It’s guaranteed that any list of the best songs is going to be controversial. Your musical taste might be entirely different than mine, and I guarantee my 89 year old Mom’s musical preferences are probably different from my 16 year old son.

That said, there are some songs that are so iconic, so ingrained into our culture, that it’s hard to dispute that they’re beloved by many.

The Best Songs about Adventure and Travel

Each of these songs is on this list for a different reason. Sometimes the lyrics of a song remind us of adventure and the open road. Sometimes the beat of a song makes it an instant travel song. And sometimes a song reminds us of a time when we were more carefree and life seemed more fun.

Carry On Wayward Son by Kansas

If you’re fans of the TV show Supernatural, like Charles and I are, this next song is a must listen on the road: Carry On Wayward Son by Kansas.

Even though Supernatural ended after 15 fantastic seasons, this song always brings me back to Sam and Dean cruising in Baby, Dean’s 1967 Chevrolet Impala.

Home for a Rest by Spirit of the West

This song is an epic tradition among Charles’ family and friends. It highlights the need for home after too many nights partying on the road.

Whenever a DJ plays it at a wedding dance, or it starts playing on someone’s home playlist, the entire group jumps up and starts singing and dancing. There are a lot of good memories for this song, for sure, plus it’s upbeat and unforgettable and a lot of fun.

Dirty Paws by Of Monsters and Men

Dirty Paws by Of Monsters and Men from the movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. It’s actually a folk song that tells the story of how Iceland came to have no bees, because of a war between the bees, birds, and cats.

Send Me On My Way by Rusted Root

The catchy, uplifting Send Me On My Way by Rusted Root always gets me singing along.

This is another 1990’s song, and it may seem familiar since it’s been in plenty of movies and TV shows, including the movie Matilda, iconic TV show Party of Five, Ice Age, and, more recently, the Netflix 2021 TV show Maid.

Roam by the The B-52’s

Speaking of catchy, Roam by the The B-52’s, also from the 1990’s has to be one of the most uplifting travel songs out there.

On Top Of The World by Imagine Dragons

On Top Of The World by Imagine Dragons is one of our kids favorite road trips songs, and we can see why.

It’s uplifting and fun, and sets a lighthearted mood. The song’s hugely popular, and was used in President Obama’s inauguration, video games, movie trailers and soundtracks, as well as on TV.

Africa by Toto

Our kids absolutely love this upbeat, unique 1980’s hit song, so it’s always a must listen on our adventure songs list.

Budapest by George Ezra

Budapest by George Ezra is a long time favorite for everyone in our family. It’s always on our road trip and travel playlists.

Me Gustas Tu by Manu Chao

For something a little different, I like Me Gustas Tu by Manu Chao. It’s a catchy repetitive Spanish song with a little French in the chorus and it’s also a fun way to learn a little Spanish as you travel.

Roughly translated, the opening lines of Me Gustas Tu by Manu Chao start something like this:

I like airplanes, I like you.
I like to travel, I like you.
I like the morning, I like you.
I like the wind, I like you.
I like to dream, I like you.
I like the sea, I like you.
- Manu Chao, Me Gustas Tu

Adventure Of A Lifetime by Coldplay

Adventure Of A Lifetime by Coldplay is fun. Honestly, it’s a good song, but not my style. It’s good to have a few dance travel songs on the list. Plus, it has a gorgeous, imaginative video to watch

I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers

A classic party song, this song still gets us tapping our toes. While it isn’t a travel song per say, it does involve walking 500 miles for love and anyone that has had a long distance relationship can sympathize with driving across the country to be with them.

Photograph by Nickelback

Don’t hate on me for including Nickelback. I have my reasons, I promise.

Nickelback is from my home town of Hanna, Alberta, and parts of this music video were filmed near there. For me, this is all about nostalgia. Plus, it’s a fun, catchy song.

Classic travel songs

Some songs are so iconic that they’ve been featured on lists of the best travel songs for decades now. Here are a few of our favorite classic road trip songs.

On the Road Again by Willie Nelson

On the Road Again by Willie Nelson must be on every road trip playlist ever created, and rightly so.

It’s easy to sing along to, with a nostalgic and fun vibe, and it’s perfect for road trips with friends and family.

I’ve Been Everywhere by Johnny Cash

This song always resonates with us, since we’ve made travel such a big part of our lives. It’s a tough song to sing along to, and I’ve never quite mastered the long list of place names Johnny lists, but it’s fun nonetheless.

I've been everywhere, man.
Crossed the desert's bare, man.
I've breathed the mountain air, man.
Of travel I've had my share, man.
I've been everywhere.
- Johnny Cash, I've Been Everywhere

Kokomo by The Beach Boys

This one’s perfect for coastal Florida road trips across that beautiful state.

If you’re driving the scenic highway to the beautiful beaches to the Florida Keys, this is the perfect song. Even if you’re buying the best souvenirs at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter near Orlando, this song catches a chill, relaxed vibe we aspire to as we travel.

Travelin’ Man by Ricky Nelson

This song’s a real oldie, from way back in 1961. IT’s catchy and fun, and I always find myself humming the tune the next day.

Songs for a Road Trip Across Canada

As Canadians, we have an unfair advantage in knowing the very best songs for Canadian road trips. We’re fortunate enough to have traveled thousands of kilometers across Canada on the Trans-Canada Highway, and on many of the smaller roads as well.

Here are a few of our favorite tunes for your cross Canada playlist.

Life is a Highway by Tom Cochrane

This is the original from 1991, which became a number one hit in Canada (where Cochrane is from), and not the remake for the Cars movie by Rascal Flatts.

Ahead by a Century by The Tragically Hip

I once heard someone say that you don’t really understand Canada until you understand what The Tragically Hip, and their lead singer, Gord Downie, mean to a generations of Canadians. That may be an exaggeration, but not by much.

Known to Canadians as the Hip, the band is lesser known outside of the country, but all 17 of their albums appeared on the Canadian Billboard Charts. Much of their music has a strong Canadian theme, weaving in social commentary on injustices and on notable past events.

One of my fondest Hip memories is walking down our street, and hearing Gord Downie’s final concert with the Hip blasting from almost every TV set. Downie later died of terminal brain cancer, but will forever remain a Canadian icon.

Bobcaygeon by The Tragically Hip

Like a lot of Hip songs, Bobcaygeon is poetic and the meaning of the song is a bit obscure. It references small town and cottage life in Canada. Bobcaygeon itself is a small town in east-central Ontario. Whatever the lyrics mean, the song itself is typical Hip – lyrical, easy to listen to, and almost anthemic.

Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon by The Guess Who

The Guess Who are another famous Canadian band, but from an earlier generation than the Hip. The Guess Who had most of their hits in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s.

Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon is a great song for a Canadian west coast road trip, as it mentions three places in Saskatchewan (Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, and small town Moosomin), three cities in Alberta (Red Deer, Medicine Hat and Hanna) and Terrace, British Columbia.

Miles From Our Home by Cowboy Junkies

The title of this song alone marks it as a great road trip song.

No one in sight for fifty miles,
Sleeping fields sigh as I glide across their spines
If I could just reach the crest of that hill
This whole day will tumble and out the night will spill
- Miles From Our Home, Cowboy Junkies

Road Regrets by Dan Mangan

This is one of the more obscure gems on this list of great adventure songs. Dan Mangan is a Canadian singer-songwriter, but this song was written about a road trip across the American Southwest.

The TransCanada by The Constantines

If you’re Canadian, or even if you’ve ever driven from one place to another while in Canada then you’ve likely driven a portion of the Trans-Canada highway. Stretching 7,476 km (4,645 mi) across the country from coast to coast it’s goes through 10 provinces and is one of the longest highways in the world.

Starting in Victoria (on Vancouver Island) and ending in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, driving it from start to finish will take you over 78 straight hours if you don’t stop for food or petrol.

Maybe Tomorrow – Littlest Hobo theme song by Jacques Urbont

OK, admittedly the Littlest Hobo theme song is an odd choice for a playlist, but you’re guaranteed a lively response if you play this for a Canadian born before the 80’s.

The song is a little cheesy (well, a lot cheesy), but it’s from an almost universally loved TV show that ran in the early 1980s about a homeless dog that traveled the country, offering help to anyone who needed it. Yep, you read that right, almost every Canadian over the age of 40 (and a lot younger than that) have heard of this.

Sudbury Saturday Night by Stompin’ Tom Connors

Tom Conners was a Canadian folk and country musician, and this song is about the hard-partying social life of those in the mining city of Sudbury, Ontario.

It’s an oldie, released way back in 1967, but it’s still played at weddings and on your parent’s Canadiana playlists.

The Best Songs for Travel Videos

I’ve spent some time recently playing with making more travel videos. It’s a pretty complex process, if you focus on the technical details.

It’s easy to get caught up in the details of choosing the best video converters for mac or PC, choosing the right camera for video, picking the right editing software, or choosing what frame rate and resolution to film.

That said, it’s sometimes better to just slow it down, and think about the basics. Travel videos are about transporting you to a different place and time, and making you feel something. Music is one of the most important elements to bring emotion and feeling to a travel video.

For travel videos for your own private use, any of the songs on this list are a great choice.

If you’re looking for travel video music for commercial use, then you’ll need to find royalty free music to use, or pay for a licensing fee (from a company like Epidemic Sound or Artlist).

Copyrighted music for travel videos

Here are some of the best songs for travel videos that are copyrighted. IF you use these copyrighted songs, you won’t be able to monetize on YouTube and probably won’t be able to upload to Facebook.

Stay Alive by José González

From the movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, this song has a relaxed, romantic, moody feel that becomes more uplifting and faster paced as the song continues. It’s great for B roll of gorgeous scenery, and perfect for creating a feeling of movement and emotional uplift through a video.

Novo Amor – From Gold

This song has an ethereal, romantic vibe, making it perfect for cinematic shots.

Royalty Free Music for Travel Videos

Finding good royalty free music for travel and adventure videos can be tough.

YouTube itself does have royalty free music for content creators in the YouTube Audio Library. There are some gems there, for sure, but a lot of it isn’t the best, to be honest, and many of the songs are used over and over on different videos.

There are a few other sources for royalty free travel video music, including Incompetech, Envato Market, and Soundcloud.

The Best Songs about Adventure and Travel Playlist

Want to listen to the best songs about adventure and travel songs back to back? Check out this playlist we’ve created for you. Enjoy!

Did we miss any of your favorite travel songs? Let us know in the comments below, and don’t miss our best audiobooks for road trips!

As travel lovers who thrive on varied scenery, the vibrant landscapes of Ohio appeal to us. From the captivating tales of the Covered Bridge Scenic Byway to the adrenaline-pumping stories surrounding Cedar Point, the landscape of Ohio paints a picture we’re itching to step into.

Imagine driving through picturesque byways, awed by Ohio’s wonders, and capturing memories at every stop. Join us as we share our curated list of Ohio’s unforgettable day trips to places we’re all yearning to explore.

Best Day Trips in Ohio

Ready to pack up your car and hit the road in search of the most fun day trips in Ohio? Whether you’re in a brand new Tesla or loading up your pickup, you’ll find somewhere great within driving distance in Ohio.

Start creating a lifetime of memories by taking one (or more) of these unforgettable day trips!

Where should I go on a road trip in Ohio?

Ohio is a treasure trove for road trippers.

Start with the iconic Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, then relax by Lake Erie’s serene shores. Journey through the culturally rich Amish Country Byway and experience the breathtaking Hocking Hills Scenic Byway. For families, Columbus offers a wonderland of kid-friendly stops.

Whether you’re seeking nature, culture, or a simple getaway, Ohio delivers.

Ohio day trips for couples

Looking for a romantic day trip in Ohio?

Ohio, with its mix of scenic beauty and rich culture, offers couples idyllic getaways right at their doorstep. Envision a drive through the Covered Bridge Scenic Byway, where historic bridges meet serene landscapes.

For a cultural immersion, the Amish Country Byway unveils a world of simplicity and charm. And if the sound of cascading waterfalls beckons, destinations from Hayden Falls to Brandywine Falls await.

Covered Bridge Scenic Byway

Couples will love the romantic drive through the Covered Bridge Scenic Byway.

You’ll find four covered bridges on this route, with plenty of quiet countryside and natural beauty. Be sure to check out the Rinard Bridge! This 66 mile route is open year round. The Covered Bridge Scenic Byway is an easy day trip from Columbus.

Waterfall road trip of Ohio

Ohio is full of scenic waterfalls, which makes for a fantastic road trip. We’ve included Ohio’s most popular waterfalls here, plus some of our favorites.

Starting from Columbus, check out Hayden Falls (in Dublin). It’s a gorgeous location, in a scenic gorge with a boardwalk and overlook area. From there, check out Indian Run Falls, also in Dublin, Ohio.

Heading to the north and east, just past Akron, make sure you stop at Brandywine Falls, which feature terraced waterfalls with boardwalk viewpoints. There are countless falls in this area to check out, including the Great Falls of Tinder Creek, (suburban falls in Viaduct Park), Chagrin Falls (easily accessible near the main street of Chagrin Falls town), and Columbia Beach falls, which cascade into the ocean. If you’re looking to do a little hiking, check out Buttermilk Falls, which are accessible by a hiking trail.

