A Stop for Everyone's Bucket List
2022 was a tough year for our family as my husband faced some health troubles. As he started to get back on track in the fall, we decided to plan a trip for rest, relaxation and rejuvenation. We searched around for cheap flights and found Calgary. We had always wanted to go to Calgary and decided to tack on Banff to our trip. The plan was to spend a few days in the mountains and a few days in the city. This post will specifically talk about the Banff part of our trip.
The perfect view to eat breakfast.
A Little Bit About Banff
Being completely surrounded by mountains helps puts the world back into perspective. We are so small in this great, big world and it's okay for life to just be simple and beautiful. When my husband and I travel, we like to keep our plans relaxed. We always map out where we're going to stay and select a few places to eat or things to do that are the most important for us. Past that, we don't make anything a priority and just enjoy where we're at with each other.
Because the city of Banff is in a national park, Banff National Park and the Canadian Rockies, you'll need to get a park pass for your time. It's very easy to do and fairly inexpensive. Plus, on the tourism site they have friendly staff who work the chat box should you have any questions!
Where to eat, what to do, and where to stay are all below for Banff.
Where to Eat
I wasn't sure what Banff was known for food-wise, so we went in kind of blind on our meals. There is good food everywhere, so we weren't too worried. We tried a variety of cuisines- burgers, pizza and farm to table. What makes a good restaurant for me? I look for three things: the feel of the place, the service, and of course, delicious food. Below are some of the places we checked out!
Top Left to Right: Crostini and Half Roasted Chicken
Bottom Left to Right: Duck Fat Potatoes and Sorbet Dessert
We looked around and found Farm and Fire. We picked this restaurant because they marketed farm to table-type cuisine with locally sourced ingredients. The interior was very modern and Scandinavian. We had a reservation and arrived a little early. We were seated immediately. Our server was nice and attentive.
The food was just okay when all was said and done. We decided to get an appetizer which was fresh and tasty. It was a seasonal crostini with fresh strawberries and a balsamic glaze. Each item was individually priced and seemed like a lot of food, so we decided to split a meal- half a roasted chicken and their duck fat potatoes. The chicken had a coffee brine, but didn't really hold that flavor. It was a little on the dry side, but it came with an house jus which helped. I wanted to love the potatoes because anything made with a fat should be delicious, right? Unfortunately, they were greasy and had lots of seasoning. Seasoning wouldn't be a bother, but they were pieces of seasoning instead of powder so they stuck in your teeth. We ended the meal with a sorbet. We were told is was raspberry, but the sorbet was lemon with a mango mochi and some raspberry pieces. Not exactly what we were expecting, but it was tasty and a nice end-of-meal pallet cleanser.
Left to Right: Burger with Fries, the Rocky Mountain, Bacon Cheese Burger
Now this is a fun place to get a meal! We had been craving a good burger and decided to stop in for lunch. You can go classic or unique. In addition to regular ground beef, you can get any of the burgers with bison, elk or even a Beyond Meat patty. Our server was great. He made sure our drinks were full, kept us laughing but didn't feel overwhelming. They also had curling on, which of course it was fun to watch curling in Canada.
My husband wanted to take the opportunity to get a good elk burger, so he tried the The Rocky Mountain burger. It had an elk patty, blueberry chutney, cheddar, romaine lettuce, sauteed onion and mayo on a brioche bun. I was less adventurous and went with a bacon burger with regular meat. Both were cooked really well and had great flavor. We also got crinkle cut fries and ordered Eddie sauce on the side to dip fries in, which we highly recommend!
Left to Right: Fried Garlic Bread, Proscuitto Pizza, Leftovers Box
Una was a GREAT dinner pick for us. It's pretty busy and not a huge space, so we do recommend getting a reservation. Our waitress was friendly, made sure we had everything we needed, but also didn't crowd our space.
We started off our meal with fried garlic bread. I haven't had anything that satisfyingly tasty in a long time. It was the perfect balance of salty, crispy, cheesy and savory. I could have just enjoyed three more bowls. This is technically an Italian place with pizza and pasta, and I'm sure the pasta is delicious, but I would definitely recommend getting pizza. We ordered the prosciutto. It had san Marzano tomato sauce, cooked prosciutto, provolone piccante, fresh arugula and grana padano. The crust was cooked well and had just enough bite and chew. They packed ingredients on it, but the flavors- salt from the prosciutto, the sweet acidity of the sauce topped with grana padano. *chef's kiss*
Left to Right: Latte with Pastry, Tea and Toast, Toast and Compote with a View
Wild Flower's outdoor seating is really what sold us here. The coffee wasn't anything fancy, but it was good. Do yourself a favor and get a pastry. I got the sourdough bread with berry compote. Sometimes things don't have to be overly complicated to be absolutely delicious. My husband got a pastry that had pepitas. It too was so flaky and delicious.
