From Vancouver, British Columbia to the Canadian Rockies

From Vancouver, we began our trip to Jasper and Banff National Parks in Alberta by following the muddy Fraser River up Rt. 1 to Lytton. This First Nations town is where the clear-running Thompson River merges with the muddy Fraser and for a while the two share the same riverbed without mixing. Quite a sight! This phenomenon is so unusual that the native peoples must have honored this spot as sacred waters. We continued up Rt. 1, now following the Thompson River, and Saturday night we camped at the Kamloops Exhibition Fairgrounds amidst horserace competitors. We came into Jasper town site on Rt. 16 and through Yellowhead Pass, having stopped to admire the spiral patterns of Mt. Robson, the highest point in the Canadian Rockies. Jasper has Canadian Northern Railways service, bringing goods and people to the park every day. The opulent Jasper Park Lodge has provided plush accommodations for more than a hundred years. Many other motels, bungalows and Nat’l Park campgrounds round out the overnight options. We loved relaxing in the 104 degree Miette Hot Springs north of town; plunging into the 65 degree cool-off pool was shocking, to say the least. Most of the soakers were from foreign countries, so, alas, we had little chance to converse. Canadream out of Edmonton, Alberta has sewn up the market on RV rentals. We are surrounded each night by visitors from around the world proclaiming Canadream’s motto on the front and back of their RV: “Experience Canada at your own pace”. That is exactly our motto, too!