Vancouver and the Rockies July/August 2018 - Post trip thoughts

[jocat]

Index is here.

Post-trip thoughts

Following a brilliant few days in Toronto three years ago, we knew we wanted to see more of what Canada had to offer. Well we certainly did on this trip! With six separate hotel stays and driving about 2500 miles, we covered a lot of ground. However, we barely scratched the surface of all that this part of Canada has to offer. I’m sure you could stay there for years and not see everything!

Without exception, all of the Canadian people we met and spoke to were very polite and friendly and it’s definitely a place we’ll return to. We didn't get the chance to visit Vancouver Island on this trip, so need to rectify that soon and we’d also like to stay longer in Jasper and Banff next time. While a repeat summer trip is on the cards, we’d also like to see it in Winter too.

Highs

There were so many highs to this trip, but some of our particular highlights included:

• The stunning scenery, which is everywhere you look.
• Maligne Lake cruise to Spirit Island
• Our accommodation - there were lots of great places we stayed.
• The colours of the lakes have to be seen to be believed. The time we spent at Moraine Lake, Lake Louise and Emerald Lake were such high points of our trip.
• The wildlife we saw - we loved seeing any type of wildlife, but obviously seeing bears in their natural environment topped the list.
• Mostly fabulous meals, with particularly outstanding ones at the Rimrock Café and Ruth’s Chris.

Lows

• Avis - not sure I need to say any more if you’ve read Day 4’s report. They still haven’t responded to our complaint!
• The haziness. It couldn’t be helped, and I feel bad for writing this as people lives and homes could have been threatened by the wildfires in British Columbia, but I’d have loved to have had some photos that show the full beauty of the area.
• A handful of fellow tourists who were rude and inconsiderate towards others around them.

Observations, Tips and Thanks

With hindsight, Kamloops wasn’t really worth the trip. Although it was primarily to break up a very long driving journey, if I was doing a similar trip in the future I might try and miss this stop out completely and just do the long drive in one go.

We found the GyPSy apps bundle for the Canadian Rockies well worth the £14.99 it cost us, but the best one of the four was the Icefields Parkway one - you can buy it separately rather than in the bundle with Lake Louise, Jasper and Banff apps if you’d rather. It lets you know all the places to stop along the way, and works on GPS, so doesn’t cost any of your data - not that you’ll have phone signal along there anyway.

We’d researched and planned our time really well for Jasper and Banff. Maybe we were a little optimistic in the amount we tried to do, but it definitely helped us to have a focus for each day. Our time there only needed a little tweaking, due to either the weather forecast or us needing a bit of downtime. However, we might have benefitted from doing a little more research for Whistler and Calgary.

There really is something for everyone on this type of trip and whilst a lot of places are obviously geared up for hikers, we discovered lots of places where families were relaxing and enjoying the simpler pleasures in life - swimming in the lakes, enjoying picnics and taking dinghies or canoes on the water.

Thank you to everyone who has ever written a trip report for the Rockies - I found them so useful. Another thank you must also go to everyone who ever posted replies to any of my multiple planning questions. You were all so helpful and your advice helped us have a wonderful trip.

Thank you to everyone who has been reading along and commenting on my trip report. If you have a trip to the Rockies in the pipeline, I hope you've found something useful to help with your planning, and that you have a great holiday there too. I’d love to read all about it.

We haven’t got any more trips planned at the moment. We’d obviously like to return to Canada in the future, and are also pondering a shorter city break to either Washington DC or Philadelphia. However I have promised Martin that he can have a more relaxing holiday next summer. We were considering a return to Florida, perhaps staying on the Gulf Coast - there’s a couple of lovely Dibb villas I’ve spotted, which look to be a good base for visiting places if Martin gets fed up of sun worshipping. The red tide situation this year though has made us have doubts that this is a good idea. It’s a shame because I could have seen that working out great for us.

If you’ve read any of my other posts on here, you may be aware that the last few months have been a very difficult time for my family. This trip really gave us the time together to help us try to come to terms with things and begin the healing process.

[Libby]

Thanks for writing, I've really enjoyed your reports.

The Rockies are a beautiful location and we found it hard to chooses a holiday the year after our visit (we ended up in Seefeld in Austria last year as I NEEDED more mountains!)

[anji]

I loved reading your reports and it's definitely somewhere I'd love to go too. The gps phone app was new to me and I've already downloaded the route 100 in Vermont for our trip next May! Thanks for taking the time to write.

[Melbatb]

Thanks Jo for taking the time to write up your report - it has been lovely to remember places and discover new ones!

Like you - we have no idea for next year! O will hopefully be off to university - and when he starts will depend on where!

[parisdisneyfan]

Thanks Jo for all your tips and notes, I really enjoyed reading it all and either comparing our thoughts with yours or finding something I hadn't thought of to do.

