We flew out last week to Calgary Alberta to visit our nephew Brian and his girlfriend Adrienne (plus I’ve never been, so it was a great excuse!) View the full album here.
The kids were charming hosts; on our arrival on Friday night they met us at the airport and we settled into their condo to catch up over wine. Lots of wine! It was a late/early night!
The next morning we were whisked away to the mountains to see every gorgeous site! We stayed 2 nights in Canmore (close to Banff but less touristy and way cheaper!) in a two-bed, two-bath condo – lovely!
The condo
The condo
It was a bit chilly, but fortunately we had been watching the weather, so we packed appropriately. The rain did not stop us from doing anything, but it would have been so lovely to see the sun!
We ate JTs birthday dinner at Trough; very nice! Trough overall rating (in my opinion): decor 4/5, service 3.5/5, food 4/5, Value 3.5/5, Noise: 3.5/5 (1 being very noisy, and 5 being quiet).
On Sunday we drove to Banff to take in the lovely sites; I had 5 elk sightings in Banff National Park. Driving through the park, they have these wildlife overpasses! They are green and because the roads are fenced on both sides, the animals needed a way to get across the road, hence these cool overpasses! Way cool.
In Banff, we ate lunch at a very cool pub The Elk and the Oarsman. The food was great.
We toured Banff and the Banff Springs Hotel, it was lovely. The hotel is one of those old grand hotels of the late 19th, early 20th century.
Banff Springs Hotel
We even found a room specifically for me, how thoughtful!
After the hotel, we rode the Banff Gondola up to the top of of Sulpher Mountain — even though it was rainy and overcast, it was still spectacular!
There is an old Cosmic Ray Station at the summit, which was very cool.
We returned to Canmore for dinner at a tapas place, service was mediocre as usual, but the food was good! We returned to our condo and chatted ’till the wee hours!
On Monday the kids kindly drove us to Lake Louise and Lake Moraine-breath taking. We wished we had budgeted more time for hiking and exploring.
We ate a beautiful lunch at the Chateau Lake Louise and it was very civilized. We wished we had planned more time for hiking around, but that is just another trip.
We drove to Moraine Lake which we found even more beautiful than Lake Louise. There was only one hotel, and it was rather small scale. Apparently the roads are closed in the winter so there is no access by car! The water was a very rich turquoise colour, not very well depicted in the photos.
We returned to Calgary that afternoon, in time for cocktails! We ate dinner at a local place, food OK, service mediocre!
The kids returned to work on Tuesday and JT and I explored the city! We walked along Stephen Street a great pedestrian outdoor area with lots of shops and restaurants.
My new authentic Cowboy boots!
Lunch at the River Cafe – wonderful!
My Royal Farm Elk Carpaccio. Roast Garlic Aioli, Hen of the Woods Mushrooms, Sesame – most delicious!
JTs Driview Farms Roast Lamb Sandwich. Black Eyed Pea & Sprouted Lentil Salad
And in true tourist fashion, we had to check out the Calgary Tower for the views. Not quite as spectacular as the mountains, but scenic enough.
Until next time, Calgary, Banff and Lake Louise. Until next time.
Kitcheninspirations 