The Great Canadian Tourism Thread!

[drew]

Originally Posted by esquire

That is wild. My memory is a little vague from my 2004 stop but I swear I don't recall there being any traffic issues at all back then, other than having to walk a middling distance. It's amazing how crowded it got in the intervening years.

Shuttle it is!

I am going next week.

I hadn't even considered a shuttle, but maybe I will look into it.

Hopefully the crowds are a bit lighter this summer, simply because there are no international tourists.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by drew

I am going next week.

Me too... see you there!

[Airboy]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

We went last year and were glad we were staying at the Chateau. As far as Moraine Lake, we tried and then turned back when we met traffic almost 2 km from the parking lot. We decided to use the shuttle the next day.

We went in Sept last year and were able to park in the lower town. And we had a hotel in town so that also made it easier.

Rode my bike to Moraine lake and had to turn around because the road was jammed with people trying to park. But then throw in a bear and you have cluster F explosion.

If you take a bike with you. 1A from just west of town to the Castle Mountain crossing is closed to traffic and is a great casual ride.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by esquire

I'm gearing up for a trip to Alberta later this month and I had a question for anyone familiar with the area...

I will be staying in Banff and I want to visit Lake Louise. Some of the tourism websites I've consulted warn about the near-impossibility of finding a place to park at Lake Louise or Moraine Lake unless you get there at some absurd hour like before 5 am. What is the simplest way to visit those spots? My kids will be with me so very long walks are not ideal.

(The funny thing is that I remember going to Lake Louise in August 2004 and having no trouble finding a place to park... I guess it's gotten a lot busier since then?)

I went there two years ago (July 2019). We went to both Lake Louise and Moraine Lake during the evening We were able to get parking at both. The weather was beautiful. Lots of spaces at Louise and about 7 or 8 spaces at Moraine but lots of people left just after we got there. You can do both lakes during the evening. It's really nice if it isn't cloudy.

After 6pm the bus tours and larger groups were gone and it was just families. The trails weren't busy and it was so nice to be able to take photos without other people in them. If you have to go earlier then take a shuttle. Things shouldn't be crazy without international tourists so maybe going earlier would be worth it.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Loco101

I went there two years ago (July 2019). We went to both Lake Louise and Moraine Lake during the evening We were able to get parking at both. The weather was beautiful. Lots of spaces at Louise and about 7 or 8 spaces at Moraine but lots of people left just after we got there. You can do both lakes during the evening. It's really nice if it isn't cloudy.

After 6pm the bus tours and larger groups were gone and it was just families. The trails weren't busy and it was so nice to be able to take photos without other people in them. If you have to go earlier then take a shuttle. Things shouldn't be crazy without international tourists so maybe going earlier would be worth it.

I have noticed that the online guides said that parking is often available in the evening... I find it hard to believe given the horror stories during the daytime, but enough people are saying it so there must be some truth to it?

Maybe I'll have to roll the dice and drive over there after dinner. With two impatient kids in tow it would be easier logistically than dealing with the shuttle bus. Thanks for the tip.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by esquire

I have noticed that the online guides said that parking is often available in the evening... I find it hard to believe given the horror stories during the daytime, but enough people are saying it so there must be some truth to it?

Maybe I'll have to roll the dice and drive over there after dinner. With two impatient kids in tow it would be easier logistically than dealing with the shuttle bus. Thanks for the tip.

If your impatient kids can handle a bus ride, that would be the better option.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

If your impatient kids can handle a bus ride, that would be the better option.

Or from the sounds of it I can go after 6 and just park there...

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by esquire

Or from the sounds of it I can go after 6 and just park there...

Potentially. Wouldn't it suck to go then and it still be too full?

[esquire]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

Potentially. Wouldn't it suck to go then and it still be too full?

As it turns out the lots had plenty of room after dinner so it all worked out.

