Alberta Travel Guide: 8 Days in Calgary, Banff, Jasper & Canmore

Jenn: [00:00:00] Hi everyone, and welcome back to the Travel Mug podcast. Today we are here to talk all about my recent trip to Alberta, Canada, and I am so excited to share all of the details with you, Meggan, and you, the listener out there, uh, including what we did, where we stayed, how we got around, things we ate, and so, so much more

Meggan: Indeed, indeed. So before we get going, friends, just a quick PSA. So recently we did receive, uh, a fairly mean comment, and that's neither here nor there. I think, you know, mean comments say more about the commenter than they do about the subject. However, the theme of the comment was on a video, or sorry, an episode much like today where we did a trip report.

And the theme of the, uh, comment was that we made mistakes, whether it was research or whether it was unexpected things happening that maybe we, quote-unquote, should have known. [00:01:00] I simply just wanted to reiterate, , that the podcast that we're doing here, we're not trying to be travel influencers, and we're not travel experts.

But what we are doing is we're sharing our own experiences, and the purpose of that is that if we make mistakes, we want to share them with you so that when you do your trip planning, you don't make the same mistakes. Um, as always, we encourage you to do your research and just take what we say with a grain of salt and plan your own trip, but we're just here to try to assist in that.

And now back to the show

Jenn: Yeah. Yeah. A- and, and agreed. Like, a- and obviously things change, you know? Like, I went to Scotland four years ago, which, like, you know, was a little bit ago, and things changed between, uh, then when I recorded the podcast and now when you might be listening to it, so a, a little bit different. But yeah, I, I think that it's important to share our mistakes, and, like, nobody's perfect.

So p- people make [00:02:00] mistakes, including us. So anyway, here

Meggan: Exactly

Jenn: Uh, we just spent eight days around Calgary, Jasper, Banff, and Canmore, so there's lots to cover. Let's dive right in

Meggan: I would love to understand, and for the listeners, how did you get there? I understand you didn't drive, so we'll just nix that out. So talk to us about your flights.

Jenn: Yeah, it would've been a, a long drive. Um, we were able to fly directly from Halifax to Calgary, which was really great. Our flights both there and back were, like, went super smoothly, so that's a bonus. We got into Calgary, like we left Halifax, it was like 8:00 PM, I think, or 8:30 PM our flight left, and then we got into Calgary around 11:00 PM.

So I had the brilliant idea of booking the Delta that is at the airport for that night. So like literally all we had to do was get off the plane, collect our bag, and walk into the hotel [00:03:00] so we could go directly to bed. And this truly was an amazing idea, so like pat on the back to me.

Meggan: No travel mistake there, girlfriend

Jenn: Oh, I'm so glad that we did this.

I'll definitely be using this strategy going forward if we land somewhere super late. Like, it's just, it's so nice not to have to figure out

Meggan: uhuh

Jenn: transportation after you land, after flying for like five and a half hours and it's

Meggan: Hmm

Jenn: like, you know, it's late. You just wanna go to sleep, you know?

Meggan: Definitely. And you went WestJet?

Jenn: We went with WestJet, yep.

Meggan: Excellent. Excellent. All right, so from my understanding of your trip and following along and understanding your itinerary a bit, Calgary was the first stop, is that right?

Jenn: Yeah, so, uh, we spent two days in Calgary, so we had a little bit of time to explore the city. Uh, after our stay at the Delta Airport in Terminal, I think is what it was called, we stayed at the Delta Calgary Downtown Hotel. Uh, and it was great. It was in [00:04:00] a good location for us. We were able to walk to a lot of the things, so we ended up leaving our rental car in the underground parking for most of the time we were there, which was nice not to have to drive around a bunch. Um, on the first full day in Calgary, so we woke up, obviously, at the airport hotel. We picked up our rental car. Uh, we rented through Avis, which just happens to be the company that we, uh, book through most of the time for, like, no real reason, I guess. We just... I just have like, uh,

Meggan: Do you have an affinity for the Avis people?

Jenn: guess I do. I guess I do, and, and like we had a good experience, so you know, that's why we keep booking with them, I guess.

Meggan: is their goal, so

Jenn: yeah, it's, it's working, it's working. So after we got and checked in at our downtown hotel, um, we got breakfast at OEB Breakfast Co., and we both had chicken and waffles, and I have to say was one of the best meals of our [00:05:00] trip. Like, it was so delicious. The sauce on the chicken was so good. Uh, and it w- I learned afterwards that OEB is a chain, and so I'll be going there, like, there's one in Toronto. Um, it's mostly, like, western provinces, uh, Ontario and west. But yeah, I'm very excited to do that. And then that day we had a walking tour booked with Toonie Tours, which was a three-hour walking tour around downtown Calgary. It was really good. Uh, we got to learn a lot of things about the history of the city. It's free with, like, a pay what you wish gratuity at the end of the tour to the tour guide. Definitely worth checking out if you're someone who likes walking tours. We went to, uh, like, the library, and we walked around and saw, like, historical buildings, and we got a, uh, a good idea of not only the history of the city, but, like, kind of current things happening now as well.

So, uh, it was definitely worth it [00:06:00] for us to do. And we also stopped at a chocolate shop, and I can't remember the name of it, but, um, they were like, "Oh, their, like, drinking chocolate is famous." And so I was like, "Okay, we'll get one." And we got it, and it's in, like, a tiny little Dixie cup, and you're like, "Wow, this is really small." But it is literally just, like, melted chocolate. It is not like

Meggan: It's not hot choc- I was thinking you said drink, drinking choc

Jenn: it is drinking choc- you literally drink this, like, melt- it looked, it was, comes from a fountain like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Meggan: My God

Jenn: Um, and it's so small because you cannot drink a lot of it, uh, 'cause it's literally just like melted chocolate.

But it was delicious.

Meggan: Sounds very good

Jenn: know. I'll try to, I, I'll try to put it in the

what the place is called, because I'm forgetting off the top of my head and it's not here in my notes. But, uh, that evening we went to Great Taste Chinese Restaurant in Chinatown, which was super, super close to our hotel. And a [00:07:00] bit, again, one of the best meals of our entire trip. Uh, it was really, really good. We went with my, uh, mom and my grandfather, so there was four of us, and we shared a bunch of dishes. Um, they were all really delicious, and they were able to accommodate my husband's food allergies, which were, uh, you know, obviously very important. We don't wanna kill him. So another spot I definitely recommend

Meggan: Excellent. I love it when the husband doesn't pass away from food allergies.

