Conference kaosws::canada

Re:-1 

Hello Kawamoto-san:


You could try asking Akahiro Itoh-san (TKTVFS::ITOH_A).  He made a trip much 
as you have descibed in the summer of 1989.  It was his honeymoon.  I am sure 
he would be happy to help you.

Send my regards to him.

Fred Rodermond

    Below is how I am spending 2 weeks in Alberta and BC this summer.  In
    the cities I tried to stay in hotels with easy access to the city
    sights.
    
    I am traveling without children and for 2 weeks instead of 1.  You
    could consider doing a loop calgary to edmon. to jasper to banff
    returning to Calgary. Spending 2 days in each area would =8 days.
    I have phone numbers available for the accomendations below, if you are
    interested send mail.  Also call the Alberta tourism bureau (phone
    number elsewhere in this notes file), they were very helpful and sent
    tons of information.
    
    I would be interested if anybody had any comments on my schedule and/or
    the accomendations I choose.
    
     DAY # CITY                    MOTEL
     1     Bos to Calgary late     Westward Inn 
     2     Calgary	
     3     Edmonton via Drumheller Edmonton House 
     4     Edmonton
     5     Miette Hot springs 	   Miette Hot Spings Resort Motel 
     6     Jasper                  Patricia Lake Bungalows 
     7     Jasper                  
     8     Jasper
     9     Canmore                 Cee-Der Chalets 
    10     Canmore
    11     Canmore
    12     Kamloops                Thrift Inn 
    13     Tofino                  MacKenzie Beach Resort 
    14     Tofino
    15     Tofino
    16     Victoria                Oxford Castle Inn 
    17     Victoria
    18     Victoria to Vancouver to Bos  
                                    

Don't know anything about Edmonton House, but the Fantasyland Hotel at
West Edmonton Mall is really great!  The Roman Palace is supposed to be
the best kind of room; we had a Victorian Coach.

/john

    Don't forget to visit Bill Vanderzalm's Fantasy Gardens!

    They have a Fay Li Yung paging system......

    /Glenn

    re. 451.2
    
    Quick note to your planned trip - Kamloops to Tofino in one day is
    quite a trip -- make sure to leave realllly early. It'll probably take
    somewhere around 4 hrs. to get from Kamloops to North Vancouver and you
    may have to wait out a few sailings to Nanaimo (guessing that that is
    the route you're going), so that'll be a few hours more, then there is
    the 1.5 hr. trip to Nanaimo and then a 3.5 to 4 hr. trip to Tofino -
    which means you won't have all that much time to stop and enjoy the
    scenery or have lunch ( except while on the ferry ). 
    Same thing on your last day - I have no idea where Bos is, never having
    heard of it but if it's near Calgary...... Vancouver to Calgary is at
    least a 12 hr car trip ( remember it's summer with slow moving
    Mobilehomes and trailers through the mountains -- and there are a lot
    of mountains on that trip). Victoria to Vancouver will add another 2hrs
    to the trip, if there is no lineup -- which again is very rare in the
    summertime.
    
    Have a nice trip, it's a beautiful route to go -- I just came back from
    a route similar to yours!!
    
    Helmut
    

>I have no idea where Bos is

Boston, Massachusetts.  Obviously by air.

    Thanks for the warning on the length (kamloops to Tofino).  I was planning 
    on starting my day very early (like out by 6am) which would give me just 
    enough time for some scenic pictures.  I figure after spending a week in 
    the rockies I probably would have seen much of the best of the scenery for
    the area.  Going from Tofino to Victoria I'll have the time to enjoy
    the views on that ride through Vancouver Island.
            
    Anybody have any favorite restaurants in that area?
    
    ...and yes BOS is Boston, I guess when flying I think in terms of the
    airlines abreviated city name.
    
    Thanks for your comments!

    
    We are renting an RV from Vancouver in May, and are thinking of heading
    from Hope towards Banff via Highway 3 (Crowsnest Highway).
    
    Any inputs about things not to miss along the way?
    
    I guess that this road isn't up to the standard of Highway 1, which we
    used last time, so is expecting to get from Hope to Fairmont Hot
    Springs in 2 days being overly optimistic?
    
    Cheers,
    Geoff
    
    

Geoff,

Highway 3 is no worse than Highway 1.  I dont know where your from but
highways in B.C. are pretty consistant in there quality - single lane and
paved - that's all, nothing special (except maybe the Coquihalla).  There
is only so much you can do when you have to hang a road on the side of a
mountain.

I lived in Hope for about 7 years (graduated from High School) so I know
the road from Hope to Princeton quite well.  The road is narrow in places
and winds through some beautiful country.  About 40 min out of Hope is the 
Hope Slide, a standard stop for most 'tourists'.  About another hour
further you'll come to Manning Park.  If you plannig on starting from
Vancouver this would be a good goal for your first nights stay.  There are
camping/RV grounds, hiking, fishing and lots of other things to see.