***********************************

I had a great vacation in Banff and Calgary, it had been too long since I visited Banff in particular. It was a great domestic destination as we weren't quite feeling up to venturing abroad just yet.

A few thoughts:

* There is a very large number of Quebecers vacationing in Banff, that wasn't something I expected to see. French spoken at nearly every turn. Judging by the license plates I saw it was mainly people from Alberta with a good number of plates from BC, SK, MB and ON visible. I hardly saw any cars with plates from Atlantic Canada.

* It was my first time actually staying in Banff and it is such a postcard perfect place I'm sure that it won't be long until we return again. I enjoyed golfing at the Banff Springs course... the beautiful scenery took my mind off my lousy game.

* Canmore sure grew in the 17 years since I last passed through town.

* Saskatchewan's highways have really improved, it's a far cry from the two lane TCH I remember back in the late 90s.

* Downtown Regina looked good, Hamilton Street is a really pretty streetscape.

* I went up the Calgary Tower for the first time since 1994, it was nice to spot all the buildings I've watched go up on this forum and update my mental map of Calgary a bit.

* After coming down from the tower I spotted Chadillaccc on Stephen Avenue, it was a celebrity sighting almost like the time I saw Vince Vaughn in Chicago

Anyway, after striking out two years in a row on my Maritime vacation it was nice to get out of Manitoba for a while and enjoy a little change of scenery.

[Airboy]

Being a tourist appears to be harder. Especially if you have to book a rental vehicle.
Have a trip to Yukon in a couple of weeks and was able to find a rental, through our Whitehorse office. Even then I still do not have a confirmation. All other big name rental firms are saying the next available opening is Sept.

My usual rental firm in YEG, the one I use for business trips has opening only after Aug 15th.

And for Yukon trips I must have proof of Vaccination.

Regrettably this is a quick trip, my Wife would have made the trip with me and we would of had a mini vacation. Its been about 7 years since I was last there. Flight cost 780.00

[Denscity]

Just saw a truck from Florida in Castlegar!
What s crazy long drive that would be.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by Denscity

Just saw a truck from Florida in Castlegar!
What s crazy long drive that would be.

I was visiting LA, driving on I-5 with a rental and saw a truck towing a camping trailer from Quebec.

[esquire]

People from Quebec sure do get around in their cars every summer. Like I said, there were many Quebec plates in Banff... possibly more than Ontario plates from what I saw. And I can never forget being stopped at red lights around Hollywood, FL where sometimes you are surrounded by Quebec-plated cars that outnumber even the Florida-plated cars at that intersection.

I live near a somewhat obscure national historic site in Winnipeg and every summer I see at least a few cars with Quebec plates pulling up to it. By contrast, I seldom see cars with other out of province plates headed there.

[MolsonExport]

I recall a now inactive forumer practically screaming that the streets of Calgary and Banff were overflowing with cars that had European license plates. (not Albertan poseurs, but that Europeans were bringing their cars to Alberta, seemingly en masse, to take in the scenery).

[esquire]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

I recall a now inactive forumer practically screaming that the streets of Calgary and Banff were overflowing with cars that had European license plates. (not Albertan poseurs, but that Europeans were bringing their cars to Alberta, seemingly en masse, to take in the scenery).

I'm not a big driver-guy but even in Winnipeg I have seen some European plates in my lifetime (typically some kind of compact camper-van with German plates). So I suppose I could see it being a bit more common in a tourist magnet like Banff. But even then I would have to imagine it must be a fairly rare sight on the whole... certainly not a mass phenomenon.

[niwell]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

I recall a now inactive forumer practically screaming that the streets of Calgary and Banff were overflowing with cars that had European license plates. (not Albertan poseurs, but that Europeans were bringing their cars to Alberta, seemingly en masse, to take in the scenery).

Given that he also informed us it was Canada's clear cultural centre - dwarfing the likes of Montreal and Toronto - it only makes sense!


I have had similar observations about Quebec plates though.

