Canada (Calgary - Banff - Jasper - Yoho - Calgary) August 5-12, 2018
Rocky Mountain! It was one spot on my bucket list. I had visited Canada 2 times previously, but had not visited this side of the country. I always dreamed to ride the Rocky Mountaineer Train, but it was too expensive so I decided to fly to Calgary and do a road trip to Banff, Jasper, and Yoho.
I was doing a lot of research about where we should visit and was nervous that we wouldn't see the same things I saw online. Fortunately, I was beyond thrilled that we were able to see the unforgettable beauty of this region.
August 6
We arrived yesterday August 5th in the evening and rested well for our journey next 5 days.
This morning, we started the day off by driving to downtown Calgary visiting the Wonderland Sculpture, a popular huge wired woman front sculpture . It was during a Holiday so it was very quiet in the downtown. We walked about 20 mins and spent time a little bit at the Peace Bridge, a pedestrian and bike path with red color unique design. The weather was good so people came out to relax, bike and walk dogs around the park next to the bridge. I really enjoyed this area as it had a very clean and friendly environment.
Before heading back to the car, we stopped by The Brotherhood of Mankind Statues, another land mark to take some pictures.
Luge
The kids decided they wanted to do Skyline Luge around Canada Olympic Park. We bought the package that allowed each of us to ride it 3 times. We went up to the starting point by ski lift and waited in a long line to eventually ride the luge downhill. After going through the line, an employee showed us how to control the luge by twisting, turning, and pulling the handlebar of the luge. The track was about a 7 mins long ride. The first ride was pretty difficult for me, but the second and the third rides were really fun as I became familiar with the luge. We loved it!
After the Sky Luge, we stopped for a quick lunch at OPA! Greece (fast)foods and then we proceeded to drive towards Banff, where we spent a couple of hours. Downtown Banff was surrounded by many beautiful mountains. There were a variety of shops, restaurants and hotels. We did try some ice cream and deserts, one popular pastry was BeaverTails.
We headed to Banff Gondola as we were scheduled to go up Banff's Sulphur Mountain at 6:30 PM. The view at the summit was truly spectacular. We explored and walked along the boardwalk and experienced the beauty of the mountain. We really enjoyed and had a wonderful time there.
That night we stayed in Canmore, which was only 15 minutes from Banff. Canmore was a small cute town that was not as crowded as Banff. For dinner, we stopped at a local Thai restaurant, then headed back to the hotel after a wonderful first day. We stayed at Coast Canmore Hotel & Conference Centre which was a good inexpensive hotel.
August 7
Lake Louise
Beautiful Lake Louise! We left Canmore very early as we needed to be at Lake Louise by 8 am. We drove about 1 hour and fortunately arrived there right before big crowds and got a parking spot. Lake Louise was a Must-See lake. Because of its stunning turquoise color, it is one of the most photographic scenes in Canadian Rockies. We had a quick breakfast in the Fairmont Chateau. Then Sean and I went canoeing while Luke and Dad took the easy but long trail by the lake. After canoeing, we also took the same trail and joined them on the other side on the lake.
We spent half day at Lake Louise before heading Moraine Lake. The road to Moraine Lake was closed since there was no more parking. We decided to have lunch first and went to the overflow area to park the car and take a bus there.
August 8
We left Canmore early again because it would take 1 and a half hour to arrive to Payto Lake. A short distance before Peyto Lake, another breathtakingly beautiful Bow Lake situated along the main road. We decided to go to Peyto first because of the parking situation. To see Peyto lake, we also had to do a short but steep hike. This was one of the lakes I had to see and I was not disappointed at all. I was speechless with its beauty.
Bow Lake
This was another unbelievable breathtaking and postcard-like Lake especially the reflection of the mountain in the water. The weather was nice and the light was perfect for us to take beautiful pictures. We truly enjoyed and loved this lake.
