Canada Rest Areas In Canada

[Bluto]

I'm in the middle of planning a trip to Alberta and BC. for early Sept. I have a Rand McNally road atlas that has a few pages dedicated to Canada. I've noticed that on the US maps of the states it shows the rest areas along the main roads but there are no rest stops marked on the Canadian main roads.
Are there rest areas in Canada?

What is the best source for that information.

[Mr. Decent]

I spent 6 weeks traveling and camping in Western Alberta and through BC, then lived in Vancouver, BC for 3 years with side trips. The first thing you will notice in CA is that many of the main roads are two lane roads or highways. Traveling in Western Canada is EXTREMELY refreshing after being an experienced US road tripper. I quickly realized in Alberta and especially in BC, that there are Provincial campgrounds EVERYWHERE! look for the little tent icons in any Atlas, you'll notice a lot more of them North of the border. After a day or two traveling in CA, I realized there was no need to plan that evenings stop, that there would always be a Provincial Campground around the next corner and most often in a beautiful spot with no croud and very affordable (14-20$CDN/per night) This was 5 years ago. Anyway, regarding rest areas, Canada does not have an "Interprovincial" system like the US Interstate system (with the exception of maybe CA1, which I would recommend you avoid, unless necessary) The views and scenery that you most likely want to see will mostly not be on CA1. So rest areas, not so much, but plenty of places to pull over that have bathrooms, beautiful views and friendly people. Have Fun!

[Bluto]

Thanks for that info. I'm looking forward to this trip very much. I have changed the Canada trip(on paper) several times in the last month or so. Just can't seem to make up my mind what area I wanted to visit. Have finally narrowed it down to the western part of the country. maybe next year I'll try the eastern sections. I'll take your advice and avoid the CA1. I want get away from major hwy's and cities, I guess, like most of us who enjoy camping feel the same way.
One more question: Is it better to get money exchanged once I get up there, or try to do it down here before heading out?

[Relentless]

I don't think it makes much of a difference where you exchange currency. However, try to use a credit card as much as possible. You will get the best exchange rate from your credit card co..

John

[RangerJay]

We also like to use a mix of credit/debit cards when travelling out-of-country - mainly for the convenience - and yes - you will get the best exchange rate - but be aware that your credit card company may apply a hidden foreign exchange transaction fee every time you use it - the fee just gets rolled in with the exchange and you never see it. Check with your credit card company to see if this is their practice and what the fee structure is.


Jay

[Mr. Decent]

I highly recommend going up to Jasper NP in Western Alberta and heading West from there, and a guided hike on the Athabasca Glacier is a must! Skip Banff and camp in Jasper NP for a few days then head West through the Kootenay's and ultimately end up at Green Point Campground, Pacific Rim NP on Vancouver Island. I am an advocate for "just winging it"... but info for reservations can be helpful:
BC Parks - Provincial Park Campgrounds: Vancouver Island & British Columbia

[CanoeStream]

Originally Posted by RangerJay

... be aware that your credit card company may apply a hidden foreign exchange transaction fee every time you use it - the fee just gets rolled in with the exchange and you never see it.

Much as their Viking ads are a bit weird, I've heard Capital One is one of the few credit cards that doesn't impose this surcharge (read their fine print anyway). I've got a USBank REI card, a USAA card, and a credit union cash card -- they all levy the annoying foreign exchange unearned profit. I mean surcharge.

[Bluto]

Some of you touched on some areas that I had nerver considered till now. I will definately check with my credit card companies to see what's up on the fees.

Mr. Decent, I find your comments about where to visit and travel interesting and will take a look at visiting those areas. I had been thinking about Vancover Island all along and it is part of the route.


I'm just planning a "loose" trip. I don't have anything in stone and probably won't. But I am open to any suggestions anyone wants to share. I want to get as much out of the trip as possible.

[Aage]

While the West has lots to see and plenty of astounding places to visit, the only comment I would offer is that the East does too, and they are far more "condensed" in terms of travel time between them.

Look at the Maritime Provinces on your map and do some time estimates to see them (they are PEI, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland) and compare them to the West.

You may be surprised. Then again, you're from TX, so maybe not

[Gene]

I've gotten used to the travel time out west—it's longer in miles, but sometimes a lot shorter in time. Drive up through the NE on I-95 and see how far you can go. If you want to experience distance travel go through northern Canada and Alaska. Along the Alaska Hwy. and other roads in the north country there are not "rest stops", but hundreds of turn outs where you can stop, use your bathroom, lunch and sleep. The Milepost tells where everyone of them is and which ones have dumpsters.