Jenn: me too. Me too.

Meggan: Mm-hmm

Jenn: Uh, so the next day was Saturday, which was the day of my cousin's wedding, which was the entire reason we ended up taking this trip. So it was definitely less sightseeing, but we did in the morning walk around Prince's Island Park, uh, which is a great place to get some green space in the city. It was cold and a little bit misty, but we did, you know, enjoy our walk with our coffee anyway, and I'm sure it would've been even better had it been sunny and nice outside

Meggan: cannot trust [00:08:00] Alberta in September

Jenn: Uh, I've learned this. Yes, yeah. Uh, yeah, it was, it only, I think the high that day was 11.

Meggan: Yes

Jenn: was quite chilly. It, in the morning it was definitely, like, zero when we were walking around, so

Meggan: I made snowballs once there in August, so you, yes, you just can't tell

Jenn: you don't know. Yeah. Um, so my cousin's wedding was at the Calgary Zoo, so we went a little bit early in order to enjoy the zoo before the wedding. And if you've listened to this podcast before, you know that Meggan and I are not the biggest zoo fans. That's not something that we usually choose to do. Um, the Calgary Zoo, also known as the Wilder Institute, claims to be a conservation organization that operates as a zoo. Uh, the animals, you know, they did seem happy and healthy. I still have very conflicted feelings about zoos. You can obviously make your own decision when you go. It is a very [00:09:00] popular attraction in Calgary, and I have to admit, it was very fun to see the penguins, so...

Meggan: Always

Jenn: I know, they're so cute, and so loud, like, when they make noise, 'cause you're in, like, a building where

Meggan: Right

Jenn: all echoey, too, but...

Meggan: Oh, they're just adorable. Excellent. Well, it sounds like, uh, I mean, it was only a couple days in Calgary. Sounds like you've, uh, fitted a lot in, had some good food, which I love. I had a, I had a favorite food question for later, but we might have already answered it. So talk to us about where are you headed next, how you got there, that kind of thing, and I understand you also have, like, some tips which are gonna be super helpful for this coming up region.

Jenn: So yeah, we left Calgary on Sunday morning and we drove Calgary to Jasper, which would be a, like, four-and-a-half-hour drive if you drive straight with no stops. But you drive the Icefields Parkway, which is literally one of the most beautiful drives in the world, so you have [00:10:00] to plan for a lot of stops.

You're not gonna

Meggan: Yeah

Jenn: drive straight. Um, so, uh, we knew that we were going to drive this road twice, so I had kind of made a list of things that I wanted to see along the way, and then I just kind of divided them up a bit so that we could do one one day and one another. So let's talk about some logistical things first. So the first one is that we knew that we needed bear spray for some of the hikes that we were planning to do, or really all of the hikes that you're planning to do. If you're gonna be there, you should have bear spray. you know, even if you're only planning on visiting the popular trails, bears can be anywhere, and it's smart to carry it. Like, they can even be in the towns, so just smart to know. Uh, just smart to carry it. But, uh, you cannot bring bear spray on an airplane at all.

It can't be in your checked bag. It can't be in your carry-on. So we knew we needed to get it when we arrived. I [00:11:00] didn't want to buy it, 'cause then we can't bring it home, and you're like, "What do I do with it?" So we decided to rent the bear spray from rentbearspray.ca.

Meggan: Of course

Jenn: uh, of course, of course, yes, uh, great, great URL.

Uh, ver- very good SEO here. Um, and we picked it up at Wilderness Rentals in Canmore along, uh, like, kind of on the way by. They also have a location inside the Banff train station if that is more convenient for you. You can pick up and drop off them at e- either place. so the first five days of the rental were $10 per day, and then the fifth day was $5 per day, so we paid $55 for our rental. You can also buy it at a lot of places if you'd rather do that. Uh, it is, uh, like, starts around 50 to 60 to $80 from what I could research. Uh, I did read online that, like, sometimes you can ask your [00:12:00] hotels, uh, in, like, Calgary or something like, "Hey, did anyone leave any bear spray? Like, is there any sitting around?"

Uh, 'cause, like, they might just leave it in the room 'cause they're like, "Oh, no, I can't pack this." Uh, anyway, I did ask, and they didn't have any abandoned bear spray, so that's unfortunate. the second thing to note is that most of the Icefields Parkway does not have cell service, so it's good to download offline maps before you go. Although it is, uh... There's not a lot of, like, deviations or turns to take, so it's, uh, you know, it's not too difficult, and you probably won't get lost. But, like, you know, for anxious people, have the offline maps downloaded.

Meggan: I would, I would have them downloaded, yes

Jenn: Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Uh, so the third thing is we paid for a GuideAlong, and it was one of the best things that we did for this entire trip.

So basically, it's an audio tour guide app. it even works when you have [00:13:00] no cell service, as long as you sign up for it and download it before you leave. Uh, and the commentary automatically plays while you're driving, and it includes directions, history, and fun facts, and even tells you about good places to stop for views and photos, et cetera. So there are lots of options, but I bought the Canadian Rockies tour, which basically covered everywhere we went. There was one that was, like, just the Icefields Parkway or just Jasper or just Banff, but I wanted it everywhere, so that's what I ordered. And I... It honestly made our trip, like, so much better. I- it told us places to stop that we didn't know about. It helped us learn a lot about the history of the area. We started calling the voice GuideAlong Gary. Um, I think the

Meggan: As one does

Jenn: of course, I think the real guy's name is Dave, but, uh, we liked, we liked GuideAlong Gary much better, so

Meggan: Dave will never know, so it's fine

Jenn: It's fine.

It's fine. Uh, lastly, you [00:14:00] do need a Parks Canada pass to visit Banff and Jasper National Parks. You can buy a daily pass, which is $12.25 Canadian per adult per day. We decided to get the Family Discovery Pass, as it's good for one year, and it was 167.50. so for two adults, the, like, break-even point of the Discovery Pass is seven days.

