Ideas for inland Canada trip this summer?

[gauchojake]

I would go to the George St festival in Newfoundland and meet up with Chaps and Neverstop.

[Dan Druff]

I would go to the George St festival in Newfoundland and meet up with Chaps and Neverstop.

I was in Halifax in 2015 and forgot to notify Chaps in time. I would have totally met him. Messaged him that morning but he didn't get it until I was gone (it was a cruise ship stop).

Halifax saved me, though. I rented a Hertz car there for like $40 CAD. In 2016 I noticed my 270k United miles expired. I was in a fucking panic, but then I realized Hertz was a partner with United, and my little rental there would get United points, and therefore would reverse the expiration of my miles (as that constituted "activity").

I had Hertz connect the purchase to my United account, and sure enough, the 270k miles re-posted.

[Dan Druff]

Hotel situation is brutal, especially in Jasper. This is very challenging to plan at this point. Shoulda done it earlier. Most are sold out, even with my dates being flexible.

Also, the prices are jacked up, so the good exchange rate is kinda negated by that.

Everyone wants to come to Canada for the exchange rate right now. May have to rethink this.

[Baron Von Strucker]

Hotel situation is brutal, especially in Jasper. This is very challenging to plan at this point. Shoulda done it earlier. Most are sold out, even with my dates being flexible.

Also, the prices are jacked up, so the good exchange rate is kinda negated by that.

Everyone wants to come to Canada for the exchange rate right now. May have to rethink this.

Jasper Park Lodge Is the best by far. owned by CN rail company

there are a lot of bed and breakfast in Jasper as well.

Sawridge hotel is good owned by the sawridge indian band.

you could alternatively stay in Hinton about a hour away towards Edmonton. you could go spelunking there in the cadamon caves or horse back riding there.
If you do go to Jasper a cool hike there is up at pyramid lake there is a trail and maby a biking trail that goes to saturday night lake also you could do it on horse back as well.

IMO Jasper is WAY better than Banff as it is farther away from a large metropolitan city Edmonton is closes and still ~4 hour hell drive away so not a lot of day visitors.

you would like this place i think.

edit: lol booked but.... No availability. Please check back with us as we do get cancellations all the time

[Dan Druff]

Hotel situation is brutal, especially in Jasper. This is very challenging to plan at this point. Shoulda done it earlier. Most are sold out, even with my dates being flexible.

Also, the prices are jacked up, so the good exchange rate is kinda negated by that.

Everyone wants to come to Canada for the exchange rate right now. May have to rethink this.

Jasper Park Lodge Is the best by far. owned by CN rail company

there are a lot of bed and breakfast in Jasper as well.

Sawridge hotel is good owned by the sawridge indian band.

you could alternatively stay in Hinton about a hour away towards Edmonton. you could go spelunking there in the cadamon caves or horse back riding there.
If you do go to Jasper a cool hike there is up at pyramid lake there is a hiking and maby a biking trail that goes to saturday night lake also you could do it on horse back as well.

Looked at Hinton, but it's expensive for the most part (for shit hotels), and in the wrong direction (unless I want to go to Edmonton, which I probably don't.)

Looking at staying a bit west of Jasper, and then continuing on somewhere west.

[Baron Von Strucker]

Jasper Park Lodge Is the best by far. owned by CN rail company

there are a lot of bed and breakfast in Jasper as well.

Sawridge hotel is good owned by the sawridge indian band.

you could alternatively stay in Hinton about a hour away towards Edmonton. you could go spelunking there in the cadamon caves or horse back riding there.
If you do go to Jasper a cool hike there is up at pyramid lake there is a hiking and maby a biking trail that goes to saturday night lake also you could do it on horse back as well.

Looked at Hinton, but it's expensive for the most part (for shit hotels), and in the wrong direction (unless I want to go to Edmonton, which I probably don't.)

