TRAVEL AWAITS: 10 Fantastic Places To Celebrate Fall In Beautiful Calgary

The original article was published in Travel Awaits on Oct. 12, 2022

Last year, because of Covid, our annual visit to see my Calgary family in Canada didn’t happen in the summer. We arrived on September 20, technically the start of fall, when the weather was growing cooler. I was happy that I could again bask in great fall scenery, but my son-in-law said it would be coming later this year. To our pleasant surprise, a few days later, I woke up to yellows and oranges outside my bedroom window.

And that began my hunt for fantastic fall scenes in and around the city. The first three are parks near where my family lives, 25 minutes north of downtown. Then, we ventured farther, an hour away towards the Canadian Rockies, and found three more. And, of course, this grandmother found four more fall activities and places during my precious time with the grandkids.

Fall Scenes in the City

One day, while our family members were either at school or working my husband and I ventured to nearby parks.

1. Right In The Heart Of Downtown Calgary

Prince’s Island Park sits in the middle of Bow River which cuts across the city. Entirely pedestrian and inaccessible to cars, you must walk to go anywhere in the park. It was wonderful to see the trees, shrubs, and grasses turn golden — especially around the beautiful Peace Bridge. Even more heartwarming was the sight of an elderly couple relaxing in their Adirondack chairs and enjoying the cool scene and crisp weather.

Pro Tip: In 2021, my husband and I found ourselves in Calgary to celebrate our 13th anniversary. We found River Café, housed inside the lone building in the middle of the island. If you get the chance, the dining is great here.

2. Just 10 Minutes South Of Downtown (headline photo)

Scotsman’s Hill Park has the best view of Calgary’s skyline. The vista was even more striking when enhanced by fall colors. The historic hill lies between a steep escarpment on the Elbow River and a valley to the east, a rare hillside from Calgary’s frontier period when the grasses were a magnet to the bison which, in turn, attracted the city’s settlers. From this hill, you can see the iconic landmarks: the Calgary Tower and the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Pro Tip: Folks who do not want to pay can view the happenings of the Calgary Stampede, “The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth” from this hill. It’s not by accident; even the Stampede grandstand is oriented towards the hill.

3. On The Way Back Home

Nose Hill Natural Environment Park is just 20 minutes north of Scotsman’s Hill and is the park closest to my daughter’s home. It features 11 square kilometers (4.25 square miles) of nature created with a host of hiking trails, designated off-leash areas, one of the best remaining examples of a grassland ecosystem in Canada, and views of the Rockies, the Calgary skyline, and the eastern plains.

Pro Tip: The quaking or trembling aspens are the dominant plant species, giving the park its fall colors. Along with willows, they provide refuge for wildlife like deer, coyotes, porcupines, gophers, and squirrels.

Fall Scenes Near the Canadian Rockies

But, what I wanted most to see were the larches, the only evergreens that turn yellow and gold during fall. They exist in the Pacific Northwest, but it’s in Alberta where they are abundant. However, they are tucked deep into the woods and you have to hike some distance to see them. My husband and I can no longer do hikes.

My daughter found a link to a map where larches can be seen around the city; in other words, where they have been planted for decorative purposes. So I got a my first glimpse at the Edgemont neighborhood. But I still wanted to see them in their natural state, where they color gray mountain slopes and emerald lake waters.

4. Where The Larches Reign

I researched and found Three Sisters Mountain Village, an easy-to-go-to place. On the Saturday of our lone weekend, my son-in-law drove us to the golf resort and neighborhood around Three Sisters Mountain, about an hour from Calgary. The larches were all around and on hillsides near the highway. Still, if you have more time and are fit enough, consider hiking to see them and go to the best site: the Larch Valley near Moraine Lake in Banff.

Pro Tip: Don’t forget to enjoy the dramatic Three Sisters, the trio of peaks that are part of the Canadian Rockies, before reaching the town of Canmore.