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by niwell

Given that he also informed us it was Canada's clear cultural centre - dwarfing the likes of Montreal and Toronto - it only makes sense!


I have had similar observations about Quebec plates though.

The European equivalent would be people from the Netherlands in the UK, France, Spain, Italy.....they seem to be everywhere especially in campers, caravans. I gather it is that as a country it is quite small, crowded and not overflowing with wilderness or scenic vistas.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

I gather it is that as a country it is quite small, crowded and not overflowing with wilderness or scenic vistas.

Just like Quebec then.

[SignalHillHiker]

So, all of the various NL tourism groups on FB - whenever anyone asks a question, you get shit like this:

(The original question is a tourist asking if there's anywhere good to eat in St. Anthony, 12-ish hours north of St. John's)



It's just relentless. Half the comments are "Our bay seafood platter of variously-sized battered and deepfried lumps is the BEST MEAL YOU WILL EVER EAT! FUCK ST. JOHN'S! THEY DON'T KNOW GOOD FOOD!" and the other half are "COME TO X-TOWN-10-HOURS-FROM-THE-PLACE-YOU'RE-ASKING-ABOUT."

So so so sick of people. It's comically provincial. It reminds me of basically every post by a celebrity in Newfoundland (most recently, Mila Jovovich's many posts about loving it here as she accompanies her daughter shooting a Disney movie) - every second comment is "COME TO HALIFAX!", "YOU'RE SO CLOSE! COME SEE CAPE BRETON!" and it's just... it's like the "Come to Brazil!" meme for drag queens.

THEY. DO. NOT. CHOOSE. WHERE. THEY. GO. We had Bianca del Rio the weekend before she won Drag Race. She didn't choose to celebrate it with us. Our organizers paid enough to bring her. Any organizers, anywhere, can do it. You just have to pay up. I mean, they do private birthdays for Saudi royals. You can get ANYONE if you have the organizers and they're willing to pay.

Same lesson I wish our airport would learn lol

But anyhow, my point is: service and selection in rural Newfoundland is absolute shit and it's made SO MUCH WORSE by the fact locals, with no shame or irony, will expect you to be impressed.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

So, all of the various NL tourism groups on FB - whenever anyone asks a question, you get shit like this:

(The original question is a tourist asking if there's anywhere good to eat in St. Anthony, 12-ish hours north of St. John's)



It's just relentless. Half the comments are "Our bay seafood platter of variously-sized battered and deepfried lumps is the BEST MEAL YOU WILL EVER EAT! FUCK ST. JOHN'S! THEY DON'T KNOW GOOD FOOD!" and the other half are "COME TO X-TOWN-10-HOURS-FROM-THE-PLACE-YOU'RE-ASKING-ABOUT."

So so so sick of people. It's comically provincial. It reminds me of basically every post by a celebrity in Newfoundland (most recently, Mila Jovovich's many posts about loving it here as she accompanies her daughter shooting a Disney movie) - every second comment is "COME TO HALIFAX!", "YOU'RE SO CLOSE! COME SEE CAPE BRETON!" and it's just... it's like the "Come to Brazil!" meme for drag queens.

THEY. DO. NOT. CHOOSE. WHERE. THEY. GO. We had Bianca del Rio the weekend before she won Drag Race. She didn't choose to celebrate it with us. Our organizers paid enough to bring her. Any organizers, anywhere, can do it. You just have to pay up. I mean, they do private birthdays for Saudi royals. You can get ANYONE if you have the organizers and they're willing to pay.

Same lesson I wish our airport would learn lol

But anyhow, my point is: service and selection in rural Newfoundland is absolute shit and it's made SO MUCH WORSE by the fact locals, with no shame or irony, will expect you to be impressed.

I cannot speak to NL, as I haven't been there, yet, but some of the best food I have had is in those middle of nowhere places. One of those places was the Scarlet Ibis in Holberg BC. Flip side is I have had some pretty bad food in small towns too, but that can be said in any city.