Looking at staying a bit west of Jasper, and then continuing on somewhere west.

closest town i know of is Valmont BC very nice and as i said home of mike wiggly heli skiing also MT Robson provincial park is close by.

IMO the drive from Jasper West Is much much better than Banff West

[Dan Druff]

Yeah looking now to go from Vancouver through Kelowna to Jasper and then south to Banff, then east to Calgary.

If I can't make this happen hotel-wise, I will table this trip to 2018.

[The Shrink]

Hotel situation is brutal, especially in Jasper. This is very challenging to plan at this point. Shoulda done it earlier. Most are sold out, even with my dates being flexible.

Also, the prices are jacked up, so the good exchange rate is kinda negated by that.

Everyone wants to come to Canada for the exchange rate right now. May have to rethink this.

Hotel situation is definitely shitty in Jasper. Not enough hotel rooms so they fill up fast and they charge ridiculous rates for dated rooms. This isn't lost on locals who offer their extra rooms as "bed and breakfasts." I put that in quotes because none of the Jasper B&Bs offer the breakfast part (at least when I went there in 2009). If you walk around town you'll be amazed at how many homes have B&B signs posted. Seems like every third house. I ended up getting a shitty room in some old bag's house for like $75 and she tried to give me a 11:00 P.M. curfew (lol). There's not much of a night life in Jasper anyway.

Look on B&B sites and you might find a private entrance apartment type B&B for the family.

[Shizzmoney]

If you find yourself wanting to go to the East Coast next time, I did Halifax, Nova Scotia earlier in the year and was pleasantly surprised at how fun it is (including historic, like the Alexander Keith Brewery, the oldest brewery in North America).

It does get fairly expensive in the summer as there is an awesome wharf and great views of the Atlantic from various bars near Water St.

[Dan Druff]

BUMP

So I literally missed a hotel I wanted/needed by 1 hour (I hesitated in booking, and then it filled up).



I'm going crazy trying to find accommodations in Jasper.

But what's tilting my face off is the fact that these damn Canadians think a double bed sleeps 2 people.

Yeah, not unless those people are little kids or two tiny adults.

So many rooms have "2 doubles" or just 1 queen.

Honestly, I really need a king, and but can make do with a queen. But a double? GTFO. Only if I'm sleeping in it by myself, and maybe not even then.

The problem is my height, not my weight. Doubles are just too short for me, unless I sleep diagonally.

I've never seen so many hotels with "double beds" in my life.

That, plus the fact that most things are booked, is really frustrating.

[Dan Druff]

Hotel situation is brutal, especially in Jasper. This is very challenging to plan at this point. Shoulda done it earlier. Most are sold out, even with my dates being flexible.

Also, the prices are jacked up, so the good exchange rate is kinda negated by that.

Everyone wants to come to Canada for the exchange rate right now. May have to rethink this.

Hotel situation is definitely shitty in Jasper. Not enough hotel rooms so they fill up fast and they charge ridiculous rates for dated rooms. This isn't lost on locals who offer their extra rooms as "bed and breakfasts." I put that in quotes because none of the Jasper B&Bs offer the breakfast part (at least when I went there in 2009). If you walk around town you'll be amazed at how many homes have B&B signs posted. Seems like every third house. I ended up getting a shitty room in some old bag's house for like $75 and she tried to give me a 11:00 P.M. curfew (lol). There's not much of a night life in Jasper anyway.

Look on B&B sites and you might find a private entrance apartment type B&B for the family.

Somehow I missed this post. I think I try to find this. Not a big B&B fan, but am desperate at this point.

[Dan Druff]

All B&Bs sold out, too.

[Kuntmissioner]

All B&Bs sold out, too.

I take you've searched airbnb by now...

[Dan Druff]

Well I finally got Jasper down. Had to get creative, but I made it work.

Probably not getting very good value here despite the good exchange rate, but whatever. Can't be Jewish every day.