We were in the parks for six, six days, and then we figured, like, we'll use it here in Nova Scotia and then also in the trip, uh, that we have planned to the Yukon next year. So it's worth it for us. But you, you do have to do a little bit of math, uh, to figure out

Meggan: Mm-hmm. That makes sense. And for our listeners, like where did you do most of the research for this trip? 'Cause those are some really interesting tips, not really a lot of things I'd heard before. So where did you find all this out?

Jenn: Yeah, so, uh, a lot of YouTube actually, which isn't the norm for, norm for me, [00:15:00] but I think a lot , of our regular listeners know that I've been, like, feeling a little bit burnt out when it comes to planning trips. Like, life's been really busy, uh, and so watching videos and writing things down seemed the easiest thing to do. I did use, uh, the Banff Blog a lot. Uh, they had a lot of great info, so shout out to them, and I'm pretty sure the GuideAlong app I got from a Facebook group for Banff and Canmore, so

Meggan: Excellent. Great, alright so you got the logistics out of the way. Talk to us about your trip, uh, in one direction along the Icefields Parkway

Jenn: Yeah. Okay, so here's where we stopped. Uh, the first stop was Hector Lake, which is mostly just a stop along the side of the road for some photos. Uh, there are some walking trails down to the lake, but we didn't do that. It was just a nice spot to get out of the car for a few minutes and take in the views. This wasn't planned. This was Guide Along Gary telling us to stop here. The next place we stopped was Bow Lake. Uh, [00:16:00] this stop was super busy. It's a popular one. Uh, we ended up walking down a super short path down to the lake shore, and then we were, like, basically alone. So that was really nice. It's a beautiful blue turquoise lake, which a lot of them are, so there's lots to see. , We weren't here very long. Uh, we did see a couple people there having, like, a picnic lunch down, uh, by the lake, so good spot to do that if you've packed some food with you.

So the next place we stopped was Peyto Lake, and we actually weren't planning to stop here until our drive back to Banff. Uh, but we decided to stop because it was a perfectly clear, sunny day, and I was worried that the weather would be worse on, uh, the day we were driving back later in the week, and spoiler alert, it was. So, uh,

Meggan: Good call

Jenn: good decision. Um, I was really excited to stop here because I visited, [00:17:00] uh... I did a very similar trip actually with my family in 2006, and I took a photo of this lake, and I brought it home, and I had the paint store color match it so that I could paint my room the color of this lake.

Like, it is so beautiful in person. Like, photos just can't quite do it justice. it's so, so beautiful. So the walk to the lake is about 10 to 15 minutes. It is basically uphill the whole way in, but it is 100% worth it in my opinion if you can do it. It was quite busy at the viewpoint, but it's not too hard.

There's, like, a big deck uh, kind of at the end. So it wasn't too hard to, to get a spot to take some photos if you're patient and, like, also a little bit aggressive to, like, worm your way in there, you know?

Meggan: Little, little bit of elbow in

Jenn: There was a little elbowing, yeah. The next stop we made was Big Bend. Uh, the road makes a big bend, hence the name, and at the top there's a cool [00:18:00] look-off point to see the road and kind of back where you came from, and a waterfall.

We just stopped there for a few minutes. And then the next place we stopped is the Columbia Icefield, which is a super popular stop, and for good reason. It is really cool. So there is a big visitors center with bathrooms and a Starbucks, and this is also where you buy your tickets to take the specialized ice explorer buses to the Athabasca Glacier where you can like get out and walk on the glacier. I did this with my family back in 2006. It was really cool. It is a little bit pricey. So the pricing is dynamic, but it seems to range between 125 and 158 Canadian dollars per adult, which includes the bus onto the glacier, and then also to go out onto the new, uh, skywalk that they've built recently. And we ultimately decided that that wasn't worth it for us this time, but there is a free option.

[00:19:00] So you can, park on the opposite side of the road, there's another parking lot, and you can walk to the foot of the glacier. You can't actually walk on the glacier, but you can still see it a bit closer. I will say this walk is a bit challenging. There are some spots that are pretty uphill and it's like crushed rock kind of, so a little bit like slippy and it's not the most accessible. Uh, it... The view was, was worth it for us. It was really cool. The glacier is shrinking and there are signs along the walking trail like, "This is where it was in this year, and this is where it was in this year." And for... Super interesting for me, there was a sign from 2006, which is the year that I was there, and it's just crazy to see how much it shrank in the last 20 years

Meggan: That's a shame

Jenn: I know, yeah, gl- that global warming

Meggan: Mm-hmm.

Jenn: Yeah, so by the time we finished up at the Columbia Icefields, we were there for about an hour and 15 minutes or so, we still had to get to Jasper. It was getting quite late in the day. I think it [00:20:00] was, like, 4:00, and we're like, "Okay, we gotta go." So we drove straight without stopping. The last probably two hours. So in Jasper we stayed at a hostel, which it was my first time staying in a hostel, so that was very fun. We stayed at the Jasper Downtown Hostel. Um, we had a private room with our own bathroom, so, you know, it was pretty hotel-ish for a hostel.

Meggan: Right

Jenn: and it was honestly, like, perfect for what we needed. We had a small kitchenette, our room was comfy and clean, it was in a super great, uh, location, and there was free parking close by.

So, uh, I have nothing but great things to say about the Jasper Downtown Hostel. And if you're someone like me who's never stayed in a hostel and you might feel a little bit like, "Oh, I don't know," like, it was a really good experience. Uh, so that night we had dinner at the Maligne Range, and they had some great options for vegetarians, including a beet Wellington that my

Meggan: Hmm

Jenn: had. Yeah, [00:21:00] it was good. So that night one of the only things we booked in advance was the Jasper Planetarium and Dark Sky Telescope tour, which is at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. The tour didn't start until 11:00 PM, which

Meggan: Oh my God

Jenn: I know, way past

Meggan: Way, way

Jenn: past. And, like, this is Sunday night. Saturday night we had been out at the wedding until an

Meggan: And probably, like, you weren't completely acclimatized to the time change either

Jenn: Yeah, I didn't find that the, that the time change really affected me. I don't know

Meggan: Oh,

Jenn: I

Meggan: good for you

Jenn: know. It was really good. But anyway, we powered through, and the tour starts with a planetarium dome experience where, like, a live guide, uh, points out constellations on this dome. You're basically in chairs that, like, tilt you back, so you're looking up at the top of the dome. and we- they kinda like told stories about how different constellations got their names. The next part [00:22:00] we learned about, um, not in the dome, was, uh, about the northern lights, and we got to, like, touch a meteorite, and that was really cool. the last bit, uh, is live looking through telescopes at different constellations, and unfortunately it was pretty cloudy that night.