To the west of Columbus, you’ll find the gorgeous Charleston Falls, in the Charleston Falls Nature Preserve, with hiking trails, a nature boardwalk, and restrooms.

To the southeast of Columbus, check out the more remote Cedar Falls, with a shallow pool among cliffs and grottos. You’re not supposed to swim here, but that doesn’t stop most people.

Amish Country Byway

If you’re interested in taking in a little unique culture, the Amish Country Byway is a great choice.

Be sure to check out the Farmer’s Produce Auction during growing season, plus the Amish and Mennonite Heritage Center and Yoder’s Amish Home. Any time of year, there are fun tours, comfort food, and a relaxed vibe. A 76 mile drive, in northeast Ohio.

Ohio day trips for families

There’s an interesting mix of Ohio day trips for kids. From the peaceful vibes of Seneca Lake to the educational corners of the COSI Center in Columbus, we shed light on what you can expect. Dive in and see which ones align with your family’s travel style.

Seneca Lake Loop

The Seneca Lake Loop makes for a fantastic Ohio day trip for families.

There’s plenty to do here for kids and adults alike, including swimming, boating, fishing, or just hanging out by the lake. It’s a short dive – only 22 miles – which is perfect for kids’ shorter attention span. Be sure to see Seneca Lake Park, Kennonsburg, and the West Shore Cottage area. This is a great year-round trip, with ice skating in the winter.

Fun things to do in Ohio with kids

Since most kids don’t necessarily love time on the road, here are some of our favorite fun things to do in Ohio with kids. Depending on your starting point, use these as the inspiration for a day trip that will make the kids happy.

Here are some of our top picks for kids:

• Cedar Point amusement park, Sandusky
• Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden
• Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
• The Wilds safari, Cumberland
• Kings Island Amusement Park, Mason
• The Children’s Museum of Cleveland
• COSI Center of Science and Industry, Columbus
• National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, Dayton
• Ohio Caverns, West Liberty
• Cleveland Museum of Art
• Castaway Bay indoor water park, Sandusky
• A Christmas Story House, Clevland
• Veteran’s Spray and Play (also known as the Dinosaur Park), Delaware
• The Works: Ohio Center for History, Art & Technology, Newark
• Smiley Park Children’s Garden, Van Wert
• Spangler Candy Company, Bryan
• Velvet Ice Cream Factory, Utica
• Olentangy Indian Caverns, Delaware
• Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad

Columbus Ohio day trip

As Ohio’s capital and largest city, Columbus is a perfect home base for great day trips.

It’s just a short drive from gorgeous waterfalls like the Hayden Falls. Within a couple of hours in any direction, you’ll find great cities like Newark, Cleveland, Cincinnati, as well as smaller towns like Millersburg. If nature is more your jam, Columbus is an easy drive to Cuyahoga Valley National Park and Hocking Hill State Park.

What is the best scenic route from Columbus Ohio?

Uncover Ohio’s best-kept secret as you navigate the stunning Hocking Hills Scenic Byway, a road trip that promises more than just a change of scenery – it’s an escape from the ordinary!

Hocking Hills Scenic Byway

Looking for the most scenic highway in Ohio? Hocking Hills Scenic Byway is generally considered the most scenic drive from Columbus.

You can access the start of the Hocking Hills Scenic Byway at the intersection of state Route 374 and U.S. 33 in Rockbridge. It’s a 30 mile drive, which lets you take much of what Ohio has to offer, including valleys, rolling hills, meadows, and charming small farms. You can do this drive year round.

Though Hocking Hills is known as the most scenic day trip from Columbus, there are plenty of other options.

Cleveland

Cleveland is a busy city on the shores of Lake Erie, and only just over two hours drive from Columbus.

This is the place to get your rock and roll on at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, or record a jam session at the Garage. The family friendly Christmas Story House and West Side Market are perfect to round out your itinerary.

Cincinnati

Only an hour and a half away from Columbus, Cincinnati is packed with fun things to do, whether you’re into sports, performing arts, culture, or just great food and drink.

Be sure to check out the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, the Cincinnati Art Museum, and Findlay Market. Baseball fans will love the Great American Ball Park.

Millersburg

Want to check out Amish country?

Millersburg is a quieter town, perfect for exploring Amish culture. Be sure to visit Hershberger’s Farm and Bakery, Guggisberg Cheese Factory, and the Village Antique Emporium.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Looking to get outdoors and spend some time in nature?

Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a beautiful park just under two hours’ drive from Columbus. There’s plenty of hiking, from groomed trails to more adventurous treks. Be sure to check out the stunning Brandywine falls. The kids will love the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, but there are adult wine tasting train trips as well.

Looking for more great day trips from Columbus? Wayne National Forest, Mohican State Park, Dayton, Newark, Yellow Springs, or Hamilton may be the ticket.

Ohio seems to offer something for everyone, from scenic byways that promise stunning vistas, to amusement parks that look like teen magnets. We’re rebuilding our Ohio to do wish list with excitement and can’t wait to dive into the experiences that await!

Do you have any suggestions for this list of the best day trips in Ohio? Let us know!

We’ve lived in BC for over a decade now, and while we haven’t driven every highway in the province, we’ve definitely taken our share of drives around our beautiful province.

British Columbia is Canada’s most western province. It borders Alberta, and is known for its vast size and natural beauty. Sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, BC is world famous for its mountain ranges, lakes and glaciers, as well as rocky beaches, ski resorts and natural beauty.

There are numerous highways and scenic drives in British Columbia that make for some genuinely spectacular road excursions no matter the season, with thousands of valley lakes, mountains, and a largely unknown north.

The best road trips in British Columbia will not only take you through some of the most scenic areas in the province but also in Canada. You can visit the Okanagan Valley and see world class vineyards or drive along the west coast and hang out on beautiful beaches.

If you’re quickly looking for snow-capped mountains, head north from cosmopolitan Vancouver up to Whistler where you can ski or snowboard during winter months or go downhill biking in the summer.

Want to see salmon spawning or visit the Rocky Mountains in its rawest form? British Columbia has both.

Dreaming of warm mountain lakes in summer, natural hot pools year round and great hiking? BC has that in droves.

Whether you’re looking for the perfect place to take your family on a road trip, or you just want to explore some beautiful sights with your friends, there’s something in BC for everyone. It doesn’t matter if you’re a born adventurerr, or your idea of fun is statarting a full-on replacing windows process in Ottawa, there’s a BC road trip just for you.

So whether you’re a local wanting to broaden your range, on vacation traveling with family or friends, or just want to get away from it all, here are some of our favourite drives in BC that will take you off the beaten path and into nature’s playground.

The best road trips in British Columbia, Canada

Whether you have your own car or are looking to rent a vehicle, these are the best road trips in British Columbia to take in the beautiful scenery of this Canadian province.

If you’re in the mood for a guided tour, BC has plenty of bus tours available and if you want to see the province unfettered, traveling the province by motorcycle is an amazing experience. Whether you’re looking for the best motorcycle insurance or want to check out the best things to see and do from Vancouver to Banff, this post has you covered.

The Sunshine Coast – Sunshine Coast Highway

Vancouver to Powell River - 170km (105mi) - 4h 20m (2 Ferry crossings)

The Sunshine Coast Trail is one of the most popular hikes in BC, and for good reason. It’s located just north of Vancouver on the coast, and offers a variety of different options for hiking. This includes a section that goes right along the water with stunning views of mountains and ocean alike.

What does this have to do with road trips? Well, not only can you stop and hike the trail, but getting there is also a beautiful drive with tons of great coastal views and mountainous backdrops along the way.

A few highlights along this route include the 2 ferry crossings (the first at Horseshoe Bay and the second at Earl’s Cove) with possibilities to see everything from whales to dolphins and even killer whales right from your vehicle. The majority of the drive is 2 paved lanes and large animal sightings are common so keep your eyes open for any fauna in the area including moose, deer, bears, mountain goats and cougars.

If you want to continue your drive once you reach Powell Bay, you can take a ferry over to Vancouver Island where you’ll start your island adventure near Comox.

The Okanagan Valley – Highway 97

Vernon to Osoyoos - 173km (107mi) - 2h 25m

The Okanagan Valley is home to some amazing wineries and fruit orchards that have been around before BC was even a province!

Starting up around Vernon and continuing south down to Osoyoos you’ll see some of BC’s prettiest lakes starting with Kalamalka Lake that, depending on the season, can range from cyan to indigo.

As you drive south from Vernon on Highway 97 through Lake Country and get into Kelowna, the heart of BC’s interior, there’s tons of things to do with the family including hanging out along the boardwalk of the 135 km (84 mi) long Okanagan Lake (one of the few lakes in Canada to never freeze in the winter) and grab an ice cream before heading to the beach.

As you continue through West Kelowna (home to great vineyards like Mission Hill and Quails Gate) you’ll soon find yourself driving through towns named Peachland and Summerland (great names right!) before arriving in Penticton. Make sure to walk the boardwalk in town before continuing your drive south down to Osoyoos, the warmest city in Canada!

If you love vineyards and cideries, there are literally hundreds in the Okanagan Valley with many just off the highway so pick up a winery guide available nearly everywhere in the valley before you start your Okanagan BC roadtrip.

The Coquihalla Highway – Highway 5N

Hope to Kamloops - 203km (126mi) - 2h 15m

The stretch of highway from Hope to Kamloops has 2 things in abundance, beautiful scenery and infamous notoriety. The Coquihalla features gorgeous mountain rivers and some beautiful mountain vistas however it’s also the star in a show called Highway Thru Hell, depicting the sometimes hazardous conditions that can occur during the winter months. Since it is a high mountain highway through some unforgiving terrain, there is some merit to the legends but if in doubt, check out the Drive BC website and just pay attention to the weather.

That said, the Coq was originally built as a connector to speed up the route that the Trans Canada highway originally took as it made its way west. While the drive is indeed faster via the Coquihalla, the beauty of the drive is also unmistakable.

If you’re feeling the urge for a hot soak, veer off the highway near Bridal Falls to check out Harrison Hot Springs.

As you leave Hope via Highway 3 East (make sure your tank is full since the next gas station in Merritt is 120km or just over an hour away), you’ll quickly jump onto Highway 5 heading to Merritt and Kamloops. If you want to get out and stretch your legs, the Othello Tunnels just past Hope are worth a hike

As you pull into Merritt itself (most of the town is to the north of the highway), you can now choose to continue northeast on Highway 5 to Kamloops or head southeast down Highway 97C to Kelowna and the Okanagan valley.

If you’re planning to drive right through either cities as you continue east, the drive south toward Kelowna will add half an hour to your journey however it is a prettier drive by far and takes you through several small towns and cities.

The Island Drive – Highway 1 and Highway 19

Victoria to Qualicum Beach (Vancouver Island)- 158km (98mi) - 2h 25mins

Though not officially called The Island Drive, navigating this section of Vancouver Island definitely fits the bill. As you leave Victoria, the Victorian architecture filled capital of British Columbia, and head north on Highway 1, you’ll pass quaint villages, pretty murals and get the occasional sweeping views of the ocean and the Gulf Islands.

There are hundreds of places to stop along the way to grab a bite to eat, hike or shop however there are a few wineries and cideries around Cobble Hill that are worth checking out. If you want a quick hike, it’s also worth checking the Kinsol Trestle just before Cobble Hill. It’s one of the tallest free-standing timber rail trestle structures in the world and is amazing to see. It’s part of the Cowichan Valley Trail and is a popular hiking area.

Nanaimo is the next major city on the way north. It’s not a bad place to stock up supplies for your Qualicum Beach stay (if you’re planning a short vacay) and is also the other major ferry terminal if you want to hitch a ferry back to the mainland.

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As you continue north you’ll eventually reach picturesque Nanoose Bay and then Parksville, another major water side destination in its own right though the long sandy beaches along Qualicum Beach are usually what attract the crowds.

While in the region, make sure to check out the Goats on the Roof (literally) at the Old Country Market as well as the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre. Both are great places to take the kids and hang out for a few hours.

The Sea-to-Sky Highway – Highway 99

Vancouver to Whistler - 121km (75mi) - 1h 25mins

Not many people who visit Vancouver, often ranked as one of the best cities on earth, don’t take a day or two to make their way up to Whistler, BC’s premiere ski destination. The hour and a half roadtrip north up Highway 99 is filled with gorgeous ocean and mountain views and passes through Squamish, an outdoor lovers playground.

With everything from rock climbing to Bald Eagle viewing tours in the winter (it held the largest eagle viewing count in the world at 3769 with around 1300 spotted most given years), if you like the outdoors then likely Squamish has something for you. Squamish is also home to the wonderful Sea to Sky Gondola, a year round engineering marvel that zips you to the top in comfort with plenty of trails on either landings.

As you drive into Whistler, it’s quickly evident why it’s touted as an adventurers destination with a myriad of activities for the outdoor enthusiasts. After hitting the slopes, make sure to check out the town centre (known as The Village) with great shopping, restaurants and pubs open year round. Though we often think of Whistler as a winter destination, there are plenty of activities there happening year round.

