Good point. "We're going to a luxury retreat" is an easier sell than "I'm going on a fishing trip" for a lot of people.

I went to Banff during the family day long weekend. It was super packed but honestly, it was still nice. I'm not really a people person but seeing Banff quiet and desolate just doesn't make sense. It's hip and vibrant (and expensive). I had some good pizza and wine while I was there before zipping off to a log cabin chalet I was staying at near castle mountain.

There's also the Johnstone Canyon trail which features a trail to a lower waterfall and a more challenging (moderate) trail to an upper fall. It's really nice even during the deep freeze (just watch your step).

Afterwards I drove to Norquay mountain to see what's up and the powder there was pretty weak (much like Whistler at the time).

HWY 1A is the scenic road to stop almost anywhere and snap photos and enjoy the remoteness.

I've never been to Emerald Lake but want to go when I have more time. It's getting up there in popularity with Lakes Louise & Moraine. Prepare to listen to United Nations level of multiculturalism when you're at any of the places I mentioned.

~ GS8 - You future Alberta tourguide

^awww come on bro, no pics of all that!? you take great photos!!!

Why is stuff like this never sold in NA?!

Btw is the pop-top stock, or does it have to be a conversion?
https://newatlas.com/automotive/whit...a-mini-camper/

^ Omg me wanty so bad.

People custom build stuff like that pretty often. Grab a van, RTT and some glamping gear to put in the back and you're there.

My photo processing process is slow. I didn't take any at the Canyon because of the slippery conditions but I took some of the chalet which I can post later.

Here's a few for now, revolving around the rental car I had.

Okay between you and Donk, and some of the other master photographers on here, i think we can put together a RS calendar of beautiful shots and sell it for money.

Shit. The colors! You have me wanting to buy an Escape.

I really want to take my kids through Banff/Jasper this year. Is canmore a good stopping point for the night before heading to Banff. I plan on going to Calgary from there to Drumheller for the Dino stuff. Any other suggestions?

Going from Vancouver, Canmore is after Banff/Jasper and right before you arrive in Calgary.

There are a lot of great outdoor activities that make a stop in Canmore worthwhile. Nevertheless, depending on when you are going, Canmore can be quite expensive.

What I'd suggest is, if Lake Louise is on the map, stay at Chateau LL for one night after you come from Jasper. It's pricey, sure. But I think staying there is an indulgence that one should do once in a lifetime. Especially when there are ways to get it relatively cheap.

After that, check what you want to see in Banff/Canmore, and this can be a 1-day thing unless you are really into outdoor stuff as there are many trails and stuff to do. Then just head into Calgary at the end of the day. I find hotel rates in Calgary to be quite cheaper than Banff/Canmore in the summer peak season.

in calgary i recommend their zoo. it's quite nice comparable to Seattle's, but better layout, sorted by continent. when you say drumheller i'm not sure if you mean the bad lands, but i'd avoid that trip as to me it's just rock formations, i think time is better spent at the Royal Tyrrell Museum for dino stuff

For me, it's the perfect size. The freezing temps would cause false positive readouts on the some of the safety systems but otherwise, it was great for my needs. I've rented SUVs of all shapes and sizes and the Escape was surprisingly good for what it's meant for.

On the subject of Canmore: Yes you want to go there. It's Banff's child, basically and has that kind of Swiss Alp town vibe. I stopped there on my last trip. Like every other town in Banff National, things are pricey and touristy but that adds to the ambience. You will not live there so just enjoy what it has to offer. Lots of food choices. I stopped by a recommended coffee shop called "Beamers". They have 2 locations there and it's really good. Colombian owned. Not just the coffee I mean! Really quaint atmosphere and friendly staff.

They have some great bakeries too. Get some treats for the kids and they'll be high on enough sugar to enjoy the town with mom & dad. Then head over to Banff or Lake Minnewanka afterward to burn off some calories!

Beamers ? You know they wanted to call it beaners but didn’t wanna be racist. Lousy beaners

May have 6 days off during the Victoria Day long weekend due to how my schedule works, thinking about going down PCH to Big Sur :considered: would only really stop driving to sleep/eat/lookouts and not much touristy stuff.

If not that then doing a loop through Montana/Idaho/Wyoming may be an option.

Be sure to check road conditions in that area. It's notorious for landslides that close the road for days or weeks at a time.

Big sur part is closed. Land slide. Not opening till September I heard.

Correct. I've cancelled my plans for the drive. No point doing it if the best part is closed LOL

But the drive down to SF is already muy muy magico. Do it !!!!

For sure. You could do the Oregon coast down and through the Redwood forest.

:fuuuuu:

I'll probably just do Highway 101 through Washington, Oregon and NorCal to Bay Area then call it a trip if I go ahead with it.

I thought about going through the interior and stay "local" but I did that drive last year.

Go to Monterey CA. It’s car Mecca

might finally try inside passage to haida gwaii (a minimum of 4 ferries tho), heard the road from prince rupert to smithers is great

it all depends if the new airbnb rule make intraprovincial staycation costly as fuck, looks like it's already trending that way

What's a potential itinerary for a 1 or 2 night trip down the Oregon coast? Places to stop/eat/stay?

Id go...

1) Long Beach Washington
- you can drive on the beach!!! just dont go into the really soft stuff and get high sided like i did with my golf sportwagen
- enjoy some good seafood in the little beach community
- fly a kite? take in that vast ocean and go for a nice long walk

2) Astoria Oregon
- the bridge that connects Long Beach to Astoria is beautiful. Great drive and very neat bridge overall.
- Astoria is a cute little place with lots of interesting hertiage. Go up to the top of the hill to get a good outlook on the city

3) wreck of the peter iredale
https://maps.app.goo.gl/n7bWR7GtLStziTEr6
- not far from Astoria, an interesting ship wreck. great for photos

4) Seaside Oregon
- stop here for lunch, walk along the prominade and check out the cool little shops

5) cannon beach
- a must visit, gorgeous haystack rocks
- grab mo's clam chowder while you are there

6) Tillamook
- they have a cheese factory / ice cream factory tour

7) Just keep driving south along that highway and stop when you are tired. THere's a ton of gorgeous lighthouses that are very picturesque.

8) Newport Oregon
- i usually start off the 2nd day or 3rd day in newport.
- The aquarium is pretty sweet along with the "pirates village"

9) keep going south and you'll hit florence, and the Oregon Dunes
- go for a dune buggy ride. you'll see signs all along the highway

10) gold beach is gorgeous if you get there around sunset

11) go to cali and take the Avenue of the giants scenic drive. Its insane! dont miss this one

12) keep going along the coast till you hit san fran. You'll see some beautiful scenary.

13) san fran is where id usually call it, but if you still got some spunk in you, head down towards Monterey CA. Lots of auto museums and where pebble beach is held every year
Marin County has a crazy looking civic building. Its where Gattaca was filmed (my favorite movie) and it was last project of Frank Lloyd Wright.

then just grab some El Pollo Loco and straight shot it back to vancouver on the i5. I did that last year in the sc430 all within 3 days. I left SF at 11am and got back to Vancouver at 3:30am