The clouds kind of were, like, shifting around a bit. We could see some stars, but we didn't get to see that much. So the tour does include a two-year rain check, so we're able to rebook for free within two years. That rain check is transferable as well, uh, so I could, like, give it to somebody who was going. Um, we paid $88.50 per person for the telescope and planetarium combo ticket. I still felt like it was worth it even without getting to see a ton through the, the live telescopes. Like, we had, a good experience, but I'm sure it would've been even better if, uh, we'd been able to see more

Meggan: Sure, sure.

Jenn: Sure. [00:23:00] so the next day was our only full day in Jasper.

Unfortunately, it was drizzly, but we made the best of it and we packed a lot in. first thing we did was go to Wafflato for breakfast. It is a waffle place. It was very yummy. I had chicken waffles again. Something to know about me is I do love a chicken and waffle. uh, my husband had a Biscoff waffle, which was a very sweet way to start the day. Yeah. So our first drive of the day was to Maligne Lake, so parts of this area were devastated by the wildfires in 2024 and so those super popular Maligne Canyon Trail was still closed, uh, which is unfortunate. We did stop at a look-off point over the canyon, and everything is burned, like including the interpretive panels at the look-off point.

Like it was, was so sad to see.

Meggan: Gosh, that's devastating

Jenn: Yeah. So, uh, next we [00:24:00] stopped really quickly at Medicine Lake at the suggestion of the GuideAlong app, and when we got back on the road we had to stop for some mountain goats that were in the road, so that was our first real look at some wildlife outside of the zoo obviously. so that was fun. eventually we made it to Maligne Lake and we decided to walk the Mary Schaffer Loop. Mary Schaffer, as we learned from GuideAlong Gary, was the first non-indigenous person to see this lake. the first part of the trail is really easy and accessible. The second part is a little bit harder, had some tree roots, bit of an uneven path, so a little bit less accessible. We did really enjoy this, uh, walk though, and the whole loop took us a little less than an hour, so not too long. I will mention there's a super, super, super popular boat tour that leaves, uh, from here if that is your thing. It takes you to the famous Spirit Island, which is one of [00:25:00] Canada's most photographed locations. The boat cruise is dynamically priced, as is basically everything that, uh, we looked

Meggan: Take your chances.

Jenn: Take your chances, and it ranges between 113 and 130 Canadian dollars for an adult. We decided not to do it So after that, we drove to Pyramid Island and walked the short trail there. Uh, it offered some great views, which I'm sure would've been even better if it wasn't raining, but, you know, still worth the stop. We spent about a half an hour here. And then by then it was, uh, around the late afternoon. We decided to spend the, uh, rest of the day at the Miette Hot Springs, which was about an hour's drive away from, uh, Pyramid Island. And we spent about two hours relaxing. Um, it was a bit busy, but we still enjoyed it.

It was $19.75 per adult, and you can rent towels and even bathing suits as well. They have, like, old-timey looking bathing suits that

Meggan: [00:26:00] Nice

Jenn: Um, yeah. Uh, definitely cheaper than the Nordic Spa here, uh, near me in Nova Scotia,

Meggan: Mm-hmm.

Jenn: A good, a good price. Yeah. They had, uh, co- like, two pools, two hot pools. One was, like, bathwater. One was a little bit hotter, more like hot tub temperature, I guess, uh, maybe a little bit cooler. And then they had two cold pools that I did not go in 'cause it was already cold outside.

Meggan: Mm-hmm.

Jenn: That night we had Indian food at a restaurant called Andaaz in Jasper, which had just reopened after their building was burnt in the 2024 wildfires. Food was amazing. Highly recommend. It... The portions were huge. We should've ordered less, but

Meggan: How could you know?

Jenn: how could you know? Yeah. I mean, I, I think portions have been huge at every Indian restaurant I've ever gone to, so I should have learned my lesson by now, but I haven't, so

Meggan: Understood, understood. So if you could pick one thing, two if you need to, what was your Jasper highlight? And did things look like they're starting to rebuild there in terms of [00:27:00] after the wildfires?

Jenn: Yeah. Hmm, so hard to choose. I think the planetarium, uh, would've been, like, the highlight had the weather, like, cooperated with us. Um, but yeah, I did... I really just liked walking around, like, Maligne Lake and Pyramid Island. It, it was really lovely. Um, in terms of rebuilding, there's a lot of construction going

Meggan: Mm-hmm.

Jenn: There's a lot of things being built. , As for, like, the Maligne Canyon Trail, I don't know Like, I think that's gonna be closed for a long time. It's

Meggan: Yeah

Jenn: really, really burnt. Like, everything is just burnt. Um, but yeah, it is unfortunate, but they're, they're doing their best.

Meggan: Excellent, excellent. So well thank you for that Jasper highlights and your trip, part of your trip there. Where are we headed to next?

Jenn: right, back down the Icefields Parkway. So, uh, we were heading to our hotel in Canmore that day. We planned to spend most of the day on the road, so we grabbed some [00:28:00] treats from Bear's Paw Bakery in Jasper before we hit the road. And, uh, it's a popular spot. The sticky bun, which I think they're known for anyway, was especially delicious. So our first stop on the road was Horseshoe Lake, which we weren't planning on, but of course guide-along Gary convinced

Meggan: Gary got ya

Jenn: He got us, he got us. Um, we spent like 20 minutes walking the short trail here. There was only one other car there. And so it was peaceful and beautiful, and although cloudy and we couldn't really see the mountains, it was still really beautiful. Uh, the day ended up being a waterfall day. A- sort of accidentally. I didn't really mean for this to happen, but here are all the waterfalls we went to. Um, the first one was Athabasca Falls, which is definitely one of the most popular spots, uh, to stop on the Icefields Parkway. We spent about 35 minutes on the trails, which are very accessible, and it was probably the most impressive, uh, waterfall that we saw.

