The Rockie Mountains & Evelyn's Coffee are Amazing

We actually managed to get away for a few days this past summer and I've felt the beautiful Rockie mountains calling for some time. Our granddaughter was up visiting from Ontario and she'd never seen them so we started looking at accommodations and mountain towns we'd like to visit. 

Lake Louise

The most popular destination for many are the Jasper and Banff National parks that join together close to the Columbia Ice fields to form a huge mountain playground with amazing views, wonderful campsites and thrilling highways to drive.  We were only able to take a three day weekend so we had to make it within comfortable driving distance and for some reason the town of Canmore came up.

I did a couple of online searches using www.booking.com and found a great deal on a condo-style villa with enough beds for the four of us and the plans were in place. Well sort of, the Missus, our son and his daughter were able to leave a day earlier on a Thursday and I had to stay behind to finish up some business. Its too bad I couldn't get to witness our Granddaughter's first look at the mountains. She actually didn't notice them at first and kept saying "look at the big valleys Grandma" not realizing they were the bottoms of those big rocks all around.

In any case, I caught up the next day and it was a fantastic trip. Mountain air seems to have a slight scent of pine and just seems to be more clear than at home. Canmore is a great town with lots of services and dining establishments and sits in a valley among the first mountains you see as you travel westward from Calgary on  Trans Canada Highway #1 . Its four lanes all the way  from Calgary and you really have to move because there doesn't seem to be a speed limit even though the signs said 110 Km/hour I don't think anyone was actually going that slow.

Inn Of The Rockies

Our weekend domicile was the Inn of the Rockies which is on Harvey Heights road just west of Canmore. Part of the facility is undergoing some major renovations by the new owners and is just a half a mile from the Banff National Park gates.  Our unit was a two story with two large bedrooms a nice bathroom and even a washer and dryer. The main floor featured a living area with fireplace, a flat screen TV, a hide-a-bed couch  and a recliner, the open concept had the dining area right next in line adjacent to the nicely equipped kitchen. This alone saved us tons of money on dining as we prepared our own breakfasts and lunches for the day and popped the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Ah, all the conveniences of home.

Banff Upper Hot Springs courtesy Travel Alberta

The weekend was spent driving into Canmore to explore and then Banff to take in the Gondola ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain and a soaking in the Hot Springs at the base of the mountain. A great way to sooth those aching bones. The water was at 41 degrees celcius which is about 106 degrees farenheit and it takes a moment to get used to it. Once you're in though it is heavenly.

Another great pass time is walking the main thoroughfare called Banff Avenue. Its lined with shops of all sorts and restaurants and an amazing coffee outlet called Evelyn's Coffee Bar. This coffee emporium is so popular that there are three of them. Two along the avenue and one on Bear Street. One even features live entertainment each evening. I also spent a while with one of their large coffees just people and busker watching. There is every nation under the sun represented here so its a great mix and great watching. There's lots of comfortable benches along the avenue and the weather was perfect. I let our group go "shopping" and enjoyed my respite.

Parking hint: Go early in the morning and stake out a place by at least 10 a.m. or you'll drive around for a while trying to find a parking space. There are meters on main street so you'd have to keep coming back to plug it.  So unless your athletic and like to run or walk, find off street parking where you can. The lots are free and located one block either side of the main thoroughfare. Most lots have access to the shops from the lots so its very convenient.

It was a great little mini holiday and I will take another one.  Talk again soon.
Dave