Visiting in the summer? Check out Porteau Cove Provincial Park, a popular scuba diving destination with artificial shipwrecks and reefs supporting a huge variety of marine life, such as octopus, lingcod and starfish just minutes north of Horseshoe Bay. Don’t know how to dive? Take a course or explore the rocky beaches and go swimming in the ocean for a nice break from your road trip.

The Glacier Drive – Highway 5 and Highway 16

Kamloops to Jasper - 441km (274mi) - 4h 45mins

While Jasper isn’t technically in BC (it’s 20km from the BC/Alberta border), the vast majority of this drive is in British Columbia and it’s a beautiful road trip through valleys and mountains, with a few great sites along the way.

As you head up Highway 5 north from Kamloops, a great little city fronting the beautiful Thompson River and home to the BC Wildlife Park, you’ll pass wide open valleys that soon turns into winding mountain passes. The nicest part about this Kamloops to Jasper road trip is that the highway follows along the North Thompson River for a sizable portion of the drive, which makes for a great backdrop and gorgeous views.

Along the way, you can check out some amazing waterfalls or go whitewater rafting around Clearwater. If you don’t have time to check them out but want to stretch your legs, check out either North Thompson River Provincial Park right before Clearwater or the Blue River Provincial Park. Both are right along the highway and are easy to pull off into.

As you turn right (North) onto Highway 16 (known as the Yellowhead Highway) you’ll have another few places to stop with Rearguard Falls Provincial Park just on the right and then the Mount Robson visitor centre with Mt. Robson (the tallest mountain in the Rockies) as a nice backdrop. If you’re an avid hiker, the Berg Lake Trail (23km) is often considered one of the top 5 best hikes in Canada with plenty of gorgeous scenery and wildlife spotting.

Pulling into Jasper, it’s easy to see why it’s touted as one of the best destinations in Canada. From the stunning water colors of the Athabasca River and surrounding lakes, to its proximity to glaciers and icefields to the Sky Tram and Marmot Basin ski resort it has plenty to see and do including Canada’s best Dark Sky festival.

If you have the time, there are some of the most beautiful waterfalls in Canada less than an hour from Clearwater. Helmcken Falls, the 4th largest waterfall in Canada, in gorgeous Wells Gray Park is just one of them. You can also check out both Spahats Falls and Dawson Falls while on the way. Total time to Helmcken Falls is around 45 minutes (44km) one way.

The Cathedral Drive – Highway 4

Parksville to Port Alberni (Vancouver Island) – 50km (31mi) – 44mins

We only discovered this route a few years ago when visiting Port Alberni for the first time but it’s a quick, gorgeous drive through old growth forests and one of the prettiest walkways you’ll find on Vancouver Island.

Just as you pass picturesque Cameron Lake, past the halfway point of your journey, lies Cathedral Grove in MacMillan Provincial Park. This trail leads to the most accessible giant Douglas fir tree stands on Vancouver Island. You can walk the short number of trails under the shadow of giant Douglas-fir trees with some more than 800 years old.

Due to some severe windstorms over the years, some of the ancient trees have fallen and the park and trails are continually being monitored and repaired. Make sure you check to make sure it’s open if you decide to make the trip out there.

The Rocky Mountain Pass – Highway 1

Revelstoke to Lake Louise - 227km (141mi) - 3hours

The Rocky Mountains are a some of the most mountainous terrain in the world however the drive through them is often a very pleasant experience. Similar to Jasper, Lake Louise is only 10km from the BC/Alberta border so the majority of this road trip takes place in British Columbia.

Along the way, you’ll drive over Canada’s highest mountain pass, see a few hot pools, look up at the second tallest waterfall in Canada, traverse the premiere whitewater rafting river in the country plus witness some of the best scenery Canada has to offer.

Leaving east down Highway 1 from Revelstoke, a former train station hub and home to the great Revelstoke Mountain resort and Pipe Mountain Coaster, a 1.4km all downhill rollercoaster that barrels your way down a mountain, you’ll soon hit a series of boardwalks and trails. The one you don’t want to miss is Giant Cedars Boardwalk, a quick 20 minute walk through some extremely large cedar trees.

Right after that you have Canyon Hot Springs resort with a nice set of hot pools and soon after that you’ll be climbing through Roger’s Pass, the highest point along Canada’s 8000+km TransCanada highway.

As you arrive into Golden, Canada’s whitewater rafting capital, there are a myriad of adventures you can partake in like whitewater rafting or checking out the Golden SkyBridge, Canada’s highest suspension bridge and zipline site. After Golden you have Field, a cute mountain town with nearby access to Takakkaw Falls, Canada’s 2nd highest waterfall and around 10 minutes off the highway.

Once you arrive in Lake Louise, you’ll want to check out the gorgeous turquoise lake the town is famous next to stunning Chateau Lake Louise. There are some great hikes around the area and if you happen to be there in winter, Lake Louise Resort is considered one of the best ski resorts in Alberta.

If you want to read about more things to do along British Columbia’s TransCanada Highway, check out our ultimate Vancouver to Banff road trip guide.

The Pacific Rim – Highway 4

Port Alberni to Tofino (Vancouver Island) - 126km (78mi) - 1h 50mins

Traveling on Highway 4 west from Port Alberni to the coastal side of Vancouver Island is a leisurely affair with some beautiful coastal roads, some old growth forests and plenty of sights along the way.

As you leave Port Alberni, a small city on the Alberni Inlet, Vancouver Island’s longest ocean inlet, you’ll quickly pass Sproat Lake, a 4 season area with lakeside cabins and camping sites popular with fishermen and boaters alike. Next, you have Wally Creek. Right beside the highway with parking spaces, this is a perfect spot to jump in and cool off in the cristal clear blue water.

Continuing on you finally arrive at the coast. If you want to explore some of the natural beauty of the Pacific Rim National Park, now’s a great time to stop and grab a pass at the Pacific Rim Visitor centre. If you want a small detour, feel free to head south down to Ucluelet while first stopping off for a short walk around the Ancient Cedars Loop Trail.

To the north and towards our final destination of Tofino, another great walk is the Rainforest Trail that is a wood boardwalk & gravel trail through a veritable forest of cedar & hemlock trees covered in moss.

Next you have the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve with a tiny tourist town (Long Beach) on the edge of a nature lovers coastal retreat. Near endless stretches of beach attract surfers year-round however most visit simply to watch the waves and walk the miles of sand.

Soon you’ll be at the end of your road trip and driving into Tofino proper. This cozy town on the edge of the world is popular with surfers, nature lovers, whale watchers and hikers. In summer the population swells but it’s also a popular area year round with some great chefs and restaurants calling the town home.

Another popular surfing and beach spot in the area is Chesterman Beach on the southern outskirts of Tofino. There are plenty of inns and hotels in the area if you plan to stay for a few days.

The Kootenays – Highway 6, 31A, 31 and 3A

Nakusp to Creston via Balfour - 218km (135mi) - 3h 15mins (1 Ferry crossing)

Unfettered nature is the best way to describe this road trip through British Columbia’s fabled Kootenays. Gorgeous lakes, relaxing hot springs, swaths of forests and a ferry ride are all highlights of this drive.

We first start in Nakusp, a nice beach village on the edge of the rather long Upper Arrow Lake. The Nakusp region is always busy in summer and has a gorgeous beach with clear water. As you head southeast out of town on Highway 6, you’ll soon be driving parallel to picturesque Slocan Lake. As you arrive into New Denver, a quaint village along the lake bank, you’ll soon be heading due east on Highway 31A.

As you drive over the Kokanee Glacier ranges, you’ll eventually reach Kaslo, a village on the west shore of Kootenay Lake in the West Kootenay region. If you want to stretch your legs, a quick walk along the Kaslo River Trail in town is a nice diversion and there’s a few good restaurants here as well. Further south of Kaslo, Fletcher Falls makes a great short pit stop with some nice little falls just off the highway.

Next we have Ainsworth Hot Springs, a favorite place of ours with some really nice hot springs and a heated hot springs cave. There’s also a delicious restaurant on site as well and if you stay in the hotel, the hot springs are included. Otherwise, they offer day passes for visitors.

After a lovely drive south along along Kootenay Lake we arrive in Belfour where it’s time to jump on a ferry over to Kootenay Bay as we continue down Highway 3A. The highway itself follows Kootenay Lake all the way towards Creston so don’t worry about getting lost now. Creston itself is a valley town with a variety of amenities, hotels and restaurants plus a few wineries and the Columbia Brewery (home of Kokanee beer) that gives brewery tours. If you’re there in summer, make sure to check out the wetlands at the Kootenay-Columbia Discovery Centre.

To get to Nakusp, you can either head due south from Revelstoke on Highway 23 or head east from Vernon on highway 6. Either roads are great however the additional cable ferry ride from Needle to Fauquier is a great bonus when driving in from Vernon and there are some great views and awesome lakes, namely Mable Lake, Sugar Lake and Echo Lake just off Highway 6 that are worth checking out as well if you have time.

Bonus Road Trip – The Island Highway – Highway 19N

Comox to Port Hardy (Vancouver Island) - 290km (180mi) - 3 hours (1 Ferry crossing)

Since no list is ever complete, we’ve decided to throw this last BC road trip in as a bonus. It starts in picturesque Comox.

In Comox you can check out the fisherman’s wharf or one of the numerous beaches such as Goose Spit Park. Kite surfing is a popular pastime here as well you’ll likely see some kites flashing by as you walk the many beaches.

Heading north up Highway 19, you’ll soon be arriving in Campbell River. The city is a very popular whale watching center as well as famously hosting grizzly bear tours. Either tour can be booked well in advance with several companies and some even guarantee a sighting or your next tour is on them. Another popular activity here is heading to Elk Falls Suspension Bridge with it’s large suspension bridge and waterfall as well as checking out the Quinsam Salmon Hatchery, one of the largest salmon hatcheries in Canada.

Continuing past Campbell River (make sure you fill up before leaving) you have a lot of land to cover that includes a few rivers plus a lake before getting back to the coast. Soon you’ll be pulling in to Port Hardy and able to check out the many beaches and marinas plus a plethora of day trips to places like God’s Pocket Marine Preserve to view sea lions. Taking a guided kayak tour is a definite must if the weather is nice.

You can get to Comox from the mainland via a BC ferry from Powell River so if you’ve done the road trip there then this route is a natural progression of it. You can also take a ferry from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert. If you plan to do this 16 hour ferry, renting a room on board is a great way to relax and see everything along the way.

Final notes on the best road trips in BC

After having our home base in BC for over a decade, we’ve had the opportunity to see a large portion of it and can never get enough of the beautiful scenery, the friendly people and the wild beauty. While this list isn’t exhaustive, we hope it gives you a few ideas of some of the best road trips in British Columbia and inspires you to visit and see the province for yourself.

Think we missed a hidden gem? We’d love to hear about it below. Safe travels.

First you’ll start your trip in a metropolitan paradise then along the way you’ll see more waterfalls, lakes and hot springs than you can remember, a number of resort style lake towns you won’t soon forget then drive through some of Canada’s highest mountain peaks and finally arrive in one of the most famous mountain resort towns in North America.

A quick note on Canadian Geography and Distances

While being from Canada means we’re often immune to it’s many charms, we do know that a visit to Canada is on many peoples travel bucket list. Covering a huge portion of land between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and as far north as the North Pole, the terrain and people you’ll meet in Canada are as varied as anyplace you’ll find on Earth.

Starting on the west coast you have gorgeous coastal areas leading into the majestic Rocky Mountains followed by miles of grassy rolling hills that lead to seemingly never ending prairies in the center of Canada. From there you hit the many small lakes and hills of the rock covered Canadian Shield before finally arriving at the Great Lakes themselves which then leads you the Appalachian Uplands and back down to the Atlantic ocean. And that’s only if you travel in a straight line!

Over the years we’ve met numerous travelers who’ve asked if they can land in Toronto and drive to Vancouver in a few days. Well, to be blunt, that’s a 40+ hour straight drive with no stops through 5 provinces and is over 4,200 km or 2600 miles in distance.

If you actually wanted to drive Canada from side to side you’re looking at over 80 hours of driving (7100 km or 4400 miles) and that doesn’t include ferry time to Vancouver Island.

Needless to say, visiting Canada from Coast by vehicle is way more than you’re going to manage in a weekend or even a few weeks if you actually want to experience any of our varied country. It’s also why Canadians tend to measure our distances in hours rather than kilometers and you’ll see that happening right across the country. Finally, if you’re renting a car for your travels, make sure to get car insurance now. Travel insurance with a good company is a great idea as well.

The Ultimate Vancouver to Banff Road Trip

One popular driving route that we do often recommend to visitors is the Vancouver to Banff road trip. It’s a beautiful 10 hour drive through the Rocky Mountains that has plenty of things to offer no matter what time of year you get here. Of course, stopping and checking out the sites isn’t included in that 10 hour time frame so choose when and where to stop as you see fit.

So, sit back and enjoy the ride as we present to you the ultimate Vancouver to Banff road trip with a few possible stops and things to see along the way.

This list is by no means all encompassing but we will include a few notes on things to check out if time or the season permits. Also, while you can easily drive this distance in a day, we recommend taking a few days to get there to stop and enjoy a few of the regions highlights along the way.

