Banff

$602/pp flight w/ stop in Toronto.  Can fly United with a later start time, but flights are $727/pp.  Delta is also an option.  Didn't check Dulles or Regan yet.

$2275 4brm townhouse, 1 hr 12 min from Calgary Airport, 1 hr 37 min from Lake Louise which is 8 miles from Moraine Lake Lodge, 31 min from Banff Gondola, 3 hr 15 min from Paker Ridge, 42 min from Bow Valley Parkway : https://www.vrbo.com/683046# 

Lodging: Canmore rental home, $3900.42: https://www.vrbo.com/514013# (in Yellowstone our vacation rentals totalled $956/family for all 7 nights). 

Sample itinerary with kids: http://www.fodors.com/community/canada/banfflake-louisejasper-in-june-with-kidsplease-tweak-my-itinerary.cfm

Moraine Lake: 

Johnson Canyon: 

Banff Gondola: 

website about hiking in Banff: http://www.banfflakelouise.com/Things-To-Do/Summer-Adventures/Hiking-in-Banff-and-Lake-Louise

Hiking to Victoria Glacier from Lake Louise: http://banffandbeyond.com/plain-of-six-glaciers-the-other-tea-house-at-lake-louise/
 


Brewster Glacier Skywalk at Columbia Glacier, 2h 48min from Silvertip, Canmore: 

Columbia Icefields: 

You can go beyond just viewing the glaciers from the parkway by taking the Ice Explorer Adventure. It is a giant 6 wheeled all terrain vehicle that looks like something out of a futuristic movie. During the 90 minute experience it will take you right onto the Athabasca Glacier.  

vancouver

Fly Over Canada, like Soarin' at Epcot, but over Canada.  $20 CAD for 10 min "ride".  People like it though.

Vancouver Lookout, tallest building in Vancouver, pay a ticket to ride the elevator to the observatory level.

Grouse Mountain, gondola up, then a ski lift up even higher.  Views look great!

pictures from Banff: http://www.thehulltruth.com/boating-outdoor-photos/717700-week-banff.html

all the world's a stage

The Fairy Pools on the Isle of Skye – Scotland - If you are backpacking in Scotland generally or are planning a trip to the Isle of Skye then I heartily recommend that you visit the so-called Fairy Pools.The Fairy Pools is located in Cuillins Hills, Isle of Skye, Scotland. The Fairy Pools are a series of clear, cold pools and waterfalls formed as Allt Coir’ a’ Mhadaidh tumbles down from the foothills of the Black Cuillins into Glen Brittle.

Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon – Iceland

Fjaðrárgljúfur is a canyon in south east Iceland which is up to 100 m deep and about 2 kilometres long, with the Fjaðrá river flowing through it. It is located near the Ring Road, not far from the village of Kirkjubæjarklaustur.The canyon was created by progressive erosion by flowing water from glaciers through the rocks and palagonite over millennia.

Preachers Rock, Preikestolen, Norway

Atlantic Ocean Road, Norway

Norway's ulitmate natural thrill: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/norways-ultimate-natural-thrill

$1000/person flight in July. Norway fjords: 

The Nutshell route starts with a spectacular train ride, leaving Oslo at about 8 a.m. for Bergen. Your camera button will click like a castanet as the train roars over Norway's mountainous spine. The barren, windswept heaths, glaciers, deep forests, countless lakes, and a few rugged ski resorts create a harsh beauty.  At Myrdal, a 12-mile spur line drops you 2,800 breathtaking feet in 55 minutes to the village of Flåm on Sognefjord. This is a party train. The engineer even stops the train for photographs at a particularly picturesque waterfall.

http://www.visitnorway.com/us/what-to-do/attractions-culture/nature-attractions/let-there-be-northern-lights/when-and-where-to-find-the-northern-lights/  The lights are at their most frequent in late autumn and winter/early spring. Between the autumn equinox and spring equinox (21 September - 21 March), it is dark between 6 pm and 1 am, and you have maximum chances of spotting the lights. However, the weather is also of importance, and September, October and November tend to be wet and snowless in the north.