5. The Town Called ‘Little Banff’

Since we were already near Canmore, the gateway to the relatively undiscovered Kananaskis area, we took the opportunity to revisit this pretty little town that has become an overflow area for tourism in the Canadian Rockies. It’s closer to Calgary by 30 minutes compared to Banff (and there are no admission fees).

Strolling and shopping along the pedestrian-only roads is punctuated by the dramatic mountain scenes Canmore and Banff are known for. Tinted with the colors of fall, downtown was spectacular. And an eye-catching new artwork of a stag at the intersection of the middle two roads added a vibrant hue of red.

Pro Tip: The Rocky Mountain Bagel Company, famous for its wide variety of bagels, was already closed when we were ready to stop and snack. That led us to a new outlet called Cacao 70, which served the best hot chocolate in town.

6. Around West Bragg Creek

On the way home, we passed through The West Bragg Creek Provincial Recreation Area, just 45 minutes from Calgary. This gave us the chance to see fall colors around the water. There was even a lovely fall scene I was able to photograph from the SUV at the flood control area built around the tributaries.

Pro Tip: The Day-Use Area is the starting point for many popular hikes around the area. Wide lanes along the roads also attract a lot of cyclists.

Fall Scenes with the Grandkids

Besides bringing beautiful colors and weather, however, fall also sets the stage for special activities, especially for the young. And as grandparents who have rare chances to dote on our grandkids — one 9 years old and the other 7 — we gladly took them to four traditional fall happenings.

7. Pumpkins After Dark

They had no school on the first Friday of the fall. That was also the opening day of Pumpkins after Dark, an award-winning fall event in Calgary. It has regularly been held through October at Winsport, which now operates the Olympic Park where the Winter Olympic Games were held in 1988. A special trail gets bedecked with 6,000 lighted, carved pumpkins crafted together to form artworks like cars, flowers, insects, pets, and popular figures from Greek mythology, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, the pandemic heroes, etc. Some had audio and some even had motion. And there were long rows of lovely everyday pumpkins.

8. Beakerhead

At TELUS Spark, the event called Beakerhead — “a smash-up of art, science, and engineering” — happens every fall because some exhibits need the dark, and in summer, the sun sets very late. Igniting the imagination of young and old alike, Beakerhead opened the same Friday night for free. Still, it was too cold for me to see what was at the Centennial Gardens. But we got to see the giant Prosthetics in front. While the kids enjoyed the interactive games, we met the Boston Dynamics robot, enjoyed the digital imagery section, and viewed the skyscraper-climbing robot at Imagine stage. Then, we all got back together to see a feature on the giant planetarium screen of Infinity Dome.

9. Granary Road Apple Festival

That Sunday, we went to the Granary Road Apple Festival, about 30 minutes south of downtown. There were a lot of booths for apple wines, apple pies, and other apple things. But it was the bushel of apples in the “Guess the Number of Apples” activity that had the two kids busy counting until they magically came up with 278 and 297 as their entries. Outside, they had fun at the game booths while I photographed some great fall scenery.

10. Calgary Farmyard

But it was Calgary Farmyard, 30 minutes from Granary Road, that they did not want to leave. It’s Calgary’s iconic farm theme park with both sunflower and giant corn mazes, mini-golf, animal farm, train rides, tractor tire mountain, gemstone mining, zip lines, and so much more. And the owners did a good job of creating Instagrammable spots: the giant chair, a Cinderella carriage, the entrance to the corn maze, etc.

As we left Calgary for Denver, fall was already in its full glory. We discovered that  the city may be better known for summer or winter but it is definitely a great place for fall, too.

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TRAVEL AWAITS ARTICLES: 5 North American Island Getaways

Note: This is the second in my series on Travel Awaits Articles. Like the first, it was published in 2019. But this one is still my most widely-read article with around 15,000 views. If you want to know more about the places highlighted here, please go to the complete and original article where the links are all included. 

We have hesitated to go back to Hawaii because it is truly quite expensive to have an island getaway there. And there are islands -- from the New England coast to the Florida Keys and the Los Angeles coast up to the Pacific Northwest -- much closer to where you may be, each with a distinctive island charm.