It is so cool just to like [00:29:00] feel all of the energy from the

Meggan: Hmm.

Jenn: Uh, the next stop we, we stopped at was Sunwapta Falls. The walk to the waterfall is pretty short from the parking area. And then we decided to hike the 1.3 kilometer trail to the lower falls, which took us about an hour. It wasn't too hard of a trail.

It was a little bit uphill on the way back, but it really wasn't bad, and it had way less crowds than some of the other spots we'd stopped, and especially less crowds than like the top of, uh, Sunwapta Falls. Next we stopped at Tangle Falls, which is just along the side of the road, and honestly like probably skip this one. It isn't really a big deal. It's maybe like a good place to stop if you wanna get out of the car and stretch your legs, but like meh on that one.

Meggan: Hmm.

Jenn: Sorry Tangle Falls.

Meggan: Sorry, Tangle

Jenn: uh, then our last stop was Mistaya Canyon where we had another short hike to a waterfall, [00:30:00] which took us less than half an hour. Uh, one thing to note about this one is it is all uphill on the way back.

A little bit challenging in that regard, but a really great r- great view, and there wasn't that many people at that one, so not too bad

Meggan: Excellent. So you mentioned you were heading to your hotel in Canmore, right?

Jenn: Yeah, so after Mistaya Canyon, we drove to our hotel in Canmore and checked into the Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge, which I discovered after I got home is the same place I stayed with my family in 2006

Meggan: And, uh

Jenn: It looked so familiar when we pulled in, and I was like, "This has to be..." There's, like, these signs that say, like, "No skis in rooms," and I was like, "I swear to God I've seen these before," and I had. Uh, so that was fun. We had a kitchen, um, like a full kitchen. And it had, like, a nice electric fireplace, and then it had a [00:31:00] separate bedroom, which was really nice. The bed was very comfy. One thing I will mention, and I don't know if it was just our room or not, but the ceiling in the shower was so low, even for me, and I am five feet tall. Meggan, I actually, I don't know if you would've fit. Like, I think you might have hit the ceiling.

Meggan: I'm glad that I wasn't there to be tall shamed

Jenn: It was literally like the, the thing was like at my forehead, and like even Ryan had to like duck down. Even Ryan, that sounded so mean, right? Ryan's like 5'9".

Meggan: Even Ryan

Jenn: Oh, no, he helps edit the podcast, so he might hear that.

Meggan: We love you, Ryan

Jenn: we do. Um, a- again, it could have been just our room. I don't know. Anyway, just something to know if you're tall, maybe s- maybe, uh, request a room with a, a taller shower.

Meggan: [00:32:00] Mm.

Jenn: the location's like a little bit outside of downtown, but it was only like a one-kilometer walk to the main shopping area, and it included parking. Parking is very hard to find in Canmore, so it was perfect for what we needed. So that night we had dinner at the Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company, which had really, really great pizza. and then we walked the trails to Canmore Engine Bridge. This is like a famous like Instagrammy photo spot, but it was cloudy, and we didn't get the great mountain views with the bridge, so I, I failed on the, on the Instagram photo there, but

Meggan: You, you really aren't a travel influencer

Jenn: No. Anyway, yeah. so the next day was a busy one. So we had breakfast at the Rocky Mountain Bagel Company. They had so many bagel and cream cheese flavors that when I got to the front and she was like, "What do you want?" I was... I panicked. I was like, "I don't know." Anyway, I did choose, [00:33:00] so that was great.

Meggan: I love a bagel place. I can't explain to you why I love it so much, but I, I get so excited about stupid bagels and cream cheese. It makes my day

Jenn: I love it. Like, I love it so much. And the bagels here were really big, and they had, like, breakfast sandwiches

Meggan: Hmm.

Jenn: on the bagels too, so a great way to fuel up for a, a busy day of exploring. So our first, uh, stop, we drove to Banff to walk the Bow Falls trail. The falls are right by the parking lot.

You could basically see them from your car. Uh, so very accessible if you need that. Um, we did walk some of the trail, and then we walked up a lot of stairs, less accessible, to the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. We walked around a little bit in the public areas. It is a super beautiful hotel and definitely worth checking out in my opinion. Uh, I wished that we could have stayed there, but, um, it wasn't in our budget this [00:34:00] time.

Meggan: Yes, I actually remember going there as well, and we did, we sort of did the same thing. And then I remember when my favorite baseball player, Derek Jeter, retired, and his last game in Toronto ever in his career, and they, like, gave him a stay at this hotel, The Fairmont, and I'm like, I'm pretty sure he could probably afford it, but I guess, I guess...

Wonder if that ever got used is my question. I mean, a nice gesture, but it was very random.

Jenn: That is random.

Meggan: I don't know

Jenn: Uh, so that afternoon we had tickets for Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. So if you want to visit these lakes, and most people do 'cause they're high up on the, you know, list of things to do in Banff, uh, listen up because this is super important. You cannot drive yourself to Moraine Lake at all.

No private vehicles are allowed on that road. You can bike there if you want to. It is hilly, just so you know. It's not an easy little bike ride. Uh, you [00:35:00] can technically drive yourself to Lake Louise, but parking gets really, like, full early in the day, like really early, and it costs $42 to park there during shuttle season, which is mid-May to mid-October from 3:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Uh, apparently the parking lot regularly fills by sunrise because of all the people who want to do sunrise hikes, uh, and avoid the larger crowds later in the day. So

Meggan: But now there's larger crowds earlier in the day

Jenn: Yes. I mean, you can't win here. Um, so to visit Moraine Lake and Lake Louise, you need to book a shuttle essentially. The cheapest options by far are Parks Canada, the Parks Canada shuttle and the Roam bus. Parks Canada shuttle is $12.75 per adult, plus a $3.50 Canadian res-reservation fee. But it is like The Hunger Games to get a ticket. [00:36:00] you have ever tried to book a Parks Canada camping site, you know the pain that this is.

Meggan: If you know, you know

Jenn: there are two very important dates. So, like, in the spring this year, I, I think it was April 15th, if I had had my ish together, I would've done it on this day, but I didn't.

