BC-Alberta SCENIC road trip - Saskatoon to Kelowna

[GreenLantern]

Hey you guys live in Alberta and know stuff about there. Heading out to Kelowna to visit my brother in early May, driving out with the wife and 11 month old.

Stopping in Calgary to visit friends night one, then straight to Kelowna for night two. Got some activities planned around there but open to suggestions as well. Spend 5 or 6 days there then drive home. Can budget up to 3 days for the drive home if needed.

The main question is the route home. What is our most scenic option heading home from Kelowna, passing through Alberta to Saskatchewan? Head up to Jasper? Go back through the Kootenays? Dip down into Glacier National Park?

Looking for suggestions, thanks.

[troutman]

Can't get to the Yellowhead from Kelowna without first going West to Kamloops.

You could go south and cross the border at Osoyoos. Head towards Spokane, Sandpoint, Whitefish, Glacier Park.

[CaptainCrunch]

Um, there isn't any scenery once you hit Saskatchewan. It looks like a depressing mad maxish dustbowl of nothing except for painful visions of Gopher's leaving their holes to find food 10 miles away.

[agulati]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Um, there isn't any scenery once you hit Saskatchewan. It looks like a depressing mad maxish dustbowl of nothing except for painful visions of Gopher's leaving their holes to find food 10 miles away.

Hey, come on now, you do see a lot of hay and the same rusted red barn every 2 kms

[GoinAllTheWay]

As soon as you're east of Drumheller, you can rope up the steering wheel, set the cruise control and have a nap in the back of your car.

[calgarygeologist]

Going to Glacier National Park would be awesome but the Going to the Sun highway will still be closed in May. Highway 22, Cowboy Trail, is a decent drive in Alberta. Highway 3 through BC is nice but it can be really slow.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by agulati

Hey, come on now, you do see a lot of hay and the same rusted red barn every 2 kms

That barn is actually 100 miles away, that it feels like its 2 kms is caused by an optical illusion.

[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by GoinAllTheWay

As soon as you're east of Drumheller, you can rope up the steering wheel, set the cruise control and have a nap in the back of your car.

maybe on the way back he can stop at all the giant roadside attractions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giants_of_the_Prairies

https://kubasonics.bandcamp.com/trac...f-the-prairies

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern

Hey you guys live in Alberta and know stuff about there. Heading out to Kelowna to visit my brother in early May, driving out with the wife and 11 month old.

Stopping in Calgary to visit friends night one, then straight to Kelowna for night two. Got some activities planned around there but open to suggestions as well. Spend 5 or 6 days there then drive home. Can budget up to 3 days for the drive home if needed.

The main question is the route home. What is our most scenic option heading home from Kelowna, passing through Alberta to Saskatchewan? Head up to Jasper? Go back through the Kootenays? Dip down into Glacier National Park?

Looking for suggestions, thanks.

I’ve always found the drive from Jasper to Edmonton to be kind of mind-numbing. Or, to use other words, horrible.

In early May last year, after running the Vancouver half marathon, I came back to Calgary via the southern, mostly 2-lane route.

So, in your abbreviated case, Penticton, Oliver, Osoyoos, then turn east to Grand Forks, Rossland, Trail, Fruitvale, Salmo, Creston, Yahk, Cranbrook, Fernie, Sparwood, Lundbreck, etc. I had a beautiful overnight backpacking hike along the shore of Christina Lake in Gladstone Park, just outside of Grand Forks.

In early May I didn’t find the driving too crowded until after Cranbrook. Scenic along most of the route.

I’d agree a detour down into Glacier Park in the USA would be nice. Probably lots of snow in there at that time of year though. I came through Glacier in late August last year after watching the eclipse from a mountaintop in Idaho.

[GGG]

Ice fields parkway to Jasper on the way back If you haven't driven the icefields this should be the most scenic option

Kelowna to Lake Louise day 1
Lake Louise to Jasper Day 2

If you have done icefields. Penticton, Osoyus, and then take the number 3 all the way back is also a great drive.

I wouldn't do Glacier with the road to the sun closed. It's only okay without it.

[chummer]

Yeah if you go through Jasper, have to do the Icefield's Parkway, considered one of the most scenic drives in the world. Recommend stops at Athabasca Falls, the Icefield's itself(skip the snocoach tour), Peyto and Bow lake. Good time of year to see bears too.

[Wormius]

You could also try Vernon and then take HWY 6 & HWY 3 and do a bit of east/south meandering until you get to Frank... after that, its pretty flat...

[afc wimbledon]

stop at Grand Forks for Doukhobor food, blintsi with melted butter!!!

[Mazrim]

If you enjoy driving mountain passes, then Highway 3 is pretty fun. Between Hope and Crowsnest Pass you'll cross over 10 summits and the road is more interesting to drive than Highway 1, which while an easier drive will always be slow with traffic. There's a lot less traffic in general on Highway 3. That being said, the scenery of Highway 1 is better than the other options in my opinion.

[Jacks]

If you go through Drumheller stop at the museum. I had time to kill one day and went there, was surprised, thought it was just for kids but it's really good.

[mikephoen]

Between Calgary and Kelowna, you can't lose no matter which way you go. From Calgary to Saskatoon you can't win no matter which way you go.

[CroFlames]

I'd take the quickest route with an 11 month old. It's still scenic.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

I'd take the quickest route with an 11 month old. It's still scenic.

Why would anybody want to get back to Saskatchewan any quicker than necessary?

Just because they have a child with them isn't really any reason they can't enjoy a long scenic drive.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Jacks

If you go through Drumheller stop at the museum. I had time to kill one day and went there, was surprised, thought it was just for kids but it's really good.

There's a lizard museum just down the street that's awesome.

[Manhattanboy]

In addition to their war against Alberta's energy industry have you read about the BC NDP's proposed "speculation tax" which is clearly intended to punish Alberta residents?!

I would avoid BC altogether so long as the socialist coalition remains in power.

Boycott BC!