We stopped at the last gas station at the Saskatchewan River Crossing Resort and had a quick lunch before heading to Glacier View Lodge. One of our lunch menus was popular Poutine, French-fried potatoes topped with cheese curds and gravy. We then arrived our hotel at Athabasca Glacier around 3 pm. It was a crowded afternoon but once we were given the keys to our room, we were able to relax there. It was very cool in this area due to the altitude and presence of the glacier. I was fond of the hotel as we got to enjoy seeing the glacier from a distance all night. After resting a little, we decided to hike uphill to see the outbound of the Glacier. Each year, the Glacier shrank and slowly melted about 5 meters. When we walked along the pathways, there were measurement to show where the Glacier used to be. I couldn't believe the size of the Glacier was so small now comparatively. I was glad we had a chance to visit before the landscape would be eventually disappear. The sunset here was beautiful. We had amazing experiences in Columbia Icefields.
August 9
After the adventure in the morning, we had a nice lunch at the Glacier Discovery Centre and were ready to leave and explore the next point, Athabasca Falls located about 1 hour from Icefields Parkway and 30 minutes until Jasper. The fall could be seen by a short walk and easy pathway from the parking lot.
We walked along the trail, crossed bridges, viewed powerful flowing waterfalls and spent a good time there.
Our next stop was Jasper, a lovely, charming small town. Because it was very busy during the summer, all of the regular hotels were sold out so we booked at Jasper Downtown Hostel. It was the first time for us to stay at a hostel. We were able to get the whole room for ourselves with 7 bunk beds. The room was small and we had to share bathrooms. Fortunately, it was not too crowded or bad for the bathroom situation. In fact we liked the place except it was too hot during the night because there was no air conditioning. After settling at the hotel, we checked out the town and had dinner in a Korean restaurant near to the hotel.
August 10
Maligne Canyon
It was a 3.4 km loop trail where hikers could explore the beautiful nature by crossing 6 bridges in Maligne Canyon. We did not have enough time to hike the 2.5 hours trail as we were scheduled to take a boat tour at Maligne Lake at 5 pm. Although, we only walked to the first and second bridges right after eating lunch there and drove to other bridges (3-6), it was still rewarding to see the canyon this way.
Maligne Lake
We arrived Maligne Lake, the largest natural lake in the Canadian Rockies, an hour early before the boat tour but it was not a boring wait at all. We rested, had snacked, explored the area and had a pleasant time as family.
It was sprinkling at the time our boat reached the dock. The employee was making sure that no more than a certain number of passengers could proceed to the boat for a safety reason. The boat tour, about 1 hour long, was a wonderful way to discover the Spirit Island, a tiny land-tied island and a famous spot for photographers. We stopped there for 15 mins and went up to the viewing point and overlooked Spirit Island. The scenery looked so peaceful and the lake color was turquoise. Beautiful nature!
August 11
We left Jasper in the morning and decided last minute to go to Emerald Lake in YOHO National Park, where its color was emerald just like the name, very beautiful. After a quick lunch here, Sean, Luke and I decided to canoe in the lake. The line was not too long and we had a great time canoeing. Luckily we already started to turn back when a storm started to form. We got back, returned the boat and were in the car when the rain started pouring. We stuck there for about 20 minutes because a big tree fell across the road. We had to wait for the tree to be removed and headed back to Calgary.
We had a good last Thai dinner in Calgary and drove up to a hill outside the downtown area to see the Saddledome arena, another landmark of Calgary.
We stayed overnight in the same hotel as the first day we arrived. Early next morning, we said goodbye to Calgary, Canada.
This one week was one of the most spectacular trips I have been on. Banff-Jasper-Yoho National Parks were definitely the most stunning scenery I have seen so far. I loved the blue, green and turquoise color of the lakes, the gorgeous mountains and serene scenery nature. It will be the unforgettable trip for me and I will definitely want to come back to this area one day.
- Canada (Calgary, Banff, Jasper and Yoho)
- Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Monica and Venice Beach
- Transit Tour in Hong Kong
- Salzburg, Vienna and Prague
- Southern Laos
- Japan (Tokyo-Hakone-Kawagoe)
- Washington State
- Universal Studios, FL
- NOLA and Bahamas
- Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon and Antalop Canyon
- Paris, France
- Montserrat and Barcelona, Spain
- Dubai
- Laos (Vang Vieng and Vientien)
- Disney World, FL
- Skiing Red River, NM
- Niagara Falls, Toronto, San Francisco and Los Angeles
- Western Caribbean Cruise (Jamaica, Cayman Island and mexico)
- Camping Guadalupe River, TX
I was doing a lot of research about where we should visit and was nervous that we wouldn't see the same things I saw online. Fortunately, I was beyond thrilled that we were able to see the unforgettable beauty of this region.
