hellothanks.com
Powered by WhyPark.com
Hello From The Canadian Rockies: Our First Excursion To Calgary, Banff And Lake Louise
My husband and I try to go skiing for a week at least once a year and so far we've been to about 15 different ski resorts on the east coast, anywhere from Ontario to Quebec, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. But we had never been out west in the Rockies. Well, it was time to change that.....
So we planned a trip to the Canadian Rockies, and for both of us it was the first time for us to see this majestic mountain range. Just after we landed on March 4, 2006 we started off with a whirlwind four-hour tour of Calgary to get a sneak peak at Canada's Heart of the New West. Our extremely knowledgeable tour guide took us to the Calgary Tower, Fort Calgary and past the Stampede Grounds and Calgary's Saddledome. Of course Canada Olympic Park was one of the main attractions on this tour.
The same evening we enjoyed a wonderful Italian feast at Il Giardino on 4th Street and we had a chance to get to know one of Calgary's most successful entrepreneurs. We enjoyed the wonderful hospitality of Deirdre and Henry Brost at the historic Twin Gables Bed & Breakfast and got a huge surprise at breakfast when we realized we were enjoying our morning meal with two big celebrities (you'll have to read the article to find out which famous people shared the B&B with us....).
After breakfast we walked all the way from the Twin Gables to downtown from where I took the C-Train to get to the Kensington area, one of Calgary's main restaurant and shopping areas. I had a brief lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant called Indochine Bistro where I found out that the young owner had originally come to Canada as a refugee from Vietnam. What an amazing success story: from Vietnamese boat person to successful Calgary restauranteur....
Then it was time to head west on the Transcanada Highway to our destination for the next week: Banff, a picturesque town nestled inside the famous Banff National Park, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Of course we went skiing and we had a chance to check out 3 major ski resorts: perfectly groomed Norquay, high altitude Sunshine Village - located on the Continental Divide, and the unbelievably huge and scenic ski area of Lake Louise. Well, there is definitely something to be said for West Coast skiing.....
Two outstanding attractions are the historic Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel and the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and I had an opportunity to explore both these magnificent structures in detail. Canada's history is inextricably intertwined with the history of the railroads. The Canadian Pacific Railroad played a key role in opening up the west and these castle-like railway hotels figured prominently in Canada's development of the West Coast.
Last Friday a wonderful adventure provided the highlight of my trip: I went dogsledding with Snowy Owl Adventures on a crisp crystal-blue winter day, high in the mountains above the town of Canmore.
Our adventure was almost over, but I had one more chance for exploration: on Saturday I took the gondola up to Sulphur Mountain from where I got a perfect 360 degree panoramic view of Banff and the surrounding mountain ranges. I checked out the Cosmic Ray Station and after a brief forest hike past the Banff Springs Hotel, I visited the Banff Park Museum, one of Canada's oldest natural history museums.
Our Alberta explorations were rapidly coming to an end, and just before we headed to the airport we went on one final walk through Calgary and explored the famous +15 walkway system that keeps Calgary visitors sheltered from the harsh winter air. We also explored a beautiful tropical hideaway called Devonian Gardens....
Along the way we got to explore some great skiing, magnificent mountain scenery and historic buildings, the exuberance of a dog-sledding team raring to go and the outstanding hospitality of the people of Alberta. We'll be back.....
Susanne Pacher is the publisher of http://www.travelandtransitions.com, a web portal for unconventional travel & cross-cultural connections. Check out our brand new FREE ebooks about travel.
MORE ARTICLES:
Hello From The Canadian Rockies - Part 4: Dinner At Il Giardino & Meeting One Of Calgary's Most Successful Entrepreneurs
After catching a lovely and much needed rest at the historic Twin Gables Bed and Breakfast we set off to explore the immediate neighbourhood, the restaurant area on 4th Street. We were going to walk, but considering I had been really sick with an aweful chest cold in the last few days, venturing out into the cold evening air had me a little leery. Henry from the Twin Gables was really kind to offer us a drive a few blocks up to a restaurant called Il Giardino, one of the places that had come highly recommended for this area from Tourism Calgary.