Plenty of places to stop along the way

We start our journey in British Colombia’s largest center and Canada’s third largest city (after Toronto and Montreal). Sitting just north of Seattle, Vancouver is a great blend of nature and urban living with mile high skyscrapers overlooking dozens of beautiful parks and even more beautiful coastal waterways. The entire city is nestled in a large valley with ocean on one side and mountains on the other.

Vancouver, British Columbia

Whether you’re jogging along the miles and miles of paved paths on the famous Vancouver Seawall, relaxing on the clean sands at Kitsilano Beach, checking out the restaurants and pubs in cobblestoned Gastown, ordering a microbrew on Granville Island or checking out Canada’s largest urban park (the famed Stanley Park), Vancouver likely has something for you to enjoy.

Some of the other great things to see and do in Vancouver include visiting the Vancouver Aquarium, touring the Granville Island Public Market, viewing the Museum of Anthropology on the sprawling grounds of the University of British Columbia, checking out the Orpheum Theatre for it’s world renowned sympathy orchestra, going high end shopping along Robson Street, riding the Aquabus along False Creek From Hornby to Granville to The Village, climbing up grueling Grouse Mountain, visiting the Capilano Salmon Hatchery and taking the kids to the always impressive Science World.

Vancouver is considered a foodie’s dream come true with dozens of foods and flavor’s calling the city home. With tons of cafes, pubs, bars and restaurants ranging from world class street food to some of North America’s finest dining, Vancouver is also home to Canada’s largest Chinatown.

It’s over a century old and also third in size in North America only to New York’s and San Francisco’s. Vancouver’s Chinatown is overflowing with oriental foods and delicacies as well as many exotic spices and goods.

If you get tired of the urban life, not far from Vancouver’s city center you can head north to Capilano Suspension Bridge Park and cross some breathtakingly high ravines or have a treetop walk in a true coastal rainforest. We actually prefer going a bit farther north to Lynn Canyon Park where the prices are cheaper but either place will be worth bringing your cameras if you value suspension bridges, waterfalls, deep ravines, gigantic trees and being completely surrounded in nature.

If you crave nightlife, the Granville Entertainment District is the place to be Vancouver (especially Friday and Saturday nights) with a long strip of nightclubs and enough neon lights to make Vegas proud. Gastown has tons of late night eats with more than a few pubs and micro breweries thrown in for good measure, Yaletown has some higher end bars, Kitsilano has some of the best sportsbars in the city and if you’re looking for alternative lifestyles, then Davie Village is the place to be.

After you’ve had your fill of Vancouver, it’s time to head east down Canada’s only transcontinental highway, Highway 1.

Coquitlam, Surrey and Abbottsford, British Columbia

The Greater Vancouver area encompasses several communities however it’s hard to discern where one area ends and another begins as you leave the city. Soon you’ll be passing through Burnaby, home to the Simon Fraser University and the 3 storied juggernaut, Metrotown, BC’s largest mall. If you have some shopping you want to do, pretty sure you’ll find it at Metrotown.

Next areas on the list you have Port Moody and Coquitlam to your north (home to Mundy Park, a large urban park with great walking trails and 2 small lakes) and New Westminster to your south (famous for trendy pubs and it’s cool Quayside Park where you can watch big boats moving up and down the waterways).

Next you’ll cross the iconic Port Mann Bridge (make sure to have your camera ready) sitting over the mighty Fraser River, British Columbia’s longest river and renowned for it’s excellent fishing. The Fraser River also contains many of BC’s larger hydro electric dams to the north and meets the ocean not too far from here so large boats can be seen on either side of the bridge at all hours of the day.

Soon you will be arriving in Surrey and if you love old electric trams then you can check out the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway where you get to ride an old streetcar and learn about Vancouvers electric train history. If it’s a hot day, White Rock is a very popular beach and if you want to miss the crowds then Crescent Beach is also popular but often less crowded.

The next city on the list is Abbottsford. Well known for it’s excellent blueberries in late summer (make sure to stop off the highway and buy a basket of them for your Vancouver to Banff road trip), it also houses Clayburn Village with a great little old style candy shop and tea house that’s worth a peruse.

Chilliwack, British Columbia

As you leave Abbottsford, you have some decisions to make depending on the time of year and what you value most. Chilliwack is a good sized working city but it’s greatest attractions lie to the south and the east of the city proper. Essentially, if it’s summer time, you can head south for a fun day at Cultus Lake Adventure Park, a huge sprawling waterpark with rides and amusements for the whole family. It’s a guaranteed fun day and we have friends that make the pilgrimage out there every summer with their kids.

If you want to get out and see nature (and have some beautiful pictures), make sure you check out Bridal Veil Falls Waterfall to the east of Chilliwack. The falls are beautiful to see the majority of the year and there’s some great hiking in the area. The falls are a vertical 10 minute hike so make sure you’re up for it but most people have no problem hiking up to see them.

Agassiz and Hope, British Columbia

On the other side of Chilliwack, you’ll be driving into Agassiz. It’s a sleepy little community however now you have a choice of continuing on to Hope or to driving up to Harrison Hot Springs. We love staying in Harrison Hot Springs however it’s not as much as a quick stop as it is a destination in it’s own right. Nestled along the shores of picturesque Harrison Lake lies Harrison Hot Springs Resort (and for which the neighboring town is named for).

With five spring fed hot mineral pools on site, it’s easy to lounge the day (and night away). While the once opulent hotel has seen better days, it’s the only place in town to fully soak in the natural pools. While pool use is included with your stay, they sometimes allow day passes. Please check before you go though just to be sure.

Regardless of whether you stop in Harrison Hot Springs, make sure you fill up your car in Hope. It’s well over an hour until you’ll see the next gas station in Merritt.

From Hope you’ll be getting off the Trans Canada Highway #1 and taking highway #5, the Coquihalla Highway. Not only will it speed up your travels, this newer highway takes you past the unforgettable Othello Tunnels.

The Othello Tunnels were first built back in 1914 as part of the Kettle Valley Railroad and include a series of five large tunnels originally built for railway access but were closed down in the 60’s and are now part of the Trans Canada Trail system (a walkable trail that spans the length of Canada). Constructed through a mountain of native granite and connected by trestles over the 300m high Coquihalla Gorge, the Othello Tunnels aren’t something that should be missed.

As you leave the trestles, enjoy the scenery as you cruise along Canada’s famed Highway Through Hell, as seen on the Discovery Channel. Don’t worry, unless you happen to be driving through a snowstorm you’ll be fine (and even then just slow down and you’ll be fine). In the summer it’s a nice drive as you arrive into Merritt.

Merritt, British Columbia

Merritt is famous for it’s yearly country music festival, the Rockin River Music Fest that it holds towards the end of July every year. Famous country singers from Willie Nelson to Toby Keith to Travis Tritt to Keith Urban to Tim McGraw have graced its stage and hung out in their huge campground.

As you leave Merritt, you’re going to want to leave Highway 5 and head south down Highway 5A towards Kelowna. If you didn’t fill up in Hope then definitely fill up before you leave Merritt since it’s another hour and 20 minutes before you get into Kelowna and see your first gas station. Highway 5A will change into the Okanagan Connector at one point so just stay on Highway 97 towards Kelowna and you’ll be fine.

Kelowna, British Columbia

Now we might be biased (since we’re currently based out of Kelowna) however Kelowna and the Okanagan have a ton to offer people. From award winning wineries to beautiful beaches and gorgeous parks, the Okanagan Valley in BC is a great place to be and one of the warmest areas in Canada. The main highlight is the 135 km (84 mi) long Okanagan Lake that ties the valley together (also one of the only lakes in Canada that never freezes).

With over 182 licenced wineries in the valley, if you’re a wine lover you can spend days just hopping from one vineyard to another. If you prefer cider there are dozens of cideries plus tons of microbrewers as well in Kelowna proper.

While of course we can’t list them all, if you only have time for a few wineries then these are some of our favorites with the most ambience (though not necessarily our favorite wines) and the ones we’ll often bring new visitors to see:

West Kelowna:

• Mission Hill Family Estate Winery – Fabulous architecture high on the hill and gorgeously manicured grounds, this place is considered royalty in the valley.
• Quails Gate Winery – As well as having a delicious restaurant, they let you wander around the rows of vines and also offer an affordable tour (when available) to show behind the scenes of a working vineyard.

Kelowna:

• Summerhill Pyramid Winery – Known for their white pyramid and nice views across the lake on the opposite side of Mission and Quails Gate they also have a popular restaurant.
• Soma Craft Cidery – Nestled in the woods in a park like setting on the east side of Kelowna, this place has delicious cider, a Farm Inn you can stay at and llamas you can feed.
• BC Tree Fruits Cider Co – This place is part of a fruit packing plant in the industrial section of Kelowna so isn’t pretty like the others on this list however the cider is tasty (and they have a large selection) plus you can walk next door to their market where they have a dozen different local apples you can buy year round to enjoy on your roadtrip.

Lake Country:

• Grey Monk Estate Winery – Scenic drive and tasty port (try it with chocolate!) on the way towards Vernon. It’s worth the drive plus there are 2 other trendy vineyards (Ex Nihilio and ArrowLeaf that are only a few blocks away) that have great food in season (make sure to book first if you’re wanting to eat at either place in the summer though.)

If you love fruit, there are orchards everywhere in the valley with fruit stands everywhere selling everything from 50 different apple varieties (September to October with some available at BC Tree Fruits near year round) to some of the best peaches you’ll find anywhere on earth (mid July to early September). Cherries are in season the beginning of July and there are plenty of u-pick centers if you’ve never had the good fortune of picking them straight off a tree (just try not to eat them all so you have some to take with you on the rest of your roadtrip).

We’ve written several guides on fun things to do in Kelowna so I won’t rewrite it all here but you have the lake and dozens of beaches in the summer and Big White, an internationally acclaimed ski resort just 30 minutes south of Kelowna in the winter that will rival any ski hill on earth. For the rest of the year you have tons of great trails, hikes, pubs, restaurants and activities to make your time here fly by.

As you leave Kelowna east on Highway 97 towards Vernon, make sure to pay attention to the lakes on the right. The high on the hill view of green tinged mineral Kalamalka Lake is always impressive and soon you’ll be in Vernon which also happens to be about the midpoint of your trip from Vancouver to Banff. Congrats for making it this far!

Vernon, British Colombia

Vernon has tons to offer including another well loved ski hill, Silverstar Mountain. If you’re here in the winter and enjoy downhill skiing then it’s another great option after Big White.

Vernon also has multiple beach areas (some on Kalamalka and some on Okanagan Lake) and is also home to Splashdown Vernon, a small but fun outdoor waterpark. Vernon is also full of restaurants and has a popular brewery (OK Brewery) right in town that gives tours.

Vernon is also home to Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery and if you like whisky and gin or fruit infused spirits then definitely swing by and taste their liqueurs and grab a bottle to take home with you.

As you continue out of Vernon on Highway 97A North, you’ll soon pass through Armstrong.

Armstrong, British Columbia

Armstrong, known throughout Canada for their Armstrong Cheese and specifically their squeaky cheese, the company unfortunately no longer offers tours at their factory. If you’re feeling a bit peckish, feel free to stop at The Village Cheese Company for some artisan cheese samples and small tour. They even have their own brand of squeaky cheese if you’ve never had it!

If you love kitschy highway stops, then make sure to stop at the Log Barn 1912 before you reach Enderby. Don’t worry about spotting it, there are a dozen signs pointing to it and if the large dinosaurs, dragons and sculptures sitting outside don’t catch your attention then you really shouldn’t be driving! There’s a shop inside with ice cream, candy and wacky souvenirs as well as a quick walk around the grounds gives you a minute to stretch your legs.

Enderby, British Columbia

Enderby is a cute little town but it’s major claim to fame is the Starlight Drive-In. The 6,000 square foot screen to the south of town is the biggest drive-in movie screen in North America and one of the last in Canada. Operating from June until September, it makes a great night out with the family. If you happen to make it then and decide to catch a movie, Salmon Arm is only 20 minutes away and has more hotels than Enderby does.

If you don’t need a place to sleep, then continue up Highway 97A towards Sicamous. This is a gorgeous drive right along the edge of Mara Lake and while you’ll likely lose 10 minutes rather than going up through Salmon Arm I promise you’ll enjoy it.

Sicamous, British Columbia

As you arrive into Sicamous proper, you’ll need to take a right onto Highway 1 heading east. Don’t worry, you’ll stay on Highway 1 for the rest of your ultimate Vancouver to Banff roadtrip so don’t worry about maps for a while. Just go east wayward traveler.

When we pass through Sicamous we often fill up our gas tank. Soon we’ll be crossing into the Rockies and gas prices go up 10 cents a liter once you hit Revelstoke. Weirdly, Golden is always cheaper than Revelstoke and is another option if you can easily make it another 220 km on your current tank.

If you enjoy dairy farms and ice cream, then D Dutchmen Dairy in Sicamous is a must stop. Fresh homemade ice cream and the ability to walk through a real working dairy farm with cows and a small menagerie of animals out back. They also have a great little fruit and veggie stand (the last real one on your journey) right across the street from June to September. Follow the signs as you turn onto Highway 1 and it will be on your right.

