Places to visit in Canada

[hvman]

Hi all,

I'm planning a short holiday in Canada (Vancouver and Calgary to be precise) and was wondering what some good places to visit/see our? I'll be taking my camera gear with me so would like to put it to good use.

While in Vancouver I've heard the Chief (http://www.stawamuschiefpark.ca/)is quite nice so that's an option. Is it far from the city center?

Also I was thinking of possibly getting a train from Vancouver to Calgary as opposed to flying. Is there nice scenary to make a train ride worth it or should I just fly there and save time?

[ssim]

There is some georgeous scenery to be had on the train. I've never travelled it myself but have spoken to many that have and swear by it if you have the time.

Calgary has got a very nice zoo, if you are into that. Banff National Park is about an hour west of Calgary and is in the heart of the rocky mountains. I haven't been to Heritage Park in years but it was a re-enactment of the older western days. I'm not sure what is there now.

If you are looking for a good camera store you might want to try www.thecamerastore.com. They are well stocked and very helpful.

[hvman]

Any info on what/where to get the train from? THanks

[jack lumber]

http://www.rockymountaineer.com/vacation_packages/rocky_mountaineer/default.asp

Personaly I would opt to rent a car and drive. The rail line follows the trans Canada highway, so essentialy you will have the same view, and more of an option to stop for some stunning foto scenes.

[BearLeeAlive]

A car would be the way to go as you could stop wherever you like. The train ride is supposed to be a fantastic trip, but for a one shot deal I would drive.

How much time do you have in and around the Calgary area once you get here? Sheldon's suggestions are all great, and there are so many more. I know of a couple nice mountain drives to take to get some great scenery.

[SunTsu]

Well, being a proud Canadian, I'd first like to point out that Canada is HUGE, so visiting two cities isn't really going to give you a good taste of Canada. :) You'll notice that people and culture in Vancouver is quite different than in Calgary and the rest of Canada.

That said, these are some places (in no particular order) I would go to if I was a visitor to Vancouver with camera in hand:
- Kitsilano Beach. Famous beach, some of the best looking ladies around, great view.
- Stanley Park
- Granville Island. If you have time, take the little Aqua Buses.
- Grouse Mountain for scenics. Good if you have a clear day. About 30 minutes from the City Center
- Yaletown. IMO, it's home to the best restaurants in Vancouver. Great for people watching. You'll see lots of expensive cars there, the Mayor lives there as to many of the pro hockey players and actors.
- Walk across these bridges and you can get great shots of Vancouver: Cambie bridge, Granville Bridge, Burrard Bridge

As for the Chief....it's a great hike, but it's in Squamish which is about an hour from the City Center.

[hvman]

Like you guys have mentioned I would agree too that a rental car would be more beneficial as I can take my time and stop whenever I like. The only issue though is the cost (i'm assuming I can't do a one way trip and drop the car off in Calgary?). Would you be able to recommend some companies that I can lookup for getting a rental car?


How much time do you have in and around the Calgary area once you get here?

I'll have a bit less than a week while I'm there. I know it's not a long time but I'd like to make the most of it.


SunTsu, Agreed I can't see the whole of Canada in a week........but hell...I gotta try and squeeze in everything I can I reckon! I've noted your suggestions and i'm going to research them a bit and try plan to go see them with my hosts :)

EDIT: Just checked out the prices for the RockyMountaineer trains and damn they're expensive! LOL

[hvman]

OK Just had a look at another map and seems it's actually around 900kms from Vancouver to Calgary...that's a bit more than what i expected to drive alone (6 hours i'm easy with but 10 hours is a bit much IMO. Is it mainly 100km/h or more?

[BearLeeAlive]

As far as Calgary goes, or even Vancouver for that matter, what type of stuff do you want to see? Are you interested in the cities themselves, or more the great geographical surroundings both have?

Most folk allow 12 hours to drive from Calgary to Vancouver with minimal stops. There are lots of great places of interest to stop at along the way if you wanted to take a couple full days to do it. Most of Alberta is 110 kph, but once you hit the Banff park gates, and through much of BC the limit is 90 kph, though most drive much quicker. ;)

As far as suggesting a car rental company, I have never rented here so know little, but I bet you travel agent could find out. No doubt it would cost more for a one way trip though.

[hvman]

Thanks for that......12 hours is quite a long time to squeeze in a day by myself....but I might consider it depending on the hire car cost. Figured it's much more interesting than flying over the beautiful scenary.

As for Calgary/Vancouver I'm staying with some friends and would like to see as much of the city and the country as possible. So a mix of seeing both would be good. Figured I'd narrow down my preffered choices of places to visit and force my hosts to take me there :)

I'm not there for very long but want to make the most of it.

[ryleung]

The Vancouver suggestions that SunTsu made are superb. In addition to everything he has suggested, I would also recommend you to go check out the Richmond Night Market. Being a Chinese-style summer fest / open air market kind of place, it isn't necessarily the photo op you might be looking for. But there are lots of awesome opportunities to be had if you want to shoot. And best of all, it has, hands down, the best fresh-off-the-grill Asian finger foods all packed together into the same food area.

