Nicole's Notes

Banff is one of those iconic bucket list destinations that seemingly comes right out of a fairytale. You see its picturesque turquoise lakes plastered all over instagram and dream of being able to see them in person one day. As a skier it’s also a world renowned ski destination. So when my parents were brainstorming possible destinations for their timeshare exchange and threw out Banff as an option I immediately said BANFF!!!

Calgary

You can’t fly directly into Banff, so if you are traveling internationally the closest option is by flying into Calgary. We figured since we had to pass through Calgary anyway, we might as well stay there for a day and experience the city. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Calgary which I would recommend if you’re looking for nice, simple accommodations in a convenient location. My flight arrived late in the evening so the first night was pretty much just arrive at the hotel and go to sleep. I’d recommend this anyway if you’re traveling internationally because you’ll presumably have spent hours flying and not have much energy for anything else. The next morning we were well rested and ready to explore.

We started the day off with breakfast at Sky 360 restaurant located at the top of Calgary Tower. The tower was only a couple of blocks from our hotel, and who doesn’t love a meal with a view? I was very impressed. The food was delicious (possibly the best scones I’ve eaten in my life), the service was attentive and friendly, and the view was excellent. The best part was that the restaurant rotates so it’s impossible to get a bad seat. You get the full 360 experience all from the comfort of your table while enjoying your fabulous meal. As if things could’t get any more convenient, the meetup point for our Calgary tour was located at the base of the tower. So after breakfast, we headed back down the elevator to wait for our tour. We had a bit of time to spare so we spent it walking around the tower lobby and exploring the exhibits. The walls feature stats on all the towers in the world which was quite interesting, and there’s also exhibition room featuring various works of art. The tower also has an observation deck, but in my opinion dining at the restaurant (which is very reasonably priced) is the best way to go.

Then we were off on our Calgary tour! I’m not sure which company we used, since my Mom booked it, but it was one of those day tours from one of the common booking sites, most likely Viator or GetYour Guide. You can’t really go wrong with those if you’re looking for a quick and easy tour. Our first stop was the Calgary Peace bridge. The bridge, built in 2012, cost $24.5 million and spans the Bow River. It’s a cool bridge, standing out amongst the landscape with its bright maroon color and unique design. I think it’s worth seeing if you’re in the area, but not worth going out of the way for.

Our next stop was a viewpoint overlooking the city and the famous Calgary stampede. I’d never heard of the Calgary stampede prior to our tour, but apparently it’s a world famous rodeo and a BIG deal in Calgary. I’ve never been to a rodeo so I’d definitely be interested in returning one day to check it out. I want to return to Banff in the summer anyway, so when I do maybe I’ll try and combine it with checking out the stampede. Our visit to the stampede grounds also included a stop at the art installation “By the Banks of the Bow”. It’s a beautiful outdoor sculpture featuring various horses, some of which sink into the concrete so they appear to be swimming through water. It was very cool to see, especially if you like art, and the best part is it’s interactive so you can even hop on one the horses and pretend you’re in the rodeo.

Our third stop was Heritage Park, which has the coolest exhibition of classic cars at Gasoline Alley Museum. I wouldn’t say I’m a car aficionado, but I do love looking at classic cars so I really enjoyed it. I’ve been to several other car museums in the past, but what distinguished this one from the rest was its extensive collection of vintage gasoline pumps and gas station signs. They even let you hop into some of the cars and snap pictures.

Our final tour stop was supposed to be the Olympic park where Calgary hosted the 1988 Winter Olympics. However, we requested to cut the tour short because it was also the Super Bowl and my Dad is a huge 49er fan. Fortunately, they were willing to accommodate us since we were the only ones on the tour and it was essentially a private tour. On the way back to the city, our tour bus drove around downtown as our guide pointed out several city sights, including the library and several works of public art, including the famous upside down church entitled “Device to Root Out Evil”. I really admire the city’s dedication to public art and its extensive public art collection. Our tour guide mentioned that the city is required to spend a certain amount of its budget on public art projects each year. Sure, not every piece is going to strike your fancy, but they certainly peak your interest. More cities should follow in Calgary’s footsteps in that regard.

