3 week loop trip from Seattle to jasper/banff to Glacier NP and back
Oct 4th, 2012, 03:11 PM
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3 week loop trip from Seattle to jasper/banff to Glacier NP and back
My husband and I are in our 60's and finally can carve out 3 weeks for a trip. We are coming from Philadelphia and flying into and back from Seattle. Our initial itinerary is:
3 nights in Seattle
3 nights in Vancouver
Drive to Kelowna on our way to Jasper and spend one or two nights there
One night in Valemount
Drive from there to Banff
One night in Banff
Drive to Glacier NP for 4 nights (already booked at Many Glacier Hotel)
Drive to Placid Lake, Montana, where we stay with a friend for 5 nights (so lucky)
The had back to Seattle, maybe visiting the wine area in Walla Walla or Yakima on the way back (I know it'll take two days to drive back)
We are doing this in mid-August and have never been in this area before. Any recommendations places to see or stay or general comments on our itinerary are very welcome! We aren't planning on renting a car until we leave Seattle for Vancouver.
Trying to find a great and not overly expensive place in both Seattle and Vancouver. Do I have too many days in Seattle where it would make more sense to add a day somewhere else? What else should I change?
3 nights in Seattle
3 nights in Vancouver
Drive to Kelowna on our way to Jasper and spend one or two nights there
One night in Valemount
Drive from there to Banff
One night in Banff
Drive to Glacier NP for 4 nights (already booked at Many Glacier Hotel)
Drive to Placid Lake, Montana, where we stay with a friend for 5 nights (so lucky)
The had back to Seattle, maybe visiting the wine area in Walla Walla or Yakima on the way back (I know it'll take two days to drive back)
We are doing this in mid-August and have never been in this area before. Any recommendations places to see or stay or general comments on our itinerary are very welcome! We aren't planning on renting a car until we leave Seattle for Vancouver.
Trying to find a great and not overly expensive place in both Seattle and Vancouver. Do I have too many days in Seattle where it would make more sense to add a day somewhere else? What else should I change?
Oct 4th, 2012, 10:01 PM
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I'm not clear on your routing. It would seem Kelowna is a detour off the highway to Valemount.
Are you spending a night in Jasper. If not, you are spending more time in Glacier NP than in The Canadian Rockies (where there are many more glaciers) and you are wisking past places of more than passing interest, such as Waterton Lakes NP, in Alberta.
Many Glaciers is our favorite spot in Glacier NP, but I'm not sure it calls four four nights.
Of Walla Walla and Yakima, I prefer the Walla Walla area. There are also wineries in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge.
Have you been to Mt. Rainier, Olympic NP, and the San Juan Islands?
HTtY
Are you spending a night in Jasper. If not, you are spending more time in Glacier NP than in The Canadian Rockies (where there are many more glaciers) and you are wisking past places of more than passing interest, such as Waterton Lakes NP, in Alberta.
Many Glaciers is our favorite spot in Glacier NP, but I'm not sure it calls four four nights.
Of Walla Walla and Yakima, I prefer the Walla Walla area. There are also wineries in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge.
Have you been to Mt. Rainier, Olympic NP, and the San Juan Islands?
HTtY
Oct 5th, 2012, 04:20 AM
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Thanks for the feedback!
The reason we are stopping at Kelowna is to visit some of the wineries there. We really enjoy going to the wineries in Ontario and thought this would be interesting. Valemount was selected only because I thought the drive from Kelowna to Jasper would be too long for one day. If we skip these wineries, after Vancouver we could drive closer to Jasper that first night and then spend the next night in Jasper. Actually, that was my first approach but when I learned about the wineries I changed it. If we stop in the Walla Walla area that would probably be the best idea.
I hadn't checked out Waterton Lakes NP yet. I'll definitely do that. The reason for the four nights in Glacier NP is to build in one day of "down time" where we wouldn't have to be in the car.
Haven't been to Mt. Rainier, Olympic NP, and the San Juan Island. This is our first trip to the Northwest.
I think we have too many days scheduled in Seattle/Vancouver.
The reason we are stopping at Kelowna is to visit some of the wineries there. We really enjoy going to the wineries in Ontario and thought this would be interesting. Valemount was selected only because I thought the drive from Kelowna to Jasper would be too long for one day. If we skip these wineries, after Vancouver we could drive closer to Jasper that first night and then spend the next night in Jasper. Actually, that was my first approach but when I learned about the wineries I changed it. If we stop in the Walla Walla area that would probably be the best idea.