I booked it in July, anyway, in the spring, they release 40% of the tickets for booking, and they're booked in one-hour time slots. And then two days before, they release the other 60% of the tickets at 8:00 AM Mountain Time. I have read that you have to be online, like, and signed into your account and, like, it's a little crazy. So we were able to get a shuttle time between 2:00 and 3:00 PM. Like I said, I booked us in July, so not that... I mean, two months in advance, I think. Which I should have done it earlier to get an earlier time, but I didn't. Um, which means we got to the departure point, which is at Lake Louise [00:37:00] Ski Resort. Um, we got there at, like, 1:30 so that we could get parked and get over and check in so we could get on a bus right at 2:00 PM. and then that took us to Lake Louise first. Then you take a connector bus to Moraine Lake and then take a bus back to the departure point. So that's kind of how that works. If you don't get a Parks Canada shuttle ticket, you can get a ticket on the Roam bus. The price is similar. It was $12.50 for an adult. Um, and you make-- You have to make a reservation for that bus as well. The Roam bus is like their, their city buses, and this is the only one that you really need to make a reservation for. other times you can just get on the bus and pay then. Uh, y- they said especially during the heavy tour season, which is May to October. Uh, so if either of those don't work for you, uh, you've missed the window like I did, uh, there are plenty of companies offering private tours, and these can be, like, $55 per person or, like, $150 per [00:38:00] person, so it does get pricey. they did have spaces available same day, the day that we are leaving. They all depart from the same big, giant field parking lot. so if you don't get the tickets, this is still an option if you really wanna go.

So as for the lakes, we visited Lake Louise first. The immediate area in front of the lake was an absolute zoo in the afternoon, 'cause you, like, get off the bus, you walk, and then there it is, and everybody stops and, like, takes their picture Um, we were able to, like, walk around the sides of the lake a little bit and get some space to, like, take it in and get some photos. We also decided to hike to the Fairview Lookout, which is a 1.2-kilometer hike, the elevation gain is 100 meters or so, or 328 feet, so it is a bit challenging. We did see some people clearly struggling on the trail, so if you decide to do it, make sure you're up for it and, like, take your time.

And [00:39:00] I think Ryan would say that I complained the entire way up. Uh, I need to work on my cardio. But it does offer some amazing views of the lake and the historic Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, so was worth it in the end.

Meggan: Wonderful. I'm glad that the hard work eventually gave you something

Jenn: yeah. We also walked around along the lakeside, which is a flat paved trail, so very, very easy and accessible for everyone. I will mention that I really wanted to do the hike to the Agnes Tea House, um, which is a, a tea house that kind of overlooks lakes. Um, but we didn't get there early enough in the day to have time to be able to hike up to get there, like, before they closed at 4:00.

Uh, s- we probably could have, like, barely made it before they closed,

Meggan: Mm-hmm.

Jenn: but I didn't wanna chance it. Like, what if I hiked all the way up there and they're [00:40:00] like, "Sorry, we ran out of food already"? Like,

Meggan: Be so mad

Jenn: I know. So that is, that is a regret, and that is my consequences of my own actions of not getting an earlier shuttle time.

So that's, that's me. Um, then after we left Lake Louise, we took the shuttle to Moraine Lake, which is gorgeous. There are some cabins overlooking the lake and, like, wow. I can imagine staying there would be amazing because you'd have... you'd be able to see the lake from your room, and then you have access to the lake when all of the bus tours uh, leave, and then you really get the place to yourself.

So we hiked up the Rockpile Trail, which is a short but uphill. Everything's uphill, I know. It does have, like, rock stairs, like, built into the rock pile. So it's a little bit easier than, like, straight walking uphill in my opinion, and it does offer the, like, postcard view of the lake. [00:41:00] Here we also walked aro- along that lakeside trail as well to get away from the crowds and just kind of enjoy the water. There were lots of people canoeing, uh, on the lake as well, so you can ro- rent canoes at both Lake Louise and Moraine Lake if that is your thing. It was $180 per hour to rent the canoe at Lake Louise and $170 to rent a canoe for an hour at Moraine Lake. So that being said, I feel like I'm coming off, like, a little bit complainy about the prices or cheap. but there are a lot of, like, expensive things to do in the area, so it's important to know that in advance. Like, if it's really important for you to do these things and you want to do them, then you should do them. It just wasn't what we wanted to spend our money on. I'm not, like, a canoe person, and I didn't feel the desire to, like, canoe it just to say that I did it. so yeah, there are lots of free things to do, like, you know, walk around [00:42:00] and look at the lakes and the mountains, and there's lots of expensive things to do. That's just the Those are the things. I don't

Meggan: Whatever works for you

Jenn: Yes. So that night we, uh, had dinner at the Market Bistro back in Canmore, and they have homemade pasta. Uh, I, well, I was like, "I really want pasta," and then we went and I ordered risotto, and Ryan was like, "Well, you didn't have pasta, you had rice." And I was like, "I know, but I love mushroom risotto so much"

Meggan: So do I. Oh my God, it's one of my favorite things

Jenn: me too. So it was the perfect, like, carb meal after a long day

Meggan: I don't blame you at all, but I understand saying you want something and then not even getting it. Like, I understand that experience but also could never pass up mushroom risotto.

Jenn: Yeah

Meggan: So versus like Jasper and Banff, should Canmore be on everyone's itinerary if you are visiting this part of Alberta?

Jenn: Yeah. So I think that Canmore is an essential [00:43:00] stop at least. Lots of great shops and restaurants. Um, it's not in the national parks, so you have access to, like, bigger grocery stores and that sort of thing as well. It was also much cheaper to stay in Canmore than it was to stay in Banff, so that's why we chose to stay in Canmore. Yeah.

Meggan: Good to know

Jenn: So the next day was our Banff day. We spent the entire day exploring the town. Was it too much time i- in Banff? A little bit. You probably need, like, three-quarters of a day, you know? We probably could've had a late start in the day and got, still got everything in, but that's not what we did. So we started the day at the Cave and Basin National Historic Site, and naturally, we got there before it opened. Uh, you know, early birds and all of that. So we killed a little bit of time by walking on their trails, and honestly, we had planned to do a longer hike that starts from [00:44:00] here, and there was literally no one else around, and I was terrified of bears. Uh, so I convinced Ryan to turn around, and I think he was a little mad at me for that, but he was like, "It's right here. We could, we should just do it." And I was like, "B- a bear is going to eat us

Meggan: Simply can't. We're going to be eaten

Jenn: We're going to be. Anyway, we did, uh, shorter trails closer to the, the museum here. So the museum itself is really interesting, the National Historic Site, especially because the whole reason, the main reason Banff National Park exists is because three railway workers, uh, who wanted to commercialize and profit from the natural hot springs that are found here, but the government stepped in and eventually reserved the land, and that land became the park.

