This summer my family went on a road trip from Vancouver, to the Canadian Rockies and back. 4 adults, 2 kids and 1 dog traveling in a van for a week: needless to say, it was a tremendous trip. Here are the places we stayed, and some things we dog- and kid-friendly things we saw and did along the way.
All the accommodation on this trip had to allow dogs, so I was a bit nervous about getting everything booked: especially since we were traveling in August, the busy season. I did manage it, but it was probably a good thing I made my reservations a few months ahead of time.
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| Sightseeing at Craigellachie. |
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| View from the cabins at Glacier House. |
Day 1. Vancouver to Revelstoke
This was the longest drive we did in one day on this trip. It took all day with stops for snacks, lunch, kids and dog to stretch their legs and so forth. But the scenery is wonderful along the way, and though it was a bit of an ordeal, in the end we got there and everyone was still sane. One of our stops was at Craigellachie, site of "the driving of the last spike" for the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885. There's an old train car there and a memorial plaque, as well as a small museum.Accommodation
We stayed the night in Glacier House Resort, up in the woods and mountains just outside Revelstoke.
Our cabin was spacious with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a lot of space. There was even a hot tub on the deck! There's also a pool available for guests. It's all set in a beautiful area, and away from all the city lights there's a chance of beautiful starry skies if you're there on a cloudless night. As for wildlife viewing: there were bear warnings up, and though we didn't see a bear, we did see some bear scat the next morning. (The dog was most interested!)
Food
The restaurant at Glacier House was very good, and the included "deluxe continental breakfast" the next morning was very good. Nothing super fancy, but tasty yogurt, nice jams, good bread, and outdoor seating available.
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| One of the stunning vistas on the way. |
Day 2. Revelstoke to Banff
The drive from Revelstoke to Banff is pretty stunning and driving up into the Rockies makes for some grand scenery no matter what route you take. There are so many viewpoints and beautiful vistas everywhere you kind of have to let some of them go if you want to get somewhere in a day's driving...At the end of the day, our dog - and the kids - were getting a bit squirrelly from riding in the car for so long, but it turns out that Banff has a pretty great fenced in off-leash dog park, which was a great bonus for us. Dogs are supposed to be on leash in most areas of the national park, and with all the wildlife around this is no doubt the safest option for dogs, grizzly bears, deer, elk, and whatever else you may encounter. The off-leash park is located on Hawk Avenue in an industrial area on the outskirts of Banff, but the park itself is rather large with lots of trees, mountain views, and lots of friendly local and visiting dogs. (Map available here.)
Accommodation
Our dog- and kid-friendly accommodation in Banff was a cabin at Tunnel Mountain Resort. It wasn't as spacious as our cabin at Glacier House, but still good. There's a decent pool and a hot tub, a coin laundry on site, another coin laundry across the road, and a small grocery store nearby. You can walk into downtown Banff from the resort (it takes about 20 minutes), which makes for a good doggie-walk, just be warned that it's a rather steep trek coming back!
Food
There are so many restaurants in Banff, but we finally decided on takeout from Chili's Grill & Bar. The food was very good, and the restaurant looked nice as well when we picked everything up. The entire menu is available for takeout, and it made for an enjoyable meal back at our cabin.
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| Marsh Loop Trail in Banff. |
Day 3. In Banff
We had one full day in Banff and we started it off by going for a walk. The Marsh Loop trail made for a nice hike for adults, kids, and the dog. This hike starts from the Cave & Basin parking lot in Banff, so it's very easy to access. There are beautiful views of the mountains, and of lovely green Bow River. The hike itself is an easy walk with no elevation gain and plenty of spots to take great pictures of the scenery along the water. |
| The view from the Banff Gondola. |
After that, we visited the ever-popular Upper Hot Springs, located very close to the gondola. No dogs are allowed in the hot springs pool, but the human travelers really enjoyed the visit. You can rent towels and bathing suits at the pool, or bring your own. Do bring your own soap and shampoo, though!
Food
We had been reading up on a few nice places to visit for dinner in Banff, but it turned out everywhere we had looked at ahead of time was either full or closed once we were ready to eat. Finally, we ended up at The Elk & Oarsman in downtown Banff. This is a rather busy and noisy place, but the service was friendly and the food was good, with a good kids' menu. Bison- and elk-burgers are available on the menu here!
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| Columbia Icefields. |
Day 4. Banff to Jasper
This drive along the Icefields Parkway is famous for a reason: it's a spectacular drive, going way up in the Rockies with amazing mountain and glacier views everywhere you look. We had some rain and cloud swirling around us, but the weather did clear up enough that we got a good look at the fantastic landscape. And of course we took a stroll up to the glacier at the Columbia Icefields! |
| The Crossing Café. |
Afterwards, we ate lunch at The Crossing, a cafeteria style restaurant located on the Icefields Parkway between Banff and Jasper. It's not a fancy place, but the food was great. Good sandwiches, good salads, and I'd also highly recommend the chili! There's also a very well-stocked tourist shop here, so if you're looking for souvenirs, you're in luck!
