Suggestions for general itinerary for Canadian Rockies trip?

Hi all,

Our family of five is planning to travel out to the Canadian Rockies
this summer for about 3 weeks to do a tour of the national parks and
other attractions. We will have about two weeks to do the parks in the
area, which is a bit of a dilemma, because there is SO much to see. We
have purchased several tour books and are looking through them, but the
wealth of attractions is almost overwhelming.

Our plan is to fly into Spokane, briefly visit (US's) Glacier NP /
Waterton, and then do some combination of Banff, Jasper, Yoho and
Kootenay, along possibly with some of the other smaller parks in the
area. This will include the Columbia Icefields. We will be going through
Calgary on the way up and stopping for a few days on the way back to
visit family.

We are currently in the "general planning" stages and trying to figure
out roughly how much time we should plan to allocate to each of the
various parks, if that is possible. Any input would be greatly
appreciated!

Thanks.

peace,

-*-
Charles M. Kozierok (mail to "dsun" at the domain below)
Photographer & Webmaster, Desktop Scenes - http://www.DesktopScenes.com/?uns
Free and low-cost screensavers featuring nature scenes and national parks.
Take a "virtual vacation" to a beautiful place any time, right on your PC!

"Charles M. Kozierok" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

Our family of five is planning to travel out to the Canadian Rockies
this summer for about 3 weeks to do a tour of the national parks and
other attractions. We will have about two weeks to do the parks in the
area, which is a bit of a dilemma, because there is SO much to see. We
have purchased several tour books and are looking through them, but the
wealth of attractions is almost overwhelming.

Our plan is to fly into Spokane, briefly visit (US's) Glacier NP /
Waterton, and then do some combination of Banff, Jasper, Yoho and
Kootenay, along possibly with some of the other smaller parks in the
area. This will include the Columbia Icefields. We will be going through
Calgary on the way up and stopping for a few days on the way back to
visit family.

We are currently in the "general planning" stages and trying to figure
out roughly how much time we should plan to allocate to each of the
various parks, if that is possible. Any input would be greatly
appreciated!

Thanks.

peace,

-*-
Charles M. Kozierok (mail to "dsun" at the domain below)
Photographer & Webmaster, Desktop Scenes -
http://www.DesktopScenes.com/?uns
Free and low-cost screensavers featuring nature scenes and national parks.
Take a "virtual vacation" to a beautiful place any time, right on your PC!

Are you planning to hike at all? If so, my suggestion is to stop thinking
about "doing" the parks and start thinking about a quality visit to the
area. Are you camping? Finally, how's your budget?

In article ,
MLL wrote:
} Are you planning to hike at all? If so, my suggestion is to stop thinking
} about "doing" the parks and start thinking about a quality visit to the
} area. Are you camping? Finally, how's your budget?

We will be doing some hiking, reasonably easy stuff as our kids are
young (10, 8, 3). We are not camping. Our budget is "moderate" -- this
whole trip will be expensive and we don't have $$ to blow, but we aren't
going to skip something really good over a few bucks given that we will
not be back this way again for a while.

I am not sure what you mean about "not doing" the parks and thinking
about a quality visit. If you mean to not plan on just doing the
standard touristy stuff between 11 am and 4 pm, that's already the plan.

peace,

-*-
Charles M. Kozierok (mail to "dsun" at the domain below)
Photographer & Webmaster, Desktop Scenes - http://www.DesktopScenes.com/?uns
Free and low-cost screensavers featuring nature scenes and national parks.
Take a "virtual vacation" to a beautiful place any time, right on your PC!

"Charles M. Kozierok" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

Our family of five is planning to travel out to the Canadian Rockies
this summer for about 3 weeks to do a tour of the national parks and
other attractions. We will have about two weeks to do the parks in the
area, which is a bit of a dilemma, because there is SO much to see. We
have purchased several tour books and are looking through them, but the
wealth of attractions is almost overwhelming.