Fun Activities
This trip was for fun and relaxation. We wanted to enjoy everything that the Canadian Rockies had to offer in the ways of peacefulness and beauty.
Lake Louise
Bottom Left to Right: Scott taking a rest, another view, the view on the way down
Lake Louise isn't technically in Banff, but it's close and you definitely need to go. You just won't believe it until you see it. I've never seen such blue water and such an incredible backdrop. There are trails, one around the lake that is very walkable for all ages and abilities. You could spend hours here just sitting and taking it all in.
Top Left to Right: Scott and I in the Gondola on the way up, Mountaintop Greeting Sign, The View
Bottom Left to Right: Scott taking a rest, another view, the view on the way down
The Banff Gondola should be at the top of everyone's list in my opinion. The views are just something you can't imagine until you see it. You can get tickets when you get there or reserve a time to ride up. I would plan to spend at least a few hours at the Banff Gondola and Mountaintop.
We used the Roam Transit Bus to head out to the Gondola Base. It was a quick ride. Once you get there, you will ride up to the Gondola Summit. From there, there is a number of levels with activities. In addition, you can take the Sulphur Mountain Boardwalk out to an old weather tower at Sanson's Peak. It's very walkable, but if you aren't used to high elevation, you may want to wait until your body has adjusted more, a few days into your trip or just take your time. Don't forget to bring a bottled water and maybe a snack!
High Rollers
The Bowling Alley
We were looking for something fun to do in the evening time and came across High Rollers. They had bowling, arcade games and a bar. I would definitely recommend reservations for bowling as there's only four lanes. We had a lot of fun!
Shopping on Banff Ave
A Fun Sasquatch and Scott
Banff Ave is loaded with shops and restaurants. We spent a full morning just walking the street and shopping around. They have lots of name brand stores- Patagonia, lululemon, Columbia Sportswear and The North Face. But they also have lots of great local stores. We enjoyed taking home items from the Banff Tea Co., the Banff Candy Store, and IGA where we picked up All Dressed chips (you can't get this flavor in American and that's disappointing).
Cascades of Time Gardens
Heritage-Status Parks Admin Building
A beautiful, relaxing garden with a view. I would love to come back during the spring or summer time to see the flowers blooming. Banff Ave ends at the gardens, so it's nice to walk the shops, sit in the gardens for awhile and walk the other side of the street back.
Where To Stay
When you’re looking for a place to stay when traveling, there are a few things you should take into consideration. Where do you want to be? Do you want to be able to walk to most things? Do you want to be in the hustle and bustle or off the beaten path? Are you willing to splurge a little if it comes with breakfast or a pool? While other people’s opinions aren’t everything, it is helpful to look through reviews and see if there’s anything reoccurring you should lookout for.
Because we were renting a car and driving from Calgary in October when snow is very much possible, one of my top priorities with selecting a place to stay was finding a place that included parking, specifically covered and/or heated. We also wanted to be able to walk and use Banff public transportation where possible, and a hot tub in the mountains would be an added bonus.
We settled on the Moose Hotel & Suites right off of Banff Ave and had zero regrets.
Top Left to Right: Hotel Room View, Hot Tub View, Sitting by the Fire
Bottom Left to Right: Hotel Breakfast, In the Hot Tub, Warming by the Fire
We picked this hotel for a few different reasons.
1. Included in our stay were free day passes on Banff public transportation- Roam Transport. The route we were close to could get us to the gondola and hot springs. We didn't end up doing the hot springs because we had heard it's basically a small hot tub in the mountains and we had that at this hotel. We, of course, did the gondola and it was worth it just for that.
2. They had a nice salt lap pool, sauna and two outdoor hot tubs that were perfect for relaxing. If you've never hot tubbed in the mountains, I would highly recommend it. Relaxing your body and your mind at the same time is sometimes hard to do, but in Banff it was easy to do.
3. They have a parking garage under the hotel where we left our car most of the time. It was secure, had lots of space and was included.
4. We decided we wanted to be on Banff Ave. The hotel location was walkable to all the shops and restaurants.
Banff was everything I didn't know I needed. It was both entertaining and incredibly relaxing. It's a great option for a romantic getaway or a family vacation. I would guess there isn't a bad season to visit.
Have you been to Banff, Alberta, Canada? Any go-to places or places we should check out next time we make our way back to the Canadian Rockies? Comment below!
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