Gene

[cameront120]

Originally Posted by Mr. Decent

...head West through the Kootenay's and ultimately end up at Green Point Campground, Pacific Rim NP on Vancouver Island.

Green Point is now very busy and reservations are recommended (if you can get one). Failing that, there are some decent private camp grounds to the South in Ucluelet.

[jhenry]

The #1 is the main hwy out west with the#16 yellow head Route Spectacular if you have the time! You must see Dinosor valley and Then Banff Lake Louise and the ice fields on way west!!

[4slice]

I second Jhenry's idea! A great circle tour would be to see the dino's in Alberta, then on to Banff , Lake Louise (just a few miles up the road), then take the Icefields Parkway from LL north to Jasper. The Parkway goes through National Parks all the way, and there are no transport trucks--just loads of buses with Asian tourists. The great thing about these places is that they were discovered and built by the railroads in the late 1800s, so there is a lot of history. From Jasper, you could head down Hwy 5 to Kamloops, and then detour east for an hour and stay at Shuswap Lake Provincial Campground for a day or two (beautiful). Then back through Kamloops and get on the Coquihalla Hwy (freeway) for a quick jaunt to Vancouver and the ferry to V. Island, or take the much-more-scenic Hwy 1 (Trans-Canada Hwy) through the Fraser Canyon and Hell's Gate. Another way south from Jasper is to head west on Hwy 16 to Prince George (my town), and then south on Hwy 97 and do an overnight at Barkerville Historic Town (Cariboo Gold Rush history in that area--prospectors came up from California in the 1860s and made Barkerville a big city at that time. They have saloon shows, etc. there now in the summer).

Another way into BC from Alberta would be the southerly route that goes by Waterton/Glacier Nat'l Parks (straddling the US/Can border). That takes you in the Kootenay region of the province, and major attractions there are Fort Steele Historic Site (in reference to Supt Sam Steele of the Northwest Mounted Police c1880s), and the city of Nelson (well-preserved and very artsy).

Anyway, there is lots to see and do (and lots of rest stops, prov. parks, and private campgrounds). A good map publisher for Canada is "MapArt"--just Google them, and you can order online. Good luck and enjoy the trip! If you need more specific info, let me know....

Gary

[Gene]

The "dinos" are at the Royal Terrell Museum near Drumheller, roughly east of Calgary. It's a very good dinosaur exhibit, as good as it gets.

Once you get to Pr. George, you can continue west to the coast where the highway ends at Pr. Rupert. Car ferries go north or south from there. Halfway (well more than half) across BC on the Yellowhead Hwy., you can take the Cassiar Hwy. north to Yukon Terr. where it meets the Alaska Hwy.

Of course, you can go north in Alberta too—all the way to the NWT and eventually Yellowknife. We've only been through part of Saskatchewan, but enjoyed a few days in Moose Jaw.

Bluto, the provinces are really big and it takes a long time to go places. There's a lot to see, so much, we have gone to Canada about 5 times in the past 8 years. We get travel books on various areas and read them to figure out what we want to see and also check AAA Tour books. The AAA/CAA maps can also be helpful. We like Frommer's travel books, but there are other good ones too. Sometimes we discover places we never heard of to go see and think they're great, like the Royal Terrell Museum. You can't see it all, so you'll have to come back.

The TransCanada Hwy (1 in many, but not all places) sometimes is the only way to get there. It's often a 2 lane highway and even when 4 lanes, is not like a US interstate in that it isn't usually limited access. People don't drive as fast as Texans (or us) and there aren't nearly as many of them—little over 30 million and most of them live in Ontario and Quebec. Some of the Canadian taxes can be recovered—it's what we call a sales tax. It's kind of complicated, but it can amount to a day's expenses when you get it.

The first trip to Canada is exploring for where you want to go on another trip. We spent a week on Vancouver Is., for example.

Gene

[Bluto]

This all sounds better and better each time I look at the posts. Insight from all of you that live in Canada is especially important. This gives me the incentive to do the maintence on my trailer to get it ready for the long haul.
I plan on relaxation and taking my time while up there and just taking it all in. I'll plan for a lot of sightseeing and lots of travel and camping but if an area strikes me as the perfect spot I might just hunker down and plan the next few years visits as Gene mentioned. I guess that is one of the benifits of the way we travel.

