Just got back from Alberta/B.C
Jul 28th, 2003, 10:14 AM
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Just got back from Alberta/B.C
My husband & I got just got back on 7/26 from a week in Banff/Jasper. Very nice, hot weather. We put on a lot of miles on the ol' rental car. Next time it'll be more relaxing because we'll know where to go/stay/eat.
We stayed at the Bear & Bison Inn in Canmore--beautiful, expensive, somewhat small rooms, on the edge of town. But that's it--it's in a town & I didn't want to stay "in town" - would completely bypass Canmore the next time.
Banff had some nice sites-but could bypass that next time too. It wasn't until we hit the Lake Louise area that I felt we were IN the mountains. Definitely drive the Bow River Parkway instead of Hwy 1--much prettier. Some nice places to stay along the pkwy too--more out of the way.
Hike around & eat at Moraine Lake--it's beautiful.
Went on to Golden--stayed at Hillside Chalets--nice place, but would only recommend it if you stayed in their Summer Suite which has it's own private deck & 8 person hot tub & hot & dry saunas inside(cheaper than the B&B in Canmore). It's a nice walk down to the Blaeberry River. Very peaceful there. Definitely take the gondola up to Eagle's Eye restaurant & eat there--breathtaking!!
Emerald Lake is very pretty--heard the lodge was great too.
On to Jasper-stayed at Pyramid Lake Resort--just your average motel room, but we did swim in the lake & rent a canoe.
Biggest mistake--drove north to Blue Lake Lodge & had rented the Honeymoon suite there as a treat--it was HORRIBLE! We left & went to Beckers Chalets (where I wish I hadn't changed my original reservations there!) & we got the last Deluxe log chalet for two--very nice, large & it was spotlessly clean. Cheapest place we stayed & good restaurant.
Also thought Denjiro Japanese restaurant was very good. Didn't like Fiddle River.
Best thing: white-water rafting on the Sunwapta & Icefields parkway.
Last night we stayed at the Calgary CityView B&B. The woman was very hospitable, but I felt like I was staying at someone's house who really hadn't had time to pick up & just gave us her daughter's room to stay in...
Ate at River Cafe--nice ambience, grossly overpriced.
All in all, had a great time, good learning experiences.
We stayed at the Bear & Bison Inn in Canmore--beautiful, expensive, somewhat small rooms, on the edge of town. But that's it--it's in a town & I didn't want to stay "in town" - would completely bypass Canmore the next time.
Banff had some nice sites-but could bypass that next time too. It wasn't until we hit the Lake Louise area that I felt we were IN the mountains. Definitely drive the Bow River Parkway instead of Hwy 1--much prettier. Some nice places to stay along the pkwy too--more out of the way.
Hike around & eat at Moraine Lake--it's beautiful.
Went on to Golden--stayed at Hillside Chalets--nice place, but would only recommend it if you stayed in their Summer Suite which has it's own private deck & 8 person hot tub & hot & dry saunas inside(cheaper than the B&B in Canmore). It's a nice walk down to the Blaeberry River. Very peaceful there. Definitely take the gondola up to Eagle's Eye restaurant & eat there--breathtaking!!
Emerald Lake is very pretty--heard the lodge was great too.
On to Jasper-stayed at Pyramid Lake Resort--just your average motel room, but we did swim in the lake & rent a canoe.
Biggest mistake--drove north to Blue Lake Lodge & had rented the Honeymoon suite there as a treat--it was HORRIBLE! We left & went to Beckers Chalets (where I wish I hadn't changed my original reservations there!) & we got the last Deluxe log chalet for two--very nice, large & it was spotlessly clean. Cheapest place we stayed & good restaurant.
Also thought Denjiro Japanese restaurant was very good. Didn't like Fiddle River.
Best thing: white-water rafting on the Sunwapta & Icefields parkway.
Last night we stayed at the Calgary CityView B&B. The woman was very hospitable, but I felt like I was staying at someone's house who really hadn't had time to pick up & just gave us her daughter's room to stay in...
Ate at River Cafe--nice ambience, grossly overpriced.
All in all, had a great time, good learning experiences.
Aug 2nd, 2003, 10:30 AM
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Thank you for your honesty. We are planning a trip to Banff/Jasper next year. We love the outdoors and really only sleep in our hotel room. The rest of the time we are hiking or driving around to see the sights. How many nights would you recommend at Banff, L.L., Jasper and any advise on nice clean reasonable hotels?? Thanks
Aug 2nd, 2003, 05:30 PM
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Thanks for your trip report. We'll be in Banff Aug 10-13th,and want to visit Morraine Lake for hiking. How hard was it to park there? Did you need to leave your car in Lake Louise and take the shuttle to Morraine Lake? How were the crowds,and do you suggest a particular time of day to go? Which hiking trail(s) did you take? Thanks for your help....glad you had a good trip.
Aug 13th, 2003, 11:21 AM
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We spent two nights in Canmore, 2 in Golden, 3 in jasper & 1 in Calgary. Now that it's over, I feel we moved around too much & spent too much time in the car. However, it was our first trip there & we wanted to see as much as we could. They have also made it very easy to do this because you can virtually drive right up to a lot of the scenic spots, rather than having to park & hike. Go early--before noon--for most of the real touristy spots--like Moraine Lake--or you'll be parking a few blocks away.
The next time we go, my plan is to stay at Baker Creek Chalets by Lake Louise (on Bow River Pkwy-a good point to go to Banff, Lake Louise or Golden from) for 3 days & then go up to Jasper for 3 days & stay at either Becker's, Alpine Village or Patricia Lake Bungalows.
It really does stay light out until almost 11:00 in July--and even tho you don't spend that much time in your room--it still makes the trip better if you stay someplace clean, nice & a little picturesque!
All these places I believe have kitchenettes, so you can save some money by making your breakfast & lunch & then maybe going out for dinner. I was amazed at how much we spent on going out for meals! It wasn't a cheap trip.
The next time we go, my plan is to stay at Baker Creek Chalets by Lake Louise (on Bow River Pkwy-a good point to go to Banff, Lake Louise or Golden from) for 3 days & then go up to Jasper for 3 days & stay at either Becker's, Alpine Village or Patricia Lake Bungalows.
It really does stay light out until almost 11:00 in July--and even tho you don't spend that much time in your room--it still makes the trip better if you stay someplace clean, nice & a little picturesque!
All these places I believe have kitchenettes, so you can save some money by making your breakfast & lunch & then maybe going out for dinner. I was amazed at how much we spent on going out for meals! It wasn't a cheap trip.
Aug 13th, 2003, 04:07 PM
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Banff,Jasper andLake Louise are all tourist destinations,so they charge commensurately for meals. If you have a rental car, why not stock up on groceries in Calgary, Edmonton, or even Hinton (if going to Jasper) and cook all your meals in the kithcenette? That's what we do - only going out one night in 7. Of course, we live in Edmonton, so the trip to Jasper is a quick "zip" up the Yellowhead for us.