1. Martha’s Vineyard

If you live in the New England area, Martha’s Vineyard is a wonderful alternative.. The mainland ferry dock in Wood’s Hole is just an hour and a half from Boston and the Steamship Authority ferry ride takes only 45 minutes. The island has many museums, art galleries, and unique landmarks. In fact, there are four museums right in Wood’s Hole. You may opt to go on a day trip or stay for a weekend at many lodging options. There is a good public transportation system on the island.

Oak Bluffs is famous for the Martha's Vineyard Camp Meeting Association's Giant Tabernacle surrounded by about 300 lovely vacation gingerbread cottages in all colors and designs. There are also four museums, including the Cottage Museum. Edgartown has an old scenic lighthouse is in Aquinnah and five museums. It's connected via a small ferry to the small island of Chappaquiddick (where Ted Kennedy’s car accident led to the drowning of his young female companion). Look for the Giant Pagoda Tree in the middle of town. West Tisbury hosts the most art galleries and Falmouth has the most (nine) museums. 

2. The Outer Banks

Highway 158 cuts through North Carolina and connects to Highway 12, which runs through the Outer Banks. Depending on where you are in the state -- of Virginia -- the drive will take only about three to four hours. Best during late spring, summer, or early fall, the barrier islands jut out 26 miles from the coast. They offer a lot of history and charm rests because of a unique terrain and distinctive weather. 

The whole family will love kiting or hang gliding at the 426-acre Jockey’s Ridge State Park, home to the largest and tallest active sand dune on the East Coast. Movie buffs will be happy to discover the Inn at Rodanthe. The Wright Brothers chose Kitty Hawk for their historic flight and Big Kill Devil Hill commemorates their feat. The Lost Colony on Roanoke Island is where, in 1585, 115 pilgrims preceded those in the Jamestown Colony in Virginia (1607) and the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts (1620). Finally, there are four beautiful lighthouses, built to help maritime commerce, to see -- the Ocracoke Lighthouse (1823), Bodie Lighthouse (1846), Cape Hatteras Lighthouse (1870), and Currituck Beach Lighthouse (1875). Still ships sank and the Outer Banks became  known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic, as explained at The Ocracoke Museum.

3. Florida Keys

The Florida Keys is made up of about 1,700 islands.  To get there, you drive the "Overseas Highway, a breathtaking narrow highway with water on both sides, punctuated by connecting bridges -- there are 43, with the Seven-Mile Bridge as the longest -- and sometimes patches of swaying palm trees. 

We stayed at the Sunshine Key Resort and Marina on Big Pine Key, one of the islands. It has blue water on all three sides, all kinds of amenities, and lots of activities. There was also key deer roaming around the island. They grow to only a third of the size of regular deer. 

A public bus can take you from Big Pine Key to Key West, the southernmost Key, in 45 minutes, While there, visit Mallory Square for great shopping, stay to celebrate a spectacular sunset, visit Truman's Little White House, explore the Hemingway House and Museum, and dance the night away at Sloppy Joe’s, Hemingway’s favorite hangout. Don't forget the photo-op at the Southernmost Point of the US, only 90 miles from Cuba. 

4. Catalina Island

Catalina is just an hour by ferry from Los Angeles. A hilltop tour reveals a priceless view of the harbor, which is smaller and less luxurious than the one in Monaco but has the same look as a playground of the rich. At the highest point on the hill is Wrigley Mansion who was responsible for creating this island destination. There’s a Wrigley Memorial Tomb down the hill.and the former spring training houses of the Chicago Cubs, previously owned by Wrigley. Deer flourish since there is no predator larger than the small fox on the island. So deer hunting is legal on the island some days of the week.

The island is known for its Old Hollywood charm, especially with Avalon Casino, not a gambling den but a 140-foot-tall circular building that juts out into the harbor. A Ballroom with a 20,000-square-foot dance floor occupies the top floor. The ground floor has the fabulous Catalina Theater with 1,154 seats. It's where the first talking movies in the country were shown. 

