 Poster: A snowHead
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Am plannign a short trip through Canada this summer. I'll have 9 days to get between Calgary and Vancouver, with a further 3 days on Vancouver Island.
Am most likely to split the trip into 4 locations
1/ Lake Louise or Banff - any preferences??
2/ somewhere b/n 1/ and Vancouver - any suggestions?
3/ somewhere b/n 2/ and Vancouver - any suggestions?
4/ Vancouver Island - perhaps Tofino
BAsically, I need to make up my mind about either Lake Louise or Banff, then find two places for about three nights each on route to Vancouver. Perhaps one of them near a Lake? Oh, I'll also have my golf clubs!
All suggestions much appreciated......
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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simo1234, there's a few courses at Whistler might be worth checking out (and you could hit the glacier for a bit of skiing)
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley in BC is meant to be nice in the summer. Lakes for water sports and golf courses, although I've never been in the summer
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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thanks guys, I'll take this on board.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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cathy, Agree with Cathy, have friends living in Kelowna with lake views from their garden who absolutely rave about it.
Been out there a couple of times but only Winter-time, it's a great area. Lake Okanagan is pretty amazing and it's a serious wine region if you like the plonk after a game of golf!
Have fun. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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And if you haven't found it on that website, here is the map showing Kelowna in relation to Banff and Vancouver. Oooh and Revelstoke 
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Jasper (Between Lake Louise and Edmonton) is suppose to be great in the summer. I've only been in the winter.
It's less commercial than either Banff or Lake Louise, but accomodation can be very hard to find during the summer months. I can help out with internet links if you decide to go down this route.
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Missed the bit about Golf.
Jasper has (what supposed to be) a very good golf 'resort' too.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Jasper is very nice. And the drive from Banff to Jasper is famous for its beauty. But bear in mind that if you do decide on Jasper, you are adding a considerable amount of driving to the trip.
Tofino is great, and I also wouldn't rule out a spending some time on the Sunshine Coast north of Vancouver. Rather than shooting straight across to Nanaimo out of Horseshoe Bay, I can recommend heading farther north and crossing at Powell River.
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Well, you're right there at Glacier National Park. I would spend half of that 9 days right there. With the balance split between 2 and 3.
Vancouver Island is pretty big. Budget some transit time.
Warning: the Canadian Rockies are known to be mistaken for the Austrian Alps.  So if you've gone to Austria a lot in the summer, you might find Banff/LL/Jasper a big yawn -- not really.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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A lot to be factored in depending on your preferences. If you've never been before and want to see the max possible "natural stuff" & hiking then I'd consider more stops for fewer nights en route. If you want spa hotels, golf courses, wineries, a bit of leisure boating your itinery might look totally different.
Peronally I'd go Banff -LL - Icefields to Jasper - Yellowhead to Kamloops stopping at Mt Robson & Wells Gray - try doing some insane local mountain biking around Kamloops or maybe at Sun Peaks (you can't do lift served mtn biking in national parks) - down to Kelowna if you want a bit of lakeside stuff (warning urban sprawl type city rather than a quaint town) then foot down to Vancouver.
Alternatively you could go: Calgary - Waterton Lakes - Fernie - Radium- LL- jasper- LL - Golden- Revelstoke- Nelson- Rossland - Osoyoos + Highway 3 out
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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thats really good of you all. Much for my wife and I to ponder. I just wish we had longer...
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Hi simo1234, I've done this trip twice in the last 3 years. can't put into words how awesome it is
Too many things to recommend to make sense probably but here's my opinion:
- spend as much of the 9 days as you can in the Rockies, once you head East it's still good, but not a patch on Banff/Yoho/Kootenay/Jasper national parks.
- go straight from the airport to Banff - easy drive.
- I would combine 4 nights in Banff and Lake Louise. Far more going on in Banff, unless your budget can stretch to staying up at the Chateau Lake Louise (about which you'll find mixed reviews but I reckon is wonderful).
- Everyone has their favourites in the Banff/Lake Louise area, unmissable for me are: - Emerald Lake and Takkakaw falls in Yoho NP, Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, Sulphur Mountain gondola in Banff, Kicking Horse River Rafting, Plain of the 6 glaciers walk at Lake Louise, spending at least 1 night at the Chateau Lake Louise.
- From Lake Louise you basically have the choice of the "High Road" or the "low road". I'll recommend "High" here coz you won't want to miss the Icefields Parkway.
- Up the Icefields Parkway to Jasper. Incredible stuff all along the road, full day trip.
- Stay 2 nights in Jasper. After Banff, Jasper is a bit hick and quiet, strongly recommend the Patricia Lake bungalows here - 5 stars all over trip advisor, I'd agree.
- The 4 vs 2 night Banff vs Jasper thing depends on what you're into - the Banff area has more spectacular scenery and unmissable sights, but is far more crowded than Jasper.
- That gives you 3 days to get over to Vancouver.
- So staying high take the yellowhead and perhaps break the trip in Clearwater - waterfalls and wilderness hiking in Wells Gray, though Clearwater is not much more than a truck stop.
- Then drive to Whistler - 2 nights here. Now i'm recommending whistler partly coz this is  so why not but seriously the great thing is if you're there early summer you have Glacier skiing and if you're there late summer it's dirt cheap (by Whistler standards). It doesn't have great scenery like the Rockies and it will be full of people but there are loads of activities (recommend ZipTrek) and you'll have a great time.
- Whistler's also convenient for the Horsehoe Bay->Nanaimo ferry so you can get an early start to Vancouver Island.
- Can't help you much on Vancouver Island, people tell me Tofino's good, but a heck of a trip. Don't bother with Victoria. We did this on one trip and spent 2 grumpy nights because we could have stayed longer in the Rockies. There's nothing *wrong* with Victoria as such but I reckon there are 50 better towns/cities in the UK for starters.
- Some alternatives...if you're keen to see Vancouver you could ditch whistler, and turn south at Kamloops. Or perhaps another day or two in the Rockies.
Whatever you choose, you will struggle not to have a brilliant time
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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simo1234, Jasper is cool and plenty of walks and stuff to do
we drove from Vancouver to Calgary a couple of years back
stopped off in Kamloops (Sun Peaks), Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff
If we did it again we'd spend more time round Banff and Jasper probably
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Poster: A snowHead
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Hi simo1234,
If you're taking the golf clubs, then you could follow in the footsteps of Happy Gilmore by taking a short detour North from Vancouver to Furry Creek.
Have fun - I did the same trip from Calgary to Vancouver once (a long time ago) and it's brilliant - amazing scenery in the mountains and Vancouver is a great city.
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