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| The view from our cabin at Tekarra Lodge. |
In Jasper we stayed in a cabin at Tekarra Lodge. Tekarra Lodge is situated right outside Jasper (a short drive, or walking distance if you like a decent walk) and is surrounded by a nicely wooded area. It's a great place to stay if you're looking for something away from the town, and it is definitely both dog- and kid-friendly. There are all sorts of hiking trails around, the river is right there on one side, there are trees everywhere, and there was even a tantalizing "water hole" right behind our cabin: needless to say, the dog loved it.
The cabin itself was nicely furnished with a kitchen and small bathroom. No TVs at all - which can be a plus or a minus I suppose. However, the free wifi was definitely a plus. There's a coin laundry available on site, and the surroundings are beautiful.
Food
Tekarra Lodge is home to Tekarra Restaurant, a real gourmet establishment. The food was fabulous and it was nice to be able to just amble back to the cabin through the grounds when we had finished our meal. Even if you're staying elsewhere in Jasper, I'd highly recommend checking out this place.
Like Banff, Jasper also has a fenced in off-leash dog park. It's located near the railway crossing and the Home Hardware store. Not as big and fancy as the one in Banff, but great for giving the dog a good run if you bring a ball or other dog toy along.
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| Jasper in the morning. |
Day 5. In Jasper
Jasper's wildlife was on fine display the next day. We saw elk, deer, and even caribou throughout the town when we headed out the next morning. No bears (fortunately or unfortunately), but plenty of those beautiful elk in closeup. |
| Jasper SkyTram. |
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| Ground squirrel. |
In the afternoon the weather turned rather rainy and we decided to drive to Miette Hot Springs. This turned out to be a longer drive from Jasper than we had really anticipated (the last bit on a very winding mountain road), but the hot springs pool was good once we got there. It is a rather busy place, but it is nicely laid out with two large hot pools, and a couple of smaller cold pools. The kids had a great time and had decided that hot springs, and gondolas (or skytrams) were definitely the way to go when you're on holidays.
There are also a lot hiking trails in the area (the dog did get a walk there), so the place is definitely worth a visit and it was an excellent way to spend a rainy afternoon.
Food
We checked out Evil Dave's Grill for dinner and this was another foodie-hit. Yummy food, a great kids' menu, and the best brownie for dessert I've ever tasted. It was gluten-free and scrumptious.
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| View at Overlander Falls. |
Day 6. Jasper to Kamloops
This was when we left the Rockies behind. The drive from Jasper to Kamloops was an easy breezy trip. We had hoped for a good view of Mount Robson on the way, but no such luck: the clouds stubbornly shrouded most of the mountain. Instead, we opted for a short hike to Overlander Falls near Mount Robson, and ended up with a nice forest stroll and a good view of the roaring river. It was a short and nice walk for kids, dogs, and adults.As we drove through Valemount and eventually into the Okanagan area, it was amazing to see how the landscape, geography and vegetation changed along the way: British Columbia is a pretty spectacular place. And when we eventually got to Kamloops, it was really, really hot. No surprise in August!
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| Going for a swim in Kamloops. |
Accommodation
We stayed at the Best Western Plus in Kamloops. This is a great hotel, and dogs are welcome in some of the rooms on the bottom floor. Our dog-friendly room was spacious and sparkling clean. It had a big bathroom, nice beds, and we were even able to borrow a food bowl for the dog (he'd been eating off borrowed plates until then). There is also a pool for guests to use.Food
For dinner, we headed to the closest White Spot restaurant. Sometimes, an "old reliable" is the best choice, and everyone was pretty tired by that point. The service was good and the food was tasty, as always. |
| Hill Top Gardens Farm and store. |
Day 7. Kamloops to Vancouver
Breakfast at the Best Western Plus was tasty and plentiful, though there was really not enough room in the designated breakfast lounge for all the people who wanted to eat. The biggest hit with my kids? A pancake machine. Yes, indeed: a machine that makes pancakes at the press of a button. They even tasted good, and I think I might want one for my kitchen now.On the drive home to and through the Fraser Canyon, we stopped at the Hilltop Gardens Farm and picked up some fresh peaches. It's a wonderful little place to stop at right on the side of the road. and I highly recommend if you're there in peach season!
All photos by me, Nils Gunnar Larsson, or Doug Haskins.
The two guidebooks I had on my Kindle for this trip were:
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