Marilyn Monroe used to live in one of the pastel-colored wooden homes that are spread across Catalina’s flats and hillsides. The Square and the commercial buildings are adorned with beautiful colorful tiles, just like those in Mexican, Spanish, and Portuguese towns. Finally, the small pier overlooks a busy beach with lots of water activities. It's also a jumping-off point for side trips to Lovers Cove.

5. Vancouver Island

Victoria on Vancouver Island is less than three hours from Vancouver, including the one-and-a-half-hour ferry ride from Tsawwassen near the U.S. border. It takes roughly the same time via a ferry from downtown Seattle. If you are in the Pacific Northwest, this is a most  charming weekend getaway.

The oldest Chinatown in Canada is in Victoria's two rows of small side shops on a tiny side street called Fan Tan Alley. The beautiful British Columbia Provincial Legislature is across the Victoria Harbor stands because the city is the provincial capital. And, also facing the harbor is the Fairmont Empress Hotel, known for both its grandeur and its upscale afternoon tea.

But the decided highlight is the beautiful Butchart Gardens, north of the city near the ferry dock, It’s composed of five sections -- the Sunken Garden, the Rose Garden,  the Japanese Garden, the Italian Garden, including the private garden of Mrs. Butchart, and the latest addition, the Mediterranean Garden. It's the most beautiful garden I have ever seen and it inspired me to extend the garden in my home.

We were pleasantly surprised with these charming island getaways in North America. I am sure you will not be disappointed with any of these five.

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Looking Forward to Our 2020 Travels

It’s now time to look forward to our travel plans for the coming year. We will go to ten new destinations, return to ten old-time favorites, and visit family and friends. On the road for five months on three separate road trips, we will have seven months of rest at home. I think it is a good way to cruise past 70.

Part 1 Mexico, Season 2

We all read about the recent massacres in Mexico. Indeed, the conditions for safety have deteriorated. But, as we had concluded before, the danger towns of Mexico are no different from the crime-infested towns of America. In fact, they all share spots in the listing of the most dangerous cities in the world. So Bill has decided to drive again to and from Mazatlan. We have found it so convenient to bring as much as we need and to bring home as much as we want. We leave Viewpoint on January 1 and drive down to Mexico going through the towns of Tubac, Arizona, Hermosillo, Sonora (only five and a half hours from a massacre site), and Los Mochis, Sinaloa. 

Concordia, Mexico

On January 4, we reach Mazatlan. For two months, we will have our annual all-inclusive vacation at El Cid Resorts composed of four hotels and a country club complex. Season 1 featured day trips to the towns of El Quelite and El Rosario. During Season 2, we plan to go to the towns of Villa Union and Concordia, famous for their artisanal wooden furniture. We also plan to climb the 325 steps up to the highest lighthouse in America, El Faro Mazatlan. Of the islands around the city, we sailed to Deer Island in Season 1. During Season 2, we intend to go to Stone Island.

Marietas Islands, Mexico

At the end of February, we drive farther down south and spend two weeks (and Bill’s birthday) in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. This is my first time to visit this famous Mexican destination. Aside from its Mercado and Malecon, we hope not only to experience the city’s renowned nightlife scene but also to take a boat tour to the spectacular hidden beach in the Marietas Islands. 

Guaymas, Mexico

Two weeks later, we go back to Mazatlan for a reunion of friends from the Philippines, colleagues from the Institute of Advanced Computer Technology. In our last week, we will shop for what we want to bring back home. Our long drive home will be broken with a short rest at the resort town of Guaymas, Sonora. It’s an upcoming Mexican destination that is close to the border. Our final stop will be the border town of Nogales, Sonora. We get home on April 1.

Part 2 Road Trip, Season 2

We are also continuing the tradition we started last year of escaping from the summer sizzle in the Phoenix desert. We will do another road trip of four to five weeks through Americans states and Canadian provinces, visiting family and friends. We will break the long drives with one-week stops at great resort towns.