I hadn't checked out Waterton Lakes NP yet. I'll definitely do that. The reason for the four nights in Glacier NP is to build in one day of "down time" where we wouldn't have to be in the car.
Haven't been to Mt. Rainier, Olympic NP, and the San Juan Island. This is our first trip to the Northwest.
I think we have too many days scheduled in Seattle/Vancouver.
Oct 5th, 2012, 06:47 AM
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Waterton Lakes NP is an extension of Glacier. It's beautiful and not far from Many Glaciers.
The scenic way to get to Kelowna is via Highway 3, over the mountains and through the Okanogan Valley. And, from Kelowna, the scenic way to Banff NP is via Highway 1.
If you want some down time, take it in Banff--a beautiful little town surrounded by spectacular scenery.
When we make this trip, we stay in Banff and spend one day on the Icefields Parkway driving as far as The Columbia Icefields and back (120 miles each way). You can walk on the glacier a short walk from your parked car. You need not take a tour: http://www.explorerockies.com/columbia-icefield/
HTtY
The scenic way to get to Kelowna is via Highway 3, over the mountains and through the Okanogan Valley. And, from Kelowna, the scenic way to Banff NP is via Highway 1.
If you want some down time, take it in Banff--a beautiful little town surrounded by spectacular scenery.
When we make this trip, we stay in Banff and spend one day on the Icefields Parkway driving as far as The Columbia Icefields and back (120 miles each way). You can walk on the glacier a short walk from your parked car. You need not take a tour: http://www.explorerockies.com/columbia-icefield/
HTtY
Oct 5th, 2012, 07:38 AM
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Does it make sense then to just go from Vancouver to Kelowna (for the wineries) then directly via Highway 1 to Banff where we stay for two nights?
What advice if I skip the side trip to Kelowna?
Do you have any recommendations of where to stay in Banff?
I'm hoping to use Many Glaciers as a base for some day trips. I know my husband will want to even maybe spend a day just reading. The afternoon tea at The Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton Lakes NP looks fun. And we want to take the red bus tour on The Road to the Sun. I'm the driver and I'd rather look at the view instead of the road! And of course doing some of the hikes around there.
The Columbia Rive Gorge looks stunning. I'll have to see if it can be fit in somehow.
What advice if I skip the side trip to Kelowna?
Do you have any recommendations of where to stay in Banff?
I'm hoping to use Many Glaciers as a base for some day trips. I know my husband will want to even maybe spend a day just reading. The afternoon tea at The Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton Lakes NP looks fun. And we want to take the red bus tour on The Road to the Sun. I'm the driver and I'd rather look at the view instead of the road! And of course doing some of the hikes around there.
The Columbia Rive Gorge looks stunning. I'll have to see if it can be fit in somehow.
Oct 5th, 2012, 09:55 AM
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What advice if I skip the side trip to Kelowna?
I don't advise you to skip Kelowna because it is on the scenic route to Banff that I described earlier.
I understand why you might want to visit Vancouver, but when we go to the Canadian Rockies, we don't go via Vancouver.
If your main interest is cities, you might want to consider adding Victoria and Galgary to you itinerary.
On the other hand, if your main interest is scenic grandeur, I would add places such as Mt Rainier, Waterton Lakes NP, and the Columbia River Gorge to the itinerary and trim elsewhere.
HTtY
PS Driving in Canada is slower than in the US because most roads have only two lanes and the major highways in go right thorough the major cities!
I don't advise you to skip Kelowna because it is on the scenic route to Banff that I described earlier.
I understand why you might want to visit Vancouver, but when we go to the Canadian Rockies, we don't go via Vancouver.
If your main interest is cities, you might want to consider adding Victoria and Galgary to you itinerary.
On the other hand, if your main interest is scenic grandeur, I would add places such as Mt Rainier, Waterton Lakes NP, and the Columbia River Gorge to the itinerary and trim elsewhere.
HTtY
PS Driving in Canada is slower than in the US because most roads have only two lanes and the major highways in go right thorough the major cities!
Oct 5th, 2012, 10:09 AM
#9
Would you consider flying to Portland so that you can see the Columbia Gorge easily?
