Adventure Awaits Your Family

We flew direct into Calgary airport which was an easy flight from Chicago. We did book our flights far out (about 10 months). We did rent a car as we knew we would be driving quite a bit and one of the best recommendations came from a friend who visited before – pre-pay to have rapid pick up for your car rental. The lines were extremely long to wait to check in at the counters, but we were able to walk right up to our vehicle and get on our way!  

We dropped bags at our hotel and headed to downtown Canmore to walk around and eat. The cutest little downtown with shopping and restaurants! Walkable from our hotel. We ate at the Grizzly Paw Pub which was perfect – good food, great outdoor patio and affordable! 

Hotel Information:  

We needed space. We always need space as a family of six 😊 so I found a hotel in Canmore called the Blackstone Mountain Lodge that was very affordable. This hotel was perfect for us – it had a full kitchen, two bedrooms, a pull out sofa bed and all the amenities needed including a heated pool, hot tub and workout room. It does not have a restaurant on-site, however, is very convenient to restaurants and grocery stores.  

We headed to Banff National Park to explore and hike. I recommend purchasing your park pass ahead of time. You can print from home and put on your dashboard for quick access into the park (stay to the right lanes as you enter the park to drive right through).   

• For early risers – visit Two Jack Lake for the sunrise and the easy two mile trail there.  
• 10:00 a.m.: Boat trip to Lake Minnewanka – we reserved tickets to this ahead of time. An easy and pretty way to see the lake and learn about it from a guide on board. This lake is known as “Lake of the Spirits” by the Stoney Nakoda First National people and holds documented artifacts from 14,000 years ago! It was a great introduction to the park and its history.  
•  11:30 a.m. – after our one hour boat ride, we headed to Cascade ponds which was a short 10-minute drive. This serene and beautiful area features a series of ponds flanked with bridges. You can kayak, paddleboard, picnic and relax.    
•  Bow Falls:  This was one of our kids favorite spots during the entire trip! We parked in a public lot near the Four Seasons hotel and walked down to the river. The views and color of the water took our breath away! The green Rockies served as a backdrop against the turquois waters of the Bow River. There is a significant waterfall here, but we set up shop a bit further down the bank of the river where there were very few people. We brought towels and our kids cliff jumped which they all loved! Just be sure your kids can weather the frigid water temps and are strong swimmers as there is a current there. There are trails there to walk as well here that are easy and scenic!  
•  Dinner at Silver Dragon: we changed clothes and headed to dinner at Silver Dragon which was tasty Chinese cuisine (get the Ginger Beef!)  

 9:00 a.m. – we drove to the Banff Gondola. Again, purchase your tickets ahead of time to ensure a timeslot and so you don’t have to wait in long lines! We ascended 2,200 feet in just eight minutes and the views were incredible! Once we reached the summit, we walked the boardwalk to the Cosmic Ray Station and Sanson’s Peak. You can also eat lunch at the Sky Bistro or grab a cup of coffee and snack at Castle Mountain Coffee Shop. We sat on the Adirondack chairs and enjoyed the views. 

12:00 p.m. - Banff Hot Springs: this is a short two minute drive across from the gondola and was different than previous hot springs we have visited. It’s more a large pool than a natural hot spring. We purchased tickets on site, changed into our swimsuits and headed into the geothermal pool. It was relaxing and we grabbed a bite to eat at the café there.   

We changed and then headed to downtown Banff. This was the busiest spot we were at while on our trip. Be prepared for A LOT of traffic and parking can be a challenge. We walked, shopped and then ate at Earl’s Banff. This is a chain restaurant but the food was good and the menu expansive for all the kids.   

We attempted to drive to Sunshine Village to take the gondola and hike, but this was the one day where it rained hard for a few hours. Instead, we headed back to change into warmer clothes (always dress in layers!!) and we ate at the Rose and Crown restaurant for lunch. 

Johnston Canyon Hike: we detoured in the afternoon and hiked! It was a great, easy paved hike with a waterfall at the end. Highly recommend for families with kids of all ages. 

Mount Norquay Lookout: we drove up here following our hike. Incredible views and wildlife sightings! 

After a great day,   we headed back to town and grabbed a quick bite this evening and then took the kids to get School Bus Ice Cream – fun experience! 

 We changed locations this day and headed to stay at the incredible Fairmont Lake Louise! This hotel is the nicest (and most expensive) hotel we have ever stayed at, but it was worth every penny. It not only afforded us unlimited access to Lake Louise, but allowed us to experience it at times when the bus loads of tourists were not there. While EVERYTHING is pricey here, it provides unparalleled first class service and views. It is also the only hotel with direct access to Lake Louise. 

We checked into our two bedroom suite and while we didn’t want to leave, we headed to horseback ride.

1:00 p.m. - Brewsters Adventures is an on-site offering you can walk to. We did the three hour Agnes Tea House trail. Most of the ride was through the trees on the way up with glimpses of the lake and ended at the famous Agnes Tea House. If I had the chance to do it over, I would have chosen the Lakehead option instead so we could enjoy views of the lake. The Tea House trail also included a lot of riding right next to the edge of the mountain which was nerve wracking as a mom to watch your kids that close to the edge on a horse. 

7:00 p.m. – we ate on property at Walliser Stube. It is a German restaurant where the kids had fun with fondue. Again, pricey, but delicious and convenient. You have to drive to everything and options are limited to food outside of the hotel. 

8:00 a.m. – We drove the Icefields Parkway. This is one of the most scenic drives you can do, but it does take all day so you need to plan for that. There is also not a cell signal at all when you enter this area, so you need to pay attention to roads and signs. 

9:00 a.m. – Bow Lake stop. Gorgeous lake to see near sunrise. We saw wildlife on the way here as well including a black bear. 

10:30 a.m. – Althabasca Glacier: this is the largest accumulation of ice south of the Artic Circle. You can hike up or take a Glacier Big Cat up to stand on the glacier itself. We opted just to hike and take some pictures. Dress warm! 

12:00 p.m. Sunwapta Falls, Athabasca Falls and Herbert Lake. We made stops on way back, but kids loved Herbert Lake. The swimming is cold but tolerable here and there are cliffs to jump off of. We saw people with rafts floating in the middle too. 

 11:00 a.m. – Moraine Lake. We arranged a shuttle from our hotel here as you cannot drive to the lake. The road is closed so you need to arrange a shuttle to get in and out of Moraine Lake. But wow, is it worth it! The water here was so blue. We also did the Rockpile Trail which was really fun for the kids. 

3:00 p.m. – headed back to the hotel to swim and sauna. 

7:00 p.m. – Dinner at Alpine Social – more casual restaurant at the hotel.

9:00 a.m. – Whitewater Rafting: we rafted with Wild Water and needed to do the Gentle ride as our youngest was not 12 yet. We still enjoyed the class three rapids which was a fun experience, and cold! We also saw wildlife as we rafted down – the morning rafts provide the best opportunity for this. 

1:30 p.m. – swam at hotel and lunch. 

4:00 p.m. – hiked Lake Louise trail. Beautiful and easy hike around Lake Louise. This is a great time of day as crowds are fewer. We then enjoyed a cocktail and appetizers on lawn of hotel overlooking lake – it was perfection.  

5:30 a.m. – Sunrise Canoe experience at the Fairmont. This is early but so worth it! There is NO ONE on the lake except a few other canoes. It is peaceful and beautiful to watch the sunrise come up. Aside from my older three laughing (or arguing) in the canoe next to us, there wasn’t a noise to be heard. 

We flew out this afternoon and headed home.