Where to stop on the way to the Rockies?
 

This summer, we decided to get some fresh air and spend some time in and around Lake Louise. I live in Vancouver and we (my family) would be driving up to Lake Louise. We're booked into the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise into a junior suite courtesy or some free nights and suite upgrade coupons. My question to those out there is while driving to the Rockies, we'd probably have to stop some where as it is a pretty long ride. Are there any suggestions on some nice places to stop that would be relaxing en route. Furthermore, for those that have been to Lake Louise, are there any must do's (certain hiking routes or other activities)? Drop a line.

If you would be going through #1 highway (which I assume you would), Kamloops is a nice charming town to relax and stroll. But you should experience a much smoother driving along the highways during this time of year compared to winter. But regardless, enjoy your trip.

Make Hope a lunch stop going or coming.

http://www.hopechamber.bc.ca/

The Home Restaurant on the Old Hope-Princeton Way(Exit #1 at 170 and then follow the signage back toward the Coquihalla Highway) is an old-fashioned diner that that serves one of the most gargantuan Clubhouse sandwiches I have ever seen. Plan to split a sandwich between two unless you have teenagers along.

If the weather is decent there is interesting sightseeing in the area, including the chainsaw carvings scattered throughout the town, locations for scenes from one of the great movies of our time, First Blood (the original Rambo movie) :D , and the Coquihalla tunnels, an amazing engineering achievement built for the old Kettle Valley Railway in the 1890s. That is about one exit up ("Kawkawa Lake") on the Coquihalla Highway (#5) and for that reason I suggest you consider taking this route on the way up if you're leaving Vancouver in the morning, and returning via Hwy. 1 to enjoy the scenery on both routes.

I concur with the previous poster that Kamloops would make a good stop, especially for somebody who has never ventured far "beyond Hope." It is a much drier climate and it just has a different feel to it, yet it's a bustling city with all sorts of good restaurants. Note that the Coquihalla takes you to Kamloops more quickly and easily than #1 for the $10 toll, but both highways are scenic and worth using as a circle route for sightseeing.

Salmon Arm, about an hour's drive East of Kamloops on #1, is considerably smaller, but a lovely town nestled against one "arm" of the Shuswap Lake, and also a reasonable overnight stop.

Happy travels!

The normal stopover point is Kamloops, here are a couple of alternatives:

About 40 minutes North of Kamloops is the Sun Peaks ski resort area. It is a bit of a detour but it allows you to stop in somewhere other than a roadside motel.

http://www.sunpeaksresort.com/

If you want to get most of the driving done the first day, you may want to stay at Three Valley Gap, which is about 15 minutes west of Revelstoke. Here you will find a 200 room inn. PLUS, Gordon Bell has brought over 25 historic buildings from around BC and has re-assembled them as his own "Ghost Town." The man is a huge train buff restoring many old rail cars to be housed in the covered roundhouse he is building.

Many of the buildings have been bought contents and all and are furnished with antique china and linens. Quite the museum for a private endeavour.

http://www.3valley.com/


Note that on your way up to the Chateau you will pass a cordoned off parking area. Hopefully you will get a chance to see the Grizzly bear (safely from your car, of course) that is wandering that area this summer.


Have a wonderful trip.

Timely question. My wife and I just returned from the Rockies yesterday. We took the Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Banff in Gold Leaf, then drove Banff to Jasper to Calgary before flying home.

The Rocky Mountaineer folks put us up at the South Thompson Inn in Kamloops. We found it a delightful place to stay. We also stayed at the Banff Springs, Vancouver Waterfront, and Calgary Paliser Fairmonts on this trip. The South Thompson Inn fit right in among its more expensive bretheren.

Although there's plenty of the roadside motels in Kamloops (or more precisely just outside), we stayed at the Plaza Heritage hotel and were very impressed. Nice to be centrally located, rather than stuck out by the highway...

Hikes
 

Lake Louise has good opportunities for hikers of every ability.

A 3-mile level trail goes from the hotel to the end of the lake.

Plain of 6 Glaciers is where you get if you continue beyond; there is a tea house there. Some elevation gain is involved.

Or, branching off almost immeiately would be the Lake Agnes trail, heading up to a lake and a tea house.

Another destination just 7 or so miles away by road would be Moraine Lake, with a short lakeside trail (1 1/2 miles) and more strenuous ones available.

Also worthwhile is the Lake Louise Gondola, from which we spotted a grizzly bear below munching on the vegetation in the cleared area. This was on 7/4.

Peyto Lake, on the Icefields Parkway, is very beautiful, and involves a small climb and about 1/2 mile.

And, you can almost drive to one of Canada's highest waterfalls in adjacent (BC) Yoho NP (Takakkaw Falls).