Canmore to Whistler Through the Backside of BC | Night 4

Leaving Canmore felt like a fresh start. After coffee and tea in the van—and my first ever van shower—I felt totally refreshed and ready to spend the day chasing mountains. That tiny home comfort hits different when you know the day ahead is going to be all winding roads, rising peaks, and views that stop you mid-sentence.

Our first stop was Banff for lunch. We found a café for some much-needed fuel, wandered through the farmers’ market, and then sat by the Bow River to eat. Local produce, handmade goods, and the energy of the town made it feel like the calm before the climb. It was the perfect little break before diving into the real adventure—because after that, the road got wild.

From Banff, we hopped back on the highway and started our drive along the Icefields Parkway—a stretch of road that somehow keeps outdoing itself. Towering glaciers clung to jagged peaks, feeding into surreal turquoise rivers and creeks that ran alongside the pavement like something out of a movie. The kind of beauty that makes you go quiet.

We rolled into Golden, BC for a break and decided to check out the Skybridge. I’d visited before and was excited to see the updates. Personally, I’ve always been super comfortable with heights—so the 426-foot-high suspension bridge was a blast for me. James? Not so much. He powered through, but I don’t think it’ll be making his top ten list anytime soon.

At $100 for two people, the entry felt a little steep if you're just there for the bridge—but to be fair, their recent upgrades make it more of a full-day experience. Especially for families or travelers with kids, there’s enough to explore and enjoy. After crossing the main bridge, we hiked some scorching hot trails, crossed a second (smaller) suspension bridge, and grabbed some nuts and drinks back at the van.

That’s when my motion sickness decided to join the party. Between the intense curves, the up-down rhythm of the road, and me craning my neck to catch every glacier, river, and chance of wildlife—I started to spin. I had to lay down in the back of the van and just hope James didn’t hit any sharp turns too fast.

For the next hour, all I heard was James going “wow… wow… WOW” from the front seat. He did his best to describe everything while also keeping us from flying off a cliff.

We eventually pulled off at a lookout, and when I opened the van door—I was hit with 40°C desert air. James looked at me and said, “Yeah, we’re in a desert.”

Turns out, BC has a desert, and it's absolutely breathtaking. Stark hills, pale sagebrush, that dusty stillness you only find in dry places. I snapped a few shots, we stretched our legs, and then James (who somehow still had energy) was ready to push forward.

We saw a bear down by a river and a whole bunch of deer in Lillooet, before things got even more remote. Coming into Pemberton from the north means taking the long, winding, isolated mountain roads. These aren’t polished tourist routes—they’re rugged, unmarked, and unforgiving. No signs warning you about sharp curves. No cell service. No roadside stops. And it was beautiful. And rough.

I got sick again - like, staring out the window hoping to not vomit sick. But the FOMO was real, so I kept my window down, stuck my head out like a golden retriever, and just tried to take in the mountain air and hang on.

As we descended into Pemberton, the moon started to rise and I could not wait to stop moving. But James had one last push in him—so after stretching his legs, he tackled the final 45 minutes into Whistler, while I rode it out, eyes closed, waiting to land.

And land, we did.

We pulled into Whistler late and found a free overnight parking spot. Here’s the scoop: while you can park overnight, you can’t camp in the lot. They don’t want tourists setting up chairs, awnings, or frying up burgers beside their vehicles—but they do let you park quietly and sleep inside. So we did just that: incognito mode activated, curtains drawn, and van locked down.

Bonus tip? The day rate for Whistler parking is only $11 max. Total steal, and a smart move to keep the village accessible for day visitors.

Inside our little rolling home, we cleaned up, tucked everything into its place, and set up the king-sized bed. We barely made it through a 45-second recap of the day before both passing TF out.

The windows were cracked to let in the crisp mountain air, and we slept hard.