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So many choices. How long are you there? What interests you?
For the main sights:
Banff Townsite: Banff Springs Hotel, Cave & Basin, Banff Hotsprings, Sulphur Mt. Gondola, Bow Falls, May, depending on weather, golf.
Close by: Lake Minnewanka. Way too cold to swim in May. It may have some ice still. Scenic river valley, high probability of seeing wildlife on the loop road. It's a migration corridor for cougars and bears, and I've seen bears (black and grizzly), elk, bighorn sheep, mt. goats, and more deer than you can shake a stick at on that road.
Further afield: Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Castle Mt., Peyto Lake, Sunshine. Skiing will likely still be open at Sunshine, and a great drive is out to Lake Louise, hit Moraine Lake before the tour buses start arriving, go up to Lake Louise, have lunch at the Chateau, or down in the townsite, then drive up to Peyto Lake/Bow Summit on the Icefields Parkway back to Banff on the Bow Valley Parkway, stopping as desired for breaks/photos.
More time: If you have lots of time, take the Icefields Parkway all the way up to Jasper, spend the night and come back down. Striking distance from Jasper is Mt. Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. Jasper is Banff lite.
In Banff itself, there are great bars, restaurants, shopping, and you'll be convinced you're either in Japan or Australia. The stores cater to Japanese Tourists, and nearly everywhere has signs/Japanese speakers on staff, and pretty much all the employees are Australian kids over on work abroad visas (I exaggerate, but not by much). Notable bars would be St. James Gate, which was built in Dublin to specifically fit the space it's in now. Great Guiness pours. Rose and Crown, is more a Canadian style English pub. Good bands on weekends, lots of music. Banff Ave is the main drag, and where most everything is located, but there's good places just off the edges too. Parking is decent, and free, which is great. Look for the public lots a block west of Banff Ave. There's also a really good bus system that runs up and down the Ave. and to all the major hotels. It's either free, or $2, depending on if your hotel throws in the cost. If you want your high end dining experience, try Eden in the Rimrock. It's one of the few five diamond restaurants in Western Canada. It's food porn of the highest order, with a pricetag to match.
Now, further out, you can work back to Calgary and do Kananaskis Country, which is a totally different feel, but May is an odd season. Not winter, and on the edges of spring/summer. Without fail, there is usually a late May snowstorm, conveniently usually May long weekend (Victoria Day - Last Monday in May). But it doesn't last, as it's no longer cold enough to keep snow on the ground for any period.
Good luck, have a great trip, and let me know if you have further questions. Oh, and it will be extra busy this year because of no fee for the National Parks due to Canada's 150th.
So many choices. How long are you there? What interests you?
For the main sights:
Banff Townsite: Banff Springs Hotel, Cave & Basin, Banff Hotsprings, Sulphur Mt. Gondola, Bow Falls, May, depending on weather, golf.
Close by: Lake Minnewanka. Way too cold to swim in May. It may have some ice still. Scenic river valley, high probability of seeing wildlife on the loop road. It's a migration corridor for cougars and bears, and I've seen bears (black and grizzly), elk, bighorn sheep, mt. goats, and more deer than you can shake a stick at on that road.
Further afield: Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Castle Mt., Peyto Lake, Sunshine. Skiing will likely still be open at Sunshine, and a great drive is out to Lake Louise, hit Moraine Lake before the tour buses start arriving, go up to Lake Louise, have lunch at the Chateau, or down in the townsite, then drive up to Peyto Lake/Bow Summit on the Icefields Parkway back to Banff on the Bow Valley Parkway, stopping as desired for breaks/photos.
More time: If you have lots of time, take the Icefields Parkway all the way up to Jasper, spend the night and come back down. Striking distance from Jasper is Mt. Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. Jasper is Banff lite.
