Trip to WY, MT and AB. Lodging advice request.

Hello fellow members.

I wanted to seek input from you about a trip we are taking next summer at the beginning of August for 14-16 days more or less, with extended family. We will be a total of 8 or may be 11 people with two 6-7 year olds and a senior citizen. It will not be a moto trip. Instead we will be travelling in our Vw campers, a 2003 Eurovan and a 1984 Vanagon from Chicago.

We do not want to stay in hotels/motels if we can avoid it. Once we get to WY/MT from Chicago we would like to establish a "base camp" to see Yellowstone for may be 3-4 days (coming in through the Beartooth highway). One to see Glacier for 1-2 days and the last one near Banff to go all the way up to Jasper. We would like to stay in campgrounds with cabins or in individual cabins/country houses, if possible large enough to accommodate everybody or if not possible getting 2-3 cabins/places together. An occassional sleep in the vans for those so inclined would be OK, but given the diverse composition of our party, roughing it, is not the way to go.

If you have any suggestions about places that I could look up to plan our stay and make reservations for our trip base camps, I would be grateful to get them. Any other ideas/suggestions about the trip are also welcome.


Thank you all.


Eduardo.

If you are looking for a place in Jasper, I would recommend Becker's Chalets:

http://www.beckerschalets.com/

A group of us stay there annually on our Father's Day outing (aka the Rain Ride). Great restaurant on site as well.

I recommend the Baker Creek Chalets. Located on the Bow Valley Park Way between Banff and Lake Louise.

http://www.bakercreek.com/

Around Glacier, the issue is, which part? It is huge and it can be a day's drive from one potential base camp area to another.

For example, if you plan on taking Hwy 93 to Banff, then consider staying around the West Glacier area, such as the KOA which has Kamping Kabins and camping spaces. You could stay there two nights and loop back to it after a full day trip through the park.

If you have any train buffs, then consider the Izaak Walton near Essex (between East Glacier and West Glacier on Hwy 2).

If you are going up the East Side, then check out Johnson's Cafe and Red Eagle Motel at St. Mary. You could stay there two nights and loop back to it.

And fit in a trip on one of the boats. The most overlooked is the tour on Two Medicine Lake. Because it is an in-and-out drive, fewer folks bother to see it.

Two links that should help with travel in Alberta, check out Hi way 22 and 40 to From Pincher Creek through Kananaskis to Canmore

http://www.albertaparks.ca/reservationinfo.aspx

http://travelalberta.com/Things to Do/Unique Stays/Camping.aspx

VRBO.com

Last year we learned about "Vacation Rentals by Owner"..... www.vrbo.com

It's a network of privately owned lodging (condos, houses, cabins, etc.) that are available for rent all over the US, and now in many international locations.

We rented a house last year for our extended family of 8 adults, one child and 2 dogs. It worked out wonderfully! We were all together, had a kitchen to use for meal preparation, a gas grill outside, private parking, and, in a quiet neighborhood. It was much cheaper than staying at a motel, and gave us the option to cook on the grill (or in the kitchen) and enjoy meals together! We liked it so much we're using the same service this year, but in another location. You deal directly with the property owner, not a middle-man.

Have fun!!!