Baby – Treat Yourself to Travel

Yoohoo! Yoho is Where It’s At! (B.C. National Parks)

April 21, 2020September 11, 2022Posted in Canada, National Parks, Read Them All, State CapitolTagged Baby, Baby Travel, British Columbia, Canada, Canadian National Park, Discovery Pass, Emerald Lake, Grand Teton, Kootenay, Parks Canada, Revelstoke, Travel, Yellowstone, Yoho2 Comments

As part of our epic road trip to see Banff and Jasper, we also managed to see other nearby parks in British Columbia to include Mount Revelstoke, Glacier, Yoho and Kootenay. We also squeezed in the Montana State Capitol on our way back to Jackson Hole airport by way of animal-centric Yellowstone. Leave a comment at the end and let me know what you thought!

Mount Revelstoke National Park (British Columbia)

We left Golden early in the morning and drove to Mount Revelstoke National Park. We started with a short easy boardwalk hike called Skunk Cabbage followed by the Cedar boardwalk trail. The real highlight for us was the Meadows in the Sky Parkway up to a parking lot near the summit. From here we had an option to take a shuttle, but opted to walk instead. We find that hiking to a destination makes it more rewarding than taking the easy way. Before heading to Glacier National Park of Canada, we stopped in the little town of Revelstoke so I could get a coffee treat at Conversations Coffee House.

Glacier National Park of Canada (British Columbia)

Great Glacier hike on a foggy day | TeamTravelsBaby

Easily combined to make for a full day with Mount Revelstoke, we opted for the Great Glacier hike. Round-trip this hike took us about 3.5 hours to hike (approx. 5 miles round-trip). There is quite an ascent going up and once the skies started to clear, gorgeous views of the mountains, a waterfall, and running water in the valley below. We also passed the remains of Glacier House on our way out. I was so tired from carrying Addy a good portion of the way up that once we switched, I had to stay out of eyesight of Addy so we could make it back down without switching again. It was fun listening to Mike entertain her with descriptions of everything he saw from rocks to trees to mushrooms.

We stayed in a Ramada Limited Hotel in Golden, which was a nice hotel and ideally located between Glacier and Yoho. As a bonus, I got 10% off with my key card at Bear & Bone Burger, which was walking distance from the hotel. The gunsmoke burger and yam fries were absolutely delicious and I would highly recommend it!

Yoho (British Columbia)

If you couldn’t tell, I absolutely loved photographing the reflections here | TeamTravelsBaby

If you take out Banff and Jasper (which both live up to the hype), Yoho was my favorite Canadian national park that we visited this trip. We ate our free hotel breakfast and then headed to Wapta Falls. This waterfall is a gusher! It was a relatively flat hike out, with some mud and rocks to the view point. Then we continued down in order to get a better view. Next up was one of the most stunning lakes of the trip (not quite Lake Louise or Moraine Lake, but definitely up there) called Emerald Lake. It was a stunning greenish turquoise color. We walked part of the lakeshore path, took in the reflection views and had a memorable photo shoot with Addy. On our way back to the main road, we stopped at the Natural Bridge. This was a nice spot to pop out and take some pictures. The park’s visitor center is in Field – we made a pit stop for our stamp before going to see our last waterfall. From the parking lot, it’s a very short walk to Takkakaw Falls. This narrow and tall fall (the second tallest in Canada) is really cool because you can go down to the rocks along the water for pictures without people. There’s also a spot with one of the “red chairs” that are scattered throughout the Canadian national park system.

Natural Bridge near Emerald Lake | TeamTravelsBaby

Kootenay (British Columbia)

Wider view of Olive Lake | TeamTravelsBaby

The Paint Pots hike toward Marble Canyon was the only hike we did in this park. From the pot holed parking lot, there’s a bridge with stunning views of the mountains and a river below. Hiking boots are definitely necessary as there are small boards you walk on to stay off the electrified looking water. The ink pot here is unique and we found this hike virtually to ourselves.