[Bluto]

Well, one thing often leads to another, they say. While looiing at my routes this afternoon I decided to take a look at MT. , for camping to and from my Canada trip.
I came across the Kootenai River area while searching Corps of Engineer campgrounds.
It looks like a beautiful area and boasts of trout filled river with the largest one taken was a 33 pounder. Sounds like the perfect camping and fishing spot and with mountain views. Then I see the nearest city and it is Libby, MT. I search google on the city of Libby and find a nightmare of information about the Grace asbestos mines in that area and a lot of people getting cancer from the asbestos dust in that area.
Is anyone from MT that can tell me if that is an ongoing problem or has the EPA made the company clean it up? How about the river and fish are they polluted as well?
I hate to see this kind of abuse of land and people by a rotten company.

[4slice]

I wouldn't be concerned about asbestos if you are just travelling through. The asbestos fibers are only dangerous when they are inhaled--they lodge in the lungs and can cause cancer and other respiratory ailments. I doubt that there are any issues outside of the immediate mine sites.

After I wrote yesterday, I was thinking that you might want to consider a two or three day stop at Yellowstone. When I was a kid in the 70s, my parents had a 74 Lincoln and we towed the Argosy over the Beartooth Pass--now that was exciting!! Dad cursed the gas mileage that whole trip (if I recall it was about 8 mpg (US gallon). I'll never forget the switchbacks going up the pass, and then looking back at the valley floor below. Yellowstone was "way cool"!

My uncle from the prairies was towing his trailer as well, and he was literally sick with anxiety. My stubble-jumping relatives seem to get nervous when there is no road shoulder, and a 1,000 foot drop-off....

[Ganaraska]

Change your money at any Canadian bank. A US bank will look at you as if you are from Mars.

The Canadian bank will give you the most up to date exchange rate. They will also charge a small fee.

Most Canadian businesses will accept US dollars but their exchange rate will be somewhat of a hit and miss affair. Please keep in mind, no one is obliged to take US money. If they chose not to, don't get mad. Hardly any US businesses take Canadian or foreign currency.

[Gene]

If you enter Canada on a weekend, most banks seem to be closed, even on Saturday. There aren't as many bank branches in Canada either, unlike the US where they overbuilt. We have traveled more than 1,000 miles in Canada without seeing a bank, or being there when they were closed, and relying on credit cards to pay for everything. Since they are more likely to be downtown, and it can be hard to park a TV and trailer there, getting money exchanged can be a challenge.

On our last trip we entered Canada with about C$15, used US currency at a campground in western Ontario where they gave us too much Canadian money in change (neither of us were sure of the exchange rate, though I checked later), so we then had about C$30, and for then next 4 days never went to a bank, used Canadian cash sparingly, and mostly used a credit card. It used to be credit cards had the best exchange rate, but I think that advantage may have disappeared as credit card companies keep looking for all sorts of ways to increase profit. I seem to remember reading Visa had added a 1% charge for exchanging money.

I don't know about US banks near the border, but our local bank doesn't exchange Canadian money for US (I'm not sure they know Canada exists), so we just keep it for the next trip.

Gene

[Freeheel]

Hey Gang!

I just caught up with this thread. Fun to read everyone's impressions of our banks, campgrounds, etc.

Skip Banff and camp in Jasper NP for a few days

Yup, nothing to see in Banff, couldn't agree more Just move along folks, leave it to me

I think that banks may seem to be a rarity up here because the use of debit cards at businesses, restaurants, etc. is pretty much universal. In Calgary, they've been closing down a lot of small neighbourhood branches because people aren't using them and they're too expensive to operate. I'm not sure how the US banking system works but if your bank has a decent exchange rate policy that might be another alternative for you. Personally, I can't remember the last time I carried cash - maybe 2-3 years??

Other things to add to your trip list are Kananaskis Provincial Park which is just south and adjacent to Banff. It used to be part of Banff NP until WWII when they excluded this part to allow for resource development as part of the war effort. Unfortunately, it never made it back into the NP system but the province has done a great job of operating it as K-Country. Anyway, there's tons of great hiking, fishing, climbing, etc. and it's nowhere as busy as Banff and Jasper. There's also a good RV park (www.mountkid. which you can book online. However, we've found that as long as you're not looking for a site on Friday-Saturday you should have no problem finding a spot pretty much anywhere - there are lots of campgrounds.

Oh, and don't be alarmed by the signs that read, "You Are Now In BEAR Country". ...You haven't actually left Canada for a different country and you don't need a special passport or visa - LOL. The number of tourists that ask that question at the park gates would astound you. However, you ARE in bear country so keep a clean campsite and make lots of noise when you go hiking (we also never hike without bearspray) otherwise you may have a more exciting visit than you planned on!