trip' and 'reserve' simple don't belong in the same sentence as far as I am concerned. I never reserve ahead if a trip will involve moving around. The whole idea of a road trip is to stop when and where you want for as long as you want. It isn't a TOUR. A tour is planned, that's what the word refers to, a planned route and stops. You may have a rough plan of where you expect to go on a road trip but the whole point is that it be flexible. That makes reserving ahead, IMPOSSIBLE.
So I suggest you ignore the 'you should reserve' comments aporter5049 and do some research on more relevant things like, where to camp for free.
https://www.google.ca/search?q=free+...hrome&ie=UTF-8
And 'stealth camping'.
https://www.google.ca/search?q=free+...camping+canada
With a Jeep and tent on top, you should have no problem finding places to camp anywhere you go. At official campgrounds in National Parks etc. it is common to see cars parked at the side of the road before the Park Entrance when the campgrounds are full when people arrive. They park and wait for the next morning when campers leave and a site becomes available. They are sleeping in their cars! You've got a tent on top!
Stopping in any highway rest stop and getting some sleep is what long haul truck drivers do all the time. So can you, what a surprise, no reservation needed, ever.
Driving up a dirt road a few miles and stopping by the roadside for the night is unlikely to be a problem anywhere in less populated areas.
The number of ways you can find a place to park and sleep is limited only by your ingenuity.
You may not always find a perfect spot with a view to park and camp in but it isn't as if you will have to drive around all night and not sleep which is what some seem to think will happen to you if you don't reserve ahead.
People who travel with a bed on board as you plan to, have all kinds of knowledge about how to do so and how to deal with all kinds of things that people staying in hotels etc. never even think of. They also tend to be good at knowing how to do things for free. Like any Library for free WIFI. Or almost every McDonald's for the same. Any YMCA/YWCA for a free shower. Often Tourist Visitor Centres will allow free overnight parking. The list goes on and on.
Check out videos like this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=squQ_PZN6dM
There is nothing wrong with camping in 'campgrounds' in places like Banff National Park or Jasper etc. but it doesn't mean you have to reserve everything ahead of time or risk having no where to sleep.