As we made our way toward the exit of the park we stopped at Olive Lake. It was a pretty lake with reflections and fish. It was a short drive from here to the exit by Radium Hot Springs. If we had more time, we would have stopped to check these out. The drive is definitely worth taking this route.

Paint Pots hike in Kootenay | TeamTravelsBaby

Crossing the Border

This time we checked the hours to ensure we wouldn’t have any issues. We found the border crossing virtually empty, but we were the random selectees to pull over and have our car inspected. We hung out in the station while they checked everything out. For sunset, we made it the small town of Whitefish, Montana. This town is adorable and I only wish we had made it before the small independent shops had closed.

We found a Wal-Mart in Kalispell to load up on more snacks and then found a hotel here for the night. Check out my article called, On the Border of Glacier and Waterton Lakes to read about Glacier National Park which we primarily explored on the front end of our trip.

Addy taking us over the border | TeamTravelsBaby

Helena, Montana

Montana’s State Capitol | TeamTravelsBaby

As we made our way back toward Jackson Hole, we stopped in Helena, the capital of Montana. The inside was stunning and multi-floored. We joined a free guided tour so we could see inside the chambers. One of my favorite parts about taking Addy to a state capitol building is we’ve started a tradition of taking Addy’s picture on Mike’s shoulders in front of it. We explored the little downtown and found an adorable coffee shop, General Mercantile next to an independent bookstore called Montana Book Company. We don’t really collect any souvenirs on our trips, but one thing I do like to buy is a unique and locally written or illustrated book. On this trip I bought The Chumiss and the Micken, which is an incredibly adorable and beautiful book about the age old question about which came first – the chicken or the egg. It is a children’s book that I enjoy reading to Addy and would recommend to others.

Addy and her Daddy doing their thang in MT | TeamTravelsBaby

Yellowstone National Park (USA)

Pronghorn, the fastest animal in North America | TeamTravelsBaby

When I was pregnant with Addy (June 2018), we crushed Yellowstone National Park. (I hope to write about that trip soon.) Since we were merely passing through for sunset and the following morning on this trip, we weren’t there to see it all, but rather to try and see animals. We took the scenic Beartooth Mountains drive. Then before even entering the park through the Gardiner, Montana entrance (to the north), we spotted a ton of big horned sheep, a herd of elk and pronghorns. Once we finally entered, we found a HUGE male flaunting his rack in anticipation for the fall rut.

Lamar Valley is a must drive if you want to see animals in Yellowstone. Of course, sunrise and sunset also happen to be the ideal times. The people who have scopes and follow the wolves were out in the morning and were generous enough to let us have a look. We could see wolves way out in the valley surrounding a bear trying to feed off the same dead bison carcass. My one non-animal pro tip is to stop in one of the stores and try the $1 huckleberry ice cream sandwich – you will be yearning for a second one!

Lamar Valley has a ridiculous number of bison | TeamTravelsBaby

Grand Teton National Park (USA)

On the short list for our future retirement home | TeamTravelsBaby

The drive is so scenic from Yellowstone and throughout Grand Teton. We literally only had a few minutes to jump out for a few pictures of the mountains and another huge elk. There is one gas station close to the extremely small airport. It was very easy to return our rental car and get through security here before walking on the tarmac to our plane. It’s also really interesting that this airport offers bear spray rentals! This is definitely something to consider for a future trip as bear spray is more expensive that I thought and you have to properly dispose of it. And in case you’re wondering why we picked Jackson Hole, it’s because Frontier was offering tickets for $249 each! This was a steal for this airport!

