Discovering Canada's Renowned Banff and Canmore

We live where the sun is brutally unforgiving 10 months out of the year.  For 6 of the remaining 8 weeks, that big ball of fire is just hot.  One week of Spring.  One week of Fall.  Those are the four seasons of Texas. Like people up north become “snowbirds” in the winter, Texans turn into “firebirds” in the summer.  Any opportunity to break out a sweatshirt, or even better, a jacket from May to November and we’ll jump on it like a toad to a pond!  That’s how we ended up in Banff in the middle of June.  The trip wasn’t long, but enough to remind us that the world isn’t going to spontaneously combust any second.

High season here starts mid to late June and is in full swing by the first of July.  Our arrival on June 15th allowed us to beat the crowds, enjoy the last of the cooler temperatures, and find a great deal on our accommodations.  We made Canmore our home base for the 3-night trip, which was a perfect location to take advantage of both Canmore and Banff, seemingly endless hiking options, and a half-day excursion up the mountains.  Here’s how we crammed a week’s worth of sites and adventures into barely 3 days without breaking the bank or ourselves.

Day 1 - Canmore

By the time we landed and drove about an hour and a half from Calgary, we were left with the last of the afternoon and evening in Canmore.  With a population of around 16000 and surrounded by mountains, Canmore is your quintessential mountain village.  Full of souvenir shops, restaurants, brewpubs, and outdoor gear retailers, the defining element has to be the beautiful mountain peaks at the end of every street. Be sure to walk up and down the main drag to get the fresh mountain air and lay of the land.  First, we needed food.  Graze Food and Drink was perfect.  A funky little eatery in the heart of Canmore.  The poutine was a little heavy for a starter given its size, but it hit the spot after our travels.  When in Canada, right? The butter chicken was incredible, and the bison ravioli made for another nice touch of local fare. Graze’s staff was super friendly and helpful with the recommendations for their menu and the area.  A theme at pretty much everywhere we stopped.  We washed it all down with a couple local brews and we were ready to go! As the evening was setting in, most places were closing down and we found ourselves just wandering the streets taking in the sites.  Looking for a nightcap before calling it a day, we found 4296. The place looked like a cozy spot to relax, but fortunately, they didn’t have room for us.  They did have room in the hidden speakeasy bar though.  Bar Deja Vu tucked itself behind a hidden door of the restaurant where you were thrown back to the Golden Age of drinking.  Swanky, but not pretentious, with interesting cocktails, and only room for a handful of people at a time Deja Vu fit our needs perfectly.  Be prepared to use your brain though.  You’ll need to solve the riddle before being granted access.  

If you’re looking for a great spot to lay your head while you’re in Canmore, Spring Creek vacation rentals should be at the top of your list.  Normally the price tag would have been too heavy, but because of their ongoing construction to finish the complex we snagged an amazing three-bedroom rental for 60% off!  Of course, it was way too much room for the two of us, but the deal was unbeatable.  The picturesque views of “The Three Sisters" out of windows made it easy to stay and hard to leave for the day.  The apartment was nearly brand new and nicely appointed.  If you had a little extra cash lying around it would be sweet real estate to own. With the sun down and the mountains barely visible, it was time to call it a night for our first day.

View of Three Sisters from our room at Spring Creek Vacation Rentals

Day 2 - Banff and an excursion

Nothing like a view first thing in the morning!  A majestic view of The Three Sisters fighting off storm clouds greeted us right outside our bedroom window when we opened the blinds. A rainy forecast called for layers and waterproof gear for the day’s adventures in Banff.  Much like Canmore, Banff’s streets are lined with shops, breweries, and all seemed to end with a view of the mountains in the distance.  We can’t come back from a trip without mementos.  Usually consisting of stickers for our board and water bottles, today we added a couple ball caps to hide our crazy, beanie hair after being bundled up most of the morning.  We were also on the hunt for local art to add to our travel art wall.  More on that later.  Neither Banff nor Canmore are all that big, so depending on how long you spend hopping in and out of the shops you can see just about everything in a few hours.  Starting the day early gave us time to see the town and schedule a “guided tour” to Banff National Park. (I use the term guided very loosely.  That whole experience is worthy of its own entry!).  Specifically, our tour hit Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, and The Fairmont Chateau Hotel.  Finally getting up into the mountains gave us a chance to get away from most of the crowds.  With the help of Mother Nature

and the timing of our trip, the bears probably outnumbered humans.  We spent the majority of our time walking and hiking with no one else visible (No bears either though). Both lakes were formed from melting glaciers way back when.  The water of the lakes changed from emerald to shades of teal as the clouds played with the sunlight.  With all the mountains around, it was hard NOT to find a good picture! Add the intermittent rain, and tranquility ruled the afternoon.  Lake Louise is accessible by private car if you’re staying at the Fairmont Chateau, otherwise you’ll need to book a sightseeing tour to visit either lake.  It’s the park’s way of minimizing vehicle traffic up the mountain.  Our tour lasted about 4 hours from pick up to drop off. 

