Canada's West Coast (Part 1) - Calgary & Banff
Happy Summer Y’all!
I hope you all have been enjoying the beautiful (and hot) weather outside!
I just came back from a family trip to the West Coast about a week ago and what better time to write a blog post about it when everything is still fresh! Also I know a bunch of you will be heading out there this month and next, so just wanted to share some of my experiences with you!
Here’s my warning: I am no West Coast expert! I am just sharing with you some of my experiences, things from research/other friends who have been there recently, and also from my family who lives in Calgary. If you have any questions though, hit the comments below and I’ll try my best to answer them!
Is lake louise as beautiful as they make it out to be?
Five thousand times yes. It is extremely gorgeous and so worth going, even with the smokey conditions (will go into this more!). My advice for taking the trip out to Lake Louise is two fold: 1) Come early, before the giant flock of people come. If you are coming on a weekday during peak season, yes that’s like right now, I would come latest by 8-8:30. Earlier the better, because you not only get pictures when barely anyone is there, but you also get better parking! Also, if you are planning to go canoeing (will also get into this below), get there early before the line gets long! If you are coming during the weekend, get there even earlier. When we left, around 11-ish, they were already closing the road to the lake because there was no parking left. In that case, I think you would have to park super super far away…so earlier the better for sure.
2) Stay in the area. This does not mean you should stay right in Banff, because yes I know how expensive places are, but stay close by: Canmore or Calgary. Calgary is obviously further away, but within driving distance. Why do I say this? If you’re planning to get there earlier, driving hours to get there super early in the morning would suck. So, if you can get a place/room near Banff, super ideal. I’ll tack on another thing: do not stay in Golden right now if you are planning to come FROM BC to Banff. We decided to do just that and get up super early (5:30) to hit the road by 6/6:30 so we can get to Lake Louise super early. Lo and behold, Highway 1 in Golden was closed until 7:00AM and the detour would have added an additional hour or more to our route. So if you’re going from Vancouver or the BC area to Alberta, make sure you check the highway closures and if you can, stay in Canmore/Calgary the night before.
Is canoeing in lake louise worth it?
I think if this is a once in a lifetime, you’ll never do it again, you REALLY want to get the insta pics sure. The pros are: instagram worthy pics, you get to see further into the lake, you’ll also get to see the beauty of the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise from the lake (which by the way, is a beaut). Oh and you’ll meet the sweetest people working at the Canoe rentals! However, the caveat is that it is SUPER pricey. For one hour, I think i paid around $130 for just me to share the canoe with my sister and brother in law (and yes they paid around that each as well).
Is it beautiful? Absolutely. I think if you had your own canoe, I wouldn’t even hesitate. Yes, you are allowed to bring and use your own canoe. But if you are thinking about your pockets and if you are not even into canoeing in the first place, I would really think about it first!
How bad was the smoke?
Honestly, some days were pretty bad. HOWEVER, I don’t think it really took away from the beauty of the places we saw and even the drives we did (to and from BC). As you can see in the pictures below, it is still BEAUTIFUL, but I think it’s even more so when it’s super clear.
But this to say that, yes the smoke can get pretty bad up there. I think at one point, with a combination of morning fog and smoke in Calgary, it was really hard to see far away. But it does clear up over the morning and into the afternoon most times.
I’m just letting you know so that you are aware of what’s going on there! Don’t worry, everything is still gorgeous but your pictures might not look identical to those you see on instagram a couple of months ago. Also it was my brother in law’s first time there and even with the smoke, he was totally in awe of the beauty of the place.
How was the drive?
I didn’t get to drive on this trip, but just from being a passenger it was absolutely GORGEOUS. You cannot compare it to driving in Ontario. There is something so majestic about seeing the mountains, the tall trees, the random lakes…you never really get bored. Also from the drivers perspective, the drive was not bad either. Roads are easy in Calgary/Banff. Put on some good tunes, a podcast or an audiobook, and you’re set for such a beautiful journey.
The vlog for this trip will be out sometime this month, so if you want to see what the drive in BC/Alberta is like, stay tuned! I took SO MANY videos of the drive.
What is downtown Calgary like?
Honestly, I didn’t get to explore out much because we just didn’t have the time to on this trip, BUT from the drives that we did in the area, it looks and feels like a city centre. I think one of the iconic Calgary landmark is the peace bridge, so if you’re in the area make sure you stop there to take a picture!
