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OT: Traveling to western Canada soon

A

atlarge54

Member
Sorry for the OT but I value the sage advice of the members too much to pass up. We will be traveling by car and staying in motels/hotels, have few time restraints and aren't particularly fond of crowds. Back roads are our preferred routes. Might leave Indiana and go through UP Mich. and then Hwy 2 across ND and MT.

Plan to visit Glacier park (USA) plus Glacier park (CN). Jasper/Banff area is also a high priority. Would like any tips from members who have been in that area recently. We typically don't make reservations but wonder how the crowds are this time of year.


Thanks
 
Jasper/Banff are always busy in the summer, but the area is vast enough that crowds
don't appear as bad. Reservations are a must. If you want to see tractors, go to
the Reynolds Museum in Wetaskawin Alberta. Enjoy some true Western Canadian
hospitality!
Ben
 
If you have smartphones... I recommend downloading the WAZE travel app. Sis and I used it to travel from MN to FL (and points in-between). It's directions were without fail, and it also warns you of accidents/road debris/police ahead.

Only twice did we have to pull over so Sis could reset the system (because I was not very familiar with it and she knew it well). I think thatone glitch only happened because I inadvertently touched the edge of her phone screen.

We did take an atlas along, so we could compare it to the route WAZE was sending us to be sure it was the route we wanted to take. One can set travel preferences in it too - such as only take interstates, if you want to get some place as quickly as possible.

HAVE FUN and safe travels to you!!!
More travel is on my bucket list. :)
 
Drumheller area is a cool place to check out as well, the RedDeer river valley/ badlands are something to see for sure. Lots of old mining towns in area
plus dinosaurs too. The Tyrell museum is defiantly something to check out too. Drumheller Alberta.
 
Canadian Tractor Museum in Westlock Alberta is worth looking at.

As far as the Rockies are concerned, been thru, in them, etc. The drive from Banff to Jasper is pretty good adventure. But do have to pay to drive it. Lake Louise is another tourist trap, the view of the lake beside the hotel is very nice.

June thru end of August is bad out here for traffic going to these places thou. Rest of the provinces is wont be too busy.
 
If you plan on using data on your smartphone in Canada
make sure you have a decent plan that includes Canada!
Otherwise you will go broke paying for data, which WAZE and
google maps or your iphone built-in app uses.
 
Saw a very interesting show on Smithsonian channel last night. They took CP's Rocky Mountaineer excursion train from Vancover BC to Banff AB. Looked like a very interesting trip thru the Canadian Rockies. The first class accommodations for the trip were a bit pricy though. That one hour narrative will likely be as close to a trip thru the Rockies as I will ever get.----Loren
 
Come up through Michigan on the west side of the state. Charlevoix, Petoskey, Harbor Springs and
even Mackinac island are great places this time of year. Have a great trip. Tom
 
Duluth, MN interesting sights related to shipping on the Great Lakes.

Crookston, MN, sugar beet museum, never stopped, but I can guarantee it won?t be crowded!

Wolford, ND Dale and Martha Hawk museum, prairie tractors etc.

A bit south from Williston, ND North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt NP. Interesting scenery of the badlands without the people of further south. Neither are
that crowded by most standards.

When traveling across W ND you might want a reservation if spending the night. By noon of the same day is usually fine, but rooms can be tight come
evening.
 
Crowds are smaller in the Rockies come September,also speaking of the Tractor
Museum in Westlock Alberta there is a 2nd Museum in the town featuring a
lifetime collection of phonographs.
 
(quoted from post at 16:52:39 08/05/19) Crowds are smaller in the Rockies come September,also speaking of the Tractor
Museum in Westlock Alberta there is a 2nd Museum in the town featuring a
lifetime collection of phonographs.
Click to expand...


So maybe leave the last week of August, burn up a week getting there. I was slightly concerned about early snow. So is it general opinion September would be a bit better time to visit? Two years ago we were in the NW USA and it was beginning to snow in some of the areas we had just visited---this year we plan to be a bit further north about the same time of year.
 
Verizon works in Canada. Don't recall any additional charges. But that was 10 years ago.
 
If you are at the mackinaw bridge the 5th September they will have the tractor drive going. Around a 1000 tractors that day. Will cross the Mackinaw bridge. There is some iron tourist deals west of Duluth. If you come back from Glacier by way of ID stop in at Grangeville ask if Ted is still around at the deere dealer to see his collection of tractors. 2 Pols barns full of everything you can imagine about from old Rumley or such to Cat tractors and one building must be about 60x80 or more. concrete floor in one the tracks are on stone floor. I saw them about 5-7years ago and he was in his 80's then. The trip down either ID 55 or US-95 is worth the scenery through there. From McCammon ID to Little America US-30 is a nice drive with a lot of looking across there. Another nice drive is from Idaho Falls to Three Forks MT up US-20 to 287 either one from West Yellowstone Looking on a map you will see what I mean.
Wy Cody has the Cody museum there, and Mt in Great Falls the Charles M. Russell Museum. Billings will be having the State fair along in here some time close just before or just after you are through there. Some intersting things along US 212 from Broadus MT to Crow Agency MT along with the Custer Battle field just outside Crow Agency MT. I would not plant to drive 212 across there at night though. West of Broadus. Bell Fourche SD is interesting to go through. Not been there in a few years so not sure how much is left to see. Used to be a nice little old cow town.
 

Make sure there is nothing to do with firearms, ammo, hunting, fishing in the vehicle . Order Guards just live and hope to go berserk on a firearms charge .
 
