Atlantic Canada to Vancouver round trip - route?

[atlanticjay]

So long story short, the wife and I are considering a cross-continent trip this summer. Two kids (8 and 5) and probably Grandma along for the ride. Potentially as much as 8 - 10 weeks, but not entirely sure we would want to devote all this time to it, if we could do it in less time, but at a reasonable pace and actually see some things.

Kind of looking for input from folks who have done a similar trip, regarding time, sights, etc.

The key sights for us in Canada would probably be: Niagara Falls (mainly for the kids as we have been there), Banff/Jasper/the Rockies generally, the Pacific Ocean. If the timing was right, maybe the Calgary Stampede, since you are kind of right there.

In the US, the main 3 sights we have so far thought of would be: Yellowstone (Old Faithful), Mt. Rushmore (maybe if time/route allows) and Grand Canyon. Obviously, one of these (GC) is a bit off the beaten path of the others.

Initial internet searches lead me to various different sites about planning a trip across Canada or planning a trip across the US, not necessarily anything specifically combining the two.

On the East-West trip, the main question for me is whether, from Toronto/Niagara area, you go north up through Sudbury, the Soo and Thunder Bay, across through Winnipeg, Saskatoon (or Regina), then to Calgary; or do you go south, through Detroit, Chicago and across so that you could do Mt. Rushmore and Yellowstone, then head up to Calgary. I almost think the south through the US makes sense here as I've heard the prairies are fairly boring; but I'm torn, because we would be "missing out" on parts of Canada that we haven't seen and might possibly not have the chance to see again?

On the West-East trip, thought about heading down through Seattle, etc. to eventually hit the Grand Canyon, then basically follow Route 66 across. The Grand Canyon is obviously one of the great wonders and it would be amazing to see, but this requires going weeellll south; don't know how much extra time this will take and is the rest of Route 66 worth it?

[ependydad]

Grand Canyon is WAY out of the way. But, if you went- there are a LOT of amazing stops you could make along the way. Heck, you could fill 8-10 weeks just on that. Utah has so much beauty, it’ll make your head spin!

Otherwise, we catch very small portions of Route 66 as we travel. I wouldn’t make a special point to “go do Route 66” but if there’s an attraction near where you’ll be anyway, then by all means make a small detour. For instance, we were near the Wig Wam Motel in Holbrook, AZ (I think!) and it was the inspiration for the Cozy Cone Motel in Cars. We enjoyed our slow drive by. There’s also the whole “Standing on a Corner in Winslow, AZ” that a lot of people do. If nearby, why not stop?

Be careful, you might love the trip and end up fulltiming with your family. We’ve been on the road for almost 3 years now after taking off for a “1 year” trip.

[atlanticjay]

Originally Posted by ependydad

Grand Canyon is WAY out of the way.

Yes, and unfortunately, that is probably the one which we would most like to see Even if you didn't, as you say, do Route 66 just because it is Route 66, taking the detour down to GC and then coming back up is still a very long detour - likely adding a week to the trip? Or more? Considering that you would be stopping here and there.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by atlanticjay

Yes, and unfortunately, that is probably the one which we would most like to see Even if you didn't, as you say, do Route 66 just because it is Route 66, taking the detour down to GC and then coming back up is still a very long detour - likely adding a week to the trip? Or more? Considering that you would be stopping here and there.

I hate to be vague, but it's really what you make it. I can give you dozens of stops you could make depending on which direction you're coming from.

Coming down from Seattle is an amazing drive. Seattle itself was beautiful. Below that is Mt. St. Helens which went from dormant to blowing it's top in about 3 weeks in 1980. And then you get into the big trees with the Redwoods and maybe even Sequioas depending on which route you go. Vegas is just a small diversion. That's all skipping Utah which you could spend weeks alone at- Salt Lake City was surprisingly cool and the Olympic Park near there was awesome. Moab is a little out of the way but beautiful. I've heard nothing but good about Capitol Reef NP. There's Bryce and Zion and Kanab.

