Jasper, Alberta, Canada: Sunday morning and early afternoon we made the drive from Lake Louise to Jasper via the Icefields Parkway. If this is not the most beautiful drive in North America, I don't know of one better.
The Canadian Rockies are not so terribly tall, but the valleys are at a relatively low elevation so the mountains appear (and are) massive. We made stops at the overlook for Bow Lake and the Num Ti Jah Lodge - very panoramic - and at the Columbia Icefields - great glacier viewing.
The grind up Sunwapta Pass was long but relatively easy and all did well. Traffic was certainly in evidence but never slow or difficult.
There was no difficulty with our reservations at Whistler campground. We are relatively close together with full hookups at very nice campsites, all pull-throughs. There is a bit more traffic noise than last year as the electric-only sites are much farther from the highway, more remote.
From year to year Jasper townsite changes very little, it is certainly no Banff. The CN train yard remains busy, the same bungalows continue to operate as B&Bs, the same shops and markets continue to function. I made a stab at locating the library but missed, I'll find it tomorrow, get on-line, and post this.
