24-day vacation in British Columbia

6 nights in Vancouver
4 nights in hot springs resorts. (Ainsworth Hot Springs, Fairmont Hot Springs, Canyon Hot Springs)
5 nights in the Canadian Rockies (Banff and Jasper in Alberta, Golden in British Columbia)
5 nights in the cities and prairie of Alberta (Calgary, Drumheller, Edmonton)
3 nights in other towns of British Columbia (Penticton, Kamloops, Victoria)
Visits to five hot springs (Ainsworth, Fairmont, Canyon, and Radium in BC; Miette in Alberta)

Short Summary.

Day 1	Fly to Vancouver	Vancouver, British Columbia
Day 2	Day in Vancouver	Vancouver, British Columbia
Day 3	Day in Vancouver	Vancouver, British Columbia
Day 4	Manning Provincial Park, Similkameen River, Penticon, BC	Penticon, British Columbia
Day 5	Drive to Ainsworth Hot Springs	Ainsworth Hot Springs, BC
Day 6	Drive to Fairmont Hot Springs (see Kootenay Lake, Creston, and Cranbrook)	Fairmont Hot Springs, BC
Day 7	Day at Fairmont Hot Springs	Fairmont Hot Springs, BC
Day 8	Kootenay National Park, Radium Hot Springs Pool, drive to Banff.	Banff, Alberta
Day 9	Banff National Park	Banff, Alberta
Day 10	Drive to Calgary. Afternoon in Calgary	Calgary, Alberta
Day 11	Day in Calgary	Calgary, Alberta
Day 12	Day in Calgary. Late afternoon to Drumheller	Drumheller, Alberta
Day 13	Morning in Drumheller, then drive to Edmonton	Edmonton, Alberta
Day 14	Day in Edmonton	Edmonton, Alberta
Day 15	Edmonton, Miette Hot Springs, Jasper	Jasper, Alberta
Day 16	Day in Jasper	Jasper, Alberta
Day 17	Icefields Parkway, Yoho Naitonal Park, to Golden	Golden, British Columbia
Day 18	Hike in Glacier National Park and/or Revelstoke National Park	Revelstoke, British Columbia
Day 19	Morning in Revelstoke and afternoon in Kamloops	Kamloops, British Columbia
Day 20	Kamloops, Hat Creek Ranch, Nairn Falls, Brandywine Falls, to Vancouver.	Vancouver, British Columbia
Day 21	Day in Vancouver	Vancouver, British Columbia
Day 22	Trip to Vancouver Island. See Victoria.	Victoria, British Columbia
Day 23	Victoria and Vancouver.	Vancouver, British Columbia
Day 24	Fly Home.	Home

See our list of trips.

