LK23
Colorado
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Joined: 05/14/2004
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I am interested in a trip to Calgary and then to Vancouver. Any suggestions? How are the roads for a Class A?
Any other trip suggestions? What to see and where to visit? Also where to camp with full hook-ups?
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Deen
Vancouver, WA
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Joined: 12/07/2000
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LK23 wrote:I am interested in a trip to Calgary and then to Vancouver. Any suggestions? How are the roads for a Class A?
Any other trip suggestions? What to see and where to visit? Also where to camp with full hook-ups? I'm assuming you mean the "Vancouver" in BC, not the one that was incorporated first in WA?
Deen - Vancouver, WA
'02 Dutch Star 4090 (41+', triple slide)
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'08 Honda Civic/dolly
'05 Honda Odyssey/dolly
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51st yr of RV'ing
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wallynm
Los Alamos NM
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No problem. camp at Banff, Lake Louise, Revestoke, and Hope. Most places will have only 30 AMP. Make sure you have your passports and no guns ans very little booze when you cross the border each way.
Check for lowest conversion rate % on credit cards. Take lots of $$$ or be prepared to spend lots of $$$.
The remainder is TMI To Much Information but will give you a flavor of our run through Canada from Victoria to Calgary From August to Oct 07.
We spent one night in the Nk'mip (Inkameep) 3.5 star for amenities and 3 star recreation out of a 5 star system in Osoyoos, BC. I am not sure who does the rating system but it flunked on amenities as you can see from the REAR photo that I took looking on the road behind the MH. They packed us in like sardines, the roads were terrible with the most despicable speed bumps. Looking out the front window for the LAKEVIEW you can see that rating could be construed as low. We decided to leave them in the dust of our shoes and headed north after one night--though we met a nice couple headed for Phoenix.
We have spent a couple of days in Vernon, BC which is at the end a a series of beautiful lakes in Okanogan. We must have driven beside about 75 miles of lake front on the trip to Vernon. Of course there was a town every few miles. This area is becoming the baby boomer retirement for Canada. You can see lake front and lake view development all along the way. We looked at some real estate magazines and most them go for a 1/2 million or more.
The roads in BC are more like old RT. 66. On the the Trans Canada highway we had maybe 75 miles of 4 lanes with a speed limit of 100 KM/hr which is ~ 60 MPH. Most of the time we go through every little berg on the road. The trip across the bottom of Canada from Hope to Osoyoos was kind of like driving through Jemez but only steeper and more windy in places. Some time we would gear down into first with the exhaust break engaged just to make the curves. Retta told me we do not need to make that trip again.
WalMarts do not carry the same products as the states so we scrambled and found a great grocery similar to Whole Foods. You can get a loaf of fresh bread, then slice it to your preferred thickness, place it on an aluminum arm above the slicer and slide the plastic bag over it--great bread too! And today we didn't get to the winery but did find diesel at $0.929 /L which = $3.44/ gal. -- what a find--will go there first thing tomorrow and hope they don't raise prices overnight---it is at a Shell too.
The flowers, fresh vegetables and fruit continue to be amazing--went to Farmer's Mkt this morning--how wonderful. Came home with fresh lemon bread, apple pie, multi-grain rolls, purple onions, and a cinnamon roll for a fast trip to Starbucks--roll and coffee on the patio--was great! Found a chain restaurant called White Spot and had my first fish 'n chips tonight--so awesome it tasted like entree and dessert in the same course--and of course sweet potato fries with chipotle mayo dip!
Today’s adventure was a visit to the Banff Hot Springs Outdoor Pool. According to local history this is the reason that there is a Banff today. A couple of folks working on the railroad found the hot springs and claimed them. They tried to make a commercial enterprise out of them. As a result Banff was started as a ~ 10 acre park. The water comes out of the spring at ~ 140 F and is cooled down to ~ 103. The pool is like a large swimming pool with a kiddie pool in the middle of the larger pool. We arrived around 10:30 AM and stayed about an hour. When we went in it was starting to snow but had stopped by the time we left. Was great time.
We toured downtown Banff shopping and eating establishments and ended our tours with the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel off season costs $289-$489/night. It is beautiful but very pricey I recommend a trip to the internet if you enjoy castle-type buildings worth the time. They are having a 25K race this weekend with 4500 runners so it is crowded with lots of pedestrian traffic. We drove a scenic route yesterday and stopped at Johnston Falls for a planned short walkabout an hour. See photos note have part of the falls are over the top of the ledge and part of the falls is coming from underground. Well, the walks here are all hikes! After an hour to the top of the falls and 35 minutes down, we shed some layers at the car and headed into the cafe for burgers and a milkshake was very good! Oh those sore muscles thus the great relief at the hot springs this morning!
