Canadian Rockies and beyond.
Canadian Rockies and beyond.
We started in Calgary and headed to Banff and the Icefields Parkway which has been referred to as “the back bone of the Canadian Rockies”. There are too many points of interest along this magnificent drive for us to list, but here are some of our favourites. Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Maligne Lake, Peyto Lake, Athabasca Falls, Mount Edith Cavell and Columbia Icefields. Mount Edith Cavell was my favourite, it was a short hike from the parking lot and you arrive at the lake where icebergs are floating (yes icebergs in August) they have fallen from Cavell and Angel glacier high above the lake. We used GyPSy guide while driving the parkway which is a talking GPS guided tour app of the area, it was like having your own tour guide in the car with you. The guide gave you history on the area and points of interest.
If you happen to visit in the peak season like we did be prepared for expensive accommodation and a lot of tourists all visiting the same areas, don’t let this put you off going in peak season just bring your patience with you. Banff and Jasper are cute little towns, great to spend an afternoon walking around the quaint shops and grabbing some lunch. If you have time take a look inside the iconic Fairmount Hotels at Lake Louise and Banff, they are grand hotels. If you can I would suggest you camp, it gives you a chance to feel immersed in the beauty of the Rockies. There are plenty places on route to stop and have a picnic too.
To escape the crowds try one of the many provincial parks on offer, Wells Gray Provincial Park near Clearwater B.C. is home to several waterfalls, lakes and hiking trails. Another great area was around Lillooet B.C. we had 3 bear sightings (didn’t see Goldie Locks though) in the area, and it was very exciting to watch a bear cross the road in front of our car! In Lillooet we camped at a free campground which was provided by B.C.Hydro, one of 7 free campgrounds that they have set up in the province. Anyway back to the parks, Joffre Lakes Provincial Park is 70km from Lillooet and the highlight is the trail leading to lower, middle and upper lakes. All 3 lakes are turquoise blue and have a backdrop of a glacier, great hike.
If you plan on heading to Vancouver, Whistler is a nice little town to visit and the Sea to Summit highway is a scenic drive.
Another town in B.C. we liked was Hope, it is surrounded by hills and the Fraser River runs through the town. It is also where the movie ‘First Blood’ was filmed back in 1981 and the local visitor guide has a map with the filming location used round the town, Richard had to visit every one of them and then watch the movie to compare his photos.