August 6
We arrived yesterday August 5th in the evening and rested well for our journey next 5 days.
This morning, we started the day off by driving to downtown Calgary visiting the Wonderland Sculpture, a popular huge wired woman front sculpture . It was during a Holiday so it was very quiet in the downtown. We walked about 20 mins and spent time a little bit at the Peace Bridge, a pedestrian and bike path with red color unique design. The weather was good so people came out to relax, bike and walk dogs around the park next to the bridge. I really enjoyed this area as it had a very clean and friendly environment.
Before heading back to the car, we stopped by The Brotherhood of Mankind Statues, another land mark to take some pictures.
Luge
The kids decided they wanted to do Skyline Luge around Canada Olympic Park. We bought the package that allowed each of us to ride it 3 times. We went up to the starting point by ski lift and waited in a long line to eventually ride the luge downhill. After going through the line, an employee showed us how to control the luge by twisting, turning, and pulling the handlebar of the luge. The track was about a 7 mins long ride. The first ride was pretty difficult for me, but the second and the third rides were really fun as I became familiar with the luge. We loved it!
After the Sky Luge, we stopped for a quick lunch at OPA! Greece (fast)foods and then we proceeded to drive towards Banff, where we spent a couple of hours. Downtown Banff was surrounded by many beautiful mountains. There were a variety of shops, restaurants and hotels. We did try some ice cream and deserts, one popular pastry was BeaverTails.
We headed to Banff Gondola as we were scheduled to go up Banff's Sulphur Mountain at 6:30 PM. The view at the summit was truly spectacular. We explored and walked along the boardwalk and experienced the beauty of the mountain. We really enjoyed and had a wonderful time there.
That night we stayed in Canmore, which was only 15 minutes from Banff. Canmore was a small cute town that was not as crowded as Banff. For dinner, we stopped at a local Thai restaurant, then headed back to the hotel after a wonderful first day. We stayed at Coast Canmore Hotel & Conference Centre which was a good inexpensive hotel.
August 7
Lake Louise
Beautiful Lake Louise! We left Canmore very early as we needed to be at Lake Louise by 8 am. We drove about 1 hour and fortunately arrived there right before big crowds and got a parking spot. Lake Louise was a Must-See lake. Because of its stunning turquoise color, it is one of the most photographic scenes in Canadian Rockies. We had a quick breakfast in the Fairmont Chateau. Then Sean and I went canoeing while Luke and Dad took the easy but long trail by the lake. After canoeing, we also took the same trail and joined them on the other side on the lake.
We spent half day at Lake Louise before heading Moraine Lake. The road to Moraine Lake was closed since there was no more parking. We decided to have lunch first and went to the overflow area to park the car and take a bus there.
Moraine Lake
Stunning Moraine Lake! This unbelievable stunning lake looked just like the postcard pictures. Out of all the places I've been to, it was one of my favorites. The blue-turquoise color paired with the trees and mountains are a perfect mix for a breathtaking scene. This is a highly recommended must-do lake!
We had to hike up the 0.8 mile Rockpile Trail to see its spectacular view but it was worth it. I would love to come back again for sure.
After Moraine Lake, we drove around and made a short stop for more lakes before going back to the hotel in Canmore. These are also photogenic places in the Banff area.
 |
| Vermilion Lake |
- Peyto Lake
- Bow Lake
- Athabasca Glacier
We left Canmore early again because it would take 1 and a half hour to arrive to Payto Lake. A short distance before Peyto Lake, another breathtakingly beautiful Bow Lake situated along the main road. We decided to go to Peyto first because of the parking situation. To see Peyto lake, we also had to do a short but steep hike. This was one of the lakes I had to see and I was not disappointed at all. I was speechless with its beauty.
