Driving through western Canada
Nov 10, 2013 | 1:00 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Chicago
Programs: United, American
Posts: 91
Driving through western Canada
My wife and I are considering an early summer drive from Chicago to Vancouver.
Here, we'd enter Canada through North Dakota and proceed through Winnipeg, Regina and Calgary.
Two questions: (1) how is the drive through the Canadian Rockiest? ( I don't like cliff driving.) ... and (2) which cities and towns are worth extra effort to visit?
Here, we'd enter Canada through North Dakota and proceed through Winnipeg, Regina and Calgary.
Two questions: (1) how is the drive through the Canadian Rockiest? ( I don't like cliff driving.) ... and (2) which cities and towns are worth extra effort to visit?
Nov 10, 2013 | 8:51 pm
#3
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Programs: United MileagePlus Silver, Nexus, Global Entry
Posts: 8,810
- Kelowna / Penticton
- Victoria
Nov 11, 2013 | 7:12 am
#4
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Canada
Programs: Star Alliance G*, Marriott Bonvoy Titanium,
Posts: 3,748
check your route on mapquest
I suggest having a look at mapquest.com............
Crossing the border at North Dakota adds 300 km to your drive, and most of it is not very scenic.
In the alternative, I recommend driving to Spokane, then go north via Nelson, Castelgar, etc. Very pretty and you avoid the big loop north (where at times they close the road @ Golden due to rock slides, avalanche blasting, etc. Welcome to Canada!
Penticton is in the southern Okanagan, I recommend rafting the river channel between Lake Okanagan and Lake Skaha:
http://www.okanaganvacationguide.com...r-channel.html
Victoria is nice, but last time I checked its not en route to Vancouver!
Crossing the border at North Dakota adds 300 km to your drive, and most of it is not very scenic.
In the alternative, I recommend driving to Spokane, then go north via Nelson, Castelgar, etc. Very pretty and you avoid the big loop north (where at times they close the road @ Golden due to rock slides, avalanche blasting, etc. Welcome to Canada!
Penticton is in the southern Okanagan, I recommend rafting the river channel between Lake Okanagan and Lake Skaha:
http://www.okanaganvacationguide.com...r-channel.html
Victoria is nice, but last time I checked its not en route to Vancouver!
Nov 11, 2013 | 8:31 am
#5
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Programs: United MileagePlus Silver, Nexus, Global Entry
Posts: 8,810
Crossing the border at North Dakota adds 300 km to your drive, and most of it is not very scenic.
In the alternative, I recommend driving to Spokane, then go north via Nelson, Castelgar, etc. Very pretty and you avoid the big loop north (where at times they close the road @ Golden due to rock slides, avalanche blasting, etc. Welcome to Canada!
In the alternative, I recommend driving to Spokane, then go north via Nelson, Castelgar, etc. Very pretty and you avoid the big loop north (where at times they close the road @ Golden due to rock slides, avalanche blasting, etc. Welcome to Canada!
Certainly the road in Rogers Pass is closed now and again, but this is very rare and they work very quickly to keep the road open.
Nov 26, 2013 | 12:39 am
#6
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: YVR
Posts: 80
Penticton is one of my favourite places in BC, but it is a bit weather-permitting. It's definitely a summer resort town, but if the weather and time permit, the detour down to Penticton can be well worth it.
In fact, I may even recommend going all the way down to Osoyoos and then taking Highway 3 through Princeton. The road's smaller, but it's gorgeous and you get to avoid Merritt. The Coke works well, of course, but it'd involve driving back up from Penticton the way you came on the 97 to get to Westbank.
On second thought, taking the 97 twice doesn't sound like a bad idea when this is your view: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:T...BC,_Canada.jpg
In fact, I may even recommend going all the way down to Osoyoos and then taking Highway 3 through Princeton. The road's smaller, but it's gorgeous and you get to avoid Merritt. The Coke works well, of course, but it'd involve driving back up from Penticton the way you came on the 97 to get to Westbank.
On second thought, taking the 97 twice doesn't sound like a bad idea when this is your view: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:T...BC,_Canada.jpg