Welcome back! Let’s take this adventure from Calgary to Banff, shall we?
Before we could head up to Banff on Sunday, August 2nd, Alyssa and I had to pick up our rental car from the airport. We arrived around 7am when the desk opened at Hertz to find a line of people waiting for cars. The first group went up to the counter, and within a few minutes were arguing with the employee. They left, shaking their heads and mumbling about how the company failed to meet their expectations. The next group went up and also left shaking their heads in disappointment. Alyssa and I were standing there, eyes wide, wondering what could possibly be going wrong. We overheard another group saying that the company had run out of rental cars. We looked at each other and said, “WHAT?!”.
I saw our trip to the mountains flashing before my eyes. How were we supposed to get there without a car?!
Turns out, all of the disappointed people were in the same predicament because they had booked their car not even 24 hours ago. We, on the other hand, had booked it over three months in advance. Whew!
We grabbed the keys to our car and off we went!
Banff National Park
It took about 2.5 hours to drive to our first stop: Bow Lake. On the way, we stopped at a nice cafe (couldn’t tell you where) and got some coffee and a chicken panini. As we were getting into our car, we agreed that we should name her. We decided on ‘Kiana’ or ‘Kiki’ for short.
It was about 11 am by the time we arrived at Bow Lake. We had to wait in line to get a spot in the parking lot, but it wasn’t too bad. When I stepped out of the car, I was FREEZING! I had even been wearing leggings and a sweatshirt, but even that was not enough. I should have brought a winter coat!
The lake was beautiful. The water was a majestic blue/green, and you could see the mountains and Crowfoot Glacier in the background. We didn’t spend much time here, but we did take a moment to step into a more secluded, woodsy area. It was so beautiful! Oh wait, I already said that 😆
Our next stop was just a short drive up the road to Peyto Lake. Once again, it was difficult to find parking, but we eventually found a spot. This time, we got out of the car to find that it was SNOWING! Like, actual snowflakes in August. I could not believe it. That was definitely the first time in my life that I had ever seen snow in August!!!
As you can imagine, it was freezing. Luckily, there was a nice ~10 min uphill walk to reach the lookout. That warmed me up real quick!
The view from the top was stunning.
As you can see, it was a bit smoky that morning due to the wildfires in BC. Fortunately, the smoke cleared in the afternoon and stayed away for the rest of our trip!
Icefields Parkway
Our next stop was Kootenay National Park, which is about 1-1.5 hours from Peyto Lake. We enjoyed listening to music and talking on the drive, so it went by really quickly. Not to mention, we also had the most spectacular view. It’s no wonder Icefields Parkway is named one of the most scenic drives!
Kootenay National Park
Our first stop in Kootenay National Park was Marble Canyon. We decided to go here rather than Johnston Canyon because it was much less crowded, especially considering we were there in the early afternoon. That said, it still took a while to find parking. I essentially drove in circles around the parking lot until someone finally left. There were a few people who we thought were going to leave, only to watch them sit in their cars for 20 minutes. As I’m sure you are learning by now, August is peak tourist season in Banff!
Once we finally found a place to park, Alyssa and I walked all around Marble Canyon. There were lots of bridges where you could look down and see deep into the canyon. Some of the sections were so deep that I could hardly even see the water at all!
Our next stop was a spot just a few minutes up the road called Paint Pots. I think we could have hiked from Marble Canyon, but we were running out of time.
To be honest, Paint Pots was probably one of my favorite spots on our entire trip! It was much less crowded than other places, and it had great nature vibes. The “paint” itself is also very unique. Apparently, indigenous people used to use this iron-based mud as paint (Alyssa and I watched a YouTube video about it before going). I can see why… it works quite well 🙂
We kept wandering past the mud and into a more woodsy area. There, we found a few puddles. I stuck my hand in one, and the man standing next to me asked, “is it hot?!”
I was so confused.
“Hot? No… not at all… should it be?!”
He replied, “well, it kinda looks like the ones you find in Yellowstone”
I was immediately relieved that I didn’t burn my hand off. This guy had a great point. Imagine if it had been hot! Lesson learned: don’t go sticking your hands in random puddles out West. Or anywhere for that matter.
On our way back to the car, Alyssa and I stopped to wash our hands in a stream of ice-cold water (this is acceptable 😉). I couldn’t get over how amazing the view was! See for yourself:
Our next stop was Canmore, where we would check into our hotel and get ready for an evening at the spa.
Spa night at Everwild Canmore
The spa at Everwild Canmore is a luxurious Nordic spa that features thermal circuits, saunas, lounge areas, wellness classes, and more… with the most incredible view of the mountains! Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos to show you because the spa is tech-free. I actually love that policy because it means you have to be completely present while you’re at the spa. If you want to check out the spa, I will link it here!
When we arrived at the spa, Alyssa and I were given the thickest, softest, most comfortable robes EVER. They were definitely necessary, as it was a bit chilly outside. The showers had Rocky Mountain Soap Company body wash in the lemongrass scent, and let me tell you that is the BEST soap I have ever encountered in my entire life. I just might have to order some online!
P.s. I swear this isn’t an ad
Anyway, after we showered and grabbed some free hot tea & cucumber water, we headed out to the thermal pools. Alyssa and I spent most of our time in the hottest pool available, with a few breaks in the saunas. There were dry barrel saunas and also steam rooms.
We ended up taking an herbal class in the steam room later in the evening, and that was an interesting experience! A staff member was leading the class, and he essentially took some twigs covered in essential oils and shook them in our faces as we sweat profusely in the heat. At the end of the class, he took a bucket of ice water and poured it on us. And then, he proceeded to apologize for the room not being as hot as it should have been. All I could think was THANK GOD IT WAS BROKEN! There is no way I could’ve handled it otherwise 😂.
Another activity that Alyssa and I enjoyed was lounging in the huts. These were just relaxing spaces where you could lie on a beanbag with a cozy blanket and read a book. I tried to read my book but eventually decided I would prefer to stare out at the trees. My head was soooo empty, and it felt great.
Speaking of an empty head, I kept getting confused by the number of Albertan men at this spa. I kept wondering why everywhere I looked, the “same” man appeared. Turns out, there are a lot of blondish brown-haired, tatted guys with thick mustaches in Alberta!
Last but not least, my favorite space was the Himalayan Salt Room. I don’t know why I like these so much, but I do. This one was comfortably warm; not as hot as a sauna, but warm enough to make you want to fall asleep. If you all remember the last time I was in a salt room, you’ll understand when I tell you I was trying VERY hard not to close my eyes in this one.
I’m trying very hard not to close my eyes right now, as I have a few more blog posts to write… check back soon for more Banff stories!
– Clara