We now continue our road trip towards Revelstoke however first we have 2 interesting stops you might want to check out. First up is Crazy Creek Hot Pools, about 20 minutes east of Sicamous. This little 4 season roadside resort offers hot spring to it’s weary travelers from 9am to 9pm 365 days a year. Best part is that no reservations are required so if you’re up for a hot dip then nothing is stopping you.

5 Minutes further down the road from the hot springs you have the sister attractions of The Enchanted Forest and SkyTrek Adventure Park. Both are open from June to September. The Enchanted Forest is a nature walk through a magical land of castles, miniature houses and a giant treehouse while SkyTrek is an aerial adventure park that will have you climbing, jumping and zip lining from one treetop platform to another.

10 minutes east of the adventure park you’ll find Three Valley Gap where you’ll catch a glimpse of history as this old ghost town harkens back to the 1800’s and pioneer days of a British Columbia western town. The distinct Three Valley Lake Chateau on the banks of the lake also makes a great picture spot before you keep heading east to Revelstoke.

Revelstoke, British Columbia

Revelstoke is an old train town with plenty of ties to the railroad. We always enjoy walking along the raging Columbia River as we pull into town to stretch our legs a bit. If you turn right immediately as you cross the bridge there is a small park next to the road. Leave your car in the parking lot then follow the pathway left under the train bridge.

If you love trains than the Revelstoke train museum shouldn’t be missed and if you’re there when it’s open, a quick 30 minute guided tour of the Revelstoke Hydro Dam makes for an interesting diversion.

Another popular attraction in Revelstoke is Revelstoke Mountain Resort. In the summer they have downhill biking and the Pipe Mountain Coaster, which features 1.4 kilometres of twists and turns as you hurtle down a mountain on a small rollercoaster while travelling at speeds of up to 42 kph. In the winter the park receives 30 to 40 feet of snow and the ski hill features a descent of 1,713 vertical meters (5,620 feet) – the most in North America.

Heading east down Highway 1, we’re now on our way to Golden, BC.

Glacier and Rogers Pass, British Columbia

As we leave Revelstoke, we soon reach Skunk Cabbage Boardwalk Trail and Giant Cedars Boardwalk Trail. Both are greatly named and fun little hikes. The one you don’t want to miss though is Giant Cedars Boardwalk. It’s a quick 20 minute walk along a well signed wooden boardwalk through some of the largest cedar trees you’re ever likely to find.

Only a few minutes farther up the highway you’ll find Alberta Canyon and the Canyon Hot Springs Resort. Unlike Crazy Creek, these hot pools are only open from May to September and they also offer cabins and campsites if you’re making the trip pulling a camper of RV.

From Revelstoke to Golden you’re going to be climbing like crazy with the peak just between Glacier and Rogers Pass. This is the highest point of the Trans-Canada highway so be proud. You made it to the top and now it’s just smooth sailing from here on out. If you need a bit of a stretch make sure you check out the Rogers Pass National Historic Site. If it’s the middle of winter, just take a picture of those 20 foot tall snowbanks to each side of your car as you continue east to Golden.

Right before you get to Golden, you’ll reach the Northern Lights Wildlife Wolf Centre. It’s a wolf habitat and interpretive center that’s open to tours year round (no reservations required) and gets you up close and personal with some real North American wolves.

Golden, British Columbia

Golden is a great mountain town that always surprises us with the new things we find to do there. One thing to do is you can check out the Golden SkyBridge. Open from June to October, Canada’s highest suspension bridge traverses 426 feet above an wide canyon and features a zipline, climbing ropes and a canyon swing if you can handle your heights.

If you love water and adrenaline, Golden is Canada’s whitewater rafting capital with several white water rafting companies operating in town. Rafting excursions run along the fast flowing Kicking Horse River all summer long and most rafting companies have offices either in Golden or just east of the city.

If you want to stretch your legs, there is a beautiful covered pedestrian bridge spanning a portion of the river next to the Porcelain Garden park close to downtown. There are several restaurants and pubs nearby as well if you want to grab a bite to eat.

As we leave Golden, we’ll soon find ourselves in a different province and a different time zone so get ready to set your clocks an hour forward!

Before that though, you might want to pull over in a few areas (like Faeder Lake, Finn Creek or Natural Bridge) and take some pictures. From Golden to Lake Louise the rivers and lakes start taking on a turquoise glow due to their high clarity and mineral content that is hard to resist photographing. From little waterfalls here and there to some of the most breathtaking mountain scenery, your head will be whipping side to side never knowing which side of the car you should be looking.

If you’re lucky you’ll spot a giant grizzly or maybe a giant moose. Bighorn sheep and large elk are also often spotted along the highways and if you see a bunch of cars pulled over or clumped together there’s a good chance there’s an animal nearby.

Field, British Columbia

One thing you’ll need as you drive towards Banff and Lake Louise is a National Park Pass. Park passes can be bought ahead of time or from certain vendors. Visitors arriving from Calgary and the west can easily purchase their passes as they pass into the Banff National Park however visitors coming from the east don’t have access to a kiosk. It’s suggested for you to either pre-purchase one online here or at one of the approved locations like the Yoho National Park Visitor Center just off Highway 1 in Field.

The good news is that if you purchase a National Park pass for the year, they are good across the country and this pass also gives you access to breathtaking Takakkaw Falls on the other side of Field. So does a day pass so don’t fret, you just get more time to explore this cool region.

Takakkaw Falls in Yoho National Park is accessible June to October and can be reached by a 10 minute drive along Yoho Valley Road just off Highway 1 a few minutes past Field. There is a nice park at the end and a short 10 minute walk (1.3km) that will bring you within sight of Takakkaw Falls. With a total height of 373 metres (1,224 ft) and a single drop of 254 metres (833 ft), this glacier fed body of water makes them the second tallest waterfall in Canada.

As we head east and finally cross into Alberta, set your clocks ahead 1 hour…. Now!

Lake Louise, Alberta

Beautiful turquoise lake? Check. Beautiful chateau? Check. World class skiing? Double check.

What Lake Louise lacks in amenities, it makes up for with unrivalled beauty. If you can ignore the hordes of people, walking around the cloudy turquoise waters of Lake Louise can be magical.

Whether you rent a canoe and explore the lake from above the water or decide to grab your walking shoes and head to the right past Chateau Lake Louise along Lakeshore Trail is up to you. Walking to the end of the trail or just stopping on one of the many benches and just enjoying the relative quiet compared to the main area, now is a perfect time to take a picture. If you can get one with one of the red canoes framed just right you might even decide to frame it.

If you happen to be here in the winter, while you won’t be able to see that turquoise glow, you might be lucky enough to strap on some skates and skate over it. Nicely groomed for most of the winter, you can rent skates right by the water or in town. Feel free to check out some other nearby lakes for skating as well.

While Lake Louise gets all the attention, Moirane Lake is equally as pretty and some even think it’s prettier. Regardless, it’s definitely less busy and has some more challenging hikes if you’re so inclined to take them.

Another great hike people enjoy is the hike up to the Lake Agnes Tea House. While it’s not a crazy far, the 7.2km round trip hike does play on you if you’re not accustomed to hiking at this elevation.

Skiing and snow boarding are of course the other half of Lake Louise’s appeal. When the ground starts to freeze and the snows come thick, Lake Louise becomes one the best ski hills in the country. On nice winter days, it’s not uncommon to see a steady line of cars driving in from Calgary and the highway looks more like a living being rather than pavement.

If you happen to be staying in Lake Louise itself, Chateau Lake Louise is a gorgeous option however there are more options in town plus some great fireside pubs to cozy up to anytime of the year.

Finally, even if it’s the middle of summer, take a gondola ride up the ski hill. You’re almost guaranteed to see some wildlife and the view from the top makes the gondola ride so worth it. If it’s winter, grab you board and enjoy!

As we take our final leg east towards Banff, it’s time to congratulate yourself. You’ve just made it through some of the worst passages in the world and lived to tell the tale. Now just imagine those brave men and women who first crossed those mountains and tamed that wilderness to get us where we are now. 2 months travels in under 9 hours of driving. Love it!

If you have a little more time (roughly an extra 20 minutes) and want to see some more gorgeous country with a better chance to get up close with animals and nature, jumping off of Highway 1 in Lake Louise and heading to Banff along Highway 1A (the Bow Valley Parkway) is a solid choice (just ensure the roads are fully open first). Castle Cliff, Silverton Falls, Johnston Canyon, Backswamp and Bow Valley Parkway are all picturesque diversions.

If you’re here to ski or snowboard, Sunshine Mountain is another great ski hill and is often the first hill to open every year. With some epic snowfall, it’s always a favorite with locals.

Banff, Alberta

As we finally pull into Canada’s premier mountain town, the urge to party all night can be strong. Don’t give in, even though the party never stops in Banff, you’ve just had a long day and it’s time for a rest.

In the morning you can check out some of Banff’s best sites and activities. From skiing nearby Mount Norquay in the winter to riding up Sulphur mountain on the Gondola in summer there’s plenty to do. (If you’re up for climbing the hill yourself they give you a free lift down! Budget 2 solid hours.)

You can hike or bike down to beautiful Bow Falls, drive up Tunnel Mountain looking for elk (they’re everywhere up there) or check out the sulfuric delights of the Banff Cave and Basin National Historic Site. There are horseback tours, biking tours, boating tours and even canyon and rappelling tours.

Of course you’ll want to check out the Rocky Mountain Chocolate factory and eat at some top class restaurants while you’re here. Whether you stay at the Banff Fairmont Springs or not, you definitely need to drive up there and walk around the place as well. The hotel exudes old world charm and is definitely worth checking out.

After all that driving, you’ll likely want to soak your troubles away in the Banff Upper Hot Springs. Open year round these, the naturally fed hot springs are a great way to unwind after a few hard days behind the wheel.

With that, we’re at the end. We hope you enjoyed your ultimate Vancouver to Banff roadtrip and hope you get to continue to explore more of Canada during your trip.

Getting back to Calgary and other notes

While there are no commercial airports in Banff, many people choose to land or leave Banff through Calgary since it’s a major city and less than an hour from Banff by car or bus shuttle. If you’re flying in from Toronto, the east coast of Canada or some other country, just reverse this list and start at the bottom and you’ll be fine.

Let us know if we forgot anything that should be on this list. Safe travels and welcome to Canada!

That’s just the nature of the road and it’s unpredictability. However it’s also why road trips are so fun and exciting. You just never know what you’ll find over that far off mountain or around that next bend in the road.

While you can never cover every possibility, our road trip packing list includes everything you’ll likely ever need to travel safely, comfortably, and with style.

Our list includes road trip essentials as well as a few items to make your drive just a little bit easier.

Road Trip Packing List

When planning things to bring on a road trip, there’s a lot to consider.

Is it a long, cross country road trip, or a short ride an hour or two away? Is it a solo road trip, or a family road trip? Are you traveling as a couple or do you have 3 kids in the backseat? Are you traveling in winter or summer?

This complete list covers what to pack for your time on the road, no matter the conditions.

Road Trip Essentials

Looking for the absolute must-have essentials for a road trip? These are our picks for essential items on the road:

• driver’s license
• passport (if needed)
• credit card (preferred) or debit card
• cash
• smartphone
• maps (one paper map, and one with GPS or your smartphone)
• car insurance and registration (and Heymondo travel medical insurance if you’re out of country)
• snacks and drinks (see below for a full list)
• clothes for your trip and destination (full list below)
• toll pass (if needed)

Insurance

Admittedly, insurance isn’t the sexiest, or most fun, item on this list, but it’s absolutely essential. Getting into an accident without auto insurance could be a major disaster.

Good insurance can even help protect the contents of your car, and may include coverage for vandalism. Good insurance can actually make life easier by reducing stress and worry.

Clothing and Toiletries

Clothing is one of the most underrated things to pack for a road trip.

The exact clothes you choose will depend if you’re planning on hot weather and choosing a summer road trip packing list, or driving in cooler weather.

While we’re driving, we always choose clothes that are comfortable for travel, and appropriate for the weather.

We also pack for our destination, whether that’s a summer beach trip, or winter vacation to visit family.

Here are our road trip musts for clothing:

• jackets
• swimsuits and towels
• extra shoes
• socks
• pants
• shorts
• t-shirts
• long sleeve shirts
• shirts
• underwear
• accessories

Exactly what you pack for toiletries is a personal choice, but here’s a list to start:

• prescriptions
• shampoo and conditioner
• hair products
• sunscreen
• bug spray
• feminine hygiene products
• hand lotion
• Tylenol or other pain reliever
• baby wipes
• umbrella or rain coat

Road Trip Snacks and Drinks

Road trips are all about the snacks, right?

On some road trips, we take the time to prep healthy foods for a cooler, and choose healthy options like fruit and pretzels.

If time is short or we’re just not feeling it, we’ll sometimes grab a selection of snacks that looks like an unsupervised six year old was allowed to grab everything in a convenience store.