Returned the car without issue | TeamTravelsBaby

JAC, the prettiest airport to fly in and out of | TeamTravelsBaby

Notes for Next Time

Revelstoke: A longer hike in the Summit Area
Glacier: Balu Pass
Yoho: Lake O’Hara alpine area which needs to be booked WAY in advance and looks absolutely unreal.
Kootenay: Radium hot springs (the actual hot springs) and Juniper-Sinclair Canyon

On the Border of Glacier and Waterton Lakes

April 19, 2020April 19, 2020Posted in Canada, National Parks, Read Them AllTagged Alberta, Baby, Baby Travel, Canadian National Park, Glacier National Park, Going to the Sun Road, Many Glaciers, Waterton Lakes National Park4 Comments

Glacier National Park (Montana, USA) and Waterton Lakes National Park (Alberta, Canada) are considered an international peace park as they share the border. As such, a passport is required if you want to see both. The Many Glaciers section of Glacier National Park was definitely a highlight and where we saw black bears. Waterton’s Prince of Wales Hotel is one of the windiest places in Canada and has a beautiful lake behind it. We also got out and walked around Calgary for about an hour or so and would definitely return to the city again in the future. Plus, as one of the few cities we visited, I actually got my treats here! While we were very non-traditional, starting and ending our trip in Jackson, Wyoming (home to the Grand Tetons), most people probably would have used Calgary as a jumping off point.

Ready for our adventure recap | TeamTravelsBaby

Going to the Sun Road (Glacier)

We arrived through the west entrance by Lake McDonald on a very overcast and rainy day. Going to the Sun Road is supposed to be extremely scenic and a big part of the reason Glacier receives high rankings amongst all of the national parks. It’s approximately 50 miles long across the main section of the park and takes nearly 2 hours to drive without stops. Unfortunately for us, we didn’t have that top-ranking experience, but we did still really enjoy this park. We did have the fortunate timing of finding a group of big horned sheep hanging out across the street from the Logan Pass Visitor Center and the street to ourselves to enjoy the drive-through tunnel. At the end of our trip, we were able to dip back into the park and actually see Lake McDonald, the largest lake in the park and the colorful IG worthy stones. There’s also a cute gift shop here.

Going to the Sun Road Tunnel | TeamTravelsBaby

Big horned sheep across from the visitor center | TeamTravelsBaby

Hidden Lake Trail (Glacier)

Our first hike of the day was by the Logan Pass Visitor Center. We geared up with our rain coats, rain boots, waterproof pants and poncho to cover Addy in her on-person carrier. There is a long stair climb and then a nice path, even with the rain. We found colorful stones, a waterfall and a good hike overall. The only bummer was because of the rain and fog, we couldn’t see the view intended for the end point of this 3 mile round-trip hike.

Colorful stones along the Hidden Lakes Trail | TeamTravelsBaby

Hidden Lakes Trail on an overcast day | TeamTravelsBaby

Virginia and St. Mary’s Waterfalls (Glacier)

Virginia Falls in Glacier | TeamTravelsBaby

This was the only other hike we did in the park. It was a relatively easy round-trip 3.6 mile hike that took us to two beautiful cascading waterfalls. There are also beautifully colored rocks here to see if you don’t have time to stop at Lake McDonald.

Virginia and St. Mary’s Hike | TeamTravelsBaby

The Many Glaciers Section (Glacier)

Entering the Many Glaciers Section of Glacier NP | TeamTravelsBaby

This section of the park is totally separate from the Going to the Sun Road portion of the park. Once we exited the main road on the St. Mary’s (east) side, we headed north about 45 minutes. There were tons of potholes on the road, but the views were incredible. We could see glaciers on our drive in. We eventually spotted cars pulled over and got out to watch a mommy and baby black bear foraging. While watching these bears play, Addy made a noise and we turned to see a black bear cross the road behind us, probably less than 50 feet! Scary to think he was hiding in the bushes so close to us. I’m convinced Addy knew something was going on! From here we drove to the Glacier Park Lodge where we came across a female big horned sheep walking on the sidewalk. Something about how the Lodge looked and the setting on the reflective body of water with mountains in the background reminded me of Switzerland, which made sense considering it is a “swiss styled lodge”. There was a musician playing inside and the view from the back porch was the perfect way to end our time in Glacier.