Cliff Lodge and Spa

From July 7-12, we will be in St. George, Utah. It is the nearest city to Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks. Thus, we will have plenty of opportunities to have outdoor fun with Bill’s son and daughter and their families in our annual reunion with them. Just a four and a half hours north is Salt Lake City. We have often passed through and so we have seen the city in bits and pieces. The week after St. George, we will explore it fully and explore the Great Salt Lake and Temple Square. We will definitely luxuriate at Cliff Lodge & Spa in Snowbird, Utah where our unit has a large hot tub inside.

Lands End, San Francisco

Afterward, we spend a week in Calgary, Alberta, the home of my second daughter and her family. And then we visit our Arizona friends’ mountain cabin for a round of ATV riding in the hills around Essex, Montana. On the way down to my other daughter’s California home, we will pass through Richland, Washington and Klamath Falls, Oregon waiting to be surprised!  Then, from July 29-August 4, we spend a week at the home of my eldest daughter and her family in Livermore, California. The day trips we hope to make while there are to San Francisco’s Land’s End, Point Bonita Lighthouse, and the Cliffside Ruins.

Big Bear Lake, California

Before going home, we will spend our 12^th Wedding Anniversary with a week in Big Bear Lake, California. Summer recreation at the lake includes water fun at the Alpine Slide and a visit to the Big Bear Alpine Zoo, a large rehabilitation place for animals. Hopefully, my eldest grandchild who lives two hours away can join us for a couple of days. We should be glad to be home on Aug. 10.

Part 3 A Short Getaway with Neighbors

Puerto Penasco, Mexico

After these two trips, we will still have two weeks of studio or one week of two bedrooms of timeshare vacations available for the balance of next year. We plan to use this at Puerto Penasco or Rocky Point, Mexico which is just three and a half hours by car from our Viewpoint Home. We have never been there and would like to see if it is a good place to visit regularly, being the nearest Mexican resort town. For a week in September, we plan to party there with our neighbors from Viewpoint Golf Resort.

2020 will take us to ten new destinations, make room for revisiting ten places we have come to love, and allow for visits to family and friends. What's great is that we will even have seven months at home, giving me time to finish my second book. It is the kind of cruising that’s ideal for travelers past 70.


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An Eventful Road Trip through the Canadian Rockies

From Park City, Utah, we proceeded north to visit friends and my daughter and family at their home in Calgary, Alberta. From there we turned west toward on the road to Vancouver, British Columbia stopping in Kelowna to visit more friends from the Viewpoint snowbird community.

the Bullwhacking Statue in Helena

Park City, Utah to Helena, Montana

Driving to Helena, Montana took seven hours but it was all through freeways so the trip was largely uneventful. But the capital of Montana, 31,000 in population, proved to be quite a lovely stop. In search of a nice place to dine, we were led to the Last Chance Gulch Walking Mall, right in the heart of downtown Helena. Lucca’s, the best Italian restaurant, was fully booked so we opted for Bella Roma.

After dinner, we walked the Mall that was lighted by large yellow bulbs just like San Diego's gas district. Victorian buildings that have been converted into shops and hotels lined the entire strip. The highlight at the back near the restaurant was the Gazebo. At the middle stands the interesting Bullwhacker Statue. At the entrance, we shied away from the Homemade Ice Cream Shop because we were full...and there was a long line.

with the grandbabies in Calgary, Alberta

Calgary, Alberta

From Helena, it took us seven hours to reach Calgary, with a 30-minute duty-free and border time included. We go to Calgary every year to visit with the family. This time, we also got to visit with two friends, one from my BIR days in the Philippines who was also babysitting a grandson (Filipinos make up the fourth-largest minority in Canada, after the Chinese, the First Nations, and the South Asians).

The other is a couple from the Viewpoint snowbird community. Their unit was right in front of ours. Their Calgary home is a 3BR penthouse at a condominium building in the upscale Valley Ridge Golf and Country Club area in the outskirts of Calgary. It is at the last exit of the Trans-Canada Highway right before reaching Banff and all the beautiful national parks of the Canadian Rockies.

