My Banff And Yoho National Park Adventure
Like many of you, Banff was at the top of my bucket list. Over the past few years, I’ve had the travel bug, and I’ve done everything to travel as much as possible. In October of 2019—during the week of my 26th birthday—I finally got the adventure I had been dreaming of for so long: Banff.
The story actually begins with hockey. In October of 2019, the Winnipeg Jets were scheduled to play in Regina, Saskatchewan for the Heritage Classic. While looking into plane tickets to attend the game, we realized that this trip wouldn’t be financially plausible. However, we found that flights to Calgary were. We found an Airbnb that, for some odd reason, was priced much lower in October. Simply put, it was a resort in the mountains! All the signs were telling us what to do, so we booked our trip.
October 19th, I flew on a commercial airplane for the first time since 1996—when I was 5. So much excitement and joy washed over me once I entered the airport in Omaha. We landed in Calgary and spent the remainder of the day there before heading to our Airbnb in the mountains late that evening. Because it was so dark during our drive to the Airbnb, we couldn’t actually see the mountains. Nothing more than slight shadows through the darkness. It wasn’t until we woke the next morning that we saw the beauty surrounding us.
Our First Day In Banff
Day one’s only focus was to make it to Lake Louise. Anything else was just “whatever happens, happens.” We didn’t know that on our way to Lake Louise, we’d be going through the town of Banff. Since we hadn’t eaten yet, we stopped for lunch. Probably shouldn’t explore on an empty stomach. Shortly after, we accomplished the sole goal we had set out for ourselves. We made it to Lake Louise. When I say the beauty of this place took my breath away, I mean it literally.
Following our Lake Louise excursion, we made our way back to the town of Banff for some amazing food.
Our Second Day
We decided that day two of our adventure should have a little more to it. We mapped out a few places that we could see all in the same day. We knew we wanted to see Lake Louise again, this time during the day. Our first stop was at Cascade Ponds, which wasn’t actually on our initial mapping, but it was a rather pleasant surprise.
Cascade Ponds just happened to be on our way to the destination that was actually mapped out for us, Lake Minnewanka. I hadn’t seen or heard a whole lot about Lake Minnewanka prior to visiting. I really didn’t expect much from it. Once I saw the lake, however, I was blown away. It was massive and surrounded by some of the most amazing scenery. Per usual, Bailey and I did our best to stop and explore in the areas that weren’t as well known or well accessed. Lake Minnewanka doesn’t stand alone. It has a little brother named Two Jack Lake that also amazed us with its beauty. Lake Minnewanka, along with Two Jack Lake, should definitely have more recognition
Next we set off to see Lake Louise once again. Our first sighting of Lake Louise was much later in the evening than we had hoped. I’m glad that we saw it at the time we did, but we wanted to see it in the sunlight, and be given the opportunity to explore the view from other angles. We walked the south bank of the lake to see the spectacle in a whole other way.
With little daylight left, we decided to make the trip to Yoho National Park and see Emerald Lake and the Natural Bridge. This was big for us because it wasn’t just another park with beautiful scenery, it was also another province that we hadn’t yet been to. The Natural Bridge was phenomenal. It looked like a tropical location with incredible blue waters, without the pesky heat. It was perfect. Emerald Lake looks like a spectacular get away from the world.
Day Three In Banff
For our third day in Banff, we wanted to ensure that we saw and experienced new places. We also hoped to use the day exploring and the evening to rest and recover. Taking an early ride on the Banff Gondola and spending the day at the mountain’s peak was next on our agenda. If you ever visit Banff, I highly recommend that you set aside one day for the Banff Gondola. The ride is incredibly beautiful and it’s even better once you reach the top. There’s a mini-museum to share some knowledge, an incredible bistro or restaurant to eat at, a phenomenal coffee shop, a stunning boardwalk to the weather station, and a 360 view of the Canadian Rockies that you could easily mistake for a dream.
When we purchased our Gondola tickets, we added a reservation to the Northern Lights Bistro. The food was absolutely amazing and was an all you can eat buffet. We then hiked the boardwalk to the summit of Sulphur Mountain. This hike gave us so many incredible views of both Banff and the Canadian Rockies.
Our plan following our Gondola excursion was to head straight back to the Airbnb and make ourselves a nice dinner, to help save money. We drove by a few unique places on our way back, so we decided to stop and visit for a bit. We did make ourselves a nice meal for the evening when we got back, drank some wine, and did a little work organizing all the photographs and video from the trip so far. This included pictures from our short stop, capturing the Banff Springs.
Fourth And Final Day In Banff
The fourth day in Banff was our last, so the goal was to make sure to say a proper goodbye. We thought it best to get out to the furthest destination and work our way back towards our Airbnb. The furthest destination was Emerald Lake and the Natural Bridge. British Columbia gave us plenty of excitement on this trip, so we had to say goodbye. The weather hit us pretty hard both times crossing into the province, but it was worth it.
Next on our list was Lake Louise. We knew that we wanted to accomplish some sort of hike during this final trip, but didn’t know which destination we wanted to hike to. Once we arrived, we noticed a sign that we saw previously for the Fairview Lookout, and we decided to follow that path. It was a tougher hike than we imagined, but incredibly fun. Have you ever seen pictures of Lake Louise from above that truly showcase its blue beauty? I can confirm that no, these photos are not photoshopped. The lake is just that blue!
Last, but certainly not least, was Lake Minnewanka. This one was tough. We wanted to find one last great hike before leaving one of the most magical places on earth, but the sunlight was quickly disappearing. Bailey searched for a place, and we set off. The hike was a little longer than expected and the sun went down quicker than we wanted it to, but it sure made for an unforgettable experience.
I’m not one for crying, and I can’t tell you how many years it’s been, but leaving Banff was probably the closest I’ve come to doing so in a long time. This place was so breathtakingly gorgeous, I still find myself forgetting it to be real. If it wasn’t for my pictures and videos, I might find myself believing that it was all just a dream.
Banff Photography Print Request
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