I suggest you plan so you are not crossing the Mac Bridge on a Friday or Saturday afternoon. I have been going across every week and it has
been crazy lately on weekends. It also seems that every weekend now there is some sort of official "Bridge Crossing" event. A few days ago
we ran into the "Mini Cooper Crossing" that I did not know even existed. Last year I got stuck right in the middle of the antique tractor
crossing and some guy on an old Ford broke down right in the middle of the bridge. Big oil spill and both lanes closed for awhile. Also
there are "Bridge Walks." I wish the heck they would just open both lanes for once and stop all the silly crossings.

I tried to go to Canada to get some building materials at Home Depot a few days ago in the Canadian Soo. I gave up. The International Bridge
that connects the Michigan and Canadian Soos was jam packed and at a dead stop for anyone leaving Canada and coming to the US. That was on
Friday night.
 
We have "passport cards", first used them last year in New Brunswick. Going into Canada was friendly. Coming back into the USA was NOT friendly. Clerk at the hotel said female and newly hired customs employees are the worst. We had absolutely nothing weapons related in the vehicle. She was getting pretty ugly fast.
 
The Big Mac Bridge. Ever hear the story about the USAF Strategic Air Command B47 bomber flying under it? Happened in 1959. Flown by Capt John S Lappo of Muskegon, MI. WWII (THE BIG ONE) veteran. John's rank fluctuated between captain and major but that was due to SAC's system of awarding their best crews a one rank promotion that could be lost. It was reported to be a windy day with whitecaps and a lot of spray and John decided that would be just fine. At a speed of around 400 mph he flew under the bridge and it was reported that he double rolled on climbout. Some said it was the prettiest thing they ever saw. John was permanently grounded but continued to serve as a maintenance officer and retired many years later as a lieutenant colonel. He died in 1983. My best friend in high school flew as his copilot on many missions but didn't happen to be along that day. They were based at Lockbourne in Ohio. My friend had so many stories about John Lappo. John was a very colorful character.
 
Need to pay extra for your cellphone to
work on Canada. Check with your phone
provider.

I use Google maps for my car's
navigation. I had nothing when I got to
Canada.

It cost us almost $20 Canadian for 2 quarter pounders and a large coke at Mc Donalds.

Can't remember what place we stayed overnight night at on London Canada. They allow dogs in motel. Dogs barked all night .

I never plan to return to Canada.
 
From Glacier Park go up to hwy 3 then go west to Osoyoos then north on 97 through the Okanagan (the most beautiful place in Canada ) through Penticton, Kelowna, Vernon
(all wine growing country ) and then up to hwy 1 and back to Banff etc. We do that every year or so. Was just there again a month ago.
 
George, next time you have a burger in Canada, don't forget to pick up your change ..... mind you, they can spot rich USA farmers a mile away and they usually just put your change in their pocket. Sounds like you're getting your quarter pounders dirt cheap down south.
Seriously though, the info below is from Wikipedia, usually relatively reliable, it shows that the price of a Big Mac is pretty much the same on average in the US as in Canada. Actually, a bit more expensive in the US. The first price shown is in USD. Mind you, it might be fake news but somehow I don't think anyone would be scamming anyone on a topic like this. Can't find too much on a quarter pounder for info.

Six most expensive countries (July 18, 2018) This statistic shows the most expensive places to buy a Big Mac.[21]

Switzerland ? $6.57 (6.50 CHF)
Sweden ? $5.83 (51.00 SEK)
United States ? $5.51 (5.51 USD)
Norway ? $5.22 (42 NOK)
Canada ? $5.08 (6.65 CAD)
Euro area ? $4.75 (4.56 EUR)

Six cheapest (July 18, 2018) This statistic shows the least expensive places to buy a Big Mac.[21]

Egypt ? $1.75 (31.37 EGP)
Ukraine ? $1.91 (50 UAH)
Russia ? $2.09 (130 RUB)
Malaysia ? $2.10 (8.45 MYR)
Indonesia ? $2.19 (31,500 IDR)
Taiwan ? $2.27 (69 TWD)
%20%20%20%20Switzerland%20?%20$6.57%20(6.50%20CHF)%20%20Sweden%20?%20$5.83%20(51.00%20SEK)%20%20United%20States%20?%20$5.51%20(5.51%20USD)%20%20Norway%20?%20$5.22%20(42%20NOK)%20%20Canada%20?%20$5.08%20(6.65%20CAD)%20%20Euro%20area%20?%20$4.75%20(4.56%20EUR)%20Six%20cheapest%20(July%2018,%202018)%20This%20statistic%20shows%20the%20least%20expensive%20places%20to%20buy%20a%20Big%20Mac.[21]%20%20%20Egypt%20?%20$1.75%20(31.37%20EGP)%20%20Ukraine%20?%20$1.91%20(50%20UAH)%20%20Russia%20?%20$2.09%20(130%20RUB)%20%20Malaysia%20?%20$2.10%20(8.45%20MYR)%20%20Indonesia%20?%20$2.19%20(31,500%20IDR)%20%20Taiwan%20?%20$2.27%20(69%20TWD)]Untitled URL Link
 
Well, it might even be worse. I'm surprised they are still doing so well ..... the fries are OK but those burgers .... ugh !!
 
Just returned. Took some Canadian dollars for smaller items.
Use credit card where we could & they do the conversion on your
statement. Probably the easiest. Don't forget there are
various sales tax amounts in different areas. It was plenty
crowded in Calgary, Banff, Jasper, Vancouver, and Victoria.
Earlier you arrive at most scenic areas the better, crowds
showed up after 10 AM. Sleeping accommodations were done by
the tour company. Saw several hostels for hikers & bicyclists.
Always full it seemed. Got food at local groceries when we
could, otherwise higher prices seemed the norm. Gas ranged
from $5-7 per gallon (US). Did lots of walking to see the
sites, they have parking lots away from most visited sites.
 
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