Happy Travel week pretty friends! I am so excited to be sharing all kinds of travel posts this week including advice on traveling with a baby, a special Atlanta staycation post and a blog post on a few must haves that every Mom needs for a successful trip. So buckle up and get ready for some fun posts!
Today I want to share my family trip to Banff, Cananda with you. I’m sure by now you have seen on social media that Banff has been quite the hot spot to travel to this summer. Before this year I honestly had never heard of this beautiful national park. While researching baby friendly places to travel I stumbled across Alberta Canada. I then saw that a lot of bloggers were actually traveling there this summer! I was mesmerized by the stunning photos of the lakes and mountains. When I started looking into plane tickets I could not believe how affordable they were! We paid $250 round trip per person to fly in and out of Calgary, Canada. Steal! Here is a day by day recap of our trip!
Day 1: Flying Atlanta to Calgary
Like most first time Moms, I was a little nervous about traveling with a 4 month old. Robinson does not like being in a car so I was scared he might not like flying either. But I didn’t let that stop us and booked the tickets anyway. I am happy to report he was an absolute angel for all our flights! I will go into much more detail about that later this week- promise!
The first day was just traveling- Atlanta to Houston then straight to Calgary. We arrived Wednesday night, grabbed our rental car and went straight to a hotel by the airport to rest. The total travel time was about 6 hours so it was not bad at all!
Day 2: Driving to Banff National Park
After getting some great sleep, the three of us woke up to grab some breakfast in Calgary. We did a little research and headed to Artisan Bread and Bakery Sidewalk Citizen, which supports local farmers. Everything we ordered {pictured above} was delicious! After breakfast we hit the road to Banff.
Shortly after driving out of the city you are greeted by the grand Canada Rockies. Even though it was very smokey (it has been the smokiest summer since the 1960s because of the forest fires) we still saw how beautiful the mountains were! After driving for little over an hour, we arrived to our castle in the Rockies, the Fairmont Banff Springs. It seriously reminded us of Hogwarts from the Harry Potter series! So magical!
Aside from its beauty, what made our stay at the Fairmont Banff Springs exceptional was the customer service. Everyone was super friendly and catered to our every need. When they saw we were traveling with a baby they asked if we would like a complimentary crib put in our room! The crib also came with a little “welcome travel bag” for Robinson, which included baby shampoo, wash, toothbrush, toothpaste and a cute little stuffed otter! I cannot recommend this beautiful hotel enough!
Day 3: Lake Moraine & Lake Louise
After getting plenty of rest in one of the most comfortable beds we have ever slept it, we got up to explore the beautiful lakes in Banff. If you have done any research you would immediately see the two most popular lakes are Louise and Moraine. Lake Louise is easy to get to and there are plenty of free shuttles and free parking available. BUT Lake Moraine is a totally different story. Either you wake up super early {I’m talking get there before 8am} or you wait until the late afternoon to head over and find a free parking spot. We did not know this so we paid $30 per person for a shuttle. Lake Moraine was incredible! Even with all the smoke we were able to get some pretty amazing views and photos.
After spending a few hours hiking around Lake Moraine we went straight to Lake Louise to grab lunch at the famous, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. There are various restaurants located inside the hotel but we went with their more casual one that over looked the lake. Because we were in Canada we HAD to try poutine, which is french fries with gravy and cheese curds. It was a very rich dish but perfect after a day full of hiking.
Day 4: Waterfalls
On the fourth day of our trip we woke up to a little rain so we decided to relax and sleep in. We then got into our car and drove to British Columbia, which is about an hour past Lake Louise and Moraine. As we were driving we stumbled upon Tatakakkaw Falls- say that 5 times quickly, ha! It was magnificent! Make sure you bring your jacket because you do get a little wet!
That evening we went to the little town Canmore to grab dinner. Such a cute town that you must check out during your trip! Also, if you are looking for somewhere more affordable to stay during your visit, check out Canmore.
Day 5: Canoeing on Emerald Lake
On our final day in Canada we decided to do a little canoeing! We did some research and decided to check out Emerald Lake because it’s a little less touristy and more affordable than Lake Louise and Moraine. Heads up, Lake Louise will run you $100 per hour to canoe- yikes! When we pulled up we had to park very far but it was completely worth it. The water is a stunning Emerald color-guess that’s how they got the name! But really, my photos just don’t do it justice.
This was Robinson’s first time on a canoe so we were excited to see what his reaction would be. Well he hated it. In his defense he had just woken up from a nap and was grumpy! It also did not help that he had a giant life jacket on! Regardless we got a few good photos of him smiling!
Day 6: Traveling Home
Sadly our trip came to an end and we had to head back to Atlanta. We flew from Calgary to Toronto then home. We also flew in during hurricane Irma so it was a very bumpy landing! But praise God we made it home safely with lots of new, beautiful memories.
Final Advice
If you are considering a trip to Banff National Park I highly recommend you go for it. But I will say, it’s not a trip you can do on a super tight budget. Flights were very affordable out of Atlanta but once we you get to Canada it gets pricey. We were especially surprised with how expensive the food was! Also, our rental car was over $500 for the whole trip. If it’s possible, try to find a rental car company that gives you unlimited milage- that’s what cost us the most. Nevertheless, it was worth every penny. Canada was clean, the people were friendly, and the sights were breath taking. If you have any specific questions don’t hesitate to shoot me an email or leave a comment at the bottom!
Safe travels, pretty friend!
Xo
So beautiful! I hope to go in the next couple of years. bf and I are obsessed
I also spent good quality time there during my last winter holidays and we came back with stunning memories.