Whether you’re looking for the best vegan road trip snacks, or going full carnivore, these are some of our favorite road trip foods:

• fruit (apples, oranges, berries, cut up watermelon, etc.)
• cheese strings
• yogurt
• nuts
• pretzels
• popcorn
• potato chips
• granola and protein bars
• nuts and seeds
• water bottles
• juice boxes
• hummus and dippers
• sandwiches and wraps
• candy

We avoid smelly or messy road trip foods as much as we can and if certain members in the car are lactose intolerant or have issues with certain foods, those definitely don’t make it into a shared vehicle.

Let’s just say we know from experience that driving cross country with the smell of over-ripe banana baked into our car’s interior is not a fun experience and maybe stopping for chili isn’t the best idea before a 6 hour car ride to visit grandma.

Electronics and Entertainment for a Road Trip

I’m old enough to remember seemingly endless road trips with my parents, where the only entertainment was looking out the window, talking to my mom and dad, or playing I Spy. When we were lost, my dad would pull over to the side of some dusty country road, and unfold the tattered paper map and cuss a bit more than I was used to. I do NOT miss those drives.

Electronics have made road trips with my kids so much more manageable and organized.

Smartphone and Apps

A smartphone is essential for a road trip nowadays. It lets you call roadside assistance if necessary, keep in touch with friends and family, acts as a GPS and map, provides entertainment, and more.

We have Google Maps and Google Translate on our phones at all times (especially on international trips). To keep in touch with family and friends, we use WhatsApp, Signal, and Facebook Messenger.

Smartphone apps are vital on road trips, serving as a key source of information. They provide weather updates, local eatery and attraction recommendations through apps like TripAdvisor and Yelp, and accommodation options via Airbnb and Booking.com.

Google Maps lets you download offline maps, which is incredibly useful when we don’t have Wi-Fi or a cell signal and Google Translate can literally translate signs and menus in real time via your smartphones camera or allow you to have a face to face conversation with someone in a different language.

How to use Google’s Offline Maps

You’ll need to pre-install offline maps on Google Maps before your Wi-Fi or data cuts out. Here’s how.

On Android, open Google Maps. Select your Google profile photo on the top right, and select Offline Maps. Click Select Your Own Map, and zoom in or out to select the area on the map you’d like to download. Click the Download button. To make sure that the apps stay downloaded, select the gear icon on the top right, then enable Auto-update offline maps and Auto-download recommended apps.

On iPhone or iPad, open the Google Maps app. Tap your profile picture or initial, and select Offline maps. Tap Select your own map. Adjust the map according to the area you want to download. Tap Download.

After you download an area, use Google Maps app like you normally would. If your cell signal or Wi-Fi cuts out, the downloaded offline maps will guide you to your destination, but only as long as the entire route is within the offline map.

GPS

These days we primarily use Google Maps on our smartphone, but it does have some disadvantages.

Specifically, we find that Google Maps directions aren’t great at lane placement, which is awkward in busy cities or intersections. You may be better off using a dedicated GPS unit like a Garmin Navigator with up to date maps.

Audio books

Audiobooks are our favorite way to keep the whole family entertained on road trips.

The four of us loved the Harry Potter series narrated by Jim Dale, but we share some other choices on our top audiobooks for road trips, and our collection of the best family audiobooks.

Portable Wi-Fi or cellular data plan

Our new favorite road trip gadget is our Glocalme portable Wi-Fi device, which lets us stay Wi-Fi connected on the road, and it allows up to six devices can connect. Check out our review of the Glocalme here. 

See Glocalme prices.

Phone mounts and chargers

A wireless car charger and phone mount holds our phone while travelling keep the clutter at bay, keeps us safer on the road, and makes sure our Google Maps is always accessible. Even better, it also wirelessly charges your phone.

Camera

We use our smartphone cameras to capture most of our road trip memories, but we also bring our Canon RP full frame mirrorless if we want higher quality photos, or use our GoPro or affordable AKASO VX-50 if we want action or water shots.

Tablet or laptops for passengers

We always joke that it’s 1984 on our road trips, which are filled with audiobooks, games, and lots of staring out the window at the scenery.

Pretending it’s 1984 may not be your kind of fun, and a laptop or tablet can relieve the boredom of long drives by letting passengers watch a movie or show, or play games.

We love that you can download the best travel movies or TV shows on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video when you’re offline. You can also download and watch the best travel vloggers on YouTube.

Safety and Car Gear

Here are our top picks for safety gear, and car essentials:

• car safety kit
• spare tire, inflated and in good condition
• AMA or other roadside assistance card
• tire jack
• candles and a lighter
• first aid kit
• basic tool kit
• small empty gas can
• flashlight
• tire chains, ice scraper, and non-clay kitty litter (optional for winter driving)
• garbage bag
• car organizer
• air freshener

A Paper Map

Even with a GPS navigator or a portable Wi-Fi hotspot, at some point you’ll likely be without service.

Offline Google Maps can fill the gap, but it’s good to have a paper backup.

Looking for some more packing tips?

• The Ultimate Family Beach Vacation Packing List
• The Perfect Summer Beach Vacation Packing List
• Why Use Packing Cubes? We Try Them And Find Out
• 34 Great Packing Tips for a Long Haul Flight with Kids

Do you have anything else to add to our road trip packing list? Let us know!

There’s no denying that there’s something wonderful about the the open road, with all of that possibility in front of you. At no other point in your travels, save for perhaps the open sea, will you have so many options open to you.

Whether you’re driving through the mountains, across the plains, through tiny villages or giant cities, having your own vehicle gives you the freedom to see and do whatever you want. That being said, if you’re not prepared, road trips can eventually get tedious and boring.

After years of long road trips under our belts, we’ve figured out that one of the best ways to make a road trip easier and more fun are via audiobooks.

A great audiobook can make a long drive fly by so when you’re stuck in the car for hours on end, with nothing but open prairies or four lane highways for as far as the eye can see, these great audiobooks for road trips can save your sanity!

The best audiobooks for road trips 2022

Looking for a great audiobook for the family, or the best audiobooks for fantasy, romance, comedy or even science fiction? We’ve got you covered. The first part of this article is for the best adult audiobooks for road trips, but scroll down to the end (or check out this post) to see our top audiobook choices for the family.

Tip! Always take a minute to listen to the audiobook sample in Best Audible books for road trips

While there are a lot of ways to listen to audiobooks, we’re fans of Amazon’s Audible service. It’s easy, and because it’s Amazon, there’s a huge selection of titles.

If you’re in the USA, you can sign up with Audible for the USA directly through the link below!

An Audible membership is FREE for 30 days, and that includes two audiobooks for free. After that, your membership gives you one credit per month, which is good for any audiobook.

There’s more information on membership at the end of this post.

Try Audible for free for one month.

Best nonfiction audiobooks 

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

New York Times business reporter Charles Duhigg focuses on how habits form and how they impact our lives. He delves into scientific discoveries that explain how habits are formed, and how habits are crucial to the success of our lives, communities, and businesses.

This audiobook is in my personal favorite’s list. It’s an easy listen, but there are plenty of great nuggets of inspiration and information in here.

Author: Charles Duhigg

Narrator: Mike Chamberlain

See it on Audible now.

Outliers: The Story of Success

This is a fascinating intellectual look at the world of our society’s outliers – the best, the most successful, and the most famous of us. Gladwell wonders: “why are they different”? As he carefully examines the lives of great athletes, successful business people, and tech geniuses, he uncovers some interesting and unexpected truths.

This is a great listen, and perfect for when you’re in an inquisitive, thoughtful mood. I’ve listened to it a couple of times now, and enjoy it anew every time.

Author and Narrator: Malcolm Gladwell

Listen on Amazon now.

Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead

Dr. Brené Brown tackles the cultural myth that vulnerability is weakness. Instead, she argues that vulnerability is, in truth, our most accurate measure of courage.

It’s another one of my favorites.

Author and Narrator: Brené Brown

Get it now.

What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

I’m a big Wil Wheaton fan, from way back during his days as Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation. So, any time he narrates an audiobook, it’s a win for me. The author, Randall Munroe, is the creator of the popular xkcd webcomic, and answers interesting questions like “How fast can you hit a speed bump while driving and live?” and “If there were a robot apocalypse, how long would humanity last?”.

It’s an interesting listen, even if you’re not a huge science geek.

Written by: Randall Munroe

Narrated by: Wil Wheaton

Listen to a sample now.

Best fantasy audiobooks

A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1.

The Game of Thrones books are huge bestsellers and the entire series of Game of Thrones audiobooks are no different. Like the HBO TV series of the same name, they’re full of intrigue, great characters, and a gripping story. The book series, actually called A Song of Ice and Fire, in case you’re one of the few who hasn’t heard of it, chronicles two powerful families playing a deadly game for the rule of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros.

Narrator Roy Dotrice switches effortlessly between character voices and accents, and it’s a real treat.

This is perfect for long, epic road trips, with a whopping 33 hours and 46 minutes of listening time.

Author: George R. R. Martin

Narrator: Roy Dotrice

See The Game of Thrones: A Song of Fire and Ice audiobook here.

Check out the entire Song of Fire and Ice audiobook series here, including A Feast for Crows and more.

The Fellowship of the Ring: Book One in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

This is one of the most popular Fantasy audiobooks in Audible’s collection. This is the first book in the Lord of the Rings series, and follows the adventures of the Fellowship of the Ring – hobbits, elves, wizards, humans and dwarves alike – as they plunge into the beginning of the ultimate clash between good and evil.

Narrator Rob Inglis switches effortlessly between characters accents.

This unabridged edition is a whopping 19 hours and 7 minutes, so get comfy and settle in.

Author: J. R. R. Tolkien

Narrator: Rob Inglis

Listen on Audible now.

Best fiction audiobooks

Crazy Rich Asians

This is a huge bestseller. Like the movie of the same name, Crazy Rich Asians is a hilarious look at the life of three super-rich Chinese families. There’s back-stabbing, gossip and scheming galore, and it makes an entertaining and easy listen.

Author: Kevin Kwan

Narrator: Lynn Chen

Listen to it on Audible now.

The Outsider

Yet another thriller by Stephen King, The Outsider lives up to his reputation for unsettling and gripping stories.

The story follows Detective Ralph Anderson’s investigation into the death of an 11-year-old boy. The investigation’s suspension and tension will keep you following closely.

Not suitable for kids.

Author: Stephen King

Narrator: Will Patton

Get it on Audible now.

Ready Player One

This is one of my all time favorite audiobooks. We listened to it as a family on our epic Oregon Coast road trip. It had every single one of us transfixed and we hesitated every time it was time to get out of the car and turn it off.

If, like us, you’re fans of video games and 1980’s movies, personas and nostalgia, it’s a must listen.

Ready Player One is set in the year 2044, and it follows the story of Wade Watts, who escapes the grim reality of his dystopian world by spending his waking hours in the realistic cyber world of the OASIS. Brilliant and eccentric OASIS creator James Halliday has left his immense fortune to the first person to find a well hidden Easter egg in the OASIS. There’s plenty of action, adventure, and even romance as Wade races to win the contest.

There’s now a movie of the same name directed by Steven Spielberg (which I hate to say was entertaining, but doesn’t do the book justice at all).

You’ll either love it intensely or hate it. Give the sample a listen before you buy.

Author: Ernest Cline

Narrator: Wil Wheaton

Here a sample of Ready Player One.

Best sci fi audiobooks

Fahrenheit 451

Beautifully narrated by Academy Award-winning actor Tim Robbins, this is a great favorite of mine.

Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury, is set in a bleak, dystopian world where books are almost extinct and television rules. This tells the story of fireman Guy Montag, tasked with destroying printed books and the houses where they’re hidden. In time, Guy meets a young neighbor, Clairisse, who introduces him to a past where people didn’t live in fear, and the ideas in books weren’t forbidden.

Author: Ray Bradbury

Narrator: Tim Robbins

Get it on Amazon’s Audible now.

Ender’s Game Alive: The Full Cast Audioplay

This is an all-new, original script written by Orson Scott Card for the Hugo award winning Ender’s Game (which was also made into a movie with Harrison Ford as Colonel Hyrum). Join Andrew “Ender” Wiggin as he trains in Battle School to fight the Formics alien threat.

This gets 4.5 out of 5 stars in over 9,000 reviews. That said, it wasn’t my favorite, but I think a lot of folks may enjoy it, so I’ve included it here.

Listen to a sample now to see if you like it.

Author: Orson Scott Card

Narrator: Full Cast Recording

Get it now on Audible.

We Are Legion (We Are Bob): Bobiverse, Book 1

The entire family really enjoyed the geekiness that is Bob. This quirky sci-fi comedy audiobook spans centuries as Bob, once a normal, living, breathing human being dies. When he comes back as a computer a century later, he never imagined he would one day be humankind’s only hope for survival. This audiobook delves into everything from space exploration to what it means to be considered human.

The narrator, Ray Porter, does a great job giving life to all of Bob 2.0’s emerging personalities and the story is incredibly fun to listen to. We’re almost done book 3 and are sorry the ride is coming to an end.

With 4.6 stars of five from 1,900 reviews, you know people are enjoying this one.

Listen to a sample now, but just be warned, you won’t want to turn it off.

Author: Dennis E. Taylor

Narrator: Ray Porter

Get it now on Audible.

Best mystery and horror audiobooks for road trips

Origin: A Novel

At the top of the best seller charts this year, Origin is the newest novel by The Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown. Like his other novels, Origin is an inventive thriller that navigates hidden history, religion, and technical advances.