Our final stop of the day was THE SUPER BOWL! Sure, we might be in Canada, but we were NOT missing the Super Bowl. Dad had pre-scouted potential locations the night before and made a reservation at the bar Social Beer Haus. Even though Dad was devastated that his precious 49ers lost, we still had a blast. Although the bar was not packed by any means, we were pleasantly surprised by the number of fans in attendance and it made the whole experience very fun and unique. Also, I highly recommend the Elote – it was delicious, but be prepared for quite the kick.

Banff and Lake Louise

There are public transit options to get to Banff from Calgary but I recommend renting a car. It’s much more convenient, and also makes it easier to get around Banff once you arrive. The road to Banff is beautiful, lined with snow cap mountains. An interesting feature I’d never seen before were all the wildlife crossings. They’re essentially bridges for wildlife allowing them safe passage over the highways, which by reducing the risk of animal-car collisions is great for both humans and animals alike.

Something I did not realize was that all of Banff, including the downtown area and ski resorts, is a national park. As such, you will need to purchase a national park pass for entry. This is pretty easy to do as the park gates are on the road when you drive in. If you arrive late, however, and the gate booths are closed you will need to purchase the pass at one of the visitor centers in either Banff or Lake Louise. This is what we ended up doing since we arrived late the night before. Plus, I recommend stopping by the visitor center anyway because it’s always a great way to learn helpful information.

We spent the morning getting settled into our accommodations and exploring downtown Banff. Downtown Banff is absolutely lovely, and smack dab at the end of Banff Ave is the famed view of Cascade mountain. Banff Ave itself is lined with shops, restaurants, and galleries, and it was a joy to stroll along weaving in and out of the ones that interested us. It was quite cold outside so it was also a welcome relief to pop into the stores and warm up along the way. Downtown Banff as a whole is not very big – you can walk the entire area in a couple of hours – which I highly recommend doing to get a feel for the town. I loved downtown Banff. It felt like a classic ski and mountain town.

In the afternoon we headed to Lake Louise for dog sledding!!! This was by far the highlight of the trip. It was just the coolest experience and such a blast. There are only two dog sled providers in the Banff area: Kingmik Dogsled Tours located in Lake Louise, and another tour provider located in Canmore, a nearby town. We chose Kingmik because we wanted to explore Lake Louise. Upon arriving at the tour meeting point we were greeted by dozens of beautiful Alaskan huskies. Prior to getting in your sled they encourage you to meet and greet with the dogs, which were all very friendly and loved the attention. Then it was time to hop in the sled while the mushers prepared the dogs for departure. This is when things started to get even more exciting. The dogs know the drill and as soon as they get hooked up to the sled they get excited and start going crazy. It’s the funniest experience. Hearing and seeing dozens of barking dogs jumping up and down is truly a sight to behold. Once the dogs were hooked up and ready to go the musher gave the signal and we were off! After the very noisy start I was surprised by the silence that came next: the dogs don’t bark while they’re running so the only sounds you hear are the pitter patter of their paws and the sled gliding through the snow. It was the most peaceful and serene experience, almost meditative. I felt very at one with nature just taking in the gorgeous landscape and breathing in the fresh mountain air. Our guide was very friendly so along the way we chatted with her about the dogs and what life is like as a musher. The tour we selected was about 16 km total and brought us to the Great Divide. At the divide we took a short break to stretch our legs, take pictures, and play some more with the dogs. The dogs were so funny, they did not want a break. They love running so much that they kept barking at us to get going again. It’s almost as if they were thinking, “What are you humans doing??? Get a move on people!” Toward the end of the tour we were given the option to join our guide in driving/standing on the back of the sled. Mom was too cozy in the sled and didn’t want to get out so I got to pull double duty. It was absolutely fantastic but also absolutely freezing. I don’t know how the guides do it. Sadly the tour couldn’t last forever, but at the end they leave you with a nice parting gift: the opportunity to toss the dogs their favorite chicken snack. It was a fun little perk and a great way to close out the tour. Yes the tours are on the pricer side, but in my opinion it was worth every penny for a once in a lifetime experience. Make sure to make reservations well in advance because the tours are very popular and sell out quickly.

