Brian Patton: The train trip you talk of (Rocky Mountaineer) is popular but expensive. Three weeks is enough time to fly into Vancouver and drive to the Canadian Rockies for two weeks and return to Vancouver by car. You'll also see much more of western Canada while also being able to set your own schedule.

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Portland, Ore.: I'm after a guidebook for our driving trip through Banff and Jasper. Do you have any suggestions?

Brian Patton: I author a book called Parkways of the Canadian Rockies, which is an interpretive guide to park highways. The best local maps are those made by Gem Trek.

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North Falmouth, Mass.: We will be in the Rockies (Banff, Jasper) during the first week of September. Are there restaurants where we can get good meals at reasonable prices? Everything seems to be so expensive. We plan to ask the locals where they go and hope that works. Thanks.

Brian Patton: Relative to cost of your entire trip, restaurant meals will only be a small part, so you should try at least a couple of the better restaurants serving local cuisine: Bison Bistro or Maple Leaf in Banff, Storm Mountain Lodge on the way to Radium, Becker's or Andy's Bistro in Jasper. Truffle Pig Café in Field is a hidden gem. In Banff, Masala (East Indian) and a few Thai places are cheaper but not remarkable.

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Mullica Hill, N.J.: Hello there. My husband and I are avid wilderness canoeists who enjoy long river trips, spending one night or two tenting along our route. Can you suggest some canoeing routes of a week or so where we would enter at one location and have a reputable company pick us up?

Thank You,
Susan

Brian Patton: There are no such companies in the Canadian Rockies. The most revered river in western Canada for longer trips is the South Nahanni in the NWT. Do an internet search and you'll find a couple of companies that arrange the logistics for independent floats.

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