If you make a beeline for the Grand Canyon from the Seattle area, it's 1,300 miles. For that drive, if my goal was to target the GC- I'd likely:

• stop somewhere in southwestern OR for a night
• stop in Salt Lake City for a night or two- it's a neat city and the Mormon stuff was way more interesting than I expected (and I'm a non-Christian/non-believer); maybe drive out to the Olympic Park (especially if you watched the Olympics- it would be very relevant for the kids)
• stop in Page, AZ for a night or two and check out Antelope Canyon (expensive but postcard worthy cool) and Horseshoe Bend (free and a fairly easy hike)
• get to the Grand Canyon and explore for a couple of days

In Seattle, there are some fun stuff- the trip to the top of the Space Needle was a little expensive but unique. We stayed up there for quite a while watching the planes take off and land at the nearby lake. Definitely go see the Freemont Street Troll- it's free and unique. And maybe take in the Museum of Pop (especially if you have a reciprocal museum membership to make it free to get into). Ourside of the Museum of Pop is an AWESOME playground.

[ependydad]

But man- you're really getting me excited on memories. We did a lot of these this past year and I'm really enjoying my walk down memory lane!

[MilCop4523]

Being from NB... a couple things:
1. the section of highway in Eastern Quebec (past Quebec city for you) is horrible.
we hauled a new 2018 38 foot toyhauler through there last summer and nothing was in its place inside when we stopped at the NB QC border.
2. Fundy National Park, Hopewell Rocks, St. Martins, St. Andrews are all great places to stop and visit.
3. In NS Fortress Louisburg, Cape Bretons Cabot Trail with several museums and historical sites.
4. NS Oak Island - maybe it will still be there and not just a bunch of holes in the ground.
5. PEI
6. New FoundLand (crossing is expensive)

[Great White North]

We have done Alberta to N.S. return in 4 weeks. Not near enough time.
Stayed at KOA as much as possible. Give yourself as much time as you can.
Have fun and safe travels.

[DrLewie]

We did a similar trip a few years ago. We live in New Jersey so we went north to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick then west mainly on the trans-Canada Highway along the northern edge of the Great Lakes. We timed it to hit the Calgary Stampede, and we detoured off the TCH to go to Banff and Jasper, then across to Vancouver and on the ferry to Victoria on Vancouver Island. We came back east along the northern tier of states and visited Glacier NP, which is also accessible from the Calgary area on the Canadian side. One word of warning...Banff and Jasper will be mobbed. VERY difficult finding a campsite in either area.

The trip across Canada goes through some wonderful places, but I'd suggest getting tour guides and brochures to figure out what you want to see en route. Another word of warning, there's also a lot of (boring) open space along the TCH, so make sure you bring lots of stuff for the kiddies or be prepared for a lot of "Are we there yet?" Whatever you do, it will be great. Have fun.

[narrowsboy]

I might be biased as I live in the prairies but i wouldn’t skip by them on a journey that takes you across Canada. North west Ontario has beautiful lakes and the Canadian Shield. Manitoba has two very large lakes and great cottage country. Saskatchwan during summer harvest can be a sight to be seen. Head up to Edmonton to pick up Jasper and head back down the mountains to Calgary. Lots of great camping and vast spaces to enjoy our great expanse of country side. I have been to many of your destinations and would go back to anyone of them. Enjoy, travel safe and take in as much as your time or wallet allows

[mustardjim]

My wife and I have done the same trip two summers ago, We started in Edmonton went Through Sask. Man. north Ont. then Quebec. Nb. Ns and over to NFL. Came back into On. over to Niagara Falls. Then went into the States viv Sarnia up between the Great lakes the highway 2 across to Manitoba. Then via Calgary, Banff to Vancouver.
Was an awsome trip I would recommend it to every one. I do think you are not giving your self enough time to go to far into the States, you might find yourself rushed.

Also Calgary camp sites around the Stampede time have to be booked well in advance. Same goes for any of the mountain parks. If there any way for you to travel on the Banff to Jasper highway I would recommend that also. It is one of the nicest short road trips around.