In Banff itself, there are great bars, restaurants, shopping, and you'll be convinced you're either in Japan or Australia. The stores cater to Japanese Tourists, and nearly everywhere has signs/Japanese speakers on staff, and pretty much all the employees are Australian kids over on work abroad visas (I exaggerate, but not by much). Notable bars would be St. James Gate, which was built in Dublin to specifically fit the space it's in now. Great Guiness pours. Rose and Crown, is more a Canadian style English pub. Good bands on weekends, lots of music. Banff Ave is the main drag, and where most everything is located, but there's good places just off the edges too. Parking is decent, and free, which is great. Look for the public lots a block west of Banff Ave. There's also a really good bus system that runs up and down the Ave. and to all the major hotels. It's either free, or $2, depending on if your hotel throws in the cost. If you want your high end dining experience, try Eden in the Rimrock. It's one of the few five diamond restaurants in Western Canada. It's food porn of the highest order, with a pricetag to match.
Now, further out, you can work back to Calgary and do Kananaskis Country, which is a totally different feel, but May is an odd season. Not winter, and on the edges of spring/summer. Without fail, there is usually a late May snowstorm, conveniently usually May long weekend (Victoria Day - Last Monday in May). But it doesn't last, as it's no longer cold enough to keep snow on the ground for any period.
Good luck, have a great trip, and let me know if you have further questions. Oh, and it will be extra busy this year because of no fee for the National Parks due to Canada's 150th.
Great post. I hope the OP and family enjoy their visit to Banff and you definitely have given them a lot to consider.
I had to smile though because when I read the OP's intro, the first thing that came to mind was that, though I have not been to Banff in many years, I was wanted to know if it was still almost necessary to be or learn Japanese to feel totally at home in the town itself. You answered me there - and more - I didn't know that the Aussies are also so prevalent now there. Doesn't surprise me (I am sure they add a lively vibe to the town) but I guess I would also hope that Canadian kids are still working there in at least the summer tourist season when they are not in school perhaps.
Nothing wrong with either presence mind you but it is good to be prepared (I remember the magnitude of the Japanese signs/language/visitors as being quite the shock when I was there) and you made sure the OP was with your comments about that element. Thanks.
Banff is definitely worth the effort to visit. It is a beautiful area. I would go back again in a heartbeat if I could do so.
Great post. I hope the OP and family enjoy their visit to Banff and you definitely have given them a lot to consider.
I had to smile though because when I read the OP's intro, the first thing that came to mind was that, though I have not been to Banff in many years, I was wanted to know if it was still almost necessary to be or learn Japanese to feel totally at home in the town itself. You answered me there - and more - I didn't know that the Aussies are also so prevalent now there. Doesn't surprise me (I am sure they add a lively vibe to the town) but I guess I would also hope that Canadian kids are still working there in at least the summer tourist season when they are not in school perhaps.
Nothing wrong with either presence mind you but it is good to be prepared (I remember the magnitude of the Japanese signs/language/visitors as being quite the shock when I was there) and you made sure the OP was with your comments about that element. Thanks.
Banff is definitely worth the effort to visit. It is a beautiful area. I would go back again in a heartbeat if I could do so.
The number of Aussies surprised me too. Apparently they're getting priced out of Whistler, which is where they used to dominate (and likely still do) and the number of Quebecois that used to come out has dropped. Canmore isn't a sleepy little town anymore. To the OP, and really anyone else, Banff can't be developed without a ton of difficulty because it's in a National Park. You can't reside in Banff unless you own or are an employee of a business in the park, or have enough stroke to get around the rules (a'la Glen Sather) As a result, as development has increased, housing has not, and everyone is shuffled out to Canmore, immediately outside the Park gates. So there's more shopping and amenities than ever in Banff, but their population is put into Canmore. As a result you can get a lot of the Banff experience for a bit less than actually staying inside the park proper, as Canmore has no restrictions on development, other than those put in by the town itself.
Awesome advice! Ironically, the last weekend in may is when we will be in Banff. We are staying 1 night in Calgary (to spend a little time exploring the city), and 3 nights in Banff proper. We chose to stay in the city on Banff for the reasons you outlined above; shopping and nightlife. I'd be just as happy spending the day on the trails, while my wife will want to check out the local shops.
A couple of things we are interested in:
->Briefly exploring Calgary, about a full day there. I want to try the best poutine the city has to offer! Open to suggestions
->Hikes: Lake Louise and maybe a few other lakes. Johnston Canyon. We just want to take in the scenery without going full backcountry hiking. I'm assuming I will want a can of bear spray on hand?
->Banff Gondola: This seems to be on everyone's list. Worth it?
