From Seattle to Glacier NP and back to Vancouver
 

We are a french couple with two kids (5 and 3) and we plan to do a 2weeks1/2 trip this July or August to the NW and/or Canada. I thought about the following journey : Seattle, drive to Glacier NP (anything to see on the way ?) and then back to the coast on the canadia, side, to Vancouver. What do you think ? Is the drive OK, too long ? Boring on both ways ? We have never been to this part of the States.

I personally like the drive on the Canadian side better but there are some very nice areas on the US side as well.

In Canada, you'll be driving through the lower end of the Canadian Rockies on very good highways.

On the US side, you'll travel though the Idaho panhandle. From there to the Cascades, it's fairly flat farm country but the Cascades are also very pretty.

If it were me, I'd do it as you described. Outbound on the US side, return on the Canadian side.

Have a great trip.

Thanks a lot for you reply.
Is Jasper/banff/Lake Louise also/more interesting than Glacier area ?

Regards

Glacier is a smaller park. Between the two, I would definitely go for Banff NP and stay at Lake Louise. With two little kids in tow, I might not go up to Jasper.
Have you considered dipping down to Yellowstone NP in Montana. It's pretty amazing.
I hear Sandpoint ID is a nice place to stop on your way to Banff.
You will have a great trip. This is God's country. You won't be disappointed. You will be awed.
I'd go for the latter half of July or August, if I had a choice, as early July can be iffy and some of the higher elevations could still be inaccessible.

thanks for the advice. Why do you recommend not to go all the way to Jasper ? Tough roads ? Long way ?
What's the altitude of those places ?

Part of our 2000 tour(one month) should interest you.
We stayed two days in Seattle then drove inland to Wells gray park to see the two great waterfalls.Then past Mount Robson(highest peak of the Canadian rockies)to Jasper for three days. Then the magnificent road to Banff(columbia icefields)This is paradise.Stay a couple of days in Banff there's a lot to see all around.(lake Louise-lake Moraine...)
We the followed the Columbia valley and stayed one night in Waterton lakes.The next day we did the going to the sun road in Glacier national park.Very beautiful.From there we took the road to Helena and Yellowstone but you can go by the Cascades and dont forget Mount Rainier nat.park. Je vous souhaite beaucoup de succès avec votre voyage. Cordialement à vous de Belgique.Paul

thanks again.
If you were to stay a few days in a city with my two young kids (3 and 5), would u choose Vancouver or Seattle ?
Globally in BC/WA/Alberta area what are the best places for young kids to have fun and discover ?

Run a search on this board for Jasper and Banff. There was a long thread comparing them. I think it is safe to say they are similar but with different features. People love both. I was just thinking about time and the kids. When our kids were little (and even now, for ourselves), we preferred to stay in most places for a few days and expore the area more intensely, rather than have to pack up every night and move on. You can easily use Lake Louise as a base for at least three nights, seeing the area and even driving the icefields parkway.

I'd spend more time in Vancouver than Seattle, as an adult. I'm not sure little kids would care that much. Still, Stanley Park is wonderful. The waterfront in Vancouver is developed for recreation, which the kids would enjoy. There are nice parks in Seattle, some also on the water, but nothing that compares to Stanley Park.
I agree about seeing Mt. Rainier. It is incredibly beautiful.

You and the kids would enjoy a ferry trip to one of the islands, also. Read about the San Juan and Gulf Islands. The islands are a nice contrast to the mountains. The water is sparking and skies will be crystal blue. You can get a ferry from Vancouver to the Gulf Islands, or from Anacortes WA to the San Juans.

In Vancouver, You could visit the aquarium in Stanley Park, for the kids would be a great experience, and also You could visit the Science Center, that have a lot of experimets just for kids

Definitely Vancouver. You can hire bikes and have a lot of fun in Stanley park.Paul