Calgary, Alberta to Kelowna, BC

the scene of the second accident

Up to this time, we have had such good luck. But it changed on the road trip to Kelowna. On July 17, we headed out west, bright and early at 8 am, on the Trans-Canada Highway through the Canadian Rockies. The trip was supposed to have been for eight hours. When we had just three hours left, deep into the Rockies, we came upon a non-moving line of vehicles on our side of the two-lane mountain highway.

Mountain View Cabins

Thirty minutes later, a highway patrol vehicle was going around telling every vehicle that it would take at least 4 hours to open the road where there was a fatal collision (I found out later that the fatality and three others injured were Filipinos). It was already 2 pm. It meant arriving at Kelowna well way into the night. We turned back and found the Mountain View Cabins about thirty minutes before Golden, BC.

the Canadian tin man

There were about twelve rustic cabins a mile up from the highway through the dirt road called Forde Station Road. Since there were no dining facilities, just simple cabins each with two wooden double beds and a bathroom, we drove to the town of Golden. Upon the suggestion of the owner, we took the back roads, 100 meters from the Cabins, opposite the direction of the highway which might be busy from vehicles turning back. That proved to be a great suggestion. Although a bit bumpy, the drive gave us interesting finds, including the more than life-size tin man hoisting a Canadian flag and a cool house almost completely covered by mounds of grass to keep it cool.

At Golden, we came upon a Wednesday Farmer’s Market and bought special mountain truffles to take to our Kelowna friends. Then our day ended with a dinner of mountain bison burger for Bill and ginger chicken spring rolls for me at the Island Restaurant, a mountain cabin bar/grill beside the Kicking River Horse River, emerald-hued from large amounts of mountain snow melts.

the cool mound house

Back at the cabin, there was no cable TV, no wifi, and no phone so I fell asleep early. We woke up at 4:30 am. It felt good to be able to hit the road an hour earlier than we had planned. Now, what are the odds that there would be another line of vehicles at exactly the same place we were stopped the day before? We thought that the highway people had not managed to reopen the highway. It turned out that another, but non-fatal, accident occurred at 6:43 am two miles ahead.

the Three Valley Gap Chateau

About an hour later, the road was cleared and alternating lanes were allowed to go. Past the site of the second day’s accident, it was smooth going again. Just west of Eagle Summit Pass, about twenty-seven kilometers from Revelstoke, the site of the first day’s accident, stands a striking complex tucked into the Monashee Mountains and the Three Valley Lake. The red Three-Valley Lake Chateau has 200 rooms and the Three Valley Gap Ghost Town includes First Nations’ heritage buildings, an antique car museum, and an antique rail car exhibit. We wished we had time to stop.

Kelowna, BC

Okanagan Lake from their cabin

At about lunchtime, we reached the Sampahluchee Golf and Country Club, an hour before Kelowna, where Bill and the two husbands/friends had lunch and played golf. The wives lunched and rested at their cabin on the Okanagan Lake, deep and 90 miles long. It waters the whole valley that produces the best fruits and vegetables for western Canada. We sat around the end of their long dock where our friends had built a cute 8-ft. lighthouse. When the men returned, we drove in a caravan on the northern part of the road around the lake. It was a scenic ride into Kelowna.

I wondered about the cluster of high-rise buildings that were huddled in the middle of the lake connected by a lovely floating bridge to the road that we were traversing. It turned out to be the city itself. We stayed at one of the couples’ houses. Delightfully designed, it is highlighted by a very private backyard of the pool, hot tub, and patio, separated from everything else by a cool running stream and a woodsy little hill. The other couple’s home, up in the hills overlooking the lake, should be another stunner.

The Okanagan Valley has truly become a retirement haven, especially with its great micro-climate. A visit there is worth the eventful road trip. I even found my special writing place there...where I can churn out all this chatter.

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Our Lifestyle Adventures: Leaving No Stone Unturned in the Canadian Rockies, Part 3

Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada

The second Sunday of May is when much of the world celebrates Mother’s Day. Whether moms were heroes to their kids or not, most children do a lot for their mothers on that special day. I always say, despite what I did, they always made me feel special on Mother's Day. When Bill and I became full-time travelers in 2009, my three daughters Trisha, Claudine and April changed their gifts-giving from jewelry, apparel, or accessories to experiences like fine dining, activities, tours, and cruises. In 2016, it was a Weekend Getaway to the heart of the Canadian Rockies. Bill joined in and took care of all my memorable meals.

