Originally Posted by jamawani

The Icefields Parkway is truly amazing - ridden it a half dozen times.
But Jasper town and the park were heavily damaged by the fire.
So, do check what is reopened for your trip - should be most services.
There used to be a great bike shop in Jasper - should be back by now.

I've ridden the Yellowhead, the TransCanada, and "In between".
The YH and TC have good shoulders, but a constant buzz of traffic.
I prefer in between - on low-traffic provincial roads.
It was 20+ years ago and I'd have to scan the faded photos, but it was great.
Most little towns have camping - usually free.
And there are sufficient services - a restaurant and small store.

It would mean turning east at Saskatchewan River Crossing -
Then heading east on Hwy 11 thru Rocky Mountain House to Red Deer.
(There are some smaller roads around Red Deer - but you may want all the services.)
Hwy 11 merges into Hwy 12 - very light traffic in eastern Alberta.
Becomes Hwy 51 in Saskatchewan, then Hwy 14 into the college town of Saskatoon.

* There's a farmer near Kerrobert who owes me a steak dinner from many years back.
I stopped at a cafe for lunch and said that I always seemed to bring rain with me on my bike trips.
I laughed and said it was because the spokes stirred up the air in a special way.
They had been very dry all spring and he said he'd buy me a steak dinner if they got good rain.
I found out they got 2 inches the next week.




You can take Hwy 5, just north of the Yellowhead Hwy in the Park Belt into Manitoba
and then ride south thru Riding Mountain National Park.

** The wooden grain elevators that used to dot the prairie towns are disappearing fast.
You could see them for miles - the "Cathedrals of the Prairies".
If you spot one, stop and enjoy the sight.

PS - I'll see if I can dig out the old photos - by digital standards, they're not very good.