Riding the Greyhound towards Banff wasn’t too bad! I was able to see some of the mountains before sunset, and listening to music with my friend was relaxing and nice. We arrived in Banff sometime after 8PM and dropped off at the bus station. Luckily, our hotel wasn’t very far from there, so, we started walking along the snowy roads towards Lynx Street. A neat fact about Banff is that a lot of the streets in the area are named after animals; Wolf Street, Fox Street, etc.
We stayed at “The Homestead Inn” which was roughly $50 per night and a wonderful place to stay. The room was spacious, had a full bath, a comfortable bed, and was very clean. There was a nice big sofa in the room as well.
The craving for nighttime snacks and a hot beverage was consuming us, so we found a “Mac’s” nearby and bought a little salad and tried Strawberry Steamers for the first time. They are delicious! You can even add marshmallows and other toppings of your choice. They’re also addictive.
Before calling it a night, we ventured down Wolf Street to have a look around and enjoy the stillness of the snow-covered town. We made it as far as a local church and then had to turn around because it was so damn cold outside (and we weren’t dressed properly).
When I stepped outside the next morning, it was a clear and sunny day. My jaw dropped when I finally saw the mountains in full-bloom. There were mountains in every direction! It was breathtaking! How lucky the locals are to see these beauties every day. Once my jaw was back intact, we made our way to the “Whitebark Cafe” for breakfast. We tried a spinach quiche, a frittata, a zucchini chocolate-chunk muffin, and enjoyed a cappuccino as we sat looking out the window.
After breakfast, we checked out of our room and were able to store our bags in the office while we explored for the rest of the day. After quickly grabbing another delicious Steamer from “Mac’s”, we sat and waited for the bus to arrive that would take us to “Lake Louise”. I can’t express enough how beautiful the drive is from Banff to Lake Louise. The snow-covered mountains of varying heights and the forests… beautiful to say the least.
The bus dropped us off at “The Lodge of the Ten Peaks” where we then had to transfer to a shuttle bus that would take us to Lake Louise. Before boarding the bus I had a chance to admire the talent of the snowboarders and skiers going down the slopes. It’s mesmerizing to watch how effortlessly they seem to glide to the bottom. Maybe someday I’ll put the effort in to learn the skills to do that.
We arrived outside of the “Fairmont Chateau” next to Lake Louise. The chateau was so elegant and rich with detail and character. We explored the ground floor of the chateau, and despite the signs reading “Guests only beyond this point” we stealthily adventured to the other floors as well. At one section of the chateau, there were these beautiful stained-glass windows that represented a different animal in each pane. I can’t imagine the effort that went into creating those art pieces.
Once our rebellious exploration of the “Fairmont Chateau” was complete, we made our way outside towards the lake located at the back on the building. Once again, my jaw dropped at the view of the mountains, and with the frozen, snow-covered lake below… it created an astonishingly beautiful scene. To make it even more special, there was an ice sculpting competition that had taken place behind the chateau and all of the creations were there to view. The talent of the contestants blew my mind! I tried choosing a favourite piece but it was too difficult. The most grand of the ice sculptures was a castle built close to the edge of the lake.
We made it back to Banff around 5PM and took some time to check out the local shops. Everything was a little pricey, but I did manage to find a little owl charm to take home with me.
Crossing over a bridge lead us to the “Banff Indian Trading Post”. There’s a lot to see in there, but one of the coolest parts was the stuffed bear that Marilyn Monroe actually posed with herself during her time in Banff (at the same trading post!). I tried to re-create the pose, but I’m far from Monroe status. Another neat (and slightly creepy) thing to see in the trading post is something called the “Merman”. It looks like a half-man, half-fish creature. There’s a story behind it, but I’ll leave it to you to look it up.
After leaving the trading post, we wandered to the far end of town along Spray Avenue and admired the “Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel” from afar. I’ve never seen a building that big in-person before! I come from such a small town in Newfoundland, so, seeing something as majestic as that hotel was quite the treat.
I wish we had more time to spend in Banff, but since this entire trip was supposed to be short and sweet, it was time to go. We went back to the hotel, collected our bags, said farewell, and hopped on the evening bus to Canmore. I’ll be back someday, Banff!
Whoa Dana 