That is a great way to put it " drive by touring " , just like me . When I travel , I plan out my trips so that I'm constantly moving from one place to another , hardly ever stay at one place for more than a night . I like stopping where there are few people , B.C and A.B have lots of pull outs and attractions that are just of the highway , nice places to stop and enjoy the view .

It's great jumping from one town to the next , I try to be there by 5 - 6 pm , gives me lots of time to clean up , check in , eat and then roam around . I'd rather sit on a rock than in a bar , I like my peace and quiet , solitude , which is mainly the reason I like to ride .

There is something definitely spiritual about the mountains / lakes etc , which is why I find myself going there every year .

Keep us posted on your plans , it'll be an amazing trip .

 

Just got back from a trip to New Brunswick. No issues at all. Simple questions, like do you have any alcohol, guns, pets, live animals, fruits or vegetables. Once they scan your passport, they know everything about you. Same with crossing back in.

 

Cool, we're headed through NB to Nova Scotia in July---- can't wait, will probably get the bikes out of storage in 2 weeks

 

Sounds like we are of like thoughts when traveling.
If you see me in a bar, I'll buy you a drink!

 

No bikes out there now…

 

@Illinois_Minion
Great riding selected. Lots of good advice above. Scanned through it.
I'll post my thoughts:
Border - As you may know, Canada has a disdain for guns. Not me personally, they're a bit of a PITA to own actually. My suggestion is to leave them at home. The border guard can ruin your trip in a hurry. [Well - disallow entry.]
Speed - I go 10% over if there isn't traffic. I go with a "fluid in traffic" mentality if there is. If you're +40 km/h they're supposed to impound your vehicle. Government of BC - Speeding
Kootenay region - We're starting to warm up now. Seen lotsa motorcycles out. I'd like a good rain to wash the road personally. I didn't see your timeline, I'm guessing in a month or more. Big Game - the are quite a few large elk I've seen crossing the highway. Usually early morning, or evening, but can be anytime. Just be wary. Radium is a nice hot spring, lots of tourists. I think $13 CAD entry. They have well appointed facilities and nice showers. A nice reset of the day. Buy a few day park pass here.
Taking the Kootenay National park [Highway 93] will land you between Lake Louise and Banff. Both are beautiful, but Banff has more hotels and restaurants. Both are pricy - but you're on vacation. Book in advance. Take a day in Banff / Lake Louise ..? The lake is beautiful, some hiking opportunities but I find it's a 20-30 minute look then get motoring. Heading west to the Icefields Parkway sets you up for one of the most scenic rides you may ever do. Mind your fuel, and top up in Lake Louise. Saskatchewan River Crossing has fuel, but it is $$$. Stop in at Bow Lake for a little look. Athabasca falls is a must see IMO, and the loopy road 93A was fun last time.
Jasper has a more "homey" feel than Banff - in my opinion. Good views and beers to be had also. Gas in Jasper, as the next fuel is Valemount, BC. Jasper gas should be cheaper also. You'll pass by Moose Lake, a nice stop. Carrying on through Tete Jaune Cache to Valemount, You've only done 130 km from Jasper, so fuel should be ok. Carry on to Blue River, I've seen a big boar grizzly run across the highway here. Blue River has Petro Can for fuel, but you can make it to Clearwater if you've taken it easy. Clearwater to Kamloops is a nice run, the temperature should warm as you get closer to Kamloops. Kamloops might be your stop over point. There are lots of highway hotels on the southside of the Thompson River.
Fuel up in Kamloops at the Chevron. They have ethanol free 94 Octane. It's my go to when close to home. The run to Cache Creek is nice. Open Thompson area passing Tobiano golf resort, through Savona. You''ll approach Cache Creek - look to the north and you'll find another Chevron gas station.
Pavillion to Lilooet was a deer haven. fun windy road as you prep for the Duffey Lake Road. [DLR]. Duffey Lake is a nice break. The scenery is excellent, as you continue westward. Once you pass the summit, the road winds down to the Mount Currie Indian Reserve. I recall some sand on the asphalt, so hopefully you're past May Long weekend. Pemberton is a quiet community leading up to the poor drivers and traffic intensity of Whistler.
Whistler is a standard resort town. Lots of people, lots of "me first" mentality. There is a Chevron at the entry to Whistler. [I do not work for Chevron, I just appreciate the 94.] The Sea to Sky highway is great in some respects, and crap in others. Fast, open, highly policed, and tons of traffic around weekends. Lots of scenic pull outs, and can be the best ride of the year. The traffic can also be soul draining. Squamish is a nice community, and you might see some rock climbers on the Chief. [I think they renamed it - big rock to the east of the highway.] Horseshoe Bay Ferry will take you over to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.
I didn't gather if you're going to Vancouver Island or not. Depending on your time, some just go to Victoria, some take a week plus touring. I always suggest two nights or less, hang in Victoria - any more, check out Tofino. I know there was some discussion regarding ferries. You can continue the assult on your bank with BC Ferries from Schwartz Bay to Tsawassen - Or see if the good ol Black Ball Ferry is running. It should be completed dry dock annual by now - so It will take you from downtown Victoria to Port Angeles, Washington State.

Anyhow: I hope you have a fantastic ride, and are without issue. There is a Motorcycle shop in Cranbrook, a couple in Calgary [One former HD dealership, one dealership], a dealership in Kamloops, a Dealership in Vancouver [Langley & Chilliwack also] and lastly one in Victoria. There are others, but those are off the top of my head.

Should be a great ride. My apologies for assuming your overnight stops...

 

Last year , my wife and I rode through Radium , she really wanted to do the Hot Springs , I said no , not a swimmer , I know , I know , I owed her for that one . This year , we're heading to the Nelson area , do I dare tell her that Ainsworth has one .

The Shop in Cranbrook is great , stopped there last summer and said Hi to Robin , of course bought a couple of shirts .

HFS , lots of great info you posted , we were thinking of heading out towards the Kamloops area via Osoyoos , but decided on spending more time around Nelson .

 

Great advice.

If you've never seen the Canadian Rockies, you're in for a treat.

Last year we took the car, end of June and stayed in Kaslo for 4 nights. Then drove from Kaslo - Revelstoke - Golden - Ice Fields and ended the day in Dead Man's Flat just west of Calgary, (it was on Canada Day and every Canadian who had a vehicle was on the road ) . From there we took 40 to Mountainview, a road you should check out, and 6 & 5 south to Mountain View where we stayed 2 nights. Waterton Park just across the border from Glacier is a great place to visit.

We are planning another trip to Kaslo, our 6th, (5 on the bikes), July 30th, again - on the bikes, the Kootenay area is beautiful. And the Ferry rides across the lakes are amazing too. After 4 nights in Kaslo we will head to Revelstoke - Kamloops and spend the night in Blue River. The next night we will stay in Canmore then head to Mountain View on the route above for 2 nights. Chief MT Border Crossing has been closed since the start of the Covid Pandemic; I hope it will open this year.










Enjoy your trip!

 

@Vernal - Maybe you already are, but the Mike Weigle Heliskiing lodges are pretty flippin fantastic. Back in the day [2002-2004] I used to work for TMPL, and we'd stay in the lodges on work trips. I will say, be careful of the water in Blue River - Every morning I left with a headache...

The lodges are a little pricey though...

We're so close to riding season here... [Kootenays]

Later
H

 

@HFS Not the Lodges , The Sandman Inn. We once took a day trip and rode from Kaslo to Mica Dam, and it was so beautiful. This year in Blue River we will see the other side of the MT.