We closed out a phenomenal afternoon of dogsledding with a visit to Lake Louise and the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. I was a bit underwhelmed, but this was my own fault. I was under the delusion I would be seeing a turquoise lake but that’s not the case in the winter. Unsurprisingly, the lake is frozen and covered in snow so you don’t see the lake at all. Also, the lake was much smaller than I’d expected. That said, the famous view of the mountains was still very beautiful and it was fun walking around the frozen lake and taking pictures. A portion of the lake is also open for ice skating so that’s also a fun activity option. We didn’t end up ice skating because by that time it was nearly evening and we were freezing our butts off. Instead, we headed into the Chateau to defrost and for our dinner reservation at Walliser Stube.

Lady luck smiled upon us and we were seated at the best table in the house: a corner table right by the window with a spectacular view of the lake and surrounding mountains. The ambiance was cozy and inviting and dinner matched the spectacular view and ambiance. We had cheese fondue, various entrees, and chocolate fondue for dessert, and each of the courses was delectable. Service was also top notch. Of all the restaurants we dined at during the trip it was my favorite, and I highly recommend going during your visit. Once again, make sure to make a reservation well in advance, especially if you’re traveling during the “on-season”, which is summer.

The Skiing

After a lovely introduction to Banff and Lake Louise it was time to do what we came for: skiing! The Banff ski area has three mountains known as Ski Big 3: Banff Sunshine, Lake Louise, and Mt. Noroquay. Mt. Noroquay is more of the beginner/family mountain, and the other two are the more intermediate and advanced mountains, although all three mountains have runs for beginners. We choose to ski Banff Sunshine and Lake Louise and started with Sunshine.

Unfortunately, I don’t feel that I really got the chance to adequately explore and evaluate Banff Sunshine. We spent our first day of skiing there but didn’t get much actual ski time in. First, we got off to a late start on the mountain. Second, after we’d skied only a couple runs the main chairlift we’d been riding malfunctioned and shut down. This drastically limited our options. My mom was only comfortable riding easy green runs while she got her ski legs back under her. When the lift shut down it also shut down access to the only runs she felt comfortable doing. Dad and I tried exploring other options for her by trying all the remaining green runs nearby, but none of them were appropriate. First of all, they were Canadian “greens”, which means they were basically American blues. Second, they had a weird dual nature. While they were too steep for Mom most of the time, at the very end they were so flat that they were essentially cross country skiing. Needless to say Dad and I did a lot of hiking and got in a great workout. If you’re a snowboarder I certainly would not recommend trying Sunshine’s “green” runs or you’ll be doing a lot more walking than boarding. Ultimately, our attempts at scouting the mountain to find suitable runs for Mom was unsuccessful. Sure I could have gone off and explored the rest of the mountain on my own, but I didn’t want to ditch my parents on the first day. While it would have been nice to get a better sense of Banff Sunshine, ultimately I preferred the Lake Louise ski resort. The few locals I chatted with on the various ski lifts throughout my trip also seemed to echo that Lake Louise was their preferred mountain.

As much as I was disappointed by Banff Sunshine, I absolutely loved Lake Louise. It’s one of the most beautiful mountains I have skied, with stunning vistas of the surrounding rockies and long fantastic runs. They’re some of the longest runs I’ve skied actually. The conditions weren’t the best, but the snow was still decent. One local I spoke to said he’d been skiing there his entire life and these were some of the worst conditions he’d experienced. Man. If that was Banff at its worst then I will absolutely have to return to experience Banff at its best. That was another thing: every local we met was very kind and friendly, further reinforcing the friendly Canadian stereotype. We even befriended a local who skied with us, gave us a tour of the mountain, and invited us to return and ski with him again anytime. I was bummed we only had 2 days to ski the mountain as I would happily have skied there endlessly. All in all, I can confidently say that the Lake Louise ski resort is one of my favorite all-time ski destinations.