Like you we found it so friendly, far more than the US and want to go back again either just to one place and relax this time or a road trip. DH is talking about doing a figure of 8 - flying into Edmonton, then Jasper, Kamloops, Vancouver then back via Kelowna, Golden/Field, Banff and fly home from Calgary! One of my colleagues has just done Calgary to Vancouver so will have to see what she did!

[Gunna]

It’s been great to read your report Jo. You’re doing much better getting yours finished before me too.

It has been so good to see what you’ve been up to, remember some places we saw as well as others for a repeat trip.

For us it was one of the best holidays we’ve had, really is something for everyone and the scenery just stunning.

Enjoy your future trips wherever these may take you and thank you for your advice too.

[mickeymouseears]

Thanks for yet another great trip report. I find your trip reports inspiring and so helpful.

[jocat]

Originally Posted by Libby

Thanks for writing, I've really enjoyed your reports.

The Rockies are a beautiful location and we found it hard to chooses a holiday the year after our visit (we ended up in Seefeld in Austria last year as I NEEDED more mountains!)

See more...

Thanks Libby. Oh I’ve never looked at Austria - I best keep that quiet from Martin and have a sneaky look when he’s at work!

Originally Posted by anji

I loved reading your reports and it's definitely somewhere I'd love to go too. The gps phone app was new to me and I've already downloaded the route 100 in Vermont for our trip next May! Thanks for taking the time to write.

See more...

Thanks for reading Anji. Hope the GPS app works well for you too. Vermont sounds a lovely idea - will a trip report be forthcoming?

Originally Posted by Melbatb

Thanks Jo for taking the time to write up your report - it has been lovely to remember places and discover new ones!

Like you - we have no idea for next year! O will hopefully be off to university - and when he starts will depend on where!

See more...

Thanks Mel. I’m finding it hard already not knowing what we’ll do next year. I keep looking at flight prices for a variety of destinations, despite saying we wouldn’t book until much closer to the time. I just love having something to look forward to.

It sounds like interesting times are ahead with O starting university. When will he know where he’s going?

Originally Posted by parisdisneyfan

Thanks Jo for all your tips and notes, I really enjoyed reading it all and either comparing our thoughts with yours or finding something I hadn't thought of to do.

Like you we found it so friendly, far more than the US and want to go back again either just to one place and relax this time or a road trip. DH is talking about doing a figure of 8 - flying into Edmonton, then Jasper, Kamloops, Vancouver then back via Kelowna, Golden/Field, Banff and fly home from Calgary! One of my colleagues has just done Calgary to Vancouver so will have to see what she did!

See more...

Hi Julia, I’m glad you found some of it useful.

It sounds like you could be going back sooner rather than later! It does give you the bug though doesn’t it? There’s such a lot to see.

Originally Posted by Gunna

It’s been great to read your report Jo. You’re doing much better getting yours finished before me too.

It has been so good to see what you’ve been up to, remember some places we saw as well as others for a repeat trip.

For us it was one of the best holidays we’ve had, really is something for everyone and the scenery just stunning.

Enjoy your future trips wherever these may take you and thank you for your advice too.

See more...

Thanks Neil. You were so helpful with your advice when I was struggling with my planning.

I’ll let you into a secret - apart from going in for the odd couple of days, I don’t officially go back to work until Monday. That’s the only reason my trip report is finished. It also helps that I mostly write it up each day I’m there, so it only needs a quick proof read and tweak once I’m home. The thing that took the longest time was choosing which photos to include!

I’m eager to read some more of your trippie. No pressure, but hope you hurry up with your next instalment!

Originally Posted by mickeymouseears

Thanks for yet another great trip report. I find your trip reports inspiring and so helpful.

See more...

Thank you so much. That’s such a lovely thing to say.

[Melbatb]

Hi Jo

For O it is a bit complicated as there will be applications spread over 5 countries. France is last on his list!

For one of them he has to sit an exam (but he can do that here! ) and one starts in mid August - so if he goes there that may well be the summer holiday!

By the beginning of January we should have a better idea! Hopefully it will work out!

I am nagging about a Christmas trip but J isn’t biting yet...

[jocat]

Originally Posted by Melbatb

Hi Jo

For O it is a bit complicated as there will be applications spread over 5 countries. France is last on his list!

For one of them he has to sit an exam (but he can do that here! ) and one starts in mid August - so if he goes there that may well be the summer holiday!

By the beginning of January we should have a better idea! Hopefully it will work out!

I am nagging about a Christmas trip but J isn’t biting yet...

See more...

You've obviously given O the travel bug! Hope it all works out and the uni he chooses has a later start date so you get to go away next summer after all.

Keep working on J for the Christmas trip - you’ll get there I’m sure.