Conference kaosws::canada

    Paul:
    
    It's a bit difficult to answer without some preferences on your part.
    
    Are you intending to go one-way, BC-Banff, or Banff->BC, or do a circle
    route and return to point of departure?  Certainly 9 days is enough to
    get you across the ROckies and to the coast, but its not enough to see
    much if you also have to drive back to Calgary.
    
    I would divide up the province into zones, and approach the problem
    in terms of distance and priority.  You can then determine whether you
    want to cover some of them, go in a one-way trip, or a circle route.
    
    Eastern BC, Kootenays (S.E. corner): great mountains, parks, similar to
    Jasper, Banff.
    
    Okanagan:  Orchards, lake vacation country, very warm, more populated,
               also with popular parks.  South Central.
    
    Cariboo: Kamloops - 100 Mile House - Williams Lake.  Rolling hills, 
             drier climate, small lakes, Bowron Lakes (famous canoe trip)
    
    North East: Prince George, further north mining towns.
    
    North West: Prince Rupert on the mainland coast, Queen Charlotte
                Islands off the coast, fishing, forests, famous South
                Moresby National Park in the Charlottes.  Long and
                spectacular ferry ride from Rupert to Northern Vanc Island.
    
    South West Mainland: Vancouver, Sunshine coast, Whistler.  Lots of 
               easily accessible mountains and shoreline.
    
    Vanc Island: Everything from Victoria (British charm, tourism) to 
               Mountains, to Pacific Rim National Park on the wild west
               coast.  Fishing villages like Tofino, Campbell River,
               Whale watching on the west and north sides of the island.
    
    In short a great circle tour would be Banff - Creston / Kootenay Lake -
    Okanagan Lake - Vancouver - Victoria - Long Beach / Tofino - Campbell
    River - Port Hardy -(ferry to) Prince Rupert - Prince George - Jasper
    and return to Banff.
    
    Call the Tourism BC hotline 1.800.663-6000 (if it works where you are),
    and ask for "info sheets" on various subjects like camping, cycling,
    canoeing, fishing, parks, etc.  Otherwise they will send the ordinary
    accomodations guide, which is basically a listing of hotels and
    commercial campgrounds.
    
    Good luck and Bon Voyage!
    
    Pieter

In September 1988 we spend nine days touring the area between Vancouver and
Edmonton.

We spent Monday in Vancouver, and drove that evening as far as we could which
put us in Penticton for the night.

Tuesday we drove through Revelstoke to Lake Louise, where we stayed Tuesday
and Wednesday, touring Banff National Park.

Thursday we drove north through the park, getting caught in a fierce September
snowstorm, and headed to Edmonton via Rocky Mountain House and Red Deer.  Upon
arrival at West Edmonton Mall, we handed our car keys to the valet parking
attendant and did not leave the Mall until Sunday morning.  We had a "Victorian
Coach" room at the Fantasyland Hotel (they say the "Roman Palace" theme is the
best), and spent Friday and Saturday enjoying the Mall's shops, restaurants,
amusement park, and ESPECIALLY the World Water Park (all indoors).

Sunday we drove to Jasper, where we took a "whitewater" raft trip that afternoon
and toured Jasper National Park (visiting the Athabasca Glacier) on Monday.

On Tuesday we drove all the way from Jasper to Vancouver.  It sounds like a
long way, but the new Coquihalla Highway (new route 5) makes it a reasonable
one day drive.  We spent Tuesday evening and part of Wednesday in Vancouver.

The nine days were now up; on Wednesday we went to Victoria, where we stayed
at the Beaconsfield Inn (a small Edwardian home turned into an inn) until our
return to Boston on Sunday.

/john

    Thanks for the info guys,
    
    Looks like I will be going August 17-25.  Arriving in Vancouver and
    eventually getting to Banff.  I would like to fly out of Calgary but it
    is more economical to fly out of Vancouver.  Pieter, thanks for the 
    synopsis of the various sites.  The 1-800 number does work here and 
    I'll be sure to be more specific about the requested info.  
    John,  sounds like a real ambitious trip.  Right up my alley.  
    All I need to know is that it can be done.
    I never thought about "the mall" but that sounds like an idea too.
    