One of the things that has really surprised us is the number of rental RV’s we see. I would guess that more than half of the rigs we see in the RV parks are rental units, very small to very large. Most of the folks driving these rigs are from Europe with a few from Asia. They drive them all over the place and put them in places I will not take ours. You can tell they don't own them because they put the pedal to the medal and hit the speed bumps like they are ants! I told Wally they must not have anything in them to fly out of the cabinets and crash it’s pretty funny but we stay out of their way! They are probably the reason there are speed bumps everywhere!
One thing I have enjoyed is the number of CAI I have seen. CAI is Classic American Iron. We have seen lots of 60 era Mustangs, Cameros, but also lots of full size Buicks, Caddies, Fords with the + 400 CID engines. However, my best find I have not seen since my Gallup High School days was a 57 Studebaker Silver Hawk – see photo. You did not see many of these but they would give the Ford and Chevy boys a run for their $$. The Golden Hawk version was super charged.
I had hit a buried brick in a RV park and knock the front end of the Mustang out of alignment. The tires had about 25,000 miles on them so given their poor condition I decided to replace them. Now I will tell you this is an interesting Canadian experience. I wanted something with a warranty that would be good in the states. We finally bought Goodyear at Wal-Mart and then took it to Kal Tire at Sears to have it aligned.
Later we traded some more US $$ for Canadian $$$. This time $200.00 US got us only $197.75 CAN. We see lots of stuff in the papers about the Canadians should not get too big a head because the reason for their $$ increase is because the US is doing such a poor job in managing the US $$.
We have yet to drive on a Canadian highway that meets US Interstate standards. On Highway 1 which is the main Trans Canada Highway through Calgary a city of 1 million is really like driving Central through Albuquerque. In reality it's worse as it is under construction which takes it down to one lane each direction. took us about an 1.5 hours to drive across from the west side to the east side. Then they have these pedestrian crossings in the middle of the block at locations other than traffic signals. Someone steps up and presses the button and two yellow caution lights start flashing - no red and you had better be ready to stop.
Calagary
Tyrell Museum
Banff
Ice fields
Revestoke
Hope
Vivtoria
LK23 wrote:I am interested in a trip to Calgary and then to
Vancouver. Any suggestions? How are the roads for a Class A?
Any other trip suggestions? What to see and where to visit? Also where to camp with full hook-ups?
Have a Cat Engine Yahoo Group or Cat RV Club Web Page
Have a Freightliner Yahoo Group or FCOC Web Page
wallynm@yahoo.com
2002 DSDP 3567 PUSHED BY KITTY KAT
THOSE THAT DO NOT KNOW HISTORY ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT IT
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LK23
Colorado
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Joined: 05/14/2004
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Wally,
Thanks for the great information. Very helpful.
Deen,
Yes, Vancouver, BC
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Kanata
Ottawa, Ontario
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Joined: 09/23/2006
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I would pass on a note of caution if you take the Coquihalla. The grades are quite steep and the cross winds can be extreme. You must be on your toes the whole time in case a gust takes you sideways. I drove it north to south and decided when I came back to come up through Kelowna and Vernon. Takes longer, but I found it alot less stressful.
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buchrob
Stanstead QC
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Joined: 10/10/2002
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Ditto to WallyNM.
Did that trip in a Class C last fall.
Despite some of the vaguely negative comments, the rockies are a trip of a lifetime. Camping not quite the same price and standards as the US, but roads are no worse than secondary US roads in Idaho or Washington, if you want to get picky. National Parks are about what you would expect to pay in US Grand Canyon, and very well organised for services.
Try not to disturb the elk grazing on the hill 50 feet away from you when you wake up in the morning.
'99 Glendale Royal Expedition 24' Class C
2003 Subaru WRX wagon as toad.
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LK23
Colorado
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What is Coquihalla?
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driveby
Vancouver BC Canada
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Coquihalla (Hwy 5)is a toll highway ($10 for RV) that cuts through a very steep but straight valley from Hope (just outside of Vancouver) to Merritt/Kamloops. It has some steep grades but I drive it 3-4x a year. Last week in fact  the alternative is HWY 3 and it too can have it's moments. Narrow and sharpish curves. Keep in mind I do both roads several times a year so mountain driving is "normal" to me. Some flatlanders freak. Of course being from Colorado I'm sure you've seen a steep mountain hill or 2.
That area is my "home turf" so ask away for other questions.
Just take it slow and enjoy the mountain scenery - btw the rest area concession stand has very good Samosa's
and oh yeah - those rentals are all Europeans who drive from Vancouver to Calgary or reverse. They take a few weeks or a month and love it
if you dry camp at all do take in a Provincial Park or 3 there are some that can handle a 40' but most do well with 38' or under. No hookups etc but very nice tree'd or at least very spacious sites.
Osoyoos and Kelowna is wine country. Be sure to "sample" the local fair as you pass through. Gives Napa etc a run for it's money even if those guys don't like to admit it.
2008 Itasca Sunova 35J Class A
1997 TJ Sahara, hard and soft tops and AC
Held together via Roadmaster Falcon 2 tow bar and stopped by US Gear Unified Brake system.
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