I am practically there every weekend (for the food, of course). :b

-Lik

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/1088/img2588richmondnightmarbd3.jpg

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/6383/img2604foodcourtkv6.jpg

[ironchef31]

In Vancouver:
Robson street in downtown
Grandville Island (try the beer there)
Coal Harbour - north side of downtown
Vanier part - 10min walk from Grandville Island
Wreck beach - hard to hide camera when dressed appropriately ;-)
Chinatown - old one in Vancouver, new one in Richmond
Stanly Park aquarium - park may be shut down due to winter wind storms. Now its a fire hazard.
Capilano suspension bridge
Grouse mountain gondola - go at sunset and see awesome view of Vancouver

2 hours travel from Vancouver:
Whister villige - ski in winter, mountain bike, rafting in summer.
Seattle - close enough for day trip
Victoria - 1.5h ferry ride. - Victorian style town, BC government building.

whew!!
Ken

[DDA]

Foe the driving part, I would do it at least in 2 days. That way, you have a bit of time to stop at all the wonderful places along the drive...

And tell us what are your favorite photography subjects. It'll be easier to advise you on where to go in the Vancouver area (and elsewhere)...

[bcdoug]

depending on the time you are here, there will be a lot of boat racing on english bay. regattas are held nearly every weekend. depending on the start location, you can get excellent shots from jericho pier, royal van yacht club, kits beach, or spanish banks.

the star north americans are coming up shortly. i am planning to be on the water to shoot them. just wishing i had more capable gear. meaning me.

[SunTsu]

Please do come back and post some shots of the Vancouver. I would love to see how a visitor sees the city through a lens.

[hvman]

Thanks for the replies! I'm checking those all out bit by bit (gotta love Google maps).

SunTsu.....I'll post back with pictures for sure. Thanks again all....been very helpful!

[hvman]

Sorry to bump this up but if I was to drive from Vancouver to Calgary and stop overnight about halfway. Where would be a good place to stop (preferable somewhere populated/safe)?

[BearLeeAlive]

Sorry to bump this up but if I was to drive from Vancouver to Calgary and stop overnight about halfway. Where would be a good place to stop (preferable somewhere populated/safe)?
I don't know what you've heard, but there is no civilization between here and Vancouver, other than native settlements. It is all wild country. Traveling with a loaded shotgun is recommended. ;)

J/K of course. The Shuswap Lakes area us nice, lots to see and do. Salmon Arm is the biggest place around, though lots of civilized places all along the #1 Highway. This is just about smack dab in the middle of your drive too, about 6 hrs each way.

[ironchef31]

You can stop in Kelowna in the Okanagan valley. It's 4 hours from Vancouver. If you are in to wine, there are several wineries alogn highway 97 that offer tours and samples. Good photo ops of wineries.

You can stop in Banff. Great little town where the elk will wander through the streets. (this is where the shotgun comes in) Take the gondola up Sulfur Mountain for some scenery.

Also, you can go north from Banff to Columbia Icefields. They are rapidly retreating so see them while you can.

Ken

[hvman]

I think I might stop off at Salmon Arm in the Shuswap Lakes area as that's pretty much halfway. I'd rather stop off halfway or a bit past halfway. Kelowna is probably too close to Vancouver for me to stop off there on the first day Ken.

[Ruffio]

How about Kamloops. Isn't that about half way? Also, you don't have to go into Calgary although I enjoyed my stay in the city. Morraine Lake and Lake Louise are both at the lower end and worth seeing.

[hvman]

I see Kamloops is about 100kms (roughly an hour) before Salmon Arm. Which of the two would be better to check out?

As for Calgary....I'm staying there with friends so that's why I'm going all the way there :)

[BearLeeAlive]

Kamloops is further than half way (towards the Vancouver end). It is a nice place, the largest city in the area. The Shuswap Lakes area has much more to see and do though. Morraine Lake and Lake Louise would be great spots to stop and see.

[hvman]

I'm actually traveling Vancouver -> Calgary so (given I want to go a bit more than halfway on the first leg) I might stop off near the Shuswap Lakes.

[hvman]

Man the weather here's been pretty crap until today. Going to check out Stanley park today and the Chief tomorrow so hopefuly the weather holds up!. Will also check out Granville Island today!

[ryleung]

No rain for the rest of the week, my friend! Have fun!

-Lik

[hvman]

Went out to Stanley park and got a few pics......but didn't get a chance to take any evening pics......I really wish I had more time. Will post up some pics when I get back though. Plan go upto the Chief tomorow so that should be a good walk and then i'm off to Calgary on Thursday/Fri!

[hvman]

Well......in Calgary at the moment. I'm glad I did the drive from Vancouver to Calgary and that I did it over 2 days. Got some nice pics which I'll sort through when I get back.

I took this one at Salmon Arm of the board walk. Also got a few sunny days in Vancouver which helped!

http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/9687/img9851li5.jpg

[ironchef31]

Glad to hear you are having a wonderful time.
I would like to see the pics as well. When you live in a city, It's hard to see it through tourists eyes.

Ken

[BearLeeAlive]

Glad to hear you are having a wonderful time.
I would like to see the pics as well. When you live in a city, It's hard to see it through tourists eyes.
For sure, a tourist often sees a place from a much more interesting point of view.