Home » 2001 Cross Country Road Trip

Golden - Whispering Spruce Campground, BC

Wednesday, July 25, 2001 - 10:00am by Lolo
45 miles and 1 hour from our last stop - 1 night stay

Travelogue

We got to our campground in Golden in late afternoon and anxiously awaited the arrival of our friends from New Jersey. This was to be the third RV trip that we shared with them, and we were very much looking forward to their arrival.

Kalchbrenner and Gaidus OffspringKalchbrenner and Gaidus OffspringWhen we saw a rental RV pull into the site next to ours, we ran out to greet them. After much hugging, Michelle looked at my swollen nose and asked, "Did you gain some weight?" I explained that it was a long story and that I would fill her in later.

After helping them settle in, which in RV life means hooking up electricity, water, and poop hoses, we spent some time filling them in on our trip to date, in all its gory details. When telling it, it sounded like we had been away from home for months rather than just 2 weeks. Perhaps the itinerary was too aggressive. It was hard to believe that a mere week ago we had been floating in the Great Salt Lake.

After dinner, the kids roped us into a campground volleyball game, which kept growing in size as fellow campers wandered by and joined in on the fun. Campgrounds are such a great way for kids (and adults) to meet a variety of people from many different places and from all walks of life. Despite all the differences, people in campgrounds generally get along so well because we all share a very important common interest--the love of travel, adventure, and the great outdoors.

Description

Big Horn SheepBig Horn SheepThe town of Golden lies in the beautiful Columbia River Valley between the Purcell mountain range and the Rocky mountains, about 40 miles west of Banff. Golden has become a base for outdoor recreational activities because of its close proximity to 5 national parks and its ability to offer activities such as heli-skiing and heli-hiking that are not allowed within the parks.

BC Traveller on August 13, 2009

Our stay at the Golden KOA Campground called Whispering Pines was not a good one. I found the staff there not very hospitible at all.

Their laundry facilities are closed at 9pm and if you are doing laundry when 9pm comes, you have to leave it in the laundry room or take it as is, there is no leeway for letting you finish your laundry.

They pack you in like sardines, you could reach out the window of your RV and touch the one next to you.

I was very disappointed in our stay there, and we only stayed one night and they would not refund our money for the nights we had prepaid for.

Jon on December 30, 2010

Not surprised by your stay at the Whispering Spruce. Next time, come downtown and into the canyon to the municipal campground. Right on the river, it features serviced sites, a beautiful setting, and a new general store, laundry, washrooms, and adjacency to our network of municipal trails right along the river. A fantastic spot in the middle of the 6 most famous mountain national parks in Canada and a much more intimate spot to experience Golden - often described by Americans by what Jackson Hole used to be 30 years ago....

Herb on January 12, 2011

Thanks for the tip Jon. We like to visit the smaller municipal campgrounds whenever we can find out about them. Next time we will be there!

Jaime on May 25, 2011

Could you pm me or let me know the name of this other municipal campground? A few of us families are looking for a middle point to meet every year with our kids!

Thank you

Jim on May 7, 2013

I am totally enjoying reading this all....
Can't wait to get up to the current dates, hell, Tommy and Andrew must be in college now?

Herb on May 9, 2013

Funny you should say that about Andrew and Tommy.

In the next few weeks Andrew will graduate with a Masters in Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, while Tommy will graduate Williams with joint Majors in Computer Science and Geosciences.

From there on the plan is for both boys is to work on the west coast and Lolo and I will follow as soon as possible.

Jim on May 9, 2013

Congratulate them for me, I know they must have worked very very hard, and you and Lola must be very proud.
A fellow wanderer.

Herb on May 10, 2013

Thanks Jim,, I've passed on your congratulations - and of course Lorry and I couldn't be more proud of our offspring.

Golden - Whispering Spruce Campground location map in "high definition"

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