Our plan is to fly into Spokane, briefly visit (US's) Glacier NP /
Waterton, and then do some combination of Banff, Jasper, Yoho and
Kootenay, along possibly with some of the other smaller parks in the
area. This will include the Columbia Icefields. We will be going through
Calgary on the way up and stopping for a few days on the way back to
visit family.

We are currently in the "general planning" stages and trying to figure
out roughly how much time we should plan to allocate to each of the
various parks, if that is possible. Any input would be greatly
appreciated!

Thanks.

peace,

-*-
Charles M. Kozierok (mail to "dsun" at the domain below)
Photographer & Webmaster, Desktop Scenes -
http://www.DesktopScenes.com/?uns
Free and low-cost screensavers featuring nature scenes and national parks.
Take a "virtual vacation" to a beautiful place any time, right on your PC!
_______
If you are taking the 'Going to the Sun Road' in Glacier NP, which is
fantastic, do your best to travel it in the West to East direction. This
will put you on the outer side of the road for the majority of the trip with
the best views.

The rest of your itinerary will keep you and your camera busy. Try to do
the Columbia Icefields in the morning or evening sun for the best photos.

Be sure to get the proper Canadian Border Crossing documents and Insurance
for your Rental Car. Also be sure that your Medical coverage is valid in
Canada.

Don Howe wrote:

snip
If you ae taking the 'Going to the Sun Road' in Glacier NP, which is
fantastic, do your best to travel it in the West to East direction. This
will put you on the outer side of the road for the majority of the trip with
the best views.

Of course it depends on a choice between quality of view & sanity of
driver. I hate routes like that since I usually get to see very little.
FFM

The rest of your itinerary will keep you and your camera busy. Try to do
the Columbia Icefields in the morning or evening sun for the best photos.

Be sure to get the proper Canadian Border Crossing documents and Insurance
for your Rental Car. Also be sure that your Medical coverage is valid in
Canada.

"Charles M. Kozierok" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

Our family of five is planning to travel out to the Canadian Rockies
this summer for about 3 weeks to do a tour of the national parks and
other attractions. We will have about two weeks to do the parks in the
area, which is a bit of a dilemma, because there is SO much to see. We
have purchased several tour books and are looking through them, but the
wealth of attractions is almost overwhelming.

Our plan is to fly into Spokane, briefly visit (US's) Glacier NP /
Waterton, and then do some combination of Banff, Jasper, Yoho and
Kootenay, along possibly with some of the other smaller parks in the
area. This will include the Columbia Icefields. We will be going through
Calgary on the way up and stopping for a few days on the way back to
visit family.

We are currently in the "general planning" stages and trying to figure
out roughly how much time we should plan to allocate to each of the
various parks, if that is possible. Any input would be greatly
appreciated!

Thanks.
-----------

"Don Howe" wrote in message
news:zdL9c.38928$li5.31236@pd7tw3no...

If you are taking the 'Going to the Sun Road' in Glacier NP, which is
fantastic, do your best to travel it in the West to East direction. This
will put you on the outer side of the road for the majority of the trip with
the best views.
------------

I generally concur with Don's recommendation.

However, depending on your stops and destinations after Glacier, if you have
the time, I'd suggest driving GTTS Road in BOTH directions (it's that
spectacular). I'd also relish doing Glacier to Banff to Jasper again someday.

Another consideration - depending on the time of day, driving GTTS Road in
an east-to-west direction could have you driving with the sun in your
windshield. Also - it's a fantastic drive, but especially if you're driving a
larger rig, it gets "close" both to the walls and to oncoming traffic in
numerous places.

Since your destination after Glacier is north to Banff and Jasper, my
experience is that that the route thru Chief Mountain and Waterton (via East
Glacier) is much prettier than the western route (via Eureka/Roosville).

In any event, in either direction - Going-to-the-Sun Road is absolutely
spectacular. Suggest allow the better part of a full day to enjoy it -
especially if you don't expect to see it again soon. If there's a more stunning
place in the lower 48 - I'm still lookin' for it. (Personal preference, of
course).

