May Trip Review - Canadian Rockies
 

We began our Trip on May 18th and arrived in Calgary. We rented a car and drove to Canmore where we stayed at Eagle's Nest Bed and Breakfast (Bordeaux room) www.eaglesnestcanmore.com . Wonderful view and breakfast! Out of the four cities that we visited (Canmore, Banff, Lake Louise, and Jasper), I liked the restaurants here best. We ate at Grizzly Paw Pub and Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company (wonderful pizza). We visited all the sites (especially the Gondola and Johnston Canyon) in Canmore/Banff.

Then traveled to Jasper. It took us about 8 hours since we stopped every 5 seconds to take pictures. Our favorites were Peyto Lake, Columbia Icefields and both Sunwapta and Athabasca Falls.

In Jasper we at at the Caledonia and it was very good food. We stayed to the east of Jasper at Mountain Splendour B&B http://www.mountainsplendour.com/. We had a wonderful room (the top floor) and very friendly hosts. This is the area where we saw the most animals (black bears, goats, sheep, coyotes, etc).

After Jasper we quickly traveled back down to Lake Louise and saw the sites. We stayed at Baker Creek Chalets www.bakercreek.com . It is a more woodsy/cabin type of place. We loved it. We stayed in the room closest to the creek ( I think suite 29). For dinner we ate at their bistro which was a bit overrated price wise. Also we couldn't find any real good places to eat at in Lake Louise town. Maybe we looked in the wrong place. Lake Louise was magnificent. It was a gorgeous place to hike around. If you have never been to the Canadian Rockies, then I would highly recommend it. It is so very beautiful and also easy to navigate by car. I hope this information helps you in your future planning.

I forgot. We also went to Yoho National Park and did a trail to the Wapta falls. It was a nice hike and view to see. We also stopped at a great little cafe in Field (the name of a city) called Truffle Pigs. Also we stopped at Emerald Lake, Natural Bridge, and the Spiral Tunnels which is another very neat place to see.

Also I would recommend stopping at the visitors center in each area you go to. The people there are knowledgeable about which trails are good right then and are able to answer any and all questions. When you go to banff, stop at the visitor center and ask for the Columbia Icefield map. It is a guide to all the stops from Lake Louise to Jasper. It was a great help!

Thanks for the trip report, Marlena. Glad you had a good time. :)

Thanks for posting Marlena. Sounds like a great trip.

Thanks from me as well, Marlena. We'll be staying in Canmore for a week this September and will be sure to try those restaurants. What was your favorite dish at the Grizzly Paw Pub?

I had a turkey club wrap and it was really good. It had a nice atmosphere and my husband said that the microbrewed beer was excellent.

Sounds as if you really enjoyed your trp Marlena - that's the best kind of holiday!!

Thought I'd mention that Grizzly Paw Pub also has a "verandah" where on a nice hot summer day it's a great place for a tall cool brew!!

Marlena - what was the weather like when you were in the Rockies?? There are frequent questions on Fodor's about the weather in May, and whether the lakes are still frozen, and if there is any snow. Your experience will be valuable insight for future travellers.
Thanks!!

Thank you for the report. We have stayed at Baker Creek several times and love it. Glad it did not disappoint:)

Weather in May?? Well for us we felt like we had great weather. It rained a couple of times, but only for a short time. We brought a rain jacket and pants which helped us continue to enjoy the are despite the slight rain. We also had time where is snowed, but only for a short time and nothing stuck. This was at Columbia Icefields, Lake Louise and at the Banff Gondola. Bow lake had broken up ice on top pretty much all over. Peyto lake was completely thawed. Lake Louise was mostly thawed, especially if you took the hike to the other side of the lake (opposite side of hotel).

Honestly I think that May is the best time to go. I know we missed the wildflowers and some attractions where the roads were closed, but there were not a lot of tourists there. Apparently in the summer time it is crazy and full of tourists on the roads and hiking trails. I enjoyed the peacefulness of the whole place and I assume I couldn't have had that in the middle of peak season. Plus prices are cheaper for accomodations!