From December the weather dries up, and there is normally plenty of snow. If you come in December or January, you experience the polar nights with atmospheric evenings and very short days. In February and March the days are longer and you see more of the snow-clad landscapes during daytime, and the evenings still offer maximum chances to spot the northern lights.

No guarantee can be given, though. Some weeks, you are treated to fantastic displays, repeated several times during the evening. Other times, the snow falls densely, or the northern lights simply stay away. Naturally, the longer you stay and the more time you set aside, the better the odds.

Where to see the northern lights

Theoretically, you can see the northern lights all over Norway. However, the best places are above the Arctic Circle in Northern Norway or the Svalbard Islands.

The northern lights belt hits Northern Norway in the Lofoten Islands, and follows the coast all the way up to the North Cape. This means that no other place on earth offers better chances of spotting the lights, and one location in this area might be as good as another. In fact, one often observes the same northern lights in the Lofoten as in Tromsø, just from a different angle. The driest weather, giving clear skies, is found inland, statistically providing the best chances, but with strong eastern winds, the coast can be clearer than inland areas.

In order to get full value from the show you should avoid the full moon and places with a lot of light as they make the experience considerably paler. Also remember to wrap up warmly.

Spotted Lake (Khiluk) British Columbia

flights to Vancouver are $775/person in July.  $850 for flights that don't last for 19hours, but instead last for 8 hours (including changing planes).  

Rental car full size $508/week in july.  Qualicum Beach to Pacific Wild Trail 2.5 hours.  Saanich to Pacific Wild Trail 4 hours.  Ucluelet to Pacific Wild Trail is 3 minutes.  $1142 for 8 guests in a 4 brm for 3 nightsin Ucluelet: http://www.vrbo.com/505205  Port Alberni $1182 for 8 guests for 4 nights (minimum) http://www.vrbo.com/594109  Sproat Lake  is 1 hr 17 min from Wild Pacific Trail  $603 for 8 guest for 3 nights (minimum) http://www.vrbo.com/133431

Vancouver to San Juan Island 3.5 hours.  

Vancouver to Whistler is 1 hr 32 min (121 km).   Vancouver to Spotted Lake is a 4.5 hour drive.  

Pacific Rim National Park is 2 hr 30 from Port Alberni, Wild Pacific Rim Trail is 1.5 hr drive from Port Alberni.  $300/person all day grizzly bear tour on a boat to the salmon river. $100/person for a shorter whale or bear watching boat trip through this outfit: http://www.adventuretofino.com/tours

Whale watching.  Emerald Lake is by Banff, 8 hours from Vancouver.  Kangaroo Creek Farm 5 hrs from Banff, 4 hr from Vancouver.  Wild Pacific Trail is 5.5 hours from Vancouver.  Mt Baker is 2 hr 7 min, but is in WA state, USa.

http://www.vancouverwhalewatch.com/whale_watching.html Our 3 to 5 Hour Tours

• $130/adult, $75/kid = $410.
• Vancouver’s largest and most experienced whale watching company
• Discover Southern Resident & Transient Killer Whales, majestic Humpback Whales, bow riding porpoises, sea lions, seals, Bald Eagles and more
• Over 95% success rate sighting whales
• Our Guarantee – Should you not see a whale, come again for free until you do, for life, no expiry
• Travel through the spectacular Gulf and San Juan Islands

Calgary International Airport to Banff is 1.5 hours.  Calgary to Emerald Lake is 2.5 hours.  

Airfare to Calgary is $830/person for a flight duration of 7 hours.  For over $1k the flying can be done in 6.5 hours.  For $740/p is a 8 hour duration.  

Parker Ridge Trail.  Vermilion Lakes.  Tunnel Mountain Drive.  Cave and Basin Historic District.

Seattle. flights on Sat July 18 to Sat Jul 25, $569

Seattle Airport to Mt Baker 3hrs.  North Cascades Park, Cascade Pass hike is 7.4 mi out and back.  Some are calling it the most awesomest hike ever.  Cascade Pass looks pretty good too (a drive).  This segway place caters to kids 12 and up, but a lady on tripadvisor said she took two 11 year olds.  Alex is dying to try a segway: http://www.seattlebysegway.com/faq.php