Black bears in Glacier | TeamTravelsBaby

SO many good photos of Addy and her Daddy | TeamTravelsBaby

View from the parking lot of the Glacier Lodge | TeamTravelsBaby

Glacier Lodge and the View | TeamTravelsBaby

Border Crossing to Canada

We wrapped up our evening in Glacier, drove down a long road with free range cattle warnings, until we made it to the border crossing booths. Did you know that not all border crossings are 24 hours? Well, we learned the hard way as we arrived to find it closed. My advice for next time, check the border crossing hours. It’s also smart to keep your phone on airplane mode anywhere near a border to avoid potential international fees. We made a U-turn and found our way to another border crossing that was fortunately opened and uneventful to cross.

Waterton Lakes National Park (Canada)

We started our morning super early on a mission to find a restroom. We found one by the beautiful Cameron Falls near Waterton (town). Even though it was really overcast and slightly rainy here too, we decided to try the Bertha hike to Bertha Falls. There were black bear warning signs everywhere, so we had that ounce of fear during our hike, but didn’t see any bears here. We did get great views of the Prince of Wales Hotel. We eventually made it to lower Bertha falls before returning along the same path (3.3 mile roundtrip hike).

The Prince of Wales Hotel is worth a stop. We thought the Lodge at Glacier was prettier, but it was fun to pop inside and also take in the views from behind the hotel. We got some great pictures here with Addy. At 11 months old, Addy brought her favorite animal at the time, baby panda (my old TY beanie baby) with her on the trip. She discovered her love for driving the car, turning on and off the radio and dancing to the music. We also realized that she loves pretzels! Lucky for her this is one of our favorite road trip snacks.

Calgary

Calgary was a quick pit stop for us. We figured we had to at least check it out and we took the scenic drive to it. We started with a drive through downtown and took some nice pictures from across the river of the city skyscrapers. We headed to Sidewalk Citizen where I got a delicious ginormous chocolate cookie with powdered sugar. We then found a metered spot downtown and took a nice walk along the Riverwalk and through Central Memorial Park. The flowers were blooming and if we had more time we would have walked to St. Patrick’s Island. We found a small mall and I was able to get a coffee treat at Good Earth Coffee House before we got back on the road and ready for our most anticipated park, Banff National Park. You can read all about this part of our trip in Banff, There It Is!

Bear Jammed in Jasper

April 16, 2020April 17, 2020Posted in Canada, National Parks, Read Them AllTagged Alberta, Baby, Baby Travel, Canadian National Park, Discovery Pass, Edith Cavell, Medicine Lake, Parks Canada4 Comments

Jasper National Park was our farthest destination for us (considering we started in Jackson Hole, Wyoming). From Banff (town) it is about 3.5 hours to Jasper (town) without stopping. Luckily, the Icefields Parkway, which connects the two towns is one of the most scenic drives. On our drive into the park, we spotted an elk with a HUGE rack…because it was close to the rut being September and all. We packed a ridiculous amount of hiking into less than 2 full days in the park. Similar to Banff, I totally get why people spend a whole week in this park.

Valley of Five Lakes

Our morning (which also happened to be my birthday) started off rainy, but we didn’t let that that stop us. We geared up with our rain clothes and headed out on the approximate 3 mile trail called Valley of Five Lakes. The early morning gave us beautiful reflection pictures and trails to ourselves. Something cool about Canadian national parks is they have red Adirondack chairs randomly located, which make for fun photo ops. Each of the lakes are labeled and there are signs between them so you won’t miss any on your hike. A good tip is to always take a photo at the trail head of the trail map (plus at this trail you can see where to find the red Adirondack chairs). This doubles for helping to keep track of what time you started the hike too.

