Trip planning help needed!
In 2017 we rented a car and did a 1week DIY road trip in AK, before boarding our cruise ship...(our 2nd AK cruise). I tell you that so you know what type a beauty we appreciate most. Since then we bou...
Forum Discussion
We live 3 hrs north of Spokane Washington, and 30 minutes from the US / Canada boarder. My wife grew up in Stewart BC which is located at the southern tip of Alaska 1 mile from Hyder Alaska. We have done the trip from our home to Stewart many ti es and that is a two day drive of 12 to 13 hrs each day. From Stewart to Whitehorse Yukon is another 11 hr drive. Hyder Alaska is located on a street that winds around back in to Canada ( British Columbia. Hyder is kinda stuck on a big bend in the road and once you drive through Hyder you have no choice bu to continue driving of gravel mining roads which are in Canada or turn around staying on Pavement back into Stewart. There is no US customs only Canadian Customs, so you drive right into Alaska and when you come back you have to stop at Canadian Customs.
16 days it not long enough for a driving trip to Alaska, even if just to Hyder. Whistler is a big city, not a village like everyone calls it, it in my mind is a big waste of time, and way to expensive. Banff and Jasper are in your grasp however it is one of the busiest place in western Canada, especially in the summer. It’s busy all the time but winter is slows down and the road from Lake Louise to Jasper has secondary road rating meaning the snowplows plow everything else like the Trans Canada Hwy 1 before they do the road up to Jasper. If you really want to visit Banff and Jasper try after the first week in September, it is still busy but no where as bad as July and August.
Route would be drive north on I-5 to Portland, take I-84 to just past the Dalles Oregon and the cross the Columbia river on Hwy 97 and stay on it right to the Canadian boarder at Osoyoos British Columbia. Continue on Hwy 97 North through B.C. wine country in the Okanagan Valley Okanagan Wine country
There are hop on hop off busses that take you to the wineries so you don’t have to worry about driving after.
Continue on Hwy 97 North through Penticton, Kelowna, Vernon, Armstrong to Salmon Arm where you will join up with Hwy 1 east towards Revelstoke, Golden, Field BC, and then I to Alberta. You have been in the Canadian Rockies since you left Golden but everyone always says the Canadian Rockies are in Alberta, nope, they just have a nice Hwy between Lake Louise North to Jasper, and lake Louise south to Banff. When you get to Jasper turn around and drive back the way you came, you will see stuff on the return trip that you missed on the route you have just driven. On the way south to Home, between Banff and Lake Louise ( 1/2 way 25 minute drive) there is a Hwy Jct with Hwy 93/ 95 south to Cranbrook BC then east about 30 minutes on Hwy 3 to the Jct with Hwy 93 south back into Montana. Once across the line about 1 hr from the boarder is Kaslispell Montana, stay on 93 south to just west of Missoula Montana, where Hwy 93 joins up with I- 90 west past Spokane Washington to Ritville Washington where you join up with Hwy 395 south through Kenawick Washington and you will again cross the Columbia river and find I-84 south to Portland and then back on I-5 to home.
I do the Ristville to Portland leg all the time as I have a Cuz in Portland. I driven the Canadian parts of this route many many times as we have relatives between Calgary and Banff, just east of Saskatchewan Crossing with is just north of Lake Louise, and the Okanagan valley is only 3 hrs away and we go there shopping and visiting. All the roads listed in the USA and Canada I pulled my 35 ft 5wheel on, however we down sized when we retired and now have a truck and camper.
What you should really do is visit Vancouver Island. There is a couple of Ferries between Washington state and Vancouver island which are cheaper than the Canadian Ferries. I just happened to have this good website as my Cuz from Portland are thinking of meeting us over there next year.
Washington state ferry
Your 16 days will be well spent on Vancouver Island traveling over to Uculet and Trofino. West of Campbell river there is a road that will lead you to Gold River, my buddy used to live on Campbell Lake and it is a beautiful drive all the way to Gold river. From Camp ell River North to Port Hardy which is about as far as you would want to go. Don’t forget Victoria our Provincial Capital. There are a lot of places to camp in a campground or in the bush depending what you want. I would say Vancouver Island would be a good choice.