Lake Louise

Lake Louise

Lake Moraine

Darkness had set in and Banff was closing up so we headed home for dinner.  Spring Creek offered a few dining options within its complex, including Bridgette Bar.  With the snack we grabbed in Banff, the brussel sprouts and burrata appetizers were plenty to fill us to a comfortable level.  The portions were sharable, but so good you’d want to eat your weight’s worth.  Back at the apartment, the last couple of pieces from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Co. cured our sweet tooth and tied up our second day in Canada.

Day 3 - East End of Rundle (EEOR

Canmore EEOR Hike View

Hiking EEOR in Canmore Canada

Canmore EEOR Hike View

For the last day, our trip needed an escape to the trails.  Several options were mentioned by locals we chatted with and in the end we opted for EEOR.  The AllTrails app and several others described the hike as “moderate" with the whole trek only taking a couple hours out and back.  Uh.  No.  After an hour trudging up a stout incline totaling shy of a mile in distance, we hit a wall.  Literally.  The brave Aly started up, but with shaking footing and snow beginning to fall the unanimous decision came to turn back. We took some time to bask in the whiteout snowfall, let it pass, and admire the view of the surrounding mountains. Quite the consolation prize for not reaching the peak.  The descent wasn’t any easier, although it didn’t take quite as long to reach the trailhead at the bottom.  Near the parking lot were a couple of other trails so we ventured along a much more tame path to take in enough nature to get us through the summer back in Texas.  This one consisting of mild hills, thick trees, and some water spots letting us wander a good bit without running out of water or worrying about being stopped by a wall.  Nothing finishes up a good day of hiking better than a tasty brew and Sheepdog Brewing was the cherry on top.  The list of beers I like to drink is actually very short.  About 5 or 6.  Sheepdog’s Morning Glory Vanilla Coffee Cream Ale put itself firmly on the list!  Had we road-tripped our trunk would have been filled with as much as we could legally cross the border with.  A travesty they can’t ship to the US. Had food been on the menu as well we could have added snacks to fill our bellies.  Since it was beer only we headed back to Spring Creek to freshen up for the trips final dinner.  A heavy downpour washed away any aspirations of making our way back to town. 

Luckily, Bridgette Bar was a block away.  Last night was a couple of appetizers.  Tonight

Banana Pie at Bridgette

was a feast! No starters needed this go around.  Cocktails kicked off the evening.  Heading South, a spin on an Old Fashioned, and Eat, Apres, Love for the Lady.  A light, and refreshing libation of gin, strawberry cordial, and sparkling rosé.  As we sat at the kitchen bar the night before, we had front-row views of everything being made and what we would order if we came back.  So we cashed in on the truffled mushroom rigatoni and wood-grilled beef strip steak.  Both scoring a 10 from our tastebuds and tummies.  And since it was technically a birthday trip, I was allowed to order the banana pie and all its peanutbuttery, toasted meringue, and caramel rum saucy amazingness. Hello food coma.  We needed a 10 block walk home, but settled for the 1 block and let ourselves fall asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillows.

Day 4 - The End

With our trip coming to an end, we couldn’t leave without finding a small piece of art to add to our wall at home.  It’s a little tradition we started and a great way to stir conversations about our travels with houseguests.  Walking the streets of Canmore on our first day we came upon the Carter-Ryan Gallery.  The bright colors and unique works caught our attention, but the day had gotten away from us and they were already closed.  Making a quick visit on our way out of town, we had a feeling the artwork by Jason Carter, an Indigenous sculptor/painter, would fit nicely into our collection.  His vibrant, wildlife-themed paintings are as much fun as they are artistic.  Several paintings would have worked, but a couple of bears looking at The Three Sisters summed up our time here perfectly.  We could officially check the final box of our trip to Canada and head home accomplished.

Landing back in Texas, the temperature was nearly triple digits of course.  Our visit to the True North offered us a few days of chillness, two snow showers (in mid-June!), endless nature and hiking, delicious food, one amazing beer, and a painting to remember it all with.  More than anything, it kept us from losing our minds in the crazy heat of another Texas summer.