Last summer we went into the States down to Nevada and over into California then up the west coast back into B.C. also a very nice trip but very warm down there in the summers.

enjoy your trip

[Wilco]

I would crossover into the United States at Niagara Falls. Go west past Chicago and stop in the Black Hills of South Dakota. (I stay in Custer State Park. A good circular trip from Custer SP is; take Iron Mountain Highway north to Mt Rushmore. The tunnels of the highway frame Mt Rushmore in the distance. Go west from Mt Rushmore and take the Needles Highway back south to Custer SP.)
Push on west to Grand Teton & Yellowstone NPs. (Stopping at Devils Tower NP in Wyoming and depending on your route, the Little Big Horn in Montana.) From Yellowstone, go north to Glacier/Waterton Parks and on up to Calgory/Jasper/Banff. Then west through Canadian Rockies to the Pacific.

Head back east through Washington and catch I-15 south past Salt Lake City to Cedar City, Utah. Visit Zion, Bryce Canyon NPs as day trips from Cedar City. Go east to North Rim of Grand Canyon. (Less crowded than the south rim.) From the Grand Canyon, go north to Moab, Utah to visit Arches & Canyonlands NPs. Catch on I-70 east through Colorado and work your way back to Canada.

[grandpacsf]

If you take the Soo, Thunder Bay, Kenora you would be travelling in the Canadian Shield/lake country - very scenic. From Winnipeg I would suggest the Yellow Head Highway #16 through Saskatoon to Edmonton and Jasper. If your travels will be at the end of June, the canola fields will be in bright yellow bloom and maybe some blue flax fields. The Trans Canada Highway # 1 through Regina to Calgary is more like your East/west Interstates in the Dakotas, Nebraska and Kansas.

If you want to see the rugged beauty of the Canadian Rockies, take the Jasper/Banff High Way. A highlight would be the Columbia Ice Fields Glacier. The mountain peaks are higher here than on the I15. The Calgary Stampede would be about an hour and a half drive from Banff. The #1 Highway from Banff to Vancouver is also very scenic.

Missing from your post is your residence: US or Canadian. If it is US, the depending on the exchange rate your $ may be worth $1.20+. We live just north of Saskatoon and have had the privilege of travelling through most the US. On your return trip take a US route.

[mecd]

Also a full-timer (since 2009) with Nova Scotia roots and current address of Alberta. Have hauled fiver back and forth every year sticking primarily to TCH occasionally going eastward on Route 2 through US. Without stopping more than one night and about 5-6 hours of driving daily you will need 9 days just to Calgary from Halifax. Considering your detour to Niagara Falls your site seeing will be limited especially if you consider going to the Grand Canyon. Been all over the continent in past 9 years and seen a lot of interesting spots, many of which will not interest everyone. As said above contact al the provincial and state tourist offices and get as many brochures as you can, so that you can determine what you want to see before you leave and that way get an understanding of time needed to visit and drive.

There area some rough roads in places but they are getting better with time and repairs. My experience is that Route 20 through Quebec is not that bad in relation to parts of the 17 and 417 in Ontario and the ring road of Winnipeg. If you are thinking of crossing the border into Michigan note that the northern part of the I-69 is one of the roughest roads on the continent including the aforementioned. There are others outside of your planned travel.

If you are not familiar, no longer necessary to go through Montreal on your way west. Take the 30 (VG road) which brings you to a toll bridge (very cheap when considering the avoidance - $ 7.50 I believe for 4 axles) Brings you back to the 20 going for the 401 or allows you to go toward the 417.

As for the prairies, I recall my first drive across, and the boreal forests can become monotonous (unless you grow up in the southern prairies and it is great to see all these trees), so we were very pleased to get 'out of the woods' so to speak and see the open expanse of the prairies. Yeah, you can watch your dog run away for 3-days and with binoculars maybe longer; but, there is beauty in those flat areas and the rolling hills. Winnipeg area has lots of history and interesting sites. The RCMP museum in Regina might be for the kids liking. The Edmonton Mall with its amusement/rides section as well as indoor wave beach, could be popular. Each Province has much to offer but found that Alberta, especially the southern part, may be of interest to your children in addition to the mountain areas.

Enjoy your planning and of course your trip. Safe travels.

