This summer, we set off on an amazing adventure through Alberta and Glacier National Park—and wow, this place is full of stunning sights and interesting history! As Fantasy RV Tours hosts, it was our second time leading a group of 23 couples on a fun adventure. Everyone was just as excited as we were to check out new spots and make new friends, all with a laid-back itinerary made just for us.
Calgary: The Gateway to the Rockies
We kicked things off in Calgary, a city that totally mixes modern vibes with wild, beautiful scenery. Honestly, aside from a quick visit to Niagara Falls a few years ago, we’d never been to Canada before—and Calgary was a great first impression. It’s super clean, and people seem genuinely friendly. Our camp area was just a short walk from the C-train, which meant we could zip around the city without stressing about traffic or parking.
We timed our trip perfectly for the start of the famous Calgary Stampede. This huge, ten-day bash draws over a million visitors each year and seriously lives up to its “Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth” nickname. There’s a massive rodeo, a lively parade, tons of fun midway games, concerts, agricultural competitions, chuckwagon races (so cool!), and colorful First Nations exhibits. There were more activities than we could possibly fit in, but the fireworks at the end of the evening show were hands-down the best we’ve ever seen!
We lucked out with front row seats for the opening parade. It’s one of the biggest parades in North America, jam-packed with floats, bands, horses—you name it. Everyone turned out for the 2.8-mile route and 2-hour show, and the whole crowd was buzzing to see Shania Twain as Grand Marshall. One morning, we had breakfast at the top of the Calgary Tower—626 feet up, with the whole city and Rocky Mountains spread out below. The rotating tower is really fun, and standing on the glass floor was equal parts awesome and nerve-wracking!
Downtown Calgary is lively, full of local shops, restaurants, and old landmarks. The Stampede brings out everyone’s cowboy side—western outfits, free pancake breakfasts, live music, and more. All the businesses get in on the action, and the pedestrian walkway is the place to catch street performers, grab local snacks, or nab some souvenirs.
Heritage Park
We spent a day exploring Heritage Park, which totally feels like stepping back in time. The guided tour and steam train ride were great, and there are over 180 exhibits showing what life was like in western Canada from way back in the 1860s through the 1950s. Mike geeked out over the Gasoline Alley Museum’s collection of cool old cars and gas pumps, while I loved checking out the historic train cars.
Banff National Park: Nature’s Masterpiece
Another favorite was our private motorcoach tour into the Canadian Rockies and through Banff National Park. We stopped at gorgeous Lake Minnewanka and saw the powerful Bow Falls, then wandered around Banff’s charming downtown full of cute shops and cozy cafés. This part of the trip is a dream for anyone who loves taking photos—the landscapes are unreal. We’re already planning a return visit!
Waterton Lakes National Park: Serenity and Scenic Wonders
Our time in Calgary passed quickly and then we headed south. After a 173-mile drive along the foothills, we made it to Waterton, Alberta. The boat tour here was a highlight—cruising the deepest lake in the Canadian Rockies and hearing stories about the area’s wildlife and history. Waterton and Glacier National Park (just across the border) together make up the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, which is a World Heritage Site and a cool symbol of Canadian-American friendship.
We also visited Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where we learned about over 6,000 years of Plains Buffalo culture. Hearing our guide (a descendant of the original Blackfoot hunters) talk about the clever hunting techniques used to drive buffalo off the cliffs was fascinating. The stories about the land and the 3-story museum really brought history to life.
And just down the road, the Remington Carriage Museum was a fun surprise. It’s the biggest of its kind in the world, with 270 different carriages and a horse-drawn ride around the grounds that made us feel like pioneers.
Glacier National Park: Crossing into Adventure
From there, our RV caravan rolled into Glacier National Park in Montana for the last 4 days of our tour. The scenery just kept getting better—think tall glaciers, flower-filled meadows, and turquoise blue lakes. We had a lot of cool animal sightings as well.
We traveled the famous Going-to-the-Sun Road on the park’s historic Red Buses, traversing the 50-mile scenic byway from west to east. Crossing the Continental Divide and viewing the amazing geologic features of the park without having to drive the steep and narrow road was so nice. Our private boat tour of Lake McDonald was the perfect ending to a tour full of beautiful settings.
A Memorable Journey
Our second trip with Fantasy RV Tours through Alberta and Glacier National Park was unforgettable. Calgary surprised us in all the best ways, and the Stampede was a blast. Alberta is packed with cool places we might’ve missed if not for this trip. Even though we’d been to Glacier National Park before, it was awesome seeing new parts of it with our Fantasy group. Hanging out by the campfire every night with new friends made the whole journey extra special. Seriously, we can’t wait for our next adventure!
That’s definitely the way we want to do it. We are just already booked up with grandkids graduating the next 2 summers. Thanks for sharing.
Sounds like an amazing trip! Can’t wait to do it with you guys next year!
Joanne,
The trip was so much fun. We are sorry you won’t be joining for 2026, but hope we will get to work together in the future!
Beautiful photos. We enjoyed this trip with you.
Thank you, Robin. We enjoyed meeting you and I also enjoy following your adventures on Facebook.
Robin, you could work for a travel magazine! The photos are professional grade! It is amazing how much of North America you and Mike have seen!😍
Thanks, Jacki. It has been such an amazing time. We started out planning to “see the country” for a year or two and it is going on 8 years now and we feel like there is so much more to see!
What time of year were you at Glacier? Your photos are beautiful and I feel like you were so lucky it wasn’t smoky when you were there–unfortunately it seems like every time we go to Montana in the summer these days all we see is loads of smoke. 🙁 We were at Glacier in mid-June of 2016 and it was incredibly beautiful–some of the trails were still closed at that time due to snow…
Hi! We were at the west side of Glacier NP during the 2nd week of July 2025. After that, we stayed at the east side for 10 days until the end of the month. Yes, we were very fortunate to have great weather while we were there.
Our very first visit to Glacier NP was back in 2019 and we went at the end of June. The Going to the Sun Road wasn’t open the first few days we were there, but luckily it did open before we left. We had wanted to hike Grinell Glacier that time but the trail was still closed. Timing does make a difference when you are that far north.