Summer Discovery Wilderness Explorer Self Drive

 

 

 

When you arrive in Calgary pick up your compact car. You’ll be tired but you are heading for a lovely place to get you over your jet lag, just an easy 45 minute drive will bring you to the 4* Delta Kananaskis, this is the perfect place to chill out and introduce yourself to Canada. The hotel sits on the foothills of the rockies in a valley and has excellent amenities to enjoy including indoor and outdoor whirlpools, steam room, spa, tennis and golf to name but a few. There are some lovely walks to enjoy from the front door and the setting is perfect.

 

 

 

Jump in the car this morning and the scenery will just keep getting better and better, my favourite place to stay in this pretty town is Tunnel Mountain which gives you the best of both worlds, you awake to Deer and Elk grazing in the hotel grounds yet you are only a 10 minute walk to the centre of town, you will be staying at the 4* Buffalo Mountain lodge which is a stunning property with astonishing views. Here you have walks starting from the Hotel, great wildlife viewing  and all the restaurants and bars close to hand…….try Wild Bills for good live music and dancing.

 

 

 

Where? Just 25 Minutes past Lake Louise you will find one of my favourite places in the rockies, Yoho is totally stunning and far less commercial than Lake Louise, this area is often overlooked by the tour buses but it is just as pretty if not more so than Lake Louise. Yoho is the home of the Takakkaw falls and stunning Emerald lake which is one of very few lakes that you can hike right around and it has the beautiful greeny blue colour created by the glacial flour in the snowmelt. This is the perfect place to explore Lake Louise and Moraine lake and you will be staying at the Emerald lake lodge which is in a heavenly setting surrounded by the lake and the dominant mountains, this area is very special.

 

 

 

As you head north to Jasper you will be driving on one of the worlds most scenic roads, the icefield parkway, this is a winding wonderland of frozen waterfalls, lakes, glaciers, wildlife and rivers, take your time on this road as there is a lot to see and highlights include Peyto lake and the Athabasca falls. When you arrive in Jasper you will find a small and very friendly little town, there are some nice hikes here and you can hire horses from the Pyramid lakes stables, the area around the Jasper park lodge is a great place to look for wildlife as is the Maligne Lake road drive. You will be staying at the Jasper inn for 2 Nights.

 

 

 

Today you will drive south on the Yellowhead Highway, not far out of Jasper you will find mount Robson which is the highest peak in the rockies, today you are heading for a very wild and wonderful place and you will be staying at a new accommodation in the wilderness, this area is very wild and extremely beautiful, wildlife abounds and you will be at one with nature here. You will be staying at the Alpine Meadows Resort which has just recently been built, bears are numerous in this area due to the lack of human traffic and they are often spotted from the balconies of the resort as are Moose and other large mammals. The hiking here is fabulous and you can hire a boat and try your hand at fishing if that sounds too strenuous don’t worry this is the perfect place to get away from it all and recharge your batteries.

 

  

 

The drive south is a nice one, you will be amazed by how the landscape changes from lush green to an almost desert like appearance. You are heading for the lovely Okanagan Valley, you will drive past Vineyards, orchards, beautiful lakes and Marinas, this is the perfect place to chill out after the activities of the rockies. Penticton is a lovely little town sandwiched between 2 beautiful lake, it has clean beaches with warm sunshine and mostly dry days. Swim in the lakes, visit a vineyard before sampling a bottle as the sun sets over the Okanagan Valley. You will be staying at the Penticton Lakeside resort which is right on the beach at Lake Okanagan with some terrific views.

 

 

 

Today you will drive west through Manning park, this route is the most scenic route to Vancouver, a quiet and lovely drive past babbling brooks, waterfalls and wildlife. You will be staying at the Manning Park resort which is an isolated haven for your last taste of the Canadian wilderness before you hit Vancouver Tomorrow. Here you can hike up to the ski hill and follow the excellent cross country ski routes which are excellent for seeing the local wildlife including black bears, marmots and several species of deer. You are staying at the Manning park resort which is in peaceful and quiet spot.

 

 

 

It will take you about 2.5 Hours to get to Vancouver, join the Trans Canada highway at the town of Hope and head west. You will be staying at the excellent Blue Horizon hotel which is located just a 10 minute walk from Stanley park. Vancouver has a vast array of things to do and most of it is accessible by foot…….try some whale watching….and for an great meal try the Fish House at Stanley park which is excellent.