Now I need to build the trip out in both directions. Gonna fly into Vancouver, drive to Jasper, go to Banff next, fly back from Calgary. Should be easier because of greater hotel selection outside of those national parks.

[TheXFactor]

Why Canada?

What's wrong with California?

Or how about Mexico?

Just about everyone in Southern California talks about how great Cabo San Lucas or Cancun is.
And it is pretty good, it would be great if it wasn't for the fucking Mexicans and undrinkable water.

fast fact:

Poker player Barry Shulman (his son owns Cardplayer Magazine) was listed as the most famous person to live in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. (which is near Cancun)

Assholes like Justin Bonomo live in Vancouver, Canada.

[Dan Druff]

BUMP

So I have the trip planned and booked.

Here is the question, though, for any of you experienced with the area of Jasper/Banff.

I am looking at potentially buying tickets for the evening visit to the Athabasca Glacier (at the Columbia Icefields). I read that the regular tours are a fucking cattle car and it's a herded, crowded mess. However, this summer they started a new, much nicer-sounding program where they take a MUCH smaller group up in one vehicle, give everyone appetizers and hot cider while on the glacier, and then at the end everyone has a premium buffet meal at the restaurant.

It's more expensive, but sounds like it's totally worth it. The normal program sounds like a tourist trap, while the evening program sounds peaceful, semi-private, and high-end.

So here's my question:

The evening tour only goes once per day, at 6:30. I assume that the whole thing will be about 3 hours by the time dinner is over.

This means it will be almost dark, as sunset will be around 9:45.

In turn, this means I will be driving the area between the Athabasca Glacier and Lake Louise in the dark. I have heard rave reviews of this drive, and it sucks to think I'll be doing it in the dark!

I would be coming from the north (Jasper first, then Banff), and would be stopping at the glacier along the way. I would be going back to Lake Louise the next day anyway, but I hadn't planned upon returning farther north than that.

The question: How much am I missing in that 82-mile stretch between the Athabasca Glacier and Lake Louise?

I see that Peyto Lake is there, but that's not too much past Lake Louise, so I could easily do that the next day. Would I be missing much if I drove the area between Athabasca Glacier and Peyto Lake in the dark, and then never returned in that direction?

[limitles]

Why Canada?

What's wrong with California?

Or how about Mexico?

Just about everyone in Southern California talks about how great Cabo San Lucas or Cancun is.
And it is pretty good, it would be great if it wasn't for the fucking Mexicans and undrinkable water.

fast fact:

Poker player Barry Shulman (his son owns Cardplayer Magazine) was listed as the most famous person to live in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. (which is near Cancun)

Assholes like Justin Bonomo live in Vancouver, Canada.

Americans buying Canadian flag t-shirts and backpacks up 38% since Chump elected.
We have a London you know, where you might be more comfortable, but I haven't read the news today...


Hey Tone

[Hockey Guy]

Canadian dollar up to 80 cents from the 73-74 range when this was first posted.

Is this still happening.

Not sure if it's available to everyone(non-Canadians) but I have an extra Park Canada pass that they are/were giving away for Canada's 150th birthday. I could mail it to you if there's time. Not sure if they're available at the park gates.

[Deal]

Canadian dollar up to 80 cents from the 73-74 range when this was first posted.

Is this still happening.

Not sure if it's available to everyone(non-Canadians) but I have an extra Park Canada pass that they are/were giving away for Canada's 150th birthday. I could mail it to you if there's time. Not sure if they're available at the park gates.

You don't even need them. Tell the attendant you left it at home. Gate opens.

[hongkonger]

Canadian dollar up to 80 cents from the 73-74 range when this was first posted.

Is this still happening.

Not sure if it's available to everyone(non-Canadians) but I have an extra Park Canada pass that they are/were giving away for Canada's 150th birthday. I could mail it to you if there's time. Not sure if they're available at the park gates.

If only CAD could have waited one more month to spike. I have a large amount of USD I need to convert this month and I'm getting fucked compared to what I expected I would get.