Maligne Canyon and the Bridges

We parked near the Maligne Canyon Wilderness Kitchen for the Maligne Canyon hike after stopping to photograph some elk on the side of the road. The hike map is really helpful as there are a series of five bridges you have the option of seeing (remember to take a pic). The first two are relatively close and if you’re looking for a short hike, I would definitely recommend at least seeing the canyon and the first two bridges. Of course, if you want to see it all, it’s over a 4 mile hike. We really enjoyed the hike, but from experience and if you’re short on time, feel free to skip the last bridge. Instead of backtracking, we took the high path on our way back to the parking lot. We would highly recommend this (even though it was exhausting to climb) because the views at the top are incredible.

Small waterfall along the Maligne Canyon trail | TeamTravelsBaby

Pyramid Lake and Pyramid Island

Pyramid Lake is located relatively close to downtown Jasper. Near the Pyramid Lake Resort, you can pull off and get some incredible pictures of the lake with mountains in the background. It was so serene and I think because we were there after Labor Day, the lake itself was quiet. Past the Resort, we found parking for Pyramid Island. It’s a really tiny and walkable island connected by a bridge. It’s also a popular wedding spot. Some of my favorite pictures of Addy, Mike and I are from our time here.

Medicine Lake, Moose Lake and Bears

Medicine Lake was not on my radar when I planned our trip. We arrived in the afternoon and the reflection view of this lake was one of my trip favorites and one I blew up on canvas for our condo. When we turned the corner, we found a black bear. We were in our first Canadian bear jam and amongst the leader cars! So I guess you could say, we actually started the bear jam with our sighting! The bear crossed right in front of us and then we continued to watch it as it went down into the valley. All national parks have at least a 100 foot distance rule with animals such as bears. After we finished watching this bear, we continued on our way and came across two more black bears! It was fun to watch one stopping to smell the flowers. From here we made it to the trail for Moose Lake (near Maligne Lake). It was a pretty muddy walk, so our hiking boots definitely came in handy! The view of moose lake was stunning. We made it to the car before dusk set in and on our drive back down the main road, we came across a moose! We were so excited!! Of course we couldn’t get the camera or the phone to take a good picture, but otherwise, we soaked in the moment. A few minutes later, we came across a black bear in the road (our 4^th one)! I am so thankful we didn’t hit the bear!

Check out my first ever video | TeamTravelsBaby

Edith Cavell to the Summit

Cavell Pond and Glacier | TeamTravelsBaby

There is a recently completed parking structure here. Following the Path of Glacier trail, we quickly arrived at Cavell Pond less than 1 mile away. The glacial water is pretty and to this point, it is rather a busy hike. Continuing past here, through bits of rain, we followed a stiff incline, with Addy in tow well over 4 miles and up a 500 foot elevation gain to the summit. What was really funny is even though there were little yellow untitled signs, we weren’t 100% sure it was the end…so we kept going. We made it to another point where it started hailing out of nowhere, so we decided it was time to turn around. What’s amazing is how quickly the weather can change on a hike like this. The actual “end” where we should have stopped was a great vantage point with views of multiple glaciers, Mount Edith Cavell and the Cavell Pond from the bottom. People were amazed we did this with a baby and I’m so glad we did because it was super rewarding and physically exhausting. We also got to see hoary marmots, which are cute small mammals in the huge boulders. They blend in pretty well, so you have to pay attention for movement. This was the last hike we did in Jasper before making our way back along the Icefields Parkway back toward Banff.

The view when we went too far | TeamTravelsBaby

Our small mammal friends on the hike | TeamTravelsBaby

Other Jasper Sites We Enjoyed

The town of Jasper is so cute! The train runs right through town and it is extremely walkable. The flowers were beautifully planted around the visitor center (also has wifi) and public restroom across the street. Being my birthday and all, I got two coffee treats! First thing in the morning I got a delicious macadamia latte (with a real chocolate covered macadamia on top) from the Other Bear Paw Bakery. Later in the day a shopkeeper recommended the coffee shop in the laundromat (SnowDome Coffee Bar). I knew I had to try it and my drink here was also really good! After Maligne Canyon, we drove to Lake Annette. This lake has a play area and a beautiful recently completed walkway around the lake. We did have to dodge geese poop though.

