Another beautiful day in Alberta, literally our eighth consecutive day of high twenties, sunshine and no rain at all in the forecast. We started our day, with a similar pattern that I have really adapted well