Lake Louise

Lake Louise in the middle of spring

On Saturday, May 7, he drove me to Lake Louise, that postcard-pretty place about thirty minutes from Banff, two hours from the home of my second daughter Claudine, whose kids I was babysitting for a few months. I had been there twice before, the first time without Bill. On the second visit, it was the height of summer and the glacier running down into the water was thin. While canoeing around the lake, I expressed much disappointment to Bill, blaming global warming. How wrong I was! It was the height of summer. It was just not the right time to be there.

from bottom left, clockwise: Pre-Mother's Day lunch & dinner, Mother's Day lunch & dinner, and post-Mother's Day breakfast

This time, in late spring, the glacier was still in its full glory and, though we could not canoe around the lake because the water was just starting to thaw, the sight was impressive. After many photo ops from many angles, Bill led me to the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, that famous hotel with a commanding view of the lovely sight. He had reserved a table with a huge picture window looking out to the perfect scene for a pre-Mother’s Day lunch I will never forget.

Banff

Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, clockwise from top right: our room, the view, and the pool

outdoor heated pool

After lunch, we proceeded to Banff where my daughters booked us for the night at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, a large castle-like building for which the chain is noted. Built in 1888, this historic hotel from the time of railway tourism is today a Banff emblem. It is set off on its own in a wooded area, appearing like a dream as we wound up the road on the hill. Our well-appointed room at the floor just below the top looks out to lovely views, including the Bow River tumbling over a cliff-like rise.

The staff at Lake Louise told us to check out the pool area. And so we did. It exceeded our expectations! An Olympic-sized pool enchants you inside, including the secluded hot tub at one end and elegant chaise lounge chairs all around. But almost everyone was in the pool outdoors. It is heated and has magnificent views of the Bow Valley mountains. I could have stayed there forever, but Bill pulled me away. He had reservations for my pre-Mother’s Day dinner with more spectacular views at the Rundle Lounge. 

Me and my grizzlies, downtown Banff

The next morning we just walked around the town of Banff, having been to the city and national park before. We simply savored the crispness and coolness of the air bathed by the brightness of the sun. There is magic in shopping and strolling among stores and streets surrounded by towering mountains. Then Bill took me to a Mother’s Day brunch at an Irish Pub where Bill could have his shepherd’s pie while I had my first taste of Yorkshire pudding with bits of delicious roast beef inside.

Holiday Inn at Canmore

Canmore

After checking out from Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, we moved to Holiday Inn in Canmore, the town near the southeast boundary of the Banff National Park. Since the city was chosen to host the Nordic events of the 1988 Winter Olympics, tourism has flourished. The population is now over 12,000. We had not been there before so we shopped and strolled at a more leisurely pace. It has the small town feel but the same magic from the ever-present snow-capped mountains. Downtown Banff is bigger and has more establishments, but its population is smaller at less than 9,000.

Canmore: clockwise from top left: the mountains, the Head,
the original Hotel, and bubbles in a garden

At a small park on a river bank, a humongous head half-buried in the ground took my fancy. The Canmore Hotel sits on the main street as it has for over 100 years, making it one of the most distinguishable landmarks in the city. I was also fascinated by a garden that perpetually produced soap bubbles. Then Bill chose Santa Lucia Trattoria, a small Italian restaurant that sits about 40 people, for my Mother’s Day dinner. The next morning, we had a post-Mother’s Day breakfast at the famous Rocky Mountain Bagel Company downtown that had dozens of bagel varieties.

The girls and Bill outdid themselves in 2016! As I said, despite the neglect they suffered as I became more of a father than a mother as a single parent, focused on my career, they have always made me feel special on Mother's Day. It was not only a great break from babysitting but a Mother’s Weekend Getaway I will forever treasure. I wonder how they could top this in 2017?