    Again, thanks for the info.  Hope I can reciprocate some day... Did you
    ever want to visit a vineyard in Southern Ontario??? :-)
    
    Paul

    HI,
    
    I have just returned from a three week vacation based in B.C.
    There are places that have to be seen and some that can be missed if
    you are on a tight schedule. I was based at a friends place in
    Richmond, just near Vancouver just south of the Fraser River.
    
    Vancouver Island is a must. If its culture and scenery you are looking
    for then go north. I hitch-hiked from Victoria up to Port McNiel ( just
    south of Port Hardy ). Telegraph Cove and Malcolm Island are both areas
    I would not miss. Malcolm Island has a small population of 1000,
    originally a settlement of Finish Miners from Cambel River. If you go
    look up on Richard Gross, a very colourfull guy with a familly on the
    Island. Tell him 'Hi' from Richard Johnson and Jacek Zielinski. We
    slept in his beach house for a couple of nights. When getting of the
    ferry in Sointula (the Islands only town), turn right down the main
    street and follow the road along the coast for about 3-4 miles. Just
    after a fishing lodge the road turns to gravel. At this point there is
    a house at the top of a steep drive to the right overlooking the water.
    
    I also went to Whistler, Salmon Arm, Vernon, Kelowna, Banff, and saw quite
    a bit of Vancouver. The fishing village of Steveston (south-west corner
    of Richmond) is definately worth a visit.
    
    Whilst in Banff try the Gondola up Sulphur Mountain for the view, the
    hot-spring pools at The Cave and Basin or at the base of the gondola.
    Lake Louise is a must and so to is the route on up to Jasper. For
    goodness sake do NOT do any driving at night. The scenery is too
    spectacular to miss.
    
    Richard

    This seems like a good spot to put this request.
    
    Can someone give me a reasonable approximation of what gas prices are
    likely to be in smaller towns in Eastern BC and Western Alberta? We'll
    be visiting from Seattle, and I'd like to get a rough idea of what the
    trip will cost.
    
    	Thanks ... Mike

    Revelstoke & Golden prices were 56c/litre
    
    Alberta 53c/litre
    
    4.54 litres = 1 English gallon
    
    Prices as of late July which was when I was in that area.
    
    	Owen.

    ...and 3.78 litres = 1 US gallon

    Thanks both.
    
    	Mike

    In Alberta again this weekend - gas price was 49.9 cents/litre
    
    	Owen

    I just returned from my vacation to Calgary with a side trip
    up to Smithers in northern British Columbia. We paid:
    
    Calgary, Alberta 		48.9 cents/litre
    Jasper, Alberta		54.9 cents/litre
    Prince George, B.C.		54.5 cents/litre
    Smithers, B.C.		58.9 cents/litre
    
    
    Robin 

    Thanks again. One more question ... is it usually possible to pay for
    gas by Mastercard? Is there much of a premium for that 'privilege'?
    
    Here in Western Washington the gas stations are tripping over each
    other in the rush to pay-at-the-pump, same price for credit as cash,
    but that's not as prevalent in the less-populated towns in Eastern
    Washington.
    
    	Thanks ... Mike

    All major gas retailers accept credit cards.  With Visa and 
    Mastercard being the most widely accepted.  
    
    There is no premium for using a credit card in Canada or atleast
    I've never seen a station that offered a discount for cash.  I
    believe it is illegal to offer a discount for cash, but I could be
    wrong.
    
    Robin

    Thanks Robin.
    
    	Mike

    Mike,
    
    Just a little note on gas, to my suprise as I was filling up my tank
    in Vancouver, I discovered that there is a good price difference
    at the same station depending if you pump your gas yourself or get
    service. 
    
    Richard

    Here were the prices we paid ($Cdn/litre) in case anyone else needs
    this info. Thanks for the numbers, and we had a *great* trip!

	Mike

    87 octane unless otherwise noted (we were towing a trailer), and all
    self-serve :

    Cranbrook, BC   .659 (91)
    Lk. Louise, AB  .659 (91)
    Jasper, AB      .579
    Banff, AB       .529
    Lk. Louise, AB  .609
    Cline River, AB .689 (91)
    Golden, BC      .639 (89)
    Kelowna, BC     .629 (91)
    Hope, BC        .639 (89)