Jasper is a fantastic national park and should be on your bucket list! September was a beautiful time to visit and I am so happy this is where we were for my birthday. I’ll write a separate post about our experience along the Icefields Parkway as there are quite a few points of interest worth stopping to gawk at. We found a reasonably priced hotel in Hinton (a bit of a drive north of Jasper) near a Wal-Mart. I mention this because I someone underestimated how many GBs of camera storage I needed for the trip and this place was our saving grace!

If we had more time, here are a few other things that were on my list: 1) Boat tour to Spirit Island on Maligne Lake; 2) Bald Hills Loop near Maligne Lake (6ish mile strenuous hike); 3) Sulfur Skyline hike to Miette Hot Springs (5 mile hike)

Don’t forget to buy the Parks Canada Discovery Pass if it makes sense for your trip! We definitely got our monies worth and are hoping to do a second big Canadian national parks adventure before ours expires. And if you missed it, check out our post, Banff, There It Is!

Follow us to our next adventure. Until next time. | TeamTravelsBaby

Banff, There It is!

April 13, 2020April 16, 2020Posted in Canada, National Parks, Read Them AllTagged Alberta, Baby, Baby Travel, Canadian National Park, Discovery Pass, Ink Pots, Lake Louise, Parks Canada, Plain of Six Glaciers, Tea House7 Comments

While our approximately 12 day trip started in Jackson Hole (Wyoming), Banff and Jasper National Parks were our MUST sees on this trip. This post is about Banff National Park which is ideally located 90 minutes from Calgary in the Canadian province of Alberta and is where most people fly into in order to explore the park. We probably ended up spending close to three days in the park, breaking it up with other nearby parks and the Icefields Parkway (the amazing road that connects Banff and Jasper). We cannot recommend this park enough. It’s an absolute bucket list must see for outdoor enthusiasts and photo takers alike! Check out my other posts from this trip including Bear Jammed in Jasper.

Lake Minnewaka

Early September was the perfect time of year for this trip. We arrived at Banff National Park shortly before sunrise from Calgary. After purchasing the Parks Canada Discovery pass (highly recommended if you plan to see multiple parks and drive the Icefields Parkway), we drove to Lake Minnewaka. On our way to the lake, we got extremely lucky and saw two wolves! They were so close and were gone nearly as quickly as they came. The only other time we’ve seen wolves was through a scope at Yellowstone National Park, so this was an incredibly unexpected treat. We continued to the lake, which was beautiful.

Lake Louise/Fairmont Chateau

Fairmont Chateau on Lake Louise | TeamTravelsBaby

The water is unlike anything you’ve ever seen. While I absolutely love so many of the photos we got, it honestly doesn’t do it justice. Banff is breathtaking! Next to the lake is the stunning Fairmont Chateau luxury hotel. While there are signs posted not to enter unless you’re a guest…we walked in the front doors, in our sweats, like we belonged and looked around for a few minutes. We took in the Lake Louise views in the early morning hours, from above on a hike and in the evening for sunset. Parking can be extremely challenging, so there is a shuttle service option if you miss getting a spot. We were really fortunate to always find a spot.

