The Beauty Of Banff

I have been fortunate. I have traveled the world, seen many beautiful sights, experienced a lot of wonderful places. My daughter has been with me on a lot of those trips. All fifty states, over seventy countries, all seven continents. But after about 24 hours in Banff, Alberta, Canada, we looked at each other and wondered “what took us so long to get here?”

Yes, it’s that beautiful. Now I’m not sure I would like to spend a lot of time there during the winter. From the brisk morning temperatures to the piles of fireplace logs stacked up everywhere, you had a pretty good idea that winter is coming, and that it could be harsh. But so what? We were there in early September, still considered high season for tourism, and a time that offered beautiful Fall colors. It was definitely worth the investment in both time and money.

I imagine some of you are wondering why we would go to the Canadian Rockies when we have a state full of Rocky Mountains. Why do you enjoy red wine, yet occasionally have a glass of white? Why do you enjoy the Denver Art Museum, yet visit other art museums in your travels? Because they’re different. The Canadian Rockies are not as high. More steeped and jagged, but spectacular nevertheless. Snow capped all year, glaciers that never completely melt, but still enough to form glacier pools and even lakes as large as Lake Louise, considered by many to be one of the most spectacular lakes in the world.

And the other lakes: Moraine, Winnewanka, Grizzly. All unique, all located in Banff National Park, and we hiked to them all. We strolled through Sunshine Meadows and we climbed Tunnel Mountain to enjoy spectacular views of downtown Banff. And since my radio shows focus on food and restaurants, we made sure to enjoy our share of fabulous meals. Pear, pesto, and blue cheese pizza at The Bison, beef tenderloin prepared perfectly at 3 Ravens, a cheese and charcuterie platter and at The Block. I even had a delicious vegan salad at the Juniper. Each of these meals was washed down with some really good Canadian craft beers and even a pinot noir from the Okanagon Valley just over the border in British Columbia.

Fabulous coffee houses offered a wide variety of beverages and wonderful pastries. There were local chocolate shops, and even a gourmet popcorn outlet offered something to nibble on as you strolled the main drag. And if all of that didn’t offer enough variety, Banff has one of the best Farmer’s Markets anywhere. You felt welcome by residents who understand that their livelihood depends on tourists, but also seem legitimately happy having people from other cultures and geographical areas visit.

My suggestion: don’t wait as long as we did. Get it on your travel, vacation, bucket, whatever you call your list. It’s well worth it.