SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2010
KLMNO GOINGOURWAY For a smooth trip to the Canadian Rockies, try air, rail and road BY CAROL SOTTILI When children hit their early
teens, most parents have that aha, or perhaps oh-no, moment as they realize that family vaca- tions may soon be coming to an end. Friends, outside commit- ments and conflicting schedules start pulling the kids in different directions. So Abbey and Mike Bearer ofBethesdahavemadethe timely decision to make their next summer vacation one to remember. They’ve chosen the Canadian Rockies, a destination, with its emphasis on outdoor activities, that young people are likely to embrace. But not all teens will be giddy
about the idea of a long train trip, a favorite vacation travel mode for seniors. One of my children would have relished the adven- ture of a cross-country rail jour- ney and willingly engaged with anolder crowd.Theother,howev- er, would have made everyone absolutely miserable as hemoped about, complaining of boredom. So before you book, know your audience. Train travel is also very expen-
sive. For example, tickets for a family of four travelingroundtrip from Toronto to Jasper, Alberta, in private sleeping berths on Via Rail, Canada’s rail system, would cost nearly $10,000. Instead, fly to cities where you
can start a shorter rail trip. Flying in and out of Seattle is one way to do it, but a vacation that starts in Vancouver, B.C., and ends in Cal- gary, Alberta, incorporating a one-way train trip, is much easier and even a little cheaper.
Days 1and2. Fly toVancouver.
The earliest flights from our re- gion arrive at about noon, so there will be time to explore before boarding the train to Jas- per. Take the Vancouver Look- out’s430-foot elevator ride (www.
vancouverlookout.com) for 360- degree views of the city and sur- rounding countryside. Or do a walking tour of downtown Van-
couver and Granville Island (
www.vancouverurban
adventures.com). The teens may also enjoy walking the 430-foot- long Capilano Suspension Bridge (
www.capbridge.com); free shut- tles to the bridge depart from several downtown locations. For more ideas, go to
www.tourism
vancouver.com. All aboard the Canadian,
which departs on Tuesdays, Fri- days and Sundays at 8:30 p.m., arriving in Jasper at 4 p.m. the next afternoon. Via Rail (www.
viarail.ca) offers many types of accommodations at widely vary- ing price points. Four economy seats will run nearly $1,200 less than the cheapest sleeping berths. How much is a good night’s sleep worth? Upon arriving in Jasper, rent a
car that you will eventually drop off in Calgary: Avis (www.avis. com) currently has the best prices for one-way rentals. Accommodations in Jasper
range from the five-star Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, where a suite in early June starts at $800 a night, to $70-a-night canvas tent camping in Jasper National Park. Opt for something in the middle, such as Tekarra Lodge (www. unlimitedreservationservices. com) or Alpine Village Cabin Re- sort (
www.alpinevillagejasper. com). Before settling in, explore the
town on foot or take a late-after- noonhike along the town perime- teronthe five-mile Jasper Discov- ery Trail.
Day 3. Drop the golfers off at
Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge Golf Club (
www.fairmontgolf.com/ jasper) before heading to the Jasper Tramway (www.jasper
tramway.com), which climbs 7,472 feet to the summit of Whis- tlers Mountain. Hike the trails through the alpine tundra and keep an eye out for the hoary marmot, whose whistling call gave the mountain its name. (Tip: When hiking in the Canadian Rockies, be prepared for sudden weather changes, no matter what
BIGSTOCK Maligne Lake is one of the attractions at JasperNational Park. Whitewater rafting is available nearby.
the season, and give your body time to acclimate to the high altitudes.) In the afternoon, take a walk
on one of the trails that can be easily reached from the town’s activity center.
Day 4. Depending on how ad- venturous everyone feels, go for either a two-hour whitewater rafting tour on the Athabasca River (
www.raftjasper.com) or a 90-minute scenic cruise on Ma- ligne Lake to Spirit Island (www.
malignelake.com). End the day with a three-hour guided nature walking tour in Maligne Valley (
www.walksntalks.com). For oth- er ideas, go to www.jasper
canadianrockies.com.
