driving from calgary to ashland, OR

I am driving from Calgary to Ashland with my three kids (13,11,and 9) We are leaving Wed am and arriving either Saturday or Sunday. I am thinking down to Coeur D%26#39;Alene across to Spokane down to the Columbia and then through Bend. Possible stops are Wed late admission to Silverwood waterpark, american shopping in Spokane one day and then hiking the lava tubes around Bend. We are adventurous but can%26#39;t spend a lot of money. I%26#39;ll have the tent but will cheap hotel some too. Any input from those of you who have gone before? (ie. cool things to do, see, eat and stay. Thanks in advance

driving from calgary to ashland, OR

You must be leaving early from Calgary. That first day looks a little long to me given your plans to get there on the weekend.

Mind you, I did Kalispell to Banff in 5 hours with just enough stops to do it justice. Are you going through Banff?

Probably fair judgment that Sandpoint and Coeur d%26#39;Alene are kind of expensive to stay in. You%26#39;d get some surprising better luck in downtown Spokane. I stayed in the airport-area Motel 6 for a couple days, but there are a couple locations downtown that are supposedly less expensive and don%26#39;t look bad from the outside (perhaps others can chime in on Trade Winds).

Thing is... there%26#39;s not much between Spokane and the Columbia unless you go well out of your way. Spokane to Kennewick is the straight route, and that can be done in just a little over two hours. Unless you detour through the Gorge west of The Dalles, Spokane to Bend is a relatively easy trip in one day by my standards.

Camping in Oregon this time of year might require advanced reservations. You might have to call in on that, especially around the Columbia and around Bend.

driving from calgary to ashland, OR

We stayed at the Budget Saver Motel in CDA (on Sherman Street) and were very happy with our double room, for $39.95. (Read my review on the motel here on TA.)

You mention being on a tight budget, so you may want to check out Post Falls for your shopping. There are a few outlet stores there and you might find the prices attractive. Post Falls is between CDA and Spokane. Also the Coldwater Creek store in Sandpoint also has an outlet centre onsite, so you may find some good prices there on women%26#39;s clothing.

I hope you enjoy your trip. We leave in a couple of weeks and are taking much the same route as you (except not going into Oregon this trip). I%26#39;m getting very excited, as I%26#39;m sure you are.

- CG

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