Alberta CN North / South route question

[Danny caddyshack Noonan]

Canada trip is shaping up.

Question on getting to the area east of Edmonton. The sightseeing portion of the trip is later BTW.

I'm not sure of which border crossing in the Montana flatlands I'll be taking but, once in Alberta which option might be faster or more interesting???:

1. Canada Hwy 36 from Taber all the way to Vegreville or,

2. Canada Hwy 2 up thru Calgary to Edmonton and then east on 16 to Vegreville.

Option 1 looks slightly interesting but, if the speed limits are low then it wouldn't be interesting at all.

 

Any input is appreciated.

[Big_Gray]

Canada trip is shaping up.

Question on getting to the area east of Edmonton. The sightseeing portion of the trip is later BTW.

I'm not sure of which border crossing in the Montana flatlands I'll be taking but, once in Alberta which option might be faster or more interesting???:

1. Canada Hwy 36 from Taber all the way to Vegreville or,

2. Canada Hwy 2 up thru Calgary to Edmonton and then east on 16 to Vegreville.

Option 1 looks slightly interesting but, if the speed limits are low then it wouldn't be interesting at all.

 

Any input is appreciated.

Neither option is interesting!

Hwy 2 is a freeway but that is a poor name for a road with so many opportunities for driving awards. Hwy 36 is two lane and lightly travelled most of the time and has miles and miles of flat straightness. I would recommend coming north on US 89 swing over to US 17 and cross at chief mountain. you will end up on Alberta 6. Meander north on the Cowboy Trail and follow the secondary highways north as time allows. if you are short on time, skip the Cowboy Trail and head up Hwy 2. I 15 crossing at Coutts can be pretty backed up at certain times. The crossings at Chief Mtn or at Babb are never busy.(in my experience). Enjoy your visit to Canada...bring money!

[MikeRC]

I'm not quite as negative as Big Gray. But it would be better if I knew where you were coming from and where you are going to after Vegreville (AKA the big egg).

 

Staying more east in Alberta may be what you are looking for. Do you have any interest in Native North American history? You may want to check out the Sweet Grass Hills in Montana just before you cross the border at Coutts. Immediately after you cross into Canada head a bit east to Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park. After that you can catch Dinosaur Provincial Park and further north the world-famous Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller. Then just head north to Hwy 16 and west to Vegreville.

 

Even if you just need to save time coming north you could make a quick detour off Hwy 2 to the Reynolds-Alberta Museum then on to Camrose & Vegreville.

 

Mike Cassidy

[Danny caddyshack Noonan]

Here is the background.

Going N/B into Alberta, from somewhere in Montana. Just trying to get to Vegreville for the first part of the trip. May not have any sightseeing time enroute. Maybe Glacier NP, maybe not. I'm really just trying to find the path of least resistance to get up to central Alberta. I've heard good and bad about 2 to EDM so, started looking for alternate routes hence 36. I don't mind looking at farmland at all as long as it isn't 45mph speed limit. The motivation is that I don't know if I can take 2 or 3 days to get there and won't know until I get better visibility into my work schedule.

 

A few days later, going W/B into the rockies to hit Jasper, Banff and anything else I can find. Going home I can be a bit more leisurely.

 

Thanks for the input!

[MikeRC]

Danny:

 

OK, now I have a better idea. If you are looking for the path of least resistance you are actually better off to stay on the west side of the Great Divide as long as possible. Or submit to the obvious advantages of the Interstates. Those pesky mountain ranges and big rivers make it pretty hard for a "direct" route. I can direct you to some pretty deserted roads to save some time.

 

Play with the idea of going through eastern CA, central OR and central/eastern WA. I have personally found US395 to be devoid of LEO presence as long as you are 20 miles or more away from an "urban" center. And a LOT of it is 20 miles or more away from an urban center. At Coeur D'Alene,ID head north on US 95 towards Cranbrook, BC then Fernie, BC and the forementioned "Cowboy Trail" AB22. Details after that (to avoid Calgary and Edmonton traffic) we can follow up with later.

 

Mike Cassidy