planning 3-4 weeks from vancouver
I'm a complete beginner, the wife and I are planning our first RV trip with our seven month old baby daughter. We begin in Seattle on Sep. 5th, and plan to get to Vancouver Island on Sep. 8th. We'...
Forum Discussion
Going to Vancouver Island I'd consider either the Port Angeles or Anacortez ferries. Some claim the cost is lower that the BC ferry, but more importantly you will take the BC boat to Vancouver.
However if I'm aiming to the see the northern parts of the Island, I prefer to to take the Tssawassen (sp?) to Duke Pt ferry, which bypasses most of the city traffic in both Vancouver and Victoria.
For even more ferry rides consider the Sunshine Coast loop - ferry to Powell River, and then SE to Vancouver.
As for your inland route, I'd go NE to Jasper, and then south through the parks. Wells Gray is a natural stop along the way from Kamloops to Jasper. Allow 1-2 nights there.
The fastest way (freeway) to Kamloops is hwy 5 from Hope. Hwy 1 along the Frasier Canyon is more scenic (and flatter). Hwy 99 through Whistler to Lillooet is even more scenic, but has some serious grades on the Duffy Lake portion. Still, European tourists in rental class C's take it all the time.
At Lake Louise you can take a side trip (maybe overnight) into Yoho, and then continue south to Banff.
From Banff you can return to BC via Kootenay NP, Radium Hot Springs, and then into the USA on US93, 95, 395, etc. Or even stay on BC3 back to Hope.
Or you can continue in Alberta through Kananaskis County, a set of Alberta parks that are just as scenic. Hwy 3 is an easy way back over the continental divide.
However if I'm aiming to the see the northern parts of the Island, I prefer to to take the Tssawassen (sp?) to Duke Pt ferry, which bypasses most of the city traffic in both Vancouver and Victoria.
For even more ferry rides consider the Sunshine Coast loop - ferry to Powell River, and then SE to Vancouver.
As for your inland route, I'd go NE to Jasper, and then south through the parks. Wells Gray is a natural stop along the way from Kamloops to Jasper. Allow 1-2 nights there.
The fastest way (freeway) to Kamloops is hwy 5 from Hope. Hwy 1 along the Frasier Canyon is more scenic (and flatter). Hwy 99 through Whistler to Lillooet is even more scenic, but has some serious grades on the Duffy Lake portion. Still, European tourists in rental class C's take it all the time.
At Lake Louise you can take a side trip (maybe overnight) into Yoho, and then continue south to Banff.
From Banff you can return to BC via Kootenay NP, Radium Hot Springs, and then into the USA on US93, 95, 395, etc. Or even stay on BC3 back to Hope.
Or you can continue in Alberta through Kananaskis County, a set of Alberta parks that are just as scenic. Hwy 3 is an easy way back over the continental divide.