[amblt]

Originally Posted by atlanticjay

So long story short, the wife and I are considering a cross-continent trip this summer. Two kids (8 and 5) and probably Grandma along for the ride. Potentially as much as 8 - 10 weeks, but not entirely sure we would want to devote all this time to it, if we could do it in less time, but at a reasonable pace and actually see some things.

Kind of looking for input from folks who have done a similar trip, regarding time, sights, etc.

The key sights for us in Canada would probably be: Niagara Falls (mainly for the kids as we have been there), Banff/Jasper/the Rockies generally, the Pacific Ocean. If the timing was right, maybe the Calgary Stampede, since you are kind of right there.

In the US, the main 3 sights we have so far thought of would be: Yellowstone (Old Faithful), Mt. Rushmore (maybe if time/route allows) and Grand Canyon. Obviously, one of these (GC) is a bit off the beaten path of the others.

Initial internet searches lead me to various different sites about planning a trip across Canada or planning a trip across the US, not necessarily anything specifically combining the two.

On the East-West trip, the main question for me is whether, from Toronto/Niagara area, you go north up through Sudbury, the Soo and Thunder Bay, across through Winnipeg, Saskatoon (or Regina), then to Calgary; or do you go south, through Detroit, Chicago and across so that you could do Mt. Rushmore and Yellowstone, then head up to Calgary. I almost think the south through the US makes sense here as I've heard the prairies are fairly boring; but I'm torn, because we would be "missing out" on parts of Canada that we haven't seen and might possibly not have the chance to see again?

On the West-East trip, thought about heading down through Seattle, etc. to eventually hit the Grand Canyon, then basically follow Route 66 across. The Grand Canyon is obviously one of the great wonders and it would be amazing to see, but this requires going weeellll south; don't know how much extra time this will take and is the rest of Route 66 worth it?

If you include the Maritimes, I recommend Cape Breton Island in particular. Once you get Westbound, Québec City is a must. From Niagara Falls, you can head on up via Sudbury, but I would cut the corner, cross at Sarnia/Port Huron up to the two Soos, back into Canada and continue on from there. It's a beautiful trip around to Thunder Bay, but I think there are still many stretches of 2 lane highway (we last did that route in 1973 when there was quite a bit).
After Winnipeg, the Yellowhead Route (Hwy 16, I think) takes you through the more scenic parts of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

For what it's worth, that's my vote. Have fun and be safe. Thanks for visiting Canada- we're proud to show it off.

[itat]

The OP’s profile says they are in New Brunswick.

I agree with a few other posters that there’s a lot of fantastic destinations in the Atlantic provinces but it sounds like this trip won’t have any time for the Maritimes. Hopewell Rocks is not far from Moncton, NB so that might be the only possibility. That’s a full day commitment to be able to see it with the tide completely in and out.

Without kids, I would absolutely do an all-Canada route at least one way. However, depending on the kids the drive may get very boring for them. We’re just east of Toronto. We’ve flown to Vancouver and Victoria a couple of times but never had the time and opportunity to drive out west and see everything we flew over. It’s on my bucket list.

Edit: If you want to go to Niagara Falls but hate big city traffic, you can take the new toll route Hwy. 407 around Toronto and all the way over to Hamilton. It’s very pricey but saves a lot of time and avoids some horrible traffic.

[damann]