Awesome advice! Ironically, the last weekend in may is when we will be in Banff. We are staying 1 night in Calgary (to spend a little time exploring the city), and 3 nights in Banff proper. We chose to stay in the city on Banff for the reasons you outlined above; shopping and nightlife. I'd be just as happy spending the day on the trails, while my wife will want to check out the local shops.
A couple of things we are interested in:
->Briefly exploring Calgary, about a full day there. I want to try the best poutine the city has to offer! Open to suggestions
->Hikes: Lake Louise and maybe a few other lakes. Johnston Canyon. We just want to take in the scenery without going full backcountry hiking. I'm assuming I will want a can of bear spray on hand?
->Banff Gondola: This seems to be on everyone's list. Worth it?
I have my Parks Canada pass ready
Calgary - where are you staying? It is definitely a driver's city. Poutine is really more of an Eastern thing, although available. Alberta is more about beef. Alberta King of Subs, out in the burbs in the NE is awesome. But there's no way I'd encourage anyone to make the trek there. A quick google tells me that there's a "poutinerie" downtown. Haven't tried it, but it's probably as good a place as any. Heck you can even get Poutine at McDonalds now (or at least you could at Christmas when I was there) It's tough to screw up cheese curds, fries and brown gravy. Downtown is good for shopping and evening dining, but there's not a ton of nightlife. Walking along the river is nice, and there's no shortage of walking/bike paths. There's good food to be had in Chinatown, Prince's Island is great if the sun is out, then walk across the way overpriced, but highly photogenic Calatrava bridge. Everyone has to have one Eighth Ave S, or Stephen Avenue is a pedestrian mall during the day, and has some nice restaurants and shops. I'm partial to the James Joyce just off Centre St, or there's the Unicorn down by Banker's Hall. The Calgary Tower is cheesy tourist, but it does have the cool glass thing where you can stand out over the street.
Hiking - Johnston canyon is great, and an overall easy hike. You can wander around Louise, or head to the Teahouse for a bit more strenuous adventure. Same with Minnewanka. If you go down the Bow Valley Parkway, which is what you have to do to hit Johnston, there's little trails everywhere. Parks Canada has an office in a converted church, right on Banff Avenue that will give you trails and suggested places to go for free. Bear spray, I'd forget it. You're better off tying a jingle bell to your hip/daypack. Given the opportunity, bears will leave you alone 100 times out of 100 if you don't surprise them. The bell lets them know you're coming. https://www.rei.com/product/721998/c...netic-silencer
Gondola - Depends on the weather. If it's nice, it's an amazing view and the easiest way to get to the top of a mountain. If it's not, it's windy and flippin' cold. If you are really into hiking, there's a trail that climbs up Sulphur Mt. below the gondola. Personally, I'm not that masochistic.
Take your cool weather gear. May is barely spring in the mountains, and you're very likely to encounter snow/ice in the shadier parts of walks/hikes.
We haven't picked out where we are staying in Calgary yet. I'm in Texas (DFW), and we have one restaurant that sells poutine, and they do not use cheese curds. They HAVE managed to screw it up!
We haven't hammered out any concrete plans for Calgary, so thanks for the suggestions! Shopping and local eats will be the focus here, as well as the usual touristy stuff the city has to offer.
We've relocated to Houston. You're up by one for us.
As far as hotels in Calgary go, the Palliser is old school posh. Westin is nice, as is the Hyatt. If you can get a deal, Sheraton Eau Claire has a great location, and is an all suite hotel. Stay away from any hotel Downtown that is further West than 5st SW. There's nothing really down that way. Kensington River Inn is great, but spendy.
We went in mid June, we saw so many bears we stopped counting them. The amount of wildlife was amazing just be careful if you plan on hiking and or driving. You would come around the corner and you would have a bear standing in the road or a bunch of folks who just stopped the car to look at the bears. We have been to Yellowstone and did not see as much wildlife as we did in the Banff. We have been to 49 states and 8 provinces and have not encountered as much wildlife as on this trip. Most of the animals had just had babies, including the bears and were looking for food.
Do not know if you plan on going south to the USA to Glacier National Park, but if you do call ahead when we went the rising sun road over the Glacier was closed because of snow.
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