Summer Road Trip (Part I): Banff National Park

We started our epic summer road trip at the tail-end of June 2018. Clearly, this post, much like our trip itself, is delayed. The post is delayed because of, well, life. The trip was delayed because my husband and I may be Canada cursed. In our seventeen years together, Ryan and I have driven to Canada exactly twice. Both times, we have broken down on the same 50 mile stretch of I-5. This time we were fortunate enough to have this happen with our three kids in tow. In the end, it worked out fine, our kids had a wonderful day swimming and visiting a Children's Museum we would never have seen otherwise. Plus, I was able to take a 2.5 hour Lyft ride back to our house to borrow my Dad's truck and nothing helps you make new friends like 2.5 hours in a small space. Everybody wins!

After our unplanned stopover, we were 24-hours behind schedule and ready to get to Canada already. So, like a bunch of 20 year-olds (which we are not), Ryan and I pulled an all nighter and got ourselves to Banff posthaste. While the long drive was worth it in the end, I would not recommend this option. I think it was pretty much summed up by our four year-old when he asked, "Please Mom. Can I sleep in a bed, lying down, tonight?" I feel you son--and so does my back.

We made it--First family picture in Banff (Bow River)

We camped at Lake Louise Campground during our stay. While the campground is not actually on Lake Louise, it was a great choice. Given that grizzly bears are very prevalent in the area, the campground has two sections: one normal campground section for hard-sided RVs and trailers only, and one fenced in section for soft-sided accommodations. Given that we have a tent on top of our teardrop, we stayed in the fenced in section. It was a great choice because it alleviated our worry about having the kids ride their bikes around and, once you drive through the fence (which is an electric one), the campground is rather large and you really don't even see it anymore. The campsites themselves were really wonderful--lots of trees and very private. The whole place is gorgeous. Additionally, there is a central, paved path down the middle that only park vehicles drive. It was perfect for kid bike riding and provided easy access to the bathrooms, shower facilities (which were clean and included in the cost of your campground stay), and the wood piles. In Canadian National Parks (or at least this one) you purchase a camp fire permit for each night and this grants you access to as much wood as you need from communal piles they place throughout the campground. Our four year-old quickly learned that this meant a lot of people would stop by the wood pile and he took to sitting on the surrounding rail and chatting up stoppers-by. His exact words to us each time before he left were, "Bye guys, I'm going to go make new friends." He's small in statue and big in personality.

The campground is also right along the Bow River and within a 15 minute walk of the Village Centre--where you can find a small shopping center and bus stops should you wish to shuttle to Lake Louise.

Being silly on the shores of Lake Louise

For our first full day in Banff NP we decided to check off one of my bucket list items--the Lake Agnes Teahouse hike. The hike begins on the shore of Lake Louise and travels uphill for 2.2 miles before reaching Lake Agnes and its lakeside teahouse. The teahouse is a fully functioning cafe with light fare and, you guessed it, tea. The novelty of it makes it fun and the views, both along the way and once you arrive, are phenomenal. The hike is not a leisurely stroll, as it is a pretty good accent, but all three kids made it up on their own power. Full disclosure, there may have been a few tears from our four year-old but he got over it once he realized no one was willing to carry 35 extra pounds up a hill and, when he reached the teahouse, there would probably be desserts. As a bonus, there was also some snow surrounding Lake Agnes that the kids had a great time playing in.

On our hike down we stopped at Mirror Lake and, once we were at the bottom, we marveled at the turquoise blue of Lake Louise for awhile longer. Fun fact, the water is this color because of all the ground up rock and minerals that washes into the water from the glacier runoff. In the colder months the particles settle and the water color changes completely. Nature is so rad.

Mirror Lake along the Lake Agnes Teahouse Trail

Also a fun fact, the only place to stay on Lake Louise itself is the Fairmont Chateau Hotel. The amenities around the lake are also run by the Fairmont. Given the swanky nature of the Fairmont, the canoe rentals were $55/person (CAN) for 90 minutes. Later we went to the equally beautiful Glacier National Park and you could rent a canoe for $18/hour (US). Clearly, there is a little bit of an upcharge directly surrounding Lake Louise--plan accordingly.

After our day at Lake Louise we returned to camp for some downtime (and to allow Henry to make some more new friends) before having dinner and calling it a night. I say "night" loosely because, given how far north we were, it didn't get dark until 10:30 or 11:00pm each night. We would forget and, before we knew it, it would be 10:00pm and the kids were all still awake and galavanting around on bikes or foot. It was basically a child's dream situation.

For day two, we headed to Johnston Canyon. This hike is perfect for families with smaller kids. It's just over 1 mile each way, relatively flat, and absolutely stunning. The hike takes you, literally, along the canyon. At many points you are on catwalks bolted into the rock walls. Keep in mind that this is the most popular hike in Banff NP so you will have a lot of friends on the trail. Given the high traffic, rangers will set up interpretive stops along the trail that are fun for kids. The parking lot to access Johnston Canyon is fairly small so get there early or prepare yourself to make a few loops. There is lodging at Johnston Canyon and a small store with a cafe attached. We started with lunch and ended with ice cream so, all and all, it was a fun afternoon.

After our hike we drove Bow Valley Parkway--a hot spot for animal sightings. We did see one large, male elk, but that was all. My bucket list animal-sighting was a moose and we were not able to check that one off. I learned later that there are fewer than 100 moose living in the area, however, so my hope of sighting one may have been a bit far fetched.

The next day we were headed out to Glacier National Park in Montana but wanted to spend the first half of the day in the town of Banff. The town itself is very cute and has everything you could possibly want--food, shopping, lodging, a distillery (maybe its just my husband that was wanting for that one but Banff was able to deliver), and a Sasquach. After walking around downtown and having some lunch, we headed to the Cave and Basin National Historic Site. Apparently, the discovery of Cave and Basin was the impetus to the development of the Canadian National Parks system. The visit can be done in 1-2 hours and is a fun stop. We toured the grounds and the cave itself while also learning about the history of the area and participating in interactive exhibits in the visitor center portion.

After Cave and Basin we hit the road again and headed for Montana. I have to say, I was sad to bid Canada adieu. We didn't realized until our arrival that Banff is just one of four National Parks that neighbor one another (Banff, Yoho, Jasper, and Koteenay). Given that Banff is the most popular, I would love to go back and visit the neighboring parks for a longer trip. All and all, however, even though we were delayed in our start and wished we had more time, I wouldn't trade our time in Banff for anything--it was one of the most beautiful places we have explored so far.