Good-bye Sugary Soda, Hello ExtendBar! Local Doctor/Inventor, Dr. Kaufman Introduces ExtendBar to Southern California Retail
Francine R. Kaufman, M.D., a key figure in the LA Unified School District banning of sodas, is launching a uniquely healthy food bar into Southern California retail. ExtendBar®, which helps control blood sugar levels for up to nine hours and a very popular direct to consumer product since 1999, is now available in Albertson's, Ralph's and Walgreens locations throughout Southern California. ExtendBar is an innovative snack bar that is specifically formulated to help control blood sugar for up to nine hours, longer than any other snack on the market today, and holds fourteen patents.
Hello From Sicily ? Exploring Stromboli
Due to bad weather yesterday we spent the entire day docked at Santa Marina di Salina but we had nevertheless a great experience during our driving tour of the island, with expert guidance provided by two locals. Our first Italian lesson had also progressed smoothly and a quiet dinner capped off an occasionally drizzly and grey day.
Serving caviar to guests
Caviar serving tips
Not All Guests are Welcome in the Home - Rodents on the Rise
Pest control of rats and mice more than doubled during the first ten months of 2007, according to Homeserve.
What Furniture Do Your Guests Expect In A Vacation Rental?
When it comes to choosing furnishings for your vacation rental, it does get pretty confusing deciding on what to choose? Naturally you would want your vacation rental to look the very best but you may not be all that willing to spend a good amount of cash on furnishings that may not be looked after all that well by strangers. When you are ready to furnish your vacation home, take a look at these tips.
Hello From Sicily ? My First Day Of Classes, A City Tour And A Pizza Tasting
Language study travel is not at all new to me. Two years ago I went to the University of Havana to study Spanish, and last year I studied Spanish at two different language schools in Cuernavaca, Mexico. I obviously love the Spanish language and the huge variety of Spanish-speaking destinations, but Italy is a gorgeous country in its own right ? another perfect place for a language-study trip.
How More Consumers are Skipping the Middleman; Say Hello to wholesalerwholesaler.com
Thanks to a young entrepreneur by the name of Joe Richey, consumers are snatching up hot deals at wholesale prices.
Renaissance Austin Hotel Completes Final Phase of $6 Million Renovation; Guests to Indulge in New Level of Comfort
Guests of the Renaissance Austin Hotel will now experience a heightened level of luxury surroundings with the recently completed $6 million renovations.
In 2008, Say Goodbye to Spam and Say Hello to Woomail
Woomail is the new and ground-breaking form of electronic messaging that is spam free, unlike any other form of email such as Hotmail, Gmail or AOL mail. Woomail takes control of electronic messages, giving complete power to the user; servers control both ends of the information exchange and messages never enter cyberspace.
Renaissance St. Louis Grand & Suites Hotel Welcomes Guests for Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade & Run
The weekend prior to St. Patrick's Day is sure to be buzzing with activity in and around St. Louis. Known for hosting the third largest parade in the country, St. Louis does not stop at a parade. Starting Friday, March 14, the Renaissance St. Louis Grand & Suites Hotel near the St. Louis arch is rolling out the green carpet in anticipation for this citywide, fun-filled lucky weekend.
Mind Your Manners When Using Your Cellular Phone
Cellular phone use has dramatically increased over the years. This could be attributed to the fact that people have realized the advantage of having one as you can basically contact anyone or you can practically be reached on important matters whatever be your location. The mass production of cellular phones has made these devices more affordable for people to buy. The market is filled with a wide variety of models and brands to suit every budget from the high-end units to those that are cheap.
Las Vegas Luxury Hotel Gives Guests a Reason to Return
Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel gives $100 savvy savings certificate to savvy travelers.
Sheraton® Hotels & Resorts Partners With Microsoft to Keep Guests Connected on the Road
Microsoft Products and Services Will Keep Guests Connected at Sheraton's Newly Branded Signature Communications Hub: "Link at Sheraton Experienced with Microsoft"
Beyond Kids' Rocking Chairs: Can You Raise A Polite Kid In This Boorish World?
Today's kids believe that being tough or uncouth is smarter than being well-mannered and be called a wimp Good manners are disappearing just like those wooden kids' rocking chairs of long ago
