Canada

Summer Roadtrip

Our first summer after moving abroad, we head back to California for a quick visit and pick up our car. The plan was an epic roadtrip of Canada's Western national parks, backcountry wilderness hiking and camping, and a TrustedHousesitters gig on Victoria Island.

We did enjoy some time in Edmonton, Vancouver, and Victoria, but our primary focus in Canada was nature. For a couple that just spent a year in the desert of the Middle East, British Columbia and Alberta delivered incredible views and wildlife. Just driving between the national parks was mind blowing - especially Banff to Jasper.

Itinerary Outline

My Maps to the right includes highlight points (click upper left icon).

Our roadtrip was heavily influenced by the wildfires that plagued British Columbia during the summer of 2017. We also had the opportunity to visit our lovely colleague in Edmonton, Alberta.

Thanks to the Olmstead's (Humboldt) and Catie Bartley (Seattle) for meeting up. A special thanks to our friend Jessica Fitzpatrick and Family for hosting us.

KELOWNA

Wine country of British Columbia, we were able to visit Mission Hill Family Estate Winery during a quick over-nighter. The pours were generous and the banter lively; our wine steward was a fellow Punk Rock Bowling enthusiast. The area is beautiful with a sweeping landscape with Okanagan Lake at the center.

KOKANEE

The first of many, many nights of camping started at Kokanee Creek Provincial Park Campsite just outside of Nelson, BC. The water was crystal clear and ice cold. The mountains were covered with dense green forests and the blue skies dotted with white clouds; a stark contrast from the deserts of the Middle East.

BANFF

Riding through Kootenay National Park, we were quickly welcomed by a gigantic ram blocking traffic, owning his space with his large horns. The drive was scenic and relaxing, but Banff is much anticipated. Banff National Park welcomes you with Mount Rundle, a mountain range in its own right. The town is small, but lively. We setup camp outside of town at Tunnel Mountain Village I Campground. As we prepare to map out a wilderness hiking and camping route, we were informed that wildfires could restrict permits. Little did we know, we would be running from wildfires throughout the entire summer. While in Banff, we enjoyed the many vista points and the very steamy Banff Upper Hot Springs.

REVELSTOKE

Searching for alternative activities, we headed west to Revelstoke in search of a rumored 'best mac 'n' cheese' spot. On our way, we past through Glacier National Park with a stay at Loop Brook Campsite. What a great detour. The campsite included a trailhead for Mount Afton. Given our experience in the Sierras we decided on an intermediate trail with glacier views. Let me say a Canadian intermediate is far different from an American intermediate - this trail was hella tough! Don't get me wrong, it felt so good to get a good, solid hike after our road travels. Back to Revelstoke, we found our mac-attack at Craft Bierhaus. I forgot what I ordered, but Kelsey had the cheeseburger mac 'n' cheese and hot damn was it delicious; the secret - no bullshit - was the pickles and mustard. Since then, I have mastered a remake in my caste iron and it's a regular. On our way down from Mount Revelstoke, Kelsey was a bit disappointed with our wildlife viewings up to this point; she just really wanted to see a bear. She got her wish because as we turned the corner, there stood a juvenile grizzly bear feeding on the grub of a fallen tree. On the far side we could see a ranger's van motioning to not proceed. The bear had noticed us and was grunting presumably to stake his food claim. To our rear, another ranger came to our rescue - having us jump in the back of his SUV. The whole experience was surreal and we learned that you are suppose to "Hey Bear!" Canadian bears to prevent them from getting too comfortable around humans. Thank you Revelstoke. Your mac 'n' cheese and bears are the real-deal.

JASPER

Realizing things were not going to get better in Banff, we decided to head north to Jasper National Park. But before we did, we decided to backtrack to world-famous and bucket list attraction Lake Louise. While we did not stay long, it did not disappoint. The amount of tourists was a bit overwhelming; up to this point, we had been on the road and keeping each other company. While its not an attraction specifically, the drive up to Jasper from Banff was absolutely amazing - maybe even a highlight for me. We saw so much wildlife from the road it was like driving through the wild. For example, we say a momma black bear with a few of her cubs. I would catch myself in awe driving through the Canadian Rockies; absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately, we were still unable to schedule a backcountry hike while in Jasper. Our consolation was a whitewater rafting adventure down the Athabasca River. Can't say enough about it. The company was friendly, the other rafters were enjoyable, and Kelsey and I took front-row on the raft. We ended up staying low-key in Jasper because we were actually navigating the purchase of a home in Spain. While it ended up not working out, it was for the best; the next year we ended up buying our current place in Oliva, Spain.

EDMONTON

Why Edmonton? Well, a Kuwait-colleague and good friend invited us to stay with her and her parents for a spell. It was appreciated after spending more than a month on the road. The drive was a stark contrast to our journey from Banff to Jasper. A memorable moment was driving through a hail storm. Sheltered from a SoCal childhood, she never experienced inclement weather and this was her first hail. Edmonton was very much like the American Midwest; I grew up in Kansas City and this was very much that. While in the city, we attending a Canadian football game (halftime show featuring Sean Paul), took our friend to a 'ethnic' side of town, and my wife joined a traditional Canadian stagette party. Thank you for the comfy-cozy basement nook Jessica and let's not forget Papa Steve's little smokies and tequila.

VANCOUVER

From Edmonton, we begin our long trek back to Vancouver stopping overnight in Kamloops.

*Chinatown*Lonsdale Quay Market*Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal >Nanaimo Ferry Terminal

VICTORIA

*Maple Bay *Stubbs Island Whale Watching (Telegraph Cove; closed) *Butchart Gardens*

TOP 3 - FAVORITES

National Parks

Admission was free to all parks
during Canada's sesquicentennial.

Whitewater
Rafting

An incredible experience in the
ice cold waters of Jasper National Park.

Wildlife