So you can visit, but you cannot touch or bathe in the cave with the hot spring. but you can learn [00:45:00] about the Banff springs snail, which is only found in these hot springs, so that's pretty cool. It's like the

Meggan: Mm-hmm.

Jenn: size of an apple seed. It's so small

Meggan: Oh. It's not the new kitty, but it's a, it's a snail

Jenn: It's so cute. Um, is the nearby Banff Upper Hot Springs if you really wanna soak in some water. Um, we didn't do that, but it is there. , Admission to the Cave and Basin National Historic Site is $10 per adults, but we got in for free because we had the, uh, year discovery pass. So it did save us $20 here. The next place we went was the Banff Park Museum National Historic Site. It's a museum that features taxidermied animals, and is Western Canada's oldest natural history museum, and the building is the oldest surviving building in Banff, and I believe the oldest building inside any national park. So that's very cool. We weren't planning to visit, [00:46:00] but our trusty Guide Along app m- mentioned it, and we were like, "Why not? Let's go in." It is like a museum of a museum, sort of. The displays haven't changed, and they were curated by Norman Sanson between 1896 and 1932. Uh,

Meggan: Oh

Jenn: yeah, it is like really quite cool.

It does c- uh, cost $5 per adult to get in, but again, free with the annual discovery pass, so saved another $10 there, and I think officially that means that the park pa- the yearly pass paid for itself on this trip, so very exciting for us. Lunch that day was at Pizzeria Sophia, and I have to say, I've eaten a lot of pizza, and the dough was some of the best that I've ever had.

So that was very exciting. We got the one with roasted red peppers and ricotta. It was really, really good, and like a little bit of a different pizza topping [00:47:00] than the normal, you know, cheese and, and pepperoni or something. Next we walked the Cascades of Time Gardens around the Park Administration building, which were super lovely and a great place to take photos of Banff.

It gives you like that postcard view of Banff Avenue with the mountains. Um, so if you wanna take that picture, that is where you go. Speaking of Banff Avenue, it has, uh, a lot of shops and restaurants. Banff was built to be a tourist town, and so it caters to tourists, and there are plenty of touristy stores. We really enjoyed Paper Den, and we bought a local piece of art there, and then we really enjoyed browsing the Canada House Gallery, where we could not afford the art really. Um, but it was still nice to look at, so there's that. It can be hard to find the local stuff amongst the mass produced touristy stuff, so keep that [00:48:00] in mind. And then there's also, like, Lululemon and Patagonia and, like, those kind of stores, uh, if you're looking for something like that.

The next thing we did was walk to the Surprise Corner viewpoint. I just love that it's called Surprise Corner. It's like a

Meggan: Me as well

Jenn: It's like a pin turn. I don't know. It's very fun. We walked there via, like, a trail, and then the last part is, like, along the side of the road. but the look-off does give you a great view of Banff Springs Hotel and the Spray Valley. It was really nice out that day. I think it got up to, like, 20, and it was sunny, and so we just sat on a bench and people watched.

There were people, like, making TikToks, which was really kind of funny to, like, watch i- in real life. I don't Um,

Meggan: You're, you're usually on the other side

Jenn: yeah, so it was really, really funny. dinner that night was at Añejo, which is a Mexican place. We both had tacos. They were very [00:49:00] good, and it was very fun, like, decorated spot with, uh, lots of great drinks on the menu as well. Finally, that night was one of the highlights of our trip, and that was a ghost tour with Banff

Meggan: Naturally

Jenn: naturally. I mean, naturally. So our tour was with Banff Canmore Ghost Walks. Our guide, Max, was, I think, the owner of the company. I didn't learn this until later. But she really made the tour something special 'cause she's a really, really great storyteller and, like, really funny. Like, great delivery, and the... I mean, the stories were really good too, but, like, the telling of the story is very important. So we learned a lot about Banff's history, some of the ghosts that have stuck around the town, and I don't wanna spoil any of the stories, listeners, in case you go. But my favorite story was the basement ghost of the Parks Administration Building, so you'll have to go and hear that for [00:50:00] yourself. And that was the end of our second to last day, so we got one more day left.

Meggan: All right. Break it down

Jenn: All right, our last day. Our plan was to go to Johnston Canyon early in the morning 'cause this hike is extremely popular and gets super busy, and the parking lot can fill up. Dear listener, we did not get there early, and that was the result of my bad planning for saving this for the last day. Uh, because we had to pack up all of our stuff and check out of the hotel that morning, and our flight that night wasn't until midnight. And so I didn't wanna get up super early and pack up our stuff and check out, uh, 'cause it would have been a very long day for us. Uh, so we abandoned our early morning plan, and we got to the canyon at 9:45. So the parking, the first parking lot, the main parking lot, was full, but there was plenty [00:51:00] of space at that time in the second parking lot, kind of the overflow parking. the first bit of the trail was definitely crowded, but it was still beautiful, and at that point, pretty easy, which is why so many people do it. Um, it took us about 20 minutes to get to the lower falls, and at that point, there's a bridge that takes you over into a cave, where you can see the falls closer up. there was a line, of course, and it was like a pretty long one, and we stood in it for a few minutes, and it wasn't really moving, so we abandoned it, and we kept going. And we did actually see, like, where it comes out 'cause it goes through the cave, but then it comes out on the other side of the cave, and we were like, "Oh, that's it? Okay. Well, I'm fine that we abandoned that. That's cool." So we kept going to the upper falls, and this part of the hike is a little bit more challenging, a little bit less accessible, and so therefore, there were less people on it. But it was [00:52:00] very enjoyable. Instead of being like straight up, it was more like, you know, up and then down, and then up, and then down, so you weren't just like just climbing all of the time. Um, it took us about 40 minutes to get to the upper falls, but there were plenty of smaller waterfalls to see along the way. The upper falls are really impressive, and we even got a few minutes by ourselves at the viewing platform, which is rare, uh, in places. And on the way back down to the lower falls, we actually s- saw the people that were in front of us in line for the cave. And so it seems like they waited like an hour or something to see... Like to get to the cave,

Meggan: Yeah

Jenn: I don't think that's worth it, and that's why the internet tells you to get there early.

