Lake Louise
Bow Lake
Peyton Lake
One of the worst kept secrets for a summer vacation appears to be a trip to the Banff National Park in western Canada. With the potential for scorching heat and unpredictable weather anywhere in the lower forty-eight, a trip to the Banff area offers great conditions for outdoor fun.
As an author, I’d previously researched this area of the Canadian Rockies for its historical and geographic features, but its modern amenities turned this once rugged wilderness into a great destination for young and old.
The city of Calgary acts as a gateway to the mountains. The Calgary International Airport is situated on the north side of the city, offering convenient access to the downtown and quick access to Highway 1 leading out of town. For our trip, we rented a car, and thanks to a well-designed, efficient airport facility, we were out on the road in no time. For our return, we stayed in a downtown hotel to take in the city. Downtown Calgary on a Saturday was a joy, with tons of shopping, restaurants, and street musicians filling a multi-block corridor. Although a couple hipsters walking near us marveled that “none of this was even here a century ago,” Calgary (est. 1875) does have a modern efficiency and crispness about it you won’t find in most American or European cities.
Built on the vast northern plains, Calgary quickly transitions from rolling hills to towering mountains, and the thrill of these dark shadows rising in the distance makes the 90 minute drive to Banff fly by. The roads are built for high-volume traffic, which we saw on our return to Calgary with all the week-end traffic flowing out of the city for a vacation. Arriving on a Monday morning, we were only slowed slightly at the gates to the national park. We purchased our passes in advance, but there were several lanes dedicated for those with various degrees for preparedness.
Banff offers dense entertainment. My first impression was that it fell somewhere between Hill City, SD and Reno, NV—it was a fun tourist trap. For us, it was a chance for late lunch, and it would’ve taken us hours to sort through the options (we quickly chose sushi). Shops, bars, and entertainment filled several blocks, and despite the congestion of foot traffic, it was easy to get in and out of town from the highway. For summer entertainment, it provides great hikes and vast biking trails into the backdrop of nearby mountains. While we certainly could have spent a week in Banff, we had some scenic hikes waiting for us further up the road.
The drive to Lake Louise follows the Bow River valley, making it a reasonably easy trip for the vehicle despite mountains flanking both sides of the car. The good and the bad about the Fairmont Chateau is that you get what you pay for. It’s one of the only options in this remote, beautiful location—and it is stunningly beautiful. With no competition from a dozen other hotels, the Chateau is situated right on Lake Louise and built for viewing the lake and glacier. The interior of the hotel made me want to get out my old Big Wheel and race Danny Torrance around the building, but the wonderful and ever-present staff certainly would have frowned on this. Although I was disappointed by its lack of ghosts, the Chateau did have paranormally fast-closing elevator doors. Be warned! With a monopoly on cuisine, everything from buffet breakfast to supper is going to cost you a bison arm and an elk leg (both were tasty). We balanced our financial situation by visiting the little village at the bottom of the hill, which had an inexpensive restaurant and a grocery market. Remember, you pay for a glimpse into the remote past, so you simply won’t have a lot of options.
Whether you take the high road or the low road, hiking is king at Lake Louise. Since it is such a popular destination, the lake gets flooded by tourists by noon, so if you want to be eaten by bears without anyone hearing you scream, head out early. Oh, speaking of bears, you are just a mountain away from being out in untamed wilderness, but there is a feeling of safety in numbers with all the other hikers around you. Even so, you should be prepared and follow the posted warnings and rules. The trails at Lake Louise are great for people of all ages. We arrived in the early afternoon with plans to just do a quick hike around the lake, which was a pretty easy trail. Once you get to the place where the glacier meets the lake, you have a bunch of really great options (depending on your skill/ambition). If you keep going, you can hike up to the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse, or if you want to peel off, you can parallel Lake Louise along the high road where you can access places like “The Beehive” and the “Lake Agnes Teahouse” in the heights above the lake. There is a more direct path to these two locations near the hotel if you decide to try the high road on your second day.
If you stayed longer, or simply didn’t like hiking, there are kayak and canoe rentals also available, but you might want to stick a foot in the water before trying this. Glaciers are pretty, but they’re also made of…ice.
We spent a third day exploring other nearby scenic locations. We got up early and hit the road, traveling further up Highway 93 (known as Icefield Parkway…how cool is that?). The scenery is stunning, but there are two cool stops to make on this short drive. We practically stomped on the brakes as Bow Lake came into view along the highway. There’s a convenient pulloff for pictures that’ll make friends vacationing in Florida quite jealous. Just a bit further, you’ll find Peyto Lake, which is a steep but short hike up a wheelchair friendly trail that gives you a stunning overlook. If you’re looking for more adventure, there are miles of side trails coming off this cool location.
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