coming to CANADA!!

[catsith]

this year i am planning a trip to canada, but i can only go during july/aug, which i know is your summer holidays. Can you guys give me some idea of how busy it gets? I am planning to fly into either vancouver or calgary. My son wants to spend a couple of days at edmonton mall, and i want to head up to jasper and lake louise area, and whatever is also around. I am not planning to head any further east. I am considering renting a motor home, but not too keen on the idea. I would prefer to be able to rent a car, and then stay in not too expensive places. How booked out does it get? When does the summer holiday finish? And of course, where are those wonderful places you guys photograph your wildlife.
thanks in anticipation

[ryleung]

As far as photographic opportunities goes, Victoria, Vancouver, and Whistler are all awesome places. I am not much of a nature / scenery person, so of these 3 places, I like Victoria and the area around its inner harbour best. With the water, the Empress Hotel, and the double decker buses, it has more than a bit of British feel in the air.

On your way to Edmonton, make sure you stop by at Banff, Jasper, and Lake Louise area. Even for a non-nature / scenery guy, those are some breath-taking sights to behold. As far as West Edmonton Mall goes, however, I can't imagine how anyone can spend more than half a day there. You'll see 3 shops of the same kinda at different parts of the mall.

If you can really pull off a trip in July, I'd definitely make the trip coincide with the Calgary Stampede ( http://calgarystampede.com ). It's one heck of a 10-day long event in the second week of July. But be forewarned! This year there were upwards of a million people attending the event.

[catsith]

thanks for the info. My son is a very rare breed of male, he can spend hours and hours and hours shopping! I know the stampede is something else, but too crowded for me, i prefer to be somewhere else. Might be a good time then to be up lake louise way or something! Just realised, that's all of my city at the stampede! OMG, no thanks!!

[sugarzebra]

Our summer holidays (when schools are closed) are between the end of June through the Labour Day weekend which is the first Monday in September. The area you are travelling in is spectacular and you will find lots of wildlife in the mountains, especially in Banff National Park. Make sure you put Morraine Lake on your list of must see places. Its only about 14km from Lake Louise. You will see lots of motor homes through the mountains, but unless you've driven them lots before, you would probably find then quite stressful in the mountains. Decent lodging wil be in the $150-200/night range, but if you do some research you may find bed & breakfast places for a bit less. If you want to really treat yourself for a couple of nights, the Banff Springs Hotel and the Chateau Lake Louise are the best Canada has to offer.

[Quad]

So you son would prefer Surfer's Paradise to Peregian Beach? My sympathies.


If you are in Lake Louise you might like the Lake Agnus Tea House Hike (let you have a bit of a sweat) It starts behind Chateau Lake Louise (you will not be able to miss the chateau). It is a popluar hike but very beautiful despite the people . At the Tea House the lake behind has potable water (at least it has never made me ill just drink from above the waterfall).
If you stay in Lake Louise check out the hostels (I cannot remember the name of the one I visited but what a lovely place it MIGHT be the Hi-Lake Louise Alpine Centre Hostel), It is better than the backpackers I saw on Magnetic Island) or be prepared to spend about 100-130 for a hotel room (the hostel was about $30 and nicer than many of the hotels). I did not actually stay there but I ate there. You can easily drive to Lake Louis from Banff and Jasper is also worth a visit.

edit
Lake Louis, Banff and Jasper are all busy places. Summer and winter (ski or hike). Try to book a several months in advance (like real soon) many places will allow you to change (to another hotel in the same chain) on very short notice. We did that on the fly while we drove through last summer.

[ssim]

Statistically the number of visitors to Canada are down over the past couple of years. This would lend one to think that the hotel rates should come down somewhat. I've spent alot of time in the Jasper/Banff areas and have always found a place to stay. Sometimes more than one wants but generally the rates are not too bad. There are lots of your basic Best Western type of hotels in these areas.

Jasper is one of my favorites. I'm not a destination kind of person but like to get out into the hills and shoot. There are gondolas at the ski hills that will take you to the top and they can be pretty darned spectacular.

July/August is peak season so you have to take that into consideration.

Here are a few from my last trip through Jasper. You just can't get much better than this.

http://www.pbase.com/ssim/image/50103338/medium.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/ssim/image/50103357/medium.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/ssim/image/50103342/medium.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/ssim/image/50103349/medium.jpg

I was disappointed in that I only saw elk, deer and mountain goat. Usually you get to see alot more. If you are into wildlife either Banff or Jasper are good options. There is also a national park called Waterton Lakes that is in the very south of the province of Alberta which is a much quieter but no less picturesque. I live about an hour from there and I see grizzly and black bears there regularly.

I haven't been to the West Edmonton mall in some 20 years. I guess it is still a draw though it is not my thing. The websites for banff and jasper will give you alot of info on destination specific activities and draws in their respective parks. For me, the mountains and the wildlife are hard to beat. You might even get lucky and get snow in July or August.

Good luck.

[catsith]

sheldon, those photo's are fantastic!
god, i don't know how i am going to wait till then. Have decided to head there mid to late august. Snow?? Isn't it the start of autumn?
thankyou all for your information, appreciated.

So you son would prefer Surfer's Paradise to Peregian Beach?
yep, sad isn't it? but he does like swimming in the surf too, but not all day. A couple of hours and it's time to do something else!

[catsith]

i've just been browsing on the net, and the room rates are giving me a heart attack!! Can anyone suggest some places that won't break my budget? Even if a bit out of town, i will be renting a car. Or maybe a not so tourist town?

[EOSAddict]

I'm no expert but I did have my honeymoon in the Canadian Rockies (way back in 1996!). DDespite warnings of it being 'crowded' we found everywhere easy to get into (Canadian crowded has a vastly different meaning to UK crowded ;)). One place worth looking at and requires a few hours drive to get to but well worth itis Waterton LAkes on the US border which buts up against Glacier NP. It's a lot less well known, hence quieter, but has great scenery.

We did Calgary (1 night) drive to Jasper (3 nights) drive to Banff (via Athabasca Glacier) (4 nights) drive to Waterton (4 nights) back to Calgary (1 night) and flew home. Was a wonderful holiday.

Your eyes will pop out on the Icefield Parkway. Already mentioned but dont forget:

Peyto Lake (IP)
Moraine Lake
Medicine/Maligne Lakes (Jasper)
Banff Springs Hotel
Calgary Olympic Park
Calgary Tower
Johnstone Canyon

and many more!

[catsith]

thanks al

[Quad]

i've just been browsing on the net, and the room rates are giving me a heart attack!! Can anyone suggest some places that won't break my budget? Even if a bit out of town, i will be renting a car. Or maybe a not so tourist town?


The hostels or camping. A bit out of town in the national parks is well bush. Sort of the Canadian version of the outback.

If you do camp and are in BC look for the Dept. of Forestry camp sites, they are little known places that have few if any ammenities but are free (technically $5.00 per night but there is really no one to pay the fee to even if you wanted to). Provicial parks charge and are a crowded experience. I don't think Alberta has the Forestry type of sites. There is a good book called Camping Free in BC, also http://www.bcadventure.com/murphys/camp/camp.htm will give you an idea of what these places are like.

Banff is a strange thing as it is a town in a park.