Once past Manning, the road opens up a bit and is four lanes almost right to
Princeton.  Once past Princeton you wont see another 'big' town until you
get to Osooyos (sp?).  Along the way there are a lot of small towns.
That part of B.C. is the lower end of the B.C. fruit belt so if you like (or
need) fibre, you'll find lots there.

Just past Osooyos, you have about a 4 mile, 4K' climb into the mountains.
From there the road winds through the lower end of the provice.  There is
no end of small towns and things to see and do.  Fort Steel, Kimberly, and
Nelson are a couple of places to think about seeing.

Have fun,
Dave.

    
    Hi Dave,
    
    I think we will give that way a go. 
    
    I could do with a couple of bottles of the local BC wine, which must
    also be down Oosyos way. I fact I could do with one right now!!
    
    On the last trip we always found the roads to be great. No great queues
    for repairs like here in the UK.
    
    Is Nelson worth the detour? I understand it to be a nice town.
    
    Thanks for the info.
    
    Cheers,
    Geoff
    
    
    

>    
>I could do with a couple of bottles of the local BC wine, which must
>also be down Oosyos way.
>

I have to admit, I dont hold B.C. wines in very high regard, but then
I have stayed away from them for quite a long time.  I've been told
that they have been getting better.

If you're interested in the history of the region, remembering that the
history in this part of the world is a fraction of the U.K.'s, Nelson would
be worth the detour.  There are a lot of old buildings and museums.  There
are also some hot springs around the area as well as some other 'outdoor
type' attractions.

If you give me your approximate travel dates, I can stop at the tourist
info center on the way home and see what's happening.

Cheers,
Dave.

    This summer I went from Vancouver to Lake Louise in a day. The wife and
    dog were not impressed. I suppose two days would be more reasonable. 
    
     Where do you plan on turning north off of #3 to get to Banff ? Once
    you have decided to take #3 you can go up #97 through desert, lakes and
    mountains pretty much until you join the #1 and cut accross to Banff.
    The latter part of the trip being the more typical green forested
    landscape BC is famous for. You could continue accross #3 to Nelson,
    then cut up along Kootenay Lake up #31 to #6 which will take you to
    Revelstoke which is on #1, and you cut accross to Banff. This provides
    an amazingly lush range of mountains with deep lakes. There is a place
    called Halcyon Hot Springs you could check out, if you need some real
    R&R. The last option that you have (without going on dirt roads or
    going all the way out to Calgary and come from the other side) would be
    to go over to Cranbrook and take the #93 north with semi arid
    conditions until you get to Kootenay National Park which is attached to
    Banff.
    
     Having done the old #1, the new super highways, driven all the way out
    and come in from Calgary (via Waterton National Park), and two out of
    the three ways I have described, I would reccomend option #1. The most
    amazing stuff is in Banff, Jasper, and Mt. Robson Prv. Park, so you
    should go for interesting on the trip to it. I feel the desert is the
    best option (no rain either).
    
     I would also suggest you stay in Lake Louise rather than Banff. The lake
    itself is beyond description, but you can also do day trips the Columbia
    Ice fields (on the border with Jasper), Banff (all it is, is an extreamly
    crowded tourist town surrounded by Mountains), and Kootenay Park. Man I
    wish I could go this year, but Newfoundland is getting my tourist dollars
    this year.
    
     You will love it !
    
    							Derek.
    
    (PS. If you're into wild rides (and prices) try the 1/2 day horse back
    ride at Lake Louise. I will **NEVER** forget it.)

re: 451.10               

>>>     Is Nelson worth the detour? I understand it to be a nice town.

    	I thought is was a nice little town (lots of hills).  The Steve
    	Martin movie "Roxanne" was filmed there.

    Hi Dave,
    
    >>If you give me your approximate travel dates, I can stop at the tourist
    >>info center on the way home and see what's happening.
    
    That would be very good if you could. The only stuff that I have been
    able to get from the tourist folks over here is for 1993.
    
    We arrive in Vancouver on 18 May.
    
    Internal mail address is: Geoff Young @REO Mailstop REO2 G/M9
    
    Thanks to all for the information.
    
    Regards,
    Geoff

    >> Any inputs about things not to miss along the way?
    
    I'd suggest you not miss the curves in the road on Highway 3. My
    recollection is that the consequences could be dire.
    
    Regards,
    Helpful

Geoff,

I'll see what I can dig up.

One more thing about the Nelson detour.  If you dont decide to do the
detour you'll end up going through Rossland and Trail.  Trail is an old
steel mill town with an active smelter.  The smelter is old and has been in
operation for many, many years.  As a result, much of the land around Trail
has been laid waste by the polution.  Over the last 10 years an effort has
been made to clean up the smelter but the last time I drove through (about
two years ago now) it still resembled the lunar landscape.

Cheers,
Dave.