Day 5. Drive the 142-mile Ice-
fields Parkway (www.icefields
parkway.ca) south toward Banff National Park. This won’t be a
straight shot, as there’s lots to see along the way. Stop at the Colum- bia Icefield visitors center (www.
explorerockies.com/columbia -icefield) and take the 80-minute Icefield Glacier Experience tour. Or pull over at the halfway point to do the two-hour Parker Ridge Trail hike. Lake Louise and Banff, about
35 miles apart, are the region’s key destinations; Banff offers more lodging choices. Hidden Ridge Resort (
www.bestof-
banff.com/hidden-ridge-resort), overlooking the town of Banff, has spacious one-bedroom loft units. After checking in, take a long soak in the resort’s outdoor hot pools.
Day 6.More golf for the guys at
Fairmont Banff Springs course (
www.fairmontgolf.com/ banffsprings) while the others go for a scenic cruise onMinnewan-
ka Lake (www.explorerockies. com/minnewanka). In the after- noon, shop and explore the town of Banff.
Day 7. Lots of choices for how
to spend the last full day, includ- ing a 10-hour guided wildlife tour that guarantees a grizzly sighting (
www.banfftours.com), a canoe trip on Lake Louise (www.
fairmont.com/lakelouise) or a self-guided hike on any of Banff National Park’s myriad trails (
www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/ activ/activ1/
a.aspx). For other choices, go to
www.banfflake
louise.com.
Day 8. Drive 90 minutes to
Calgary International Airport, drop off the car and fly home.
Total Cost: The wild card in
this trip is whether to pay for sleeping berths on the Canadian
FAMILY PHOTO
Who: Abbey Bearer, 47; husband Mike, 56; children Jeb, 15, and Jake, 13, of Bethesda Where: Canadian Rockies Why: In the fall of 2011, the teens will both be in high school, and Mom wants to have a memorable family vacation before they get too busy. When: A week in early June Budget: $8,000 to $10,000
“We’ve heard about great train trips. And we’d love to combine golf at Banff and/or Jasper Park for my husband and one son with plenty of family time for the four of us. Perhaps hiking at Lake Louise? We’re looking for two-room suites or connecting rooms at mid-price or luxe hotels.”
and, if so, at which level. Four round-trip tickets from Vancou- ver to Jasper will run $746 for seats only, $1,911 for upper berths (cheapest sleeper tickets) and $2,881 for a pair of private cabins. Airfare from BWI Marshall or Washington Dulles to Vancouver, returning from Calgary, will cost about $655 per person. The car is about $660, and hotels at least $1,675. Expect to pay about $1,500 for sightseeing. Opting for the cheapest sleeping berths, the trip will run about $8,370, plus food and incidentals.
Interested in having us help plan your trip? Go to
washingtonpost.com/ goingourway.
EZ EE
F3
Q&A Navigating a future for the Colorado Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has
made a name for himself as a leader in protecting America’s waterways.Nowhe’s the star ofa documentary, “Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk,” about the Colorado River. Narrated by Robert Redford, the film pre- miered Friday at the National Museum of Natural History and will run until the summer. Ken- nedy spoke with staffer Nancy Trejos. Excerpts: What drew you to this proj-
ect,andto theColoradoRiver? The Colorado is a special place, one of the iconic rivers of Ameri- ca. When people think of the North American wilderness,
they think of the Colorado. And it’s symbolic of what we’ve done with all our values. We’ve com- moditized them. The Colorado has lost many of the attributes that made it a great natural water main.Many of the animals that were there when I was a kid have disappeared. And there’s no longer any of the great big sandy beaches. Tell us how your love of
rivers began. I was interested in nature
from when I was a kid. When I was 8 I wrote a letter tomy uncle [President John F. Kennedy]. I spent an afternoon in the Oval Office and told him that I was
going to write a book on pollu- tion.My father also helped chan- nel that interest by introducing us to some of the greatest white- waterways in the country. What can a traveler do to
help? If a resource like the Colorado
does not have a constituency, it’s going to be stolen from us, by corporate agriculture, by power- ful forces. Tourism is the princi- pal method of developing a group of people who have been to the river, who have been touched by it, and who feel strongly enough to fight for it against powerful forces.
trejosn@washpost.com
Did you know? TheWashington Post is printed using recycled fiber. NF407 3x.5
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