Another summer family vacation has begun…and this time we’re in the Canadian Rockies! We landed in Calgary late Friday night (June 21) and stayed by the airport to rest up. After a hearty breakfast the next morning, we picked up our rental car and made the drive to Canmore – our home base for the next five days. Canmore is a mountain town about 20 mins outside of Banff. A little more low key and less touristy, Canmore was the perfect place to hang our hat while exploring Banff National Park. We rented an AirBnb at the Solara Resort. As you can see above, the views were stellar from the balcony. Not a bad way to wake up!

The first night in Canmore, Charlotte, my mom and I took the Policemen’s Creek Trail to meander into town (about a 20 min stroll). Even though the path parallels the main road in and out of town, it felt like we were miles away from anything. We enjoyed a delicious meal at Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company, then headed back to settle in for the night (after a pit stop for some ice cream at the Old School Bus of course!)

The next day we drove into Banff National Park and attempted a hike at Bankhead (a deserted coal mine town from the early 1900s), but the cold drizzle and bear sighting on the trail deterred us. We made the best of it with some shopping in the town of Banff though. Later that day, our party of five became seven as Kerry and Michael arrived!

On Monday, we hiked to Grassi Lakes – a 2.1 mile out and back hike just outside of Canmore. This hike begins with peaceful forest views, then rewards you with a beautiful waterfall, and finally with your destination of Grassi Lakes. The lakes have a range of blue, turquoise, and green colors due to the silt from the glaciers that feed it. Highly recommend this trail!

Every hiker knows that the best part of a hike (other than the views) is the meal that follows… That evening, we enjoyed a hearty dinner at Grizzly Paw Pub where we sampled poutine for the first time along with delicious salads, soups, and burgers. A great way to end the day!

Canmore / Banff – Good Eats:

• Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company (Canmore – great pizzas and salads)
• Old School Bus Ice Cream (Canmore – homemade ice cream)
• Beavertails (Banff – scrumptious beaver tail pastries)
• Grizzly Paw Pub (Canmore on the main street – awesome poutine, homemade sodas and craft beers)
• Wagashi Tea House (Canmore inside a garden store – authentic Japanese dishes)
• Take a Hike (in Solara Inn and Spa – great coffee and breakfast sandwiches)