Plain of Six Glaciers hike via the Tea House (Lake Louise/Mirror Lake)

We nearly slept in the parking lot by Lake Louise to ensure we found a spot for our early morning hike to the Plain of Six Glaciers. This hike is more than 3.4 miles each way and considering we took some detours on the way back down we ended up clocking nearly 10 miles with our 11 month old. The hike starts by the Fairmont, continues around the right side of Lake Louise and then the climb begins with ultimately 1,215 feet of elevation gain up to nearly 7,000 feet of overall elevation. We stopped at the cash only (Canadian or US dollars) Tea House. We climbed the stairs to enjoy a small breakfast of raspberry tea and tea biscuits in the tree house feeling tea house. This was definitely a highlight and a reward for the hike to this point. We continued on to the Plain of Six Glaciers. Once the clouds cleared, we got a beautiful glacial view. The hike was strenuous to the end and absolutely worth it. We kept hearing noises on our hike and realized we were hearing avalanches and actually spotted a few too. Right by the tea house on our way back we spotted a hoary marmot and its baby on the rocks before continuing to Mirror Lake. The lighting was perfect here in the afternoon for reflection pictures on the lake. The tea house here was packed and there were people eating picnic lunches on the large rocks. Of course, this attracted birds and squirrels too, which Addy found amusing. By the time we returned to Lake Louise, the morning fog was long gone and there were tons of other tourists enjoying the view too.

A hoary marmot and its baby | TeamTravelsBaby

Is it any surprise that this is called Mirror Lake? | TeamTravelsBaby

Moraine Lake

The color of this lake is teal – my absolute favorite color! There is a short hike called the Rock Pile trail which makes for a great photo op above the lake. As a bonus, small mammals called pika live in the rocks and we spotted one! A walk along the lake is a must. It was actually the walk back where the reflections on the water were perfect! I loved the symmetry of it. We came here during the morning hours and in the evening before dusk. The parking lot here is SMALL-way too small for its popularity. But they manage the road from the main road and only allow enough cars down that can fit which is good.

Pika on the Rock Pile trail | TeamTravelsBaby

Consolation Lakes hike (near Moraine Lake)

This 3.6 mile round-trip hike recommends a minimum of four people due to bear activity. While we planned to hike it anyways, our timing was incredible that another couple similar in age was ready to hike at the same time and didn’t mind hiking with the couple + baby. It was fun getting to know them along the hike. At the end, there are huge boulder-sized rocks. Another place with beautiful reflections pictures and the rocks were fun/scary to climb on since I was front-carrying Addy.

Johnston Canyon and Ink Pots Trail

This was the last hike we did during our time in Banff and we started it at sunrise. The canyon part is really cool with waterfalls, including one where you duck through a passageway for a better view. The boardwalk built right into the canyon is super well done. There’s a long section between the canyon and the actual ink pots which is merely hiking and changes in elevation. Then wham, you arrive at the ink pots and it is gorgeous! The ink pots themselves are really unique and the pictures won’t disappoint. It seemed that most people turned around after the canyon and waterfalls, so we didn’t have to share the ink pots with many.

The Village of Lake Louise/Town of Banff

We were able to get our visitor center stamp at the Village of Lake Louise. The town of Banff is an adorable mountain town and very walkable. It’s definitely worth exploring, even if it’s late in the evening after a day of hiking. We also drove to see nearby Bow Falls. You’ll see an option to drive on Bow Valley Parkway and if you do, I definitely recommend a stop at Morant’s Curve.

There is no denying how incredible this trip was. I totally get why people spend a week or more just at Banff. It is breathtaking and the lakes are undeniably gorgeous. The tea house hike was my absolutely favorite. If this isn’t on your list, it definitely should be. My grandmother (90 years old at the time of this trip) told me that Banff was her mother’s favorite place and that she took the trans-Canadian train across Canada to see it. I knew I had to have this experience for her during her lifetime so I could share it with her.

If we had more time, here are a few other things that were on my list: 1) Lake Agnes and Devil’s Thumb via the Beehive to combine with Lake Louise; 2) Mount Norquay for a view of Banff at sunrise; 3) Valley of the Ten Peaks to Eiffel Lake near Moraine Lake; 4) Cascade Gardens near the town of Banff or cross the Bow Valley pedestrian bridge and 5) Try Wild Flour bakery in Banff which is supposed to have great bread and offers wifi.