Transportation to the various ski resorts was also very convenient. Banff Sunshine is only about 20 minutes away from downtown Banff and is served by various shuttles. Most of the resorts downtown provide free shuttle access, and if yours doesn’t, you can simply walk to the closest one that does. They also provide less frequent shuttle service to Lake Louise which is further out at 40 minutes away.

After each of our ski days we spent our evenings continuing to explore downtown Banff and its culinary scene. The restaurants we tried were Brazen, Chuck’s Steakhouse, and The Grizzly House. Brazen was the clear winner. Chuck’s Steakhouse was fair, but I’ve had better steak. The same went for the Grizzly House, which had a cool and unique ambiance but the fondue was average. Other downtown Banff highlights included the Beavertails pastries, Mary’s Popcorn, and the Last Temptation Vintage shop, which had a really cool selection of vintage pieces and ski suits. I found myself an awesome little onesie there.

We dedicated the last day of the trip to just taking it easy. My family is notorious for being go-go-go on vacations and packing the days with various activities. There’s just so many things we want to do and see! Our logic is that you never know if you’ll get to come back to a place so might as well try and fit in as much as possible. But over the years we’ve learned to tone it down a bit. Otherwise, instead of ending the vacation feeling rested and rejuvenated you find yourself saying (as my Dad often does), “I need a vacation from my vacation.”

Saturday we slept in, then headed to explore the Fairmont Banff Springs. The hotel is architecturally stunning and reminded me of the beast’s castle from Beauty and the Beast. Its blend of Scottish baronial and French medieval architecture is impressive, and the interior decor also leans strongly into this motif with the occasional suit of armor and swords. We made a reservation for Afternoon Tea – one, because Mom and I love afternoon tea, and two, because we wanted an excuse to roam around the hotel. Tea was hosted in the upper level of the Rundle Bar, which was flooded with natural light and had a gorgeous view of the surrounding mountains. We really appreciated how accommodating they were of our food allergies and intolerances. They went above and beyond to ensure we had delicious substitute items. The entire experience was absolutely delightful and we loved every minute of it (except for maybe Dad who isn’t the biggest tea fan but humored us).

After tea we set about exploring the remainder of the hotel and tried to be discreet because we weren’t guests. At the Fairmont Lake Louise we ran into abundant signage blocking off certain areas for guests only. Even the bathrooms were closed to guests and required a keycard for entry. By contrast, the Fairmont Banff Springs felt more welcoming. There was still similar signage, but less abundant and the bathrooms weren’t limited to keycard access. As such we felt much more comfortable exploring the hotel. I certainly understand the rationale behind the policy. If you’re a guest you don’t want your expensive stay to be interrupted by thousands of ogling tourists. I think part of why we were able to explore as non-guests was because we visited during the off-season. During the summer I can see how the Fairmount Lake Louise could be flooded with thousands of unwelcome visitors. Therefore, if you want to check out the hotels during the on-season you might have to make a reservation, even if it’s just for one night. Personally I preferred the Banff Springs for its beautiful architecture, but the advantage to the Fairmont Lake Louise is that it’s conveniently located right on the banks of Lake Louise.

The hotel complex also has a plaza with a bowling alley called Bowl Valley for Canadian five pin. We spent the rest of the afternoon bowling and even though I still have no idea how the scoring worked we had a blast. We capped off the evening and a fabulous trip with dinner at Castello, an Italian restaurant located inside the hotel. It was the smallest restaurant I think I’ve ever been to, so you’ll certainly want to make reservations in advance. The food was good, and it was a great way to close out the trip.

So what’s the verdict? I absolutely loved Banff and would definitely like to visit again, both in the winter and the summer. I’d like to return in the summer to marvel at its iconic turquoise lakes and experience Banff in the summertime. I’d also like to return again for another ski season when they have better snow. For any future winter visit I will also make sure to travel in February or March, which has less crowds and is much warmer. A local advised us to stay away in the peak of winter – it’s just too. damn. cold.

If you’re planning a visit to Banff I hope this blog helped, and I also highly recommend checking out the Banff Blog. I read it before our trip and it’s a wonderful resource. Happy travels!