This was another unbelievable breathtaking and postcard-like Lake especially the reflection of the mountain in the water. The weather was nice and the light was perfect for us to take beautiful pictures. We truly enjoyed and loved this lake.
- Athabasca Glacier and Skywalk
- Athabasca and Sunwapta Falls
- Jasper
We did the Columbia Icefield tour to explore the Athabasca Glacier first thing in the morning. We had to take a bus to a certain point and changed to the special giant truck (Ice Explorer) to drive on the Glacier. We got to walk on the glacier and it was stunning to see.
We then took the bus to the Skywalk to experience the glass-bottomed walkway with beautiful scenery. Although I was tremendously scared, I was able to walk on it from the beginning to the end. The Athabasca Glacier and Skywalk tour was a great adventure for us.
After the adventure in the morning, we had a nice lunch at the Glacier Discovery Centre and were ready to leave and explore the next point, Athabasca Falls located about 1 hour from Icefields Parkway and 30 minutes until Jasper. The fall could be seen by a short walk and easy pathway from the parking lot.
We walked along the trail, crossed bridges, viewed powerful flowing waterfalls and spent a good time there.
- Pyramid Lake
- Maligne Canyon
- Maligne Lake
First thing in the morning, we visited Pyramid Lake and kayaked in the serene beauty of the lake. We drove a little bit more to another side and walked on the easy trail to enjoy the scenery.
Unexpectedly, we saw a Caribou stepping out of the bushes. What a wonderful opportunity to see it up close.
It was a 3.4 km loop trail where hikers could explore the beautiful nature by crossing 6 bridges in Maligne Canyon. We did not have enough time to hike the 2.5 hours trail as we were scheduled to take a boat tour at Maligne Lake at 5 pm. Although, we only walked to the first and second bridges right after eating lunch there and drove to other bridges (3-6), it was still rewarding to see the canyon this way.
Maligne Lake
We arrived Maligne Lake, the largest natural lake in the Canadian Rockies, an hour early before the boat tour but it was not a boring wait at all. We rested, had snacked, explored the area and had a pleasant time as family.
It was sprinkling at the time our boat reached the dock. The employee was making sure that no more than a certain number of passengers could proceed to the boat for a safety reason. The boat tour, about 1 hour long, was a wonderful way to discover the Spirit Island, a tiny land-tied island and a famous spot for photographers. We stopped there for 15 mins and went up to the viewing point and overlooked Spirit Island. The scenery looked so peaceful and the lake color was turquoise. Beautiful nature!
August 11
We left Jasper in the morning and decided last minute to go to Emerald Lake in YOHO National Park, where its color was emerald just like the name, very beautiful. After a quick lunch here, Sean, Luke and I decided to canoe in the lake. The line was not too long and we had a great time canoeing. Luckily we already started to turn back when a storm started to form. We got back, returned the boat and were in the car when the rain started pouring. We stuck there for about 20 minutes because a big tree fell across the road. We had to wait for the tree to be removed and headed back to Calgary.
We had a good last Thai dinner in Calgary and drove up to a hill outside the downtown area to see the Saddledome arena, another landmark of Calgary.
We stayed overnight in the same hotel as the first day we arrived. Early next morning, we said goodbye to Calgary, Canada.
This one week was one of the most spectacular trips I have been on. Banff-Jasper-Yoho National Parks were definitely the most stunning scenery I have seen so far. I loved the blue, green and turquoise color of the lakes, the gorgeous mountains and serene scenery nature. It will be the unforgettable trip for me and I will definitely want to come back to this area one day.
- Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Monica and Venice Beach
- Transit Tour in Hong Kong
- Salzburg, Vienna and Prague
- Southern Laos
- Japan (Tokyo-Hakone-Kawagoe)
- Washington State
- Universal Studios, FL
- NOLA and Bahamas
- Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon and Antalop Canyon
- Paris, France
- Montserrat and Barcelona, Spain
- Dubai
- Laos (Vang Vieng and Vientien)
- Disney World, FL
- Skiing Red River, NM
- Niagara Falls, Toronto, San Francisco and Los Angeles
- Western Caribbean Cruise (Jamaica, Cayman Island and mexico)
- Camping Guadalupe River, TX
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