If you use Trans Canada 1 at all then, when you get to Revelstoke consider
turning south through Nakusp, Kaslo and Bonners Ferry to get you back to
Spokane. We followed this route about 5 years ago and the scenery was
wonderful. Spent a night in Kaslo and there was just something about the
place that makes me want to return.

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In article zdL9c.38928$li5.31236@pd7tw3no, Don Howe wrote:
} If you are taking the 'Going to the Sun Road' in Glacier NP, which is
} fantastic, do your best to travel it in the West to East direction. This
} will put you on the outer side of the road for the majority of the trip with
} the best views.

This is currently our plan. Thanks for the other advice as well.

One question ... the Glacier NP web site seems to suggest that the road
can sometimes open as late as a week before we are going to be there.
Does anyone know how deep the snowpack is this year compared to average?

Also, if the road "just opens" before we get there, does this mean that
the scenery will be all still covered with melting snow? Will we be too
early for wildflowers, for example?

I am asking because we might be able to shift our trip a bit later.

Thanks again.

peace,

-*-
Charles M. Kozierok (mail to "dsun" at the domain below)
Photographer & Webmaster, Desktop Scenes - http://www.DesktopScenes.com/?uns
Free and low-cost screensavers featuring nature scenes and national parks.
Take a "virtual vacation" to a beautiful place any time, right on your PC!

In article vRN9c.121344$_w.1442646@attbi_s53,
Tom Beno wrote:
} However, depending on your stops and destinations after Glacier, if you have
} the time, I'd suggest driving GTTS Road in BOTH directions (it's that
} spectacular). I'd also relish doing Glacier to Banff to Jasper again someday.
}
} Another consideration - depending on the time of day, driving GTTS Road in
} an east-to-west direction could have you driving with the sun in your
} windshield. Also - it's a fantastic drive, but especially if you're driving a
} larger rig, it gets "close" both to the walls and to oncoming traffic in
} numerous places.

We will be in a minivan most likely. Your comments are one reason why I
don't want to rent an RV, something we had considered. (They are also
ridiculously expensive...)

I don't think we will be doing Glacier in both directions because we
were planning on doing a loop.

} Since your destination after Glacier is north to Banff and Jasper, my
} experience is that that the route thru Chief Mountain and Waterton (via East
} Glacier) is much prettier than the western route (via Eureka/Roosville).

Okay thanks.

} In any event, in either direction - Going-to-the-Sun Road is absolutely
} spectacular. Suggest allow the better part of a full day to enjoy it -
} especially if you don't expect to see it again soon. If there's a more stunning
} place in the lower 48 - I'm still lookin' for it. (Personal preference, of
} course).

Willdo. Also interested if you have any opinions on whether June 23/24
will be perhaps too early to do Glacier and really see the best scenery.

Thanks!

peace,

-*-
Charles M. Kozierok (mail to "dsun" at the domain below)
Photographer & Webmaster, Desktop Scenes - http://www.DesktopScenes.com/?uns
Free and low-cost screensavers featuring nature scenes and national parks.
Take a "virtual vacation" to a beautiful place any time, right on your PC!

In article ,
Graham Harrison edward dott harrisonone att btinternet dott com wrote:
} If you use Trans Canada 1 at all then, when you get to Revelstoke consider
} turning south through Nakusp, Kaslo and Bonners Ferry to get you back to
} Spokane. We followed this route about 5 years ago and the scenery was
} wonderful. Spent a night in Kaslo and there was just something about the
} place that makes me want to return.

That's a bit out of our way, as we were planning on coming south through
Radium Hot Springs and then through Cranbrook.

Is the scenery that much better if we go further west a bit? We can
consider it....

Thanks.

peace,

-*-
Charles M. Kozierok (mail to "dsun" at the domain below)
Photographer & Webmaster, Desktop Scenes - http://www.DesktopScenes.com/?uns
Free and low-cost screensavers featuring nature scenes and national parks.
Take a "virtual vacation" to a beautiful place any time, right on your PC!