I am an advocate of taking the train or Amtrak bus across the border to go to Vancouver. Taking a rental car across the border makes me nervous. Remember your passports.
There are two HI Hostels in Vancouver. I can remember watching a World Series game in a private room in one of them.
Rent the car in Vancouver for the trip to Jasper, Banff, Kelowna and wherever else in Canada you want to go.
Return to Vancouver and turn in the rental car and see whatever you missed. Take the train or Amtrak bus back to Seattle. Personally, I would take the Empire Builder overnight from Seattle to Whitefish Montana and rent a car there to go see Glacier etc.
If you fly to Seattle first, you can take the Empire Builder back to Portland and fly home from there. Amtrak splits the Empire Builder every night in Spokane into Seattle and Portland trains. They also join the eastbound EB that come from SEA and PDX at Spokane The eastbound EB leaves SPK at 1:30AM and arrives in Whitefish before 8AM Mountain time.
I am an advocate of taking the train or Amtrak bus across the border to go to Vancouver. Taking a rental car across the border makes me nervous. Remember your passports.
There are two HI Hostels in Vancouver. I can remember watching a World Series game in a private room in one of them.
Rent the car in Vancouver for the trip to Jasper, Banff, Kelowna and wherever else in Canada you want to go.
Return to Vancouver and turn in the rental car and see whatever you missed. Take the train or Amtrak bus back to Seattle. Personally, I would take the Empire Builder overnight from Seattle to Whitefish Montana and rent a car there to go see Glacier etc.
If you fly to Seattle first, you can take the Empire Builder back to Portland and fly home from there. Amtrak splits the Empire Builder every night in Spokane into Seattle and Portland trains. They also join the eastbound EB that come from SEA and PDX at Spokane The eastbound EB leaves SPK at 1:30AM and arrives in Whitefish before 8AM Mountain time.
Oct 5th, 2012, 10:15 AM
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This trip grew from an offer by my friend to visit her at her family's place near Placid Lake in Montana. She suggested flying in and out of Calgary and staying in Glacier National Park at the Many Glaciers Hotel as they had done in prior years. This grew into obviously visiting Banff NP.
When my husband figured out that he could spare 3 weeks and seeing as we had never been to the Pacific Northwest and who knows when we'll get back, we added on Seattle and Vancouver. I have two friends who think these are fascinating cities that I would enjoy. My husband and I often split our trips between rustic grandeur and urban interest. A bit of the best of both worlds to us. We'll go canoe camping in Algonquin Provincial Park for a week and hit Toronto for a few days.
So I'm trying to balance it all but not make seem like one of those trips where you don't get to see anything in enough depth.
Thanks for the heads up on the drives! I'll start tacking on more time to the driving estimates.
When my husband figured out that he could spare 3 weeks and seeing as we had never been to the Pacific Northwest and who knows when we'll get back, we added on Seattle and Vancouver. I have two friends who think these are fascinating cities that I would enjoy. My husband and I often split our trips between rustic grandeur and urban interest. A bit of the best of both worlds to us. We'll go canoe camping in Algonquin Provincial Park for a week and hit Toronto for a few days.
So I'm trying to balance it all but not make seem like one of those trips where you don't get to see anything in enough depth.
Thanks for the heads up on the drives! I'll start tacking on more time to the driving estimates.
Oct 21st, 2012, 07:03 PM
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I think 3 days is a minimum for Vancouver. 3 nights in Seattle is a good amount of time, but it depends on what you want to see. august is the best time to visit, so you may want to see nature. I would opt for one of the Olympic National Park Lodges: http://www.olympicnationalparks.com/.*
Oct 22nd, 2012, 05:31 AM
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Same advice than Myer : in Glacier, Many Glacier is a very nice place-my favorite- but far from all the others and so 1-2 nights in Many Glacier(and try to have a room with lake's view) and then 2-3 nights in Rising Sun allow you to explore 2-3 parts of the park without to many miles to drive.
Or option is to hike and so 4 nights in MG allow you to hike Cracker lake, Iceberg lake, Grinnel Glacier and Swiftcurrent pass if there are not closed due to bear activities...
Erik
Or option is to hike and so 4 nights in MG allow you to hike Cracker lake, Iceberg lake, Grinnel Glacier and Swiftcurrent pass if there are not closed due to bear activities...
Erik
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