Canada travel tips

[I Should Coco]

I figured there would be a thread on Banff and I'm not disappointed; misterbc's advice about the Bow Valley Parkway is something I've read elsewhere and intend to do when we visit the region in late July.

Any new advice from SJ.comWesternCanada is welcomed.

After finally figuring out when all our family's schedules aligned, we're scrambling to make plans/reservations. It helps that we live in the Inland Northwest, within a day's drive of Banff. We've wanted to go there for years.

Our hope is we can find a hotel that's only moderately expensive (rather than bank-account-breaking expensive) so we can spend on activities, like the gondola ride, kayak/canoe rental, etc. And if we can find something with a small kitchen, that would help with food expenses ...

Also, $1 Canadian is about 77 cents in U.S. currency. Hooray!

 

[Iron_chet]

The advice on this thread is still really accurate.

This place is about a 5 minute drive from the main town site and they have shuttles. I have stayed a few times and the kitchenette and fireplaces are handy. It also has an enormous outdoor hot pool that a lot of people can get into.

About The Banff Rocky Mountain Resort Hotel and Conference Center

July is high season so it will be busy and expensive but still fun. Book asap as a lot of places will have low availability, especially with the crap Canadian dollar. If you can't find something in your price range have a look at booking at The Sandman or 4 Points Sheraton on the Western edge of Calgary, will be considerably cheaper than Banff but you are a 75 minute drive away. I would say you could try Canmore as well but probably as expensive as Banff.

Depending how adventurous every one is you can try some comfort camping. Think they may have it at Lake Minnewanka as well.

Parks Canada - Banff National Park - oTENTik

The Safeway in town is a decent supermarket for stocking up. There are grocery stores on the West end of Calgary if you are driving thru the city.

Lots to do and see in Banff but The Columbia Icefields are worth seeing if you have some time. You can combine it with this if you don't mind heights.

Glacier Skywalk | Brewster Travel Canada

There are some raft rides you can do down the Bow River that are fun if you have a wide age group, iirc they launch just down stream from Bow Falls by the Banff Springs Hotel.

I follow Tanya Koob on Twitter, good website for family adventures in the Rockies.

Family Adventures in the Canadian Rockies

 

[I Should Coco]

An update: It was too hard to find any type of reasonable lodging in the Banff area (apparently it's the Yellowstone of the Canadian Rockies. You should book your hotel/cabin at least six months in advance).

So we're heading to Vancouver B.C. instead ... found a good place to stay just outside the downtown area, near public transportation. Plenty of things to do that even two teenagers would enjoy.

Quick question for anyone who's been there: We're looking at a day of whale watching. There's a couple of companies we like online, and they leave from Granville Island (not far from our hotel). Anyone have recommendations from past experience?

Thanks in advance for any advice, tips, etc.

And no, we're not planning a trip to Vancouver's nude beach ...

 

[User 1019]

Advice? Take a jacket.

 

[exmediahack]

Went to Vancouver, Banff and Victoria ten years ago. Loved all of them and you will, too.

None of them are cheap (especially then, when the exchange rate was nearly 1:1) options, however.

 

[HC]

I don't have any whale watching advice but .... can I come too? (It's my home town).

 

[HanSenSE]

Since a friend (long gone, f cancer) was a volunteer there, I'll throw in a plug for Theatre Under the Stars at Stanley Park, if you're into musicals. I assume one can get something to drink in a Stanley cup.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

It was a long time ago, 1970 to be exact, but Vancouver Island was one of the most beautiful and unique places I have ever been.

 

[HC]

BTW ... a trip to Lynn Canyon is worth your time. Absolutely amazing trails with a suspension bridge and you can swim in the natural pools (freezing cold natural pools) and watch guys dive from the cliffs. I lived within walking distance and it's one of the first places I go when I get back. To me it's what the West Coast is all about in many ways. And IIRC, it's free.

 

[Iron_chet]

HC beat me to it. Lynn Canyon is awesome. Skip the crowds and lines of the Capilano Suspension bridge and head there instead. If you are out that way anyway keep going and have a picnic in Deep Cove.

Depending on fitness levels you can do the Grouse Grind. It is a hike up Grouse Mountain and then you take the gondola back down.

Go to Granville Island and look around. Lots of cool shops and a farmers market. Tourists and locals use it. Emily Carr Art College is there and is sometimes worth poking your head in.