As the book starts, Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology and religious iconology, arrives to the unveiling of a discovery that’s supposed to “change the face of science forever.”

Author: Dan Brown

Narrator: Paul Michael

Get it now.

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

World War Z tells the story of the Zombie War that almost eradicated humanity. Max Brooks travels the world to get first hand experiences of survivors, from cities destroyed in the heartland of the USA to the most remote and inhospitable parts of the globe.

FYI, it was eventually adapted into the movie World War Z starring Brad Pitt however like most movies based on books, loses something intangible in the retelling.

Author: Max Brooks (Narrator, Author), Alan Alda (Narrator), John Turturro (Narrator), Rob Reiner (Narrator)

Narrators: Max Brooks, Alan Alda, John Turturro, Rob Reiner

Listen to a sample here.

Classic audio books for the road

Pride and Prejudice

Admittedly, I’m personally not a huge Jane Austen fan, but this gets 4 and a half stars (out of five) from a whopping almost 8,000 reviews. The narrator, Karen Savage, does a nice job switching between character voices with an English accent and an American accent as narrator.

Well worth a listen if you’re an Austin fan, and if you’re heading out on a long road trip, since the total length of this Pride and Prejudice audiobook is a considerable 11 hours and 1 minute.

Author: Jane Austen

Narrator: Karen Savage

See it on Amazon now.

Best romance audiobooks

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine: A Novel

Eccentric and awkward Eleanor Oliphant’s life spirals out of control after a chance encounter with Raymond.

This witty and uplifting quirky romance is soon to be made into a movie starring Reese Witherspoon.

I really love narrator Cathleen McCarron’s spot-on accents and the timbre of her voice here.

Author: Gail Honeyman

Narrator: Cathleen McCarron

Listen to Eleanor Oliphant now.

Outlander: Outlander, Book 1

This hugely popular historical romance is a great listen. It begins in 1945 when Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is instantly transported to 1743 Scotland by touching an ancient stone ruin. There, she’s thrown into a romance with gallant James Fraser and warring border clans as she tries to make her way home.

Sure, unlike the TV show, you won’t be able to see Sam Heughan (who plays love interest Jamie on the TV show) shirtless, but it’s still worth a listen.

Diana Gabaldon (Author), Davina Porter (Narrator).

See it on Amazon now.

Best funny audiobooks for road trips

There’s nothing like a good laugh to break up a long drive. This list of comedy audiobooks for road trips features some of the best comedians around.

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood

In this audiobook, The Daily Show host Trevor Noah tells the story of his journey from his childhood during the dwindling years of apartheid in South Africa to his life in the USA hosting The Daily Show.

His stories are in turn comical, dark, poignant, hilarious and sometimes simply weird. Whatever they are, it’s pretty clear that Trevor Noah is a voice well worth listening to.

Author and Narrator: Trevor Noah

Listen now.

Bossypants by Tina Fey

If you’re a Tina Fey fan, you’ll love this book. It’s full of her usual quick wit, sardonic reflections and self depreciating humor.

Don’t let the cheesy first minute of the sample turn you off, this is Tina Fey at her funniest.

Author and Narrator: Tina Fey

See it on Audible now.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)

This is classic Mindy Kaling: full of funny observations on friendship, weight, romance, and coworkers.

If you like her standup or tv roles, you’ll like this audiobook.

Author: Mindy Kaling

Narrators: Mindy Kaling, Michael Schur, B. J. Novak

See it now.

Best free audio books

It’s honestly tough to find good free audiobooks, but I’ve tracked down a few. Give these free Audible audiobooks a try to give your wallet a rest.

FREE: The Jester (A Riyria Chronicles Tale)

In this fantasy adventure short story, lead character Riyria is hired to get a jester’s treasure, and Royce and Hadrian are trapped in a booby-trapped cave.

While this is a companion story to The Riyria Revelations and The Riyria Chronicles, you don’t need to be familiar with them to enjoy the story. Narrator Tim Gerard Reynolds is a pleasure to listen to, and the hours listening to this passes quickly.

Author: Michael J. Sullivan
Narrator: Tim Gerard Reynolds

Get it free on Audible.

The Hospital: The FREE Short Story: The First Mountain Man Story

The Hospital is a great, fast-paced listen, especially for a free Audible book. This is a dystopian tale of “Mountain Man” Augustus Berry who survives in an undead suburbia. There’s some strong language and potentially disturbing graphic violence. Narrator R. C. Bray has a rough, deep voice that I really enjoyed in this story.

Author: Keith C. Blackmore

Narrator: R. C. Bray

Get it free on Audible now.

Gabriel: Zero Point: The FREE Prequel Novella: Evan Gabriel Trilogy

This is an engaging drama adventure that follows recruit Evan Gabriel trying to make his way in the the elite Naval Special Forces of the North American Federation Navy. In this first book of a series, he’s on his way to becoming a respected North American Federation Navy Commander, but first he must work his way through a difficult journey as part of a top secret military experiment.

This book is set in a science fiction world of Mars and more remote planets, but it feels more like the personal journey of a military man.

Author: Steve Umstead

Narrator: Ray Chase

Listen free on Audible now.

Best audiobooks for family road trips

Audiobooks are a fantastic way to keep kids entertained on long drives, without resorting to a lot of screen time, or hearing endless bleats of “I’m bored” from the back seat. It also gives rise to meaningful family conversations as the stories are shared and topics you might never discuss (though are worth discussing) come up during breaks and meals.

I’ve included what we think are the best children’s audiobooks for road trips, but you can read our full list of the best audiobooks for family road trips here.

The list starts with the best audiobooks for older kids, but scroll further down to find some picks for great audiobooks for younger children.

Best audiobooks for teens and tweens

Listening to audiobooks with teens and tweens is an entirely different beast than listening with younger children. Once kids are in their tweens, there’s a whole world of tween and young adult audiobooks that are also entirely entertaining for adults.

Here are our very favorite audiobooks for road trips with tweens and teens.

Coraline

Coraline is an inventive, dark children’s fantasy. Heroine Coraline finds herself trapped in a lost world behind the mirrors with other lost children.

This is narrated by the author Neil Gaiman, and he does an excellent job.

Author and Narrator: Neil Gaiman

See prices and details for Coraline now.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Book 1

The Harry Potter series of audiobooks are probably our favorite family audiobooks. To date, we’ve listened to five of the seven books in the series and have just started book 6.

We really love the audiobooks narrated by Jim Dale. He does a great job with all the voices, even Hagrid and Hermione Granger though some people prefer the Harry Potter audiobooks narrated by Stephren Fry. To be honest, we’ve listened to them both and you can’t go wrong with either of them.

Written by: J.K. Rowling

Narrated by: Jim Dale

See Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone on Audible

See the complete Harry Potter series on Audible

The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1

I’m personally not a huge fan of the narrator’s voice, but Charles and the kids loved it.

This series is a great choice for tweens, in particular, and both our son and daughter loved the Percy Jackson books during the tween years.

The best part is the books in this series can stand on their own, so you’re not forced to listen to every single one of them.

Written by: Rick Riordan

Narrated by: Jesse Bernstein

Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Listen to a sample of The Lightning Thief.

Check out the complete Percy Jackson and the Olympians series here.

Peter and the Starcatchers

This take on the Peter Pan origins story is read by Jim Dale, who narrates the Harry Potter series.

It’s imaginative and engaging, and adults should enjoy it as well.

Written by: Dave Barry and Ridler Pearson

Narrated by: Jim Dale

Hear a sample of Peter and the Starcatchers here.

Audio books for younger children

While some audiobooks for little kids are excruciating for parents, these picks should keep the adults happy as well.

Treasury of Classic Children’s Stories

These are sweet and nostalgic, and both parents and kids should enjoy these classic stories.

Written by: Oscar Wilde, Brothers Grimm

Narrated by: Audrey Hepburn, John Ritter, Sharon Stone and Orson Welles

Listen to a sample on Amazon.

The Ralph S. Mouse Audio Collection

This story of a mouse on the lookout for more excitement honestly couldn’t be more adorable.

Written by: Beverly Cleary and Tracy Dockray

Narrated by: B.D. Wong

Get it on Audible here.

Julie Andrews’ Collection of Poems, Songs, and Lullabies

If you love Julie Andrews, this is the collection for you and your little ones. It’s both charming and sweet.

Written by: Emma Walton Hamilton, Julie Andrews

Narrated by: Emma Walton Hamilton, Julie Andrews

Listen to Julie Andrews’ Collection here.

About Audible membership plans

You can order books on Audible without a monthly membership, but I’m actually a fan of the monthly membership.

An Audible membership is FREE for 30 days. 

Click here to sign up for free!

Audible has two membership types, Plus and Premium Plus. Both membership types offer a 30 day free trial, and you can cancel anytime.

Plus membership includes access to thousands of Audible Originals, podcasts, audiobooks and more.

An Audible Premium Plus membership includes one free title in the Audible premium selection, 30% off all additional premium selection titles, access to exclusive sales, plus everything you get with Audible Plus. The one free title is credit is good for any audiobook, at any price.

Sign up for a free month of Audible Plus or Premium Plus.

You keep your audiobooks even if you cancel. If you want to buy more books, you save 30% on any additional purchases.

I especially love this last part – if you find you don’t like an audiobook once you’ve started it, Audible will let you exchange the book. I’ve returned an Audible book a couple of times with no hassles once I’ve started a book and realized I didn’t care for it.

Do you have any favorite audiobooks for road trips? Let us know your favorites below!

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The post The Mini Roadtrip – Just As Fun As Epic Ones first appeared on The Barefoot Nomad.]]> This post brought to you by Best Western. The content and opinions expressed below are that of The Barefoot Nomad.

There’s no denying that our family loves the road trip.

All it takes is a tank full of gas, a rough idea of a destination, an open timeline and a little wanderlust and you have the making of a great experience. The kicker is that not all road trips need to be epic.

Sure, we once drove over 20,000 km around Australia in the course of a few months and last year spent nearly a month in the car driving all over Spain and Portugal, but it doesn’t always need to be that way. For instance, this past spring we jumped in the car and headed a few hours south down to Osoyoos to check out what all the fuss was over this small, lakeside BC town known for its delicious fruit and warm weather.

With no particular agenda and the kids having a school in-service day, we set off around lunch with no particular destination in mind.

We could have stopped in Kelowna, Peachland, Summerland or Penticton (all great little towns in their own rights) however we ended up near the US border in Osoyoos.

After a quick drive around town familiarizing ourselves with the layout, we decided to book a night at the Best Western. It’s a great hotel and with the AAA/CAA rate we saved 10%. We love whenever we stay at a Best Westerns throughout North America because of their delicious breakfasts and hospitality.

The one in Osoyoos was no exception and the staff was really nice.

Sometimes some of the best memories don’t have to take place on the other side of the world. They can happen right in your own backyard.

Once we checked in, we perused the front kiosk listing all the attractions in town and gave the kids a few choices on things we could do.

Without having to drive for hours on end like most epic roadtrips and arriving a little travel worn, we still had tons of energy and more than a few hours to kill before supper.

I think that’s the biggest benefit to the mini roadtrip, more time to enjoy your destination and more energy to explore it once you’re there.

To be honest, there isn’t that much to do for young ones in early spring in Osoyoos but we did get the chance to let the kids play outside in the warm sun at a park along the waterfront when the majority of Canada was still snow covered.

After that we grabbed a delicious treat from the Lake Village Bakery and enjoyed it on the bench seat in front.

One of the best attractions in Osoyoos definitely has to be the Osoyoos Desert Model Railroad. While we were in Osoyoos we had no less than 6 recommendations to check the place out while we were in town and it really is a miniature wonderland.

With over 40 working trains, 2 km of track, 16 000 hand painted figures and 40 000 sq. feet of space we were all in awe over the attention to detail and the often comical placements of the figures.

You could spend minutes just staring at one little section and still not see every little things the modelers set up.

One of the highlights was watching the kids enjoying a rousing game of “I Spy” on a miniature level that left everyone (including the people around us) laughing at the end.

While we were in Osoyoos we also crossed the border into the US to do a little shopping and to search for the elusive Macintosh Toffee I enjoyed in my youth.

With no luck finding it in the great big world, I finally snagged a piece from the Best Western lobby. In truth, our mini roadtrip was a resounding success. It got us out of the house and helped fight off the last of the nasty winter blues.

The kids had a great time and it reminded us that roadtrips don’t have to be epic to be enjoyable and that sometimes some of the best memories don’t have to take place on the other side of the world. They can happen right in your own backyard.

We keep everyone entertained in the car with great kid friendly Audible books or audiobooks for everyone.

Osoyoos, BC:  For anyone looking to beat the cold this winter, Osoyoos is a very popular place for Canadian retirees since it doesn’t get much snow (it’s one of Canada’s only desert areas) and is considered by many to be the warmest place in Canada.

We found out first hand that it’s especially popular with Canadian “Snowbirds” that can’t get travel insurance in the USA or don’t want to leave Canada. It’s also popular as a stop gap for Canadians that are returning from the southern states but aren’t in any rush to get back to cold weather in whatever province they hail from.