Hi, I have driven from West to East coast a few times as well as several times south from Alberta to AZ and Utah, as well as down the west coast through Washington and Oregon. Lived in Vancouver for several years also. 8 weeks would be not enough time to truly experience all of the wonderful places there are to see. I would suggest doing the cross Canada trip this year, and save the West Coast, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone trip for another time. They are 100's of km apart, and are not great places to try to navigate in the summer without a lot of patience. Yellowstone becomes a parking lot during the summer, as does the Grand Canyon. Seattle is not much fun when pulling a trailer because it's rush hour all the time there. They have so much road construction going on you will be really frustrated. The Canadian Rockies are stunning in the summer if there aren't forest fires, so I would suggest you get there early summer, not later. Jasper is beautiful and much less busy than Banff. Whistlers campground is good for your long trailer. Tunnel Mt campground in Banff townsite is also good for a large trailer but you will need to book in advance. Both are National Parks. Lake Superior takes 2-3 long days to get around, but there are some beautiful provincial campsites along the water. Not much in the way of gas stations and services in Northern Ont so plan ahead. There are a few campsites outside of Calgary that you can book during Stampede, with a 40 minute drive to the city. Try Okotoks Lions campground or High River George Lane park. I think they are both operated by the Lions clubs. Bragg Creek (Kananaskis) area has a few provincial parks but they will be fully booked soon. Prov parks in Alta can be booked 4 months ahead. Last minute camping is pretty much impossible on the weekend. The B.C. Okanagan is beautiful and a great place to spend some time in the summer, as is the west coast. The ferry to Vancouver Island will cost a fortune to take your trailer, but it's worth it if you plan to spend a week or more there. Book your camping ahead of time. discovercamping.bc.ca. or Parks Canada websites. I would not even consider doing the trip you have in mind in anything less that 12 weeks. The Grand Canyon is spectacular, but so is Zion, Bryce Canyon, Snow Canyon, Goblin Valley, Grand Staircase Escalante, Lake Powell, Monument Valley, Moab etc. There is so much more to see and do in Utah, it would be a shame to just drive through it without taking the time to do some explore. Have a safe trip, whatever route you decide to take.

[atlanticjay]

Thanks everyone for the replies so far. Lots of good information here, some I had previously read a bit about, but other things I didn't know about.

For those who inquired (and I will update the OP), I live in New Brunswick and basically we are attempting to choose between a bunch of smaller trips around Atlantic Canada (as some have suggested) and Quebec vs. the "big haul" across the country. This would be the first time both my wife and I have had any opportunity to take the summer off at the same time with the kids, so trying to make it count.

We definitely want to see/experience things on such a trip, not just drive endlessly to say we've been there, done that. Due to work/kiddos school timing constraints, the 8-10 week timeframe is somewhat maxing out - might be able to stretch it out an extra week or 2.

Based on that, if I'm hearing what most people are saying, it seems like maybe just stick to Canada this trip and save the US stuff for another trip. Probably enough stuff to see and do that you could hit some things on the way West and others on the way back East.

Also sounds like maybe I/we didn't start thinking about this far enough in advance! (ie. to determine all the things we want to see/do and booking sites)

[PNWTraveler]

If you decide to save the US for another time -- which makes sense -- you might still include the state of Washington if you make it to Vancouver.

So many people mention going to Vancouver, then driving thru Seattle as if there wasn't more than the Space Needle to see. Two weeks is not enough to explore the state.

Washington has ten national park "units" including three National Parks (Mount Rainier, Olympic, and North Cascades). There are over 100 State Parks throughout the state, including 19 marine parks and 11 Historical Parks. and so many museums, and other destinations.

I agree that driving through Seattle is undesirable at most times, but with some planning and luck you can miss the worst of the traffic. (Try late morning on a week-day, or weekends.) While Seattle itself has many attractions, it all depends on what type of experiences you want.

I've been to Mount Rushmore, and while it is okay, there are at least 100 destinations I'd chose over that one.

As far as the SW U.S., schedule at least three weeks for Wyoming, Utah and Colorado--if you go that far, why speed through some of the most spectacular scenery in the country?

Whatever you do,

[ependydad]

This is definitely a case where you can't see it all. We've been fulltiming for almost 3 years and have been to 150 different stops in that timeframe and we feel like we've barely scratched the surface.

Know that you'll have to drive past a TON of beautiful sights that we all will tell you are "must do" visits. But you really just have to pick what's important for that trip and decide to head back later for the others.

Don't fear that you're planning late. You can always find somewhere to stay- it might not be your first or even second choice, but it all has a way of working out.

Have fun and please post a trip report!

[Filterman]

We are doing a cross Canada return trip this year but leaving mid May and returning mid October. This link will take you to our map.

https://roadtrippers.com/map?a2=t!20...88640948433226

If this shares properly, I have a proposed return route that I will post as well if anyone is interested. It starts when we get off Newfoundland and goes south to SC and then northwest across the USA to home.