From Granville Island take the cheap water taxi across and go walk around Stanley Park. Again, depending on fitness levels you can walk or not as much as you want. There is a fun little par 3 pitch and putt in there if that's your thing.

Lots of great eats in Vancouver, too many to recommend. Great Sushi amongst other things.

If you want a break from the high rises and hustle of Van take a drive out to Steveson, have some fish and chips and hang out.

If seeing human misery is your thing go down to the Downtown East side. At times it resembled Hamsterdam from The Wire yet remarkably safe due to all the social agencies and cops.

If you are renting a car or driving do not leave anything of value visible, not even a dime in the change cup. A junkie will smash the window and take it.

Vancouver is a great walking/biking city, have fun.

 

[I Should Coco]

BTW ... a trip to Lynn Canyon is worth your time. Absolutely amazing trails with a suspension bridge and you can swim in the natural pools (freezing cold natural pools) and watch guys dive from the cliffs. I lived within walking distance and it's one of the first places I go when I get back. To me it's what the West Coast is all about in many ways. And IIRC, it's free.

Others (besides you and Iron Chet) have mentioned Lynn Canyon as an alternative to Capilano, which is quite pricey. We'll definitely check it out.

And @Iron Chet, thanks for the tips. Stanley Park looks like a cool place to walk/jog/bike, especially in the evening. I'm a sucker for cool sunset photos!

As mentioned, the spendy outing will be whale watching ... or maybe kayak/standup paddleboard rentals. SUP is fun and much tougher than it looks.

 

[I Should Coco]

We had fun in Vancouver ... HC, you have a great hometown! A few quick comments:

* We did go whale watching, but out of Steveson. A laid-back, touristy place to spend half a day (great fish and chips joints, an interesting museum on the fishing/canning industry, and "Once Upon a Time" sightseeing for fans of the show, like my wife and daughter). And even moody teenagers were all smiles watching orcas tease us human stalkers in the whale watching boats.

* Stanley Park and Kits Beach are gorgeous. Good hiking, both along the seawall and atop cliffs at the former. Great views (especially at sunset) and lots of interesting characters at Kits. I should have brought my guitar! And with the warm temps of the past week, lots of people were swimming (we just waded in a bit. Too cold for us Yank softees!).

* On a family trip, there wasn't any fancy dining ... but we did enjoy a good Indian food buffet and surprisingly good local taco stand at Cambie and Broadway. Tim Horton's, the McDonald's of Canada, was OK for breakfast — the blueberry dough and raspberry-filled Timbits hit the spot for me. And I was jealous of the kids who got Pirate Paks at the White Spot ... those were cool as hell!

* HC, we did not make it to Lynn Canyon ... or several other areas we wanted to see. We were only there from Sunday night through Friday morning. But I highly recommend staying in the Fairview neighbourhood (see what I did there? ). Our hotel was just north of Vancouver General Hospital and it gave us an interesting view of middle-class city life in Vancouver.

Speaking of that ... (see next post)

 

[I Should Coco]

The housing and rental situation in Vancouver is really insane. This was all over the newspapers while we were there, as the B.C. government imposed a 15 percent tax on foreign buyers of residential properties — an attempt to deter speculators from China, the U.S. and elsewhere, and also an attempt to damper the crazy rise of home values and rent.

I realize that most big cities around the world have problems with high rents, available land and (somewhat) affordable older homes/apartments being demolished for new, luxury dwellings. But there was construction of fancy new apartment towers everywhere we went in Vancouver and Richmond, and I'm sure in the other suburbs. Every single sign at the construction sites said "sold out," so I think they'll keep building them, foreign ownership or not.

I'm not trying to wade into Canadian politics here ... but it's one thing to have a economically vibrant city with tons of jobs, public infrastructure and cool culture. It's quite another thing to afford to live there.

 

[HC]

So glad you had a good time! It's a pretty amazing town but crazy expensive. Someone noted a few weeks ago that there were only 5 homes listed for sale at under a million in the entire city. My nieces and nephews have no chance at home ownership in that market.

 

[ChrisLong]

Anybody have any updated info on Vancouver?
My daughter and her friend are going at the end of November: Canucks vs. Leafs. They are going to be there a few days.
They already have an AirBnb accommodation and game tickets. Will book flights later.
They are looking for restaurants and other attractions. They already know about the Capilano Bridge, but I am alerting them to the advice from HC and Iron Chet above.
Any other advice is much appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

 

[typefitter]

Don't be loud in nice restaurants.