Banff, Canada: Family Vacation
Banff is a resort town located in the province of Alberta, Canada. Amid the Canadian Rockies is this perfect destination for families desiring beautiful scenery, world-class skiing and snow tubing, excellent shopping, and delicious food. My family of five celebrated the new year of 2020 during our week long vacation enjoying the wonders of Banff, Canada and its surrounding areas. Here are some of the tips and highlights from our trip to help you plan the perfect vacation in Banff for your family.
Pack Winter Gear
It’s important to remember that Canada’s temperatures in winter can be below freezing with the windchill. Although winter can be quite cold in parts of the United States, it doesn’t compare to the dip in temperature you’ll experience in the Canadian Rockies. Be sure to pack winter clothes along with thermal underwear, waterproof gloves, ski bibs or pants, ski jackets, snow socks, boots, and hats. Each of my children carried a backpack on the flight that contained their entertainment items as well as a ski hat and scarf. Also, I had my family wear their gloves, boots and jackets on the plane to make more room in our suitcases.
Tour Calgary First
The most affordable flight arrived and departed from Calgary, Alberta, a main hub in the area. As you may know, the 1988 Winter Olympics took place in Calgary and there are many family activities to enjoy. The ice skating rink downtown is a popular destination. We spent a few hours there ice skating, drinking hot chocolate, and listening to the festive holiday music with locals. Santa Claus even paid a visit on his sled! Next, we walked through the city’s clean streets decorated with holiday lights to the Calgary Tower, an observation tower soaring 626 feet above the city, similar to the Seattle Space Needle. There’s much more you can do in Calgary, including Canada Olympic Park for skiing, snowboarding, bobsled rides, and tubing, as well as an indoor artwork tour at the Skywalk and hiking or snowshoeing through the many beautiful parks and meadows. We found Calgary to be a friendly, diverse city full of bountiful family fun.
Take a Scenic Drive to Banff
We rented a car at the Calgary airport so that we could take the scenic drive to and from Banff, making stops along the way. Our first stop was in Kananaskis about 45 miles from Calgary. We spent two nights at the Kananaskis Mountain Lodge nestled in the mountainous beauty of the Canadian Rockies. The resort is a 5 minute drive to the Nakiska Area Ski Slopes where we spent 2 full days of skiing. When we weren’t at the slopes we were at the lodge enjoying the indoor, heated pool with kids’ slides, indoor/outdoor hot tub and sauna, evening s’mores and hot chocolate, as well as the savory foods offered at their cafe and restaurants. You can also snowshoe through the many trails surrounding the lodge as well as enjoy the free ice skating park they provide. While in Kananaskis, you can tour the Canmore Cave or visit Barrier Lake for more scenic adventure and beauty.
Next, we embarked on our 30 minute drive to the Banff National Park (one-time fee to enter) along the Trans-Canada Highway. My children oohed and awed from the backseat as we passed by the enormous snow covered mountains, hills, and valleys. The Banff National Park website boasts that you’ll witness “Rocky Mountain peaks, turquoise glacial lakes, a picture-perfect mountain town and village, abundant wildlife and scenic drives.” We found it all to be true during our stay in Banff at the world-renowned Fairmont Banff Springs resort.
We took a scenic sleigh ride through a snow-covered meadow, snow skied at two ski resorts: Lake Louise Ski Resort and Sunshine Village Ski Area, as well as ice skated at Lake Louise, and toured the quaint yet abundant villages and towns. We rode the Banff Gondola up to the top of the mountain to heights and sights unseen before. We hiked through Bow Falls National Park where frozen waterfalls and an ideal, easy walk up the mountain provided breathtaking views. Banff is a one-of-a-kind experience our family will never forget. What’s more, the people were kind, welcoming, and hospitable. We felt at home even though we were far away from North Carolina. On our final day while packing up the car and heading back to the airport, my children asked, “Can we stay another day?”
Unfortunately, our time in Banff and the surrounding areas was complete, but there is still much to see and do, so we hope to return again to the Canadian Rockies for another family adventure! Have you vacationed in Banff? What activities would you recommend for families planning a visit there? Connect with us on Instagram @MapsCookingKids or on Twitter @MapsCookingKids. Until next time, Agape, be kind and happy parenting.