Good luck and read up on the Canadian Boarder Customs regulations so you don’t have any trouble crossing.
And when you decide to do Alaska in the RV, get the book Mile Post, an new addition comes out the end March I believe. And don’t go to Alaska unless you have way more than 16 days... more like 36 days would be the minimum.
Have fun.
Soup.
16 days it not long enough for a driving trip to Alaska, even if just to Hyder. Whistler is a big city, not a village like everyone calls it, it in my mind is a big waste of time, and way to expensive. Banff and Jasper are in your grasp however it is one of the busiest place in western Canada, especially in the summer. It’s busy all the time but winter is slows down and the road from Lake Louise to Jasper has secondary road rating meaning the snowplows plow everything else like the Trans Canada Hwy 1 before they do the road up to Jasper. If you really want to visit Banff and Jasper try after the first week in September, it is still busy but no where as bad as July and August.
Route would be drive north on I-5 to Portland, take I-84 to just past the Dalles Oregon and the cross the Columbia river on Hwy 97 and stay on it right to the Canadian boarder at Osoyoos British Columbia. Continue on Hwy 97 North through B.C. wine country in the Okanagan Valley Okanagan Wine country
There are hop on hop off busses that take you to the wineries so you don’t have to worry about driving after.
Continue on Hwy 97 North through Penticton, Kelowna, Vernon, Armstrong to Salmon Arm where you will join up with Hwy 1 east towards Revelstoke, Golden, Field BC, and then I to Alberta. You have been in the Canadian Rockies since you left Golden but everyone always says the Canadian Rockies are in Alberta, nope, they just have a nice Hwy between Lake Louise North to Jasper, and lake Louise south to Banff. When you get to Jasper turn around and drive back the way you came, you will see stuff on the return trip that you missed on the route you have just driven. On the way south to Home, between Banff and Lake Louise ( 1/2 way 25 minute drive) there is a Hwy Jct with Hwy 93/ 95 south to Cranbrook BC then east about 30 minutes on Hwy 3 to the Jct with Hwy 93 south back into Montana. Once across the line about 1 hr from the boarder is Kaslispell Montana, stay on 93 south to just west of Missoula Montana, where Hwy 93 joins up with I- 90 west past Spokane Washington to Ritville Washington where you join up with Hwy 395 south through Kenawick Washington and you will again cross the Columbia river and find I-84 south to Portland and then back on I-5 to home.
I do the Ristville to Portland leg all the time as I have a Cuz in Portland. I driven the Canadian parts of this route many many times as we have relatives between Calgary and Banff, just east of Saskatchewan Crossing with is just north of Lake Louise, and the Okanagan valley is only 3 hrs away and we go there shopping and visiting. All the roads listed in the USA and Canada I pulled my 35 ft 5wheel on, however we down sized when we retired and now have a truck and camper.
What you should really do is visit Vancouver Island. There is a couple of Ferries between Washington state and Vancouver island which are cheaper than the Canadian Ferries. I just happened to have this good website as my Cuz from Portland are thinking of meeting us over there next year.
Washington state ferry
Your 16 days will be well spent on Vancouver Island traveling over to Uculet and Trofino. West of Campbell river there is a road that will lead you to Gold River, my buddy used to live on Campbell Lake and it is a beautiful drive all the way to Gold river. From Camp ell River North to Port Hardy which is about as far as you would want to go. Don’t forget Victoria our Provincial Capital. There are a lot of places to camp in a campground or in the bush depending what you want. I would say Vancouver Island would be a good choice.
Good luck and read up on the Canadian Boarder Customs regulations so you don’t have any trouble crossing.
And when you decide to do Alaska in the RV, get the book Mile Post, an new addition comes out the end March I believe. And don’t go to Alaska unless you have way more than 16 days... more like 36 days would be the minimum.
Have fun.
Soup.