This post was sponsored in part by Best Western, however this trip was 100% all us. 101% if you include the Mack candy I inhaled.

If you want to save on your stay, register for the Best Western Promotion for AAA Members, where AAA members always get 10% bonus rewards points.

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The post Driving the Yukon from Dawson City to Whitehorse first appeared on The Barefoot Nomad.]]> One of the coolest things about my time in the Yukon was driving the Klondike Highway from Dawson City down to Whitehorse. We got to see some amazing country, and we got to drive it in style.

My friend Ryan and I (Micki and the kiddos were sitting this one out back in British Columbia) were given a brand new 2015 GMC Yukon Denali to put through its paces and we didn’t back away from seeing everything it had to give and a bit more.

From driving fresh dirt and gravel back roads checking out a local gold mine operation to laying down rubber on some gorgeous strips of highway, our fully decked out Yukon Denali handled the road like a champ.

If you want to read my quick review of the GMC Yukon Denali you can jump to the bottom.

The Drive – Dawson City to Whitehorse

We left Dawson City right after a nice breakfast at the Eldorado Hotel where we were staying. The french toast with a side of fruit and bacon was the perfect way to start the day!

The first stop of the morning was Favron Industries, located a few kilometers outside of town.

Most of our large group from GMC decided to see a real gold mine in action and the cavalcade of brand new GMC Yukons lined up and leaving town must have left more than a few townsfolk wondering “who the New York city bigwigs with their fancy new vehicles were”.

Truth be told, all those new SUV’s driving down the gravel back roads might have started out looking a little out of place in historic Dawson City. That is, until they started to get a little dirty and then they fit right in.

Gold fever at Favron Mines

As we headed down the gravel and dirt roads Guy Favron and his crew had just made to access a new claim, we passed a big red MSI trommel that Ryan instantly recognized. It was the same one that Todd Hoffman from the TV series Gold Rush dragged through the jungles in South America. (And no, it’s not the ill-fated Turbo Trommel that Todd had.)

Once we got on a nice slope overlooking the valley and a few of his machines, our convoy stopped and we got out to talk with third generation gold miner Guy Favron about gold mining in the Yukon and just what that entails.

Put simply, it takes a lot of hard work and commitment, some knowledge of the land, a little luck and a lot of crazy. You also need to be able to work and repair big machinery or else you’re not going to be able to afford that lifestyle for long.

Well known in this region, Guy knows most of the guys from the TV series Gold Rush (he was even a consultant on the series) and employed a few of the stars from the Yukon Gold series as well (looking at you Ken and Guillaume).

After whetting our gold appetites and making a few of us rethink our careers, we all jumped back into our vehicles and went our separate ways. For us that meant a quick jaunt up to Dempster Highway.

The Arctic Circle and the Dempster Highway

Once we reached the Dempster Highway turnoff, our desire to head north almost overwhelmed us. A few hundred rough gravel strewn kilometers (actually 405 kms) was all that separated us from reaching the Arctic Circle.

Yes, the Yukon extends that far north and the #5 Dempster Highway is the only permanent road in Canada to goes all the way and then passed it up to Inuvik in the Northwest Territories, finally ending on the ice roads leading to Tuktoyaktuk.

The previous day, a group of the GMC clan decided to put their Yukon to the ultimate test and spent their vacation day driving and headed north. They all said it was one of the most beautiful drives they had ever done and had seen tons of wildlife from bears to arctic foxes.

With dreams of one day reaching the Arctic Circle (most likely with the family along for the adventure) my buddy Ryan and I reluctantly jumped back in the truck and headed south to greener pastures. We still had some of the biggest cinnamon buns in to world to enjoy!

Lunch and tarts at Moose Creek Lodge

An hour and a half later, after leaving Dawson City and the gold mines behind, we pulled into historic Moose Creek Lodge nestled deep in a boreal forest. This historic roadhouse is well known along the Klondike Highway and for good reason. The food there is amazing!

We settled on sandwiches made with freshly baked bread, hearty home style soup and a fresh salad from their very own organic greenhouse in back. It was fresh and delicious and reminded me of home.

That said, it was the homemade desserts that get people in the door. With over five different kinds of tarts and other tasty delights it was hard to choose a favorite. The strawberry tart was delicious, but I’m always a sucker for a good butter tart and that one definitely didn’t disappoint.

The lodge houses one of the smallest museums in Canada and just walking around the log style restaurant, the unique store and the ample grounds are a treat in itself.

Five Finger Rapids and the steps from hell

As we approached Five Finger Rapids a few hours later, Ryan had the notion that we needed a bit of exercise. I disagreed, however we got out to look at the beautiful vista below anyway.

Five Finger Rapids is a gorgeous area where rapids and rocks form five separate channels and once posed a major hurdle for miners heading up the river to Dawson City via sternwheelers.

Right next to the highway was a great vantage point for looking down over the water, however Ryan decided that we needed to climb down the stairs for a quick afternoon cardio workout. Feeling a little lethargic I hesitantly agreed and we tackled the longest stairs in the Yukon with a problem.

Feeling confident, I suggested we check out the rest of the trail to see the banks of the river up close. Ryan wasn’t so sure, however we left at a quick trot. Five minutes turned to 10 and we still hadn’t reached the end (we forgot to check how far it was) so knowing that we were on a tight timeline we made a quick beeline back to the SUV.

I have to say, jogging the trail back was one thing, but having to climb all those steps after that was nothing short of murder on my already tired legs.

Once I caught my breath (it took a minute), we jumped back in the truck to go see what all the fuss was at Braeburn Lodge.

Braeburn Lodge and cinnamon buns the size of my head

When we first arrived in the Yukon, one of the running gags was that at some point of our trip we would come face to face with cinnamon buns the size of our heads. It was finally time to see them for ourselves. I’ll let you judge for yourself if it’s true in the picture below. The crazy part is that the one we grabbed wasn’t even the biggest one they had.

The grizzled owner Steve, a former biker, has been making gargantuan cinnamon buns for over 25 years and he makes them that way seven days a week. As equally famous for its large cinnamon buns as it is for the Cinnamon Bun Airstrip across the road, Braeburn Lodge is also an official checkpoint on the 1,000 mile annual International Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race.

Whitehorse and a comfy bed

A few hours later, still munching on the cinnamon bun that we barely left a dent it, we reached the 500 kilometer mark and finally reached our destination for the evening. Crisp and clean Whitehorse, capital city of the Yukon.

I’ll be posting a writeup of our brief time in Whitehorse in the weeks ahead so stay tuned.

The Ride – A 2015 GMC Yukon Denali

Getting to drive the new 2015 GMC Yukon Denali in the Yukon was a special treat. With its magnetic shock dampers and powerful 6.2L engine, even on those quasi-famous handful of places where pavement suddenly meets gravel, the Yukon Denali performed amazingly well while we rocketed down the #2 Klondike Highway.

The truly awesome part was that for a large SUV, it handled like a much smaller unit. It wasn’t until we threw our bags in (via the fully automatic rear door) or stopped to grab a bite to eat and got out (to the cool automatic folding step boards greeting us) that we realized how big this beautiful beast is.

Not only was it gorgeous to drive, but for a full size SUV it was also gorgeous inside with a dash to make NASA proud, complete with a well placed HUD with our speed and current song right there on the windshield. The leather seats were also amazing, because not only were they heated and cooled, they also vibrated if you got too close to the cars ahead or behind you or when you strafed too far out of your own lane.

To be honest, it almost felt too nice for just the two of us and the Yukon screams for a large family or at a minimum, a few more friends along for the ride.

I know my kids would have loved to sit in the captain style rear seats with Bluetooth headsets for each of them while they watched their cartoons on the large dropdown screens in the back. Even Ryan and I were tempted to pull over and throw a movie on there but alas, we had some beautiful country to see.

I know if I was looking for a large SUV, the new GMC Yukon Denali would be at the top of my list.

Special Thanks

Hope you enjoyed our drive as much as we did and I want to thank GMC Canada for making it all happen. Thanks also to Yukon Tourism for helping point the way! If you want to find out more about the 2015 GMC Yukon follow this link. If you want to see other posts mentioning the Yukon Drive you can follow them via Twitter.

To read about our adventures in Dawson City you can check out that post here.

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The post Road Trip Time Machine – Mackintosh Toffee first appeared on The Barefoot Nomad.]]> There’s an old saying that states you can never go home again.

While that may be true, there are definitely certain tastes and smells that can transport you back in time and let you briefly relive moments from your past.

For me, nothing transports me back as fast as a certain smells. I mean, who doesn’t smell bacon and think of Saturday breakfast or Sunday brunch? Similarly, smelling freshly cut grass for me signifies summers of pushing lawnmowers and the smell of rain always reminds me of crazy Prairie storms.

For travelers, who can smell the ocean and not remember the first time they got their toes wet or the smell of certain foods they ate contentedly for days on end during their travels?

Last weekend I set out to relive a memory of my youth that will always signify the family road trip. For me, that’s the taste of Mackintosh’s Creamy Toffee. Those of you not from Canada or the Northern US States may have never tasted it.

A cross between hard English butterscotch toffee and soft American caramel, Mackintosh’s toffee starts off hard (nearly brittle) and softens as you eat it. The first few bites can be murder on teeth and I know more than one friend who lost a baby tooth to it’s goodness.

As a kid, it came in a distinct thin, red tartan plaid cardboard box surrounded by wax paper in one solid piece of toffee. It was unlike any other candy bar wrapper and that was a good thing.

Seeing that the toffee starts off so hard, there were only two ways to eat it. The first way was to heat it up in the sun or next to your body and slowly rip off chunks with your teeth. Frankly, that took too long, was really messy and definitely wasn’t great for sharing.

The most common way to share it was to break it or to “Smack the Mack” as they say. This was our preferred method of enjoying it since this way, everyone got to enjoy a piece of it. To “Smack the Mack” you held the closed package in your palm and hit something hard to break it into small pieces. You only had one chance to do it because once the package was open, smacking it again left a mess.

“Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and enjoy the journey.” Babs Hoffman

You were also never guaranteed what size your pieces would be since it was completely random, but part of the bar’s allure was hoping you got the biggest piece first. Being the youngest in the family, having an equal chance to get the biggest piece was always a thrill.

Growing up in a small town, one of the only places I could recall ever seeing those flat boxes of Mackintosh’s was at the duty free shop when we crossed the border into the US. My family loved deals almost as much as the road trip so crossing the border just over an hour from our house was a semi annual affair.

Tip! We keep ourselves entertained driving with audiobooks.

My mother, not known for her sweet tooth, loved Mack’s just as much as us kids and always bought a Mack’s bar when we crossed the border into the US. To this day, the only time I ever eat Mackintosh’s toffee is when I’m crossing the US border in a vehicle. That’s why for me, nothing signifies a family roadtrip to the States as much as a Mack’s toffee bar.

On that note, last weekend we took the kids down to Osoyoos, a sleepy resort town in BC, Canada, just across from the US border during Spring Break. Even before we left our house I knew it was a given that we’d cross over into the US.

To be honest, I knew that we’d be passing a Duty Free Shop and my mouth was watering at the prospect of getting my hands on a Mackintosh. I even explained my love of the toffee bar and explained our long standing tradition to my kids as we approached the border. They were excited by my eagerness (and to be honest, the prospect of getting some candy), so I knew they’d share my love for this toffee bar I grew up with.

“Until you’ve learned to drive, you’ve never really learned how to swear.”  Robert Paul

I’m not exactly sure what happened, but we somehow missed the Duty Free store turn off. Before I knew it, we were in the customs line waiting for our turn to hand in our passports. To say I was mortified was an understatement. I was so saddened I was tempted to do an illegal U-turn right then and there. Micki convinced me that it wasn’t in our best interest if we ever wanted to enter the States again so I reluctantly remained in line.

Even as we crossed back into Canada later that day I was still upset about not getting my Mack fix. If there hadn’t been an hour long lineup through customs I would have even circled around and gone through again.

As we returned to our hotel, Micki and the kids took the elevator up to our room as I wandered over to the vending machine for a quick dessert.

Low and behold, to my amazement, in slot #17 was a Mackintosh’s Toffee bar.

I was ecstatic. It was as though fate had smiled down at me. I couldn’t have been happier if I had conquered the desert and found both the holy grail and Shangri-La waiting for me. Of course, I bought the last two in the machine and ran up the stairs to quasi-heroic fanfare.

My kids thought I was nuts when I showed them how to crack the Mack but they enjoyed it as much as I did and fought for the biggest piece just as I did as a kid. We all had our fill and with the last piece of the quest complete, proclaimed the day a success.

The best part? It was just as good as I remembered.

Tossing it in my mouth I was immediately brought back to days before air conditioning was common and getting a window seat was a treat. Of being plopped in the back with my brother and sister patiently waiting for another piece of the quickly disappearing toffee while dad made a beeline for whatever town we were headed for, and thankful that, at least for a few minutes, we were behaving ourselves and he could have a moment of quiet bliss.

Sadly, the memories faded away as the last of the toffee melted in my mouth. The good news is that I knew the memory would come back again as soon as I opened the other package of Mackintosh toffee that I bought.

You know, the one I forgot to mention to my kids.

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