Meggan: Indeed, indeed

Jenn: All right, so next we drove to Lake Minnewanka, uh, just outside of Banff, and it was so beautiful. And this is another [00:53:00] place with a popular boat tour, if that is of interest to you, you should check it out. Prices for that were around 75 to $92 Canadian per adult. We decided to walk along the shores of the lake, and then we decided to follow the trail to Stewart Canyon Bridge, which was about as far as we could go 'cause the rest of the trails were closed for bear activity. Uh,

Meggan: they having a pl- a play date or what kind of activity were the bears having?

Jenn: well the bears, uh, it was, uh, the bears had been, uh, showing food-seeking behavior, so they were l-

Meggan: Ah.

Jenn: less afraid of humans, so

Meggan: You did not want to be their food

Jenn: I did not, I did not. But on the walk back, we actually had to double back because there was a deer on the trail, and it was a very narrow trail with, like, a cliff, and then, like, a, a, a down cliff and an up cliff. So there was nowhere for either one of us to go. Uh, it was a very narrow spot, so we couldn't pass. So I'm glad it was just a deer, nothing too scary. But we had to like- Yeah ... [00:54:00] we, like, turned around, and we're like, "Okay, we're j- we're just gonna walk down here, and then we'll, like, get out of your way, deer."

And then it starts kind of, like, trotting after us, and I was like, "No, no. No, no, no. You go, you go over there." Anyway, was fine. so after that trail, we went into Canmore. We returned our bear spray rental, and we had a late lunch at the Grizzly Paw Pub. We did some souvenir shopping, and there are some really great and unique stores in Canmore. We really enjoyed Stonewaters. Uh, there's a cool candy store that is huge. Alberta's Own Marketplace and the Cafe Bookstore all have, um, really great stuff. So finally, that was pretty much the end of our day. Like, we drove back to Calgary, returned our rental car, we had dinner at the airport, and then we flew home overnight

Meggan: Wowzers, that is a whirlwind. Now before we though get into sort of like your [00:55:00] final thoughts on your trip, I know you mentioned a lot of great food, what would you say was your best food or meal in particular on the trip?

Jenn: Mm-hmm. I mean, we're still talking about the food from the Great Cha- Great Taste Chinese restaurant in Calgary, so I'm gonna have to say that one. I mean, we are unfortunately, in the town that I live in, not blessed with great Chinese food options, so when we have a really great Chinese food, it, it does hit the spot

Meggan: Excellent. Excellent. All right, so sort of summarize, like, some things you took away or, or things you wanna mention before we go

Jenn: Yeah, so like I said, I visited Alberta and m- all of these places, many of these places, not, not some of the hikes. But, um, yeah, I visited 20 years ago, and like I remember being in the backseat of the car and just being in awe of the mountains, and I wanted to move to Canmore. That was young Jenn's dream, and I was not surprised to f- like, I still felt that way when I was in [00:56:00] Canmore.

I was like, "Oh yeah, I could see myself living here." Like, it is so beautiful, and, you know, maybe if I didn't love Nova Scotia so much, I would move. I will mention, and I don't have this in my notes, but I just remembered, um, because we are ocean people, we dwell

Meggan: Uh-huh

Jenn: qu- quite close to the ocean, um, my body is not used to the dry air, everything was dry. My lips were, like, peeling Um, my hands were, like, dry and cracking in some places. So pack a lot of moisturizer if you are not used to dry air. That is another tip. My husband had never been to Alberta. It wasn't somewhere that was, like, high on his list. Um, like I said, we went because, uh, my cousin was getting married, and we decided to turn it into a whole trip, but he was surprised at how much he really enjoyed it, and that, you know, we'll probably go back at some point in our lives.

So, um, there [00:57:00] are a lot of activities here that you can do: boat tours, gondolas, helicopter rides, and I'm sure they are all great. But if they are not in your budget, I didn't feel like we missed out by skipping them, and that's just me. But that was the decision that we had made. Um, like I mentioned, accommodations can be pretty pricey in Banff, which is why we decided to stay in Canmore. It's not that far of a drive, um, so this worked well for us. And there were things that we just couldn't fit into our itinerary. I really wanted to go to Yoho National Park, which is in BC. Um, not a far drive. I think it's about an hour or maybe an hour and a half from Banff. It looks so beautiful. Apparently, it has less crowds than Banff, but like, you know, you only have so much time, and that's just the way it is

Meggan: Mm-hmm. You can't do everything

Jenn: No. And after a week of being outdoors every day, it reminded me that I need to get away from my desk more [00:58:00] spend more time enjoying the outside, uh, not just the inside. So we have great parks around us here that I don't always take advantage of, so that's another benefit of having the, Parks Canada Discovery Pass.

It'll force me to get out there. And, uh, one thing I forgot to mention is on the flight home, I actually booked us both window seats. So, like, I was in front, Ryan was in the window seat behind me, so that we could both lean against the window so we could sleep on the red-eye, and that was so good. Highly recommend.

You don't need to sit together. It's,

Meggan: No

Jenn: Uh, Ryan said he wished I had booked him on the other side of the plane, 'cause he likes to lean the other way, so

Meggan: Next time, Ryan.

Jenn: time, next time.

Meggan: Exactly

Jenn: the middle seat, so I don't know what he's complaining about.

Meggan: Normally it's much worse, so just be happy. Um, well Jenn, honestly your trip sounds amazing. Sounds like you did a lot of research and really made the most of it. Thank you for sharing this with us. Alberta is so beautiful. I love it [00:59:00] there. My sister lives there. I love visiting. Um, and people should visit.

Just get out there. And yeah, and you don't have to do all the expensive things to have a great time. As always, you can find us on social media at Travel Mug Podcast, our website travelmugpodcast.com. You can leave us a review on Apple or Spotify. Buy us a coffee to support the show monetarily. The link is in our show notes.

As always, we are grateful for our listeners. Thank you for being here and sharing this podcast with us. And until next time, don't forget your travel mug and travel safe. Bye.