Instead of exploring downtown on this trip, we did a day at the Calgary Stampede! It was such a blast and definitely gives me the CNE vibes. Worth considering if you are planning a trip next year to plan it around the Stampede time!
What’s the mask/social distancing situation like?
Going to be honest, pretty non-existent. The restrictions are fully lifted over there, so there is no mandatory mask mandate anymore.
Personally, I still feel weird not wearing a mask, especially in super crowded areas. Yes, even though I am fully vaccinated. To keep it short and sweet, when it comes to masking, do what you feel is right for you. I wore a mask in public places (grocery stores, malls) and super crowded areas, like walking through throngs of people in the stampede. I got some looks, but who cares. I care more about my health and safety over weird looks from others. So prioritize YOU.
how was flying for the first time in a long time?
If you know me, you know I hate flying. I still do, BUT I do have to say that when they played the safety video prior to take-off from Toronto to Vancouver, I got super emotional. Just so blessed and grateful to have the opportunity to travel again. Definitely missed it, even though let’s be real I would have rather teleported to Vancouver.
A couple of tips: get to the airport with plenty of time to go through the temperature checks and security, bring and wear a comfortable mask because you’ll be wearing it throughout your flight, and bring water and snacks on your flight!
Should we go hiking?
Absolutely yes. Unfortunately we didn’t have that much time to go on a lot of hikes when were there this time around! We went on one hike: Grassi Lakes and that was pretty easy and beautiful! There are a LOT of different places you can hike in Calgary and Banff, so make sure you don’t miss out on that!
Last but not least, favourite place to eat in Calgary/Banff?
I can’t say a lot about the food at Banff on this trip, because we didn’t really eat there. However, if you are staying for a couple of days in the area, I would suggest maybe stocking up some snacks and food from Calgary so you don’t have to buy as much stuff IN Banff.
In terms of favourite places we visited, here’s a couple of the list that you should take note of:
Shokunin - Hello the best yakitori place! WARNING: Super pricey, but dang is it delicious. Yakitori is like Japanese BBQ skewers, grilled over charcoal. This place has a menu of chicken skewers using different parts of the chicken. Let me tell y’all, I think this wins best restaurant on our ENTIRE TRIP. The skewers were absolutely delicious. I could sit and eat 20 skewers… They also have a variety of other things on the menu! Some notable things include their grilled beef tongue, crispy chicken skin, and their grilled rice ball! I’m telling you, this place is worth it.
Oh also, the owner and exec chef of this place was on Netflix’s The Final Table!
Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise Breakfast - After canoeing in Lake Louise, coming back to the Fairmont for breakfast is an amazing idea. They have a fixed price breakfast menu at $35 per person and it was absolutely delicious! You get a small plate starter and then a main entree, along with coffee/tea and freshly squeezed juices. Make sure you get a juice to go with your breakfast - I know it says you have to pay extra for juice, but there are some that come for free with your breakfast! I would suggest the apple or the pineapple juice - freshly squeezed is a game changer!
Notable dishes: Chorizo Fundido Cast Iron Skillet and Shaved Black Forest Eggs Benny
Brokin’ Yolk - Great little breakfast place! I can’t say no to rice for breakfast. Their menu is huge, so if you’re a little weirded out about having rice in your morning meal, there is plenty to choose from.
You know the place is good when there is a huge line up and a waiting list to get a table! Pro tip: call ahead and put yourself on the wait list!
Notable dishes: Bro’s Breakfast and the Loco Moco.
Double K YYC - Going on a hike and looking for some yummy stuff to pack to eat? Or just looking for some yummy goodies to munch on? This small home bakery (email and DM only for orders) makes the most delicious Korean cream cheese garlic bread and donuts! Try it out if you’re in the area!
Great Taste Chinese Restaurant - If you are looking for a great Chinese restaurant to go to in Calgary, I would suggest going to this one! Their food is SUPER delicious and note that their portions are pretty large!!
Notable dishes: Stir fried lamb with ginger and onion, mapo tofu and spicy fried pork.
Modern Steak - Are you a steak person? If you are, you might want to check out this place! Again warning: super pricey place, but if you are into really good quality steak this place is it! They serve wagyu steak and, wow is it melt in your mouth!
Mackay’s Ice Cream - Have you ever heard of tiger ice cream? If you haven’t, you need to try it if you get the chance! Our favourite place to get this is in Cochrane, Alberta at Mackay’s Ice Cream.
Got more questions? Ask in the comment section below!
If you are going over there soon, have the best time and let me know how your trip goes!