Experiencing Canada 150! (Part I)
- May 12, 2018
- 3 min read
8-day road trip // Sightseeing with no hike // Family trip
I've always been wanting to see Banff with my own eyes after seeing so many travel photos from my friends. Finally being able to convince my family to go there, we started planning for a trip to Canada, including Banff, Yoho, and Jasper National Parks plus Toronto for Niagara Falls. July is one of the worst months for making late bookings since it's one of the busiest months for the park. But we made it worked! A plus for traveling in 2017 was the FREE entrance for all the parks in Canada, in honor of the 150 years of Canada! (Otherwise, it costs $9.80 per adult or up to $19.60 per vehicle as of 2018.)
Day 1
Banff Gondola, Banff Downtown, Lake Minnewanka, Bow Falls
We flew in to Calgary airport and it took us an hour and a half driving to Banff. Our first stop is the Banff Gondola. Paying ~$50-60, you can ride up the cable gondola and get a panoramic view of the rockies and a great look at Banff. Then we went to Banff downtown for lunch and a stroll - a lovely city.
A view from Banff Gondola summit
Banff Downtown
We drove along the scenic road at Lake Minnewanka in the afternoon and made a stop for some photos. This is the second longest lake in the mountain parks of the Canadian Rockies. We probably weren't so lucky though since it was cloudy and the lighting wasn't that great for photography. Our last stop of the day was Bow Falls. The view point is walkable distance from the Freemont Banff Springs hotel. So we parked there and walked down to the river. This concluded our day one.
Lake Minnewanka
Bow River and Bow Falls
Day 2
Moraine Lake, Emerald Lake, Takakkaw Falls, Lake Louise
We started day two with Moraine Lake. WOW! This is by far my most favorite place! The water is very very blue and the mountains are so grand. Pictures and words won't do it justice. You have to be there yourself to experience it. If there's a one place you cannot miss, this is the one!
Moraine Lake
We stopped for lunch at Lake Louise Railway Station and Restaurant. And no, we didn't eat in the train. The Delamere, which is their historic dining car, is reserved for special events unfortunately.
Our next 2 destinations are located in Yoho National Park - Emerald Lake and Takakkaw Falls. The Emerald Lake was very emerald indeed! It is the largest lake in Yoho National Park park. The water color is a result of powdered limestone. To end the day, we went to Lake Louise. But the lighting wasn't that great. So we'll come back here again tomorrow morning!
Emerald Lake
Takakkaw Falls and its Surroundings
Day 3
Lake Louise, Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, Mistaya Canyon, Athabasca Falls
Day 3 = more lakes! We woke up early to try to catch the morning light at Lake Louise. The morning water was really calm, and it was serene and peaceful, AND it was coldddddd. Today, we kept driving north towards Jasper National Park. The last visits before we left Banff National Park were Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, and Mistaya Canyon.
I would say Mistaya Canyon is my second favorite spot after Moraine Lake. It has a very unique landscape with very deep canyon and very powerful river. The powerful flow of water is what carved out this beautiful place. Definitely another must-visit spot!
Lake Louise, Bow Lake, Peyto Lake
Mistaya Canyon
Crossing from Banff to Jasper National Park on Icefields Parkway highway, we made a stop at Columbia Icefields Discovery Centre. Here you can get tickets for a closeup experience at the Athabasca Glacier. It was pretty crowded and the weather was not that great. So we sadly decided to skip this. Last stop for today = Athabasca Falls. This is a very powerful waterfalls with large quantity of water falling down the drop.
Athabasca Falls
Day 4
Edmonton, Toronto
On day 4, we headed to Edmonton International Airport to fly out to Toronto, Canada. To be continued in Part II for Niagara Falls and Toronto Downtown ... :)
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