Neighboring Canadian national parks Banff and Jasper in Alberta have no fewer than three aerial tramways that will carry you up mountainsides for spectacular views of the Canadian Rockies. Being from a flat state (highest point in Florida: 345 feet), I find mountain vistas irresistible, and so on a trip north of the border, I rode all three. Here are my observations.

Jasper Tramway 
Location: The Whistlers (or Whistlers Mountain, not to be confused with the famous ski destination and Olympic site near Vancouver, British Columbia) in Jasper National Park near the town of Jasper, Alberta... Read More

Frank’s notes from last summer’s trip to the Alberta, Canada area may inspire travel planning – and now is the time to make reservations at popular summer destinations.

I decided to make the entire 30-mile drive to Maligne (pronounced mah-LEEN) Lake from the town of Jasper because I wanted to see the canyon, which was just a few minutes away from my hotel near the beginning of the route, and I thought, “Why not go all the way to the end?”

Not much of a reason, I’ll admit, but I’m glad I did it. The mountain scenery along the way is amazing, and the namesake lake at the end figures prominently on postcards sold at gift shops throughout Alberta, and for good reason. But I’ll get to that.... Read More

 From the Q&A mailbox:
Question:  Shannon from Ohio writes, We're following our hockey team through Calgary, Vancouver & Edmonton this season. How do we find the places to stay, that favorite local eatery & the "must see" attractions and the best ways to get around town?

Answer:  Check out our online travel guides to Calgary, Vancouver and Edmonton. Map your route online using TripTik Travel Planner – you can use the 'Places' tab to zoom into the cities you are going to visit to see ... Read More

Sometimes the highlights of a vacation happen by accident, and that’s how we discovered the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, Alberta.

We’d planned a week-long stay in Banff National Park and Jasper National Park, complete with a side trip to Dinosaur Provincial Park in Patricia. I’d made reservations for the bus tour a month in advance. The Red Deer River Valley is home to one of the richest fossil beds in the world, and we wanted to see how the Canadian Badlands stacked... Read More

Question: David S. asks: We are planning a trip to Alberta Canada and visiting the Canadian Rockies this August; anything you can tell us about the Rockies would be most helpful. Also I believe there is an overnite train w/a glass top.

Answer: AAA travel publishing manager Renuka Sastri, who took this trip last summer, says: August is a wonderful time of the year to visit the Canadian Rockies area. There are a number of options that you could follow:

The no-drive option: Take a tour - The Rocky Mountaineer, the train with the glass dome top... Read More