Travel Resources Page

Full Description

Day		Description of the day	Sleeping arrangements
Day 1	Tuesday	Fly to Vancouver	Vancouver.
Day 2	Wednesday	Vancouver	Vancouver.
Day 3	Thursday	Vancouver	Vancouver.
Day 4	Friday	Drive to Penticon, BC (about 4.5 hours, 420 km) with a stop in Manning Provincial Park for a nature hike about half-way there. If the weather is hot, stop for some wading or swimming at Bromley Rock or Stemwinder Park on the Similkameen River.	Penticton Bowmont Motel.
Day 5	Saturday	Drive to Ainsworth Hot Springs (about 5 hours, 373 km). Along the way perhaps stop in Osoyoos, Grand Forks, or Castlegar (where the Zuckerberg Island can be visited).	Ainsworth Hot Springs Ainsworth Hot Springs Resort.
Day 6	Sunday	Drive to Fairmont Hot Springs (5 hours, 320 km). Take the Balfour Ferry across Kootenay Lake. Stop at the Glass House and in Creston, BC (to visit the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area). Also stop in Cranbrook, BC where the Canadian Museum of Rail Travel is worth a visit.	Fairmont Hot Springs Fairmont Hot Springs Resort.
Day 7	Monday	This is a day to enjoy the hot springs.	Fairmont Hot Springs Fairmont Hot Springs Resort.
Day 8	Tuesday	Kootenay National Park and Banff National Park. Begin the morning with a dip in the Radium Hot Springs Pools in Kootenay National Park. Then go for a hike. In the afternoon continue up to Banff. (total driving today, about 2 hours, 175 km).	Banff Banff Inn.
Day 9	Wednesday	Day in Banff National Park.	Banff Banff Inn.
Day 10	Thursday	Drive to Calgary. Afternoon at the Calgary Zoo, Botanical Garden, and Prehistoric Park. (1.5 hours of driving, 130 km)	Calgary Delta Bow Valley Hotel.
Day 11	Friday	Day in Calgary. See The Chinese Cultural Center, Fort Calgary Historic Park, and the Glenbow Museum.	Calgary Delta Bow Valley Hotel.
Day 12	Saturday	Another day in Calgary, but in the afternoon drive out to Drumheller (2 hours, 140 km).	Drumheller. Drumheller Inn.
Day 13	Sunday	Most of the day near Drumheller, at the Royal Tyrell Museum, then it’s a 4.5 hour (285 km) drive to Edmonton, perhaps stopping in Stettler or Camrose on the way.	Edmonton. Fantasyland Hotel.
Day 14	Monday	A day in Edmonton. See Fort Edmonton Park and the Provincial Museum of Alberta.	Edmonton. Fantasyland Hotel.
Day 15	Tuesday	After a morning in Edmonton, drive to Jasper, Alberta (4 hours, 360 km), with a stop at the Miette Hot Springs.	Jasper Marmot Lodge.
Day 16	Wednesday	Day in Jasper.	Jasper Marmot Lodge.
Day 17	Thursday	This is the day to drive down the Icefields Parkway. Stop all along the way to take short hikes. In the afternoon stop in Yoho National Park to learn about the Burgess Shale. End up in Golden, BC for the night. (4 hours of driving, 310 km).	Golden Golden Village Inn.
Day 18	Friday	This is a day for hiking in Glacier National Park and Mount Revelstoke National Park, both in British Columbia. (2.5 hours of driving, 170 km)	Revelstoke Canyon Hot Springs Resort.
Day 19	Saturday	After a morning in Revelstoke, drive 200 km to Kamloops (2.5 hours).	Kamloops Plaza Heritage Hotel.
Day 20	Sunday	Drive to Vancouver, BC, taking the scenic route with stops at Hat Creek Ranch, Nairn Falls, and Brandywine Falls (6.5 hours, 420 km).	Vancouver
Day 21	Monday	A day in Vancouver	Vancouver
Day 22	Tuesday	A trip to Vancouver Island and a visit to Victoria, with a stop at Butchart Gardens and the Royal British Columbia Museum.	Victoria Blue Ridge Inn.
Day 23	Wednesday	Return to Vancouver	Vancouver (sixth night)
Day 24	Thursday	Fly back home.	Return Home.

Cost analysis (not yet calculated)

Costs. (Day, expense, Cost in 2011 U.S. Dollars, Cost in percent of median year-round full-time income)
(Thus 1,080 Myrfti is 10.8% of a median year-round full-time American income, while 230 Myrfti is 2.3% of median year-round full-time income. To convert costs into current dollars, simply multiply the costs in the far right column times the current median year-round full-time American income, and you'll have an idea of current costs. Otherwise, use a Consumer Price Inflation adjustment to 2011 with the dollar figures. The resulting cost estimates should be similar, at least if travel costs and incomes have matched inflation).
The two-person prices assume an adult couple sharing a bed, and the four-person costs assume a family of four with two children aged between 12 and 17.

Total.

Until I have time to research the costs of this trip, I’ll give a rough estimate. I will say (in 2011 dollars) that the lodging will cost about $3,200, the food will cost about $1,000 per person, the gas will be about $800, admissions and fees and tolls will cost about $220 per person, and I will add $80 for other expenses. That would be $7,000 for two persons, and I will guess 11,000 for four persons. This is just an approximate guess until the whole trip is researched.

4 persons: 11,000

2 persons: $7,000

4 persons: 2,222

2 persons: $1,413


		To show how a family of four earning about 120% of the median income would budget to pay for a trip such as this (costing 22% of a median worker’s year-round full-time income) every three years, I offer the following household budget, using a household annual income of $59,400 (about 120% of a single worker’s income of $49,500): Housing and utilities (including gas, electric, sewer, water, rent or mortgage, homeowner or renter insurance, and home repair and maintenance budget: 28.1% ($1,391 per month) All taxes (property, sales, income taxes for local, state, tribal, or federal governments): 15.2% ($752 per month) Car expenses (ownership of cars, gas, maintainence, insurance): 12.3% ($609 per month) Groceries, food, restaurants, and household supplies: 9% ($446 per month) Savings for a trip like this every three years: 8.0% ($396 per month) Health insurance and health care expenses: 7% ($347 per month) Savings for retirement: 7% ($347 per month) Savings for children's college expenses: 4.8% ($238 per month) Charitable giving: 2.3% ($114 per month) Other entertainment, internet, travel, cable television, movies, etc.: 2.2% ($109 per month) Miscellaneous other expenses (incuding phone): 2.1% ($104 per month) Clothing: 2% ($99 per month)