My first trip for 2017 was to Banff/ Calgary in April. We landed in Calgary and rented a car to drive up to Banff/Lake Louise. We are in Calgary for a few days for our annual buying show but my husband and I decide to arrive a day earlier so that we can do some sight-seeing. My husband has never been to Banff before, I have been in winter to ski with our daughter and am excited to share my memories of Banff with him.
We booked to stay at the Fairmount Chateau Lake Louise. On our drive we stopped in Banff for some lunch. We ate at Saltlik Steakhouse, http://www.saltlik.com/banff , definitely recommend this place. The food, service were amazing, and love the atmosphere even though we happened to go during the afternoon on a thursday when it was quiet. After a brief walk around Banff we headed to our hotel in Lake Louise, http://www.fairmont.com/lake-louise/
Driving up to this grand hotel, the excitement grew. I have read and seen so many pictures of this great hotel I could not wait to step inside. The lobby was everything I expected, grand and beautiful. When I checked in to my surprise we were upgraded to the gold club floor. Needless to say we were quite surprised and shocked and I asked a few times how much more I had to pay, but was told that my rate was the same. When we got to our room, we had a view of the lake and the mountains. AMAZING… A note along with some goodies was left in our room. We were able to access the gold lounge on the club members floor, where we had snacks and the next morning we had our breakfast there, a chef was there making omelets, eggs and they had a great assortment of food both hot and cold for breakfast. What a treat and we were so grateful for the amazing experience. The view in the morning from our room was spectacular. The mountains with the sunrise was just breathtaking.
We booked a hike at the hotel to Johnson Canyon Trail Hike, we paid about $70 per person and our guide was Michael Vincent. That morning there were only 3 of us on the tour. Michael gave us pro traction cleats to put on our shoes so that we did not slip on any ice while on the trails. Johnson Canyon is a short drive from the hotel. It is a 2.7km walk and we saw 7 waterfalls, it took us about 2 hours in total. Since we went in April the trails were still icy and slippery in many spots. If you happen to go there in the spring please have the cleats with you so you don’t hurt yourself. We got there early that way we could beat the crowds. Michael is an adventure guide and was able to tell us all about the area along with his stories and adventures.
That same day we headed back towards Calgary with a stop in Banff again for lunch. We decided to eat at the Park Distillery Restaurant and Bar, http://www.parkdistillery.com, where we watch the basketball playoffs while having a drink from their house-made spirits. Again the food and atmosphere was
perfect to finish up our brief trip to the Rockies before he head back to Calgary for the start of the convention. I feel a bit of sadness as the mountains disappear from view. I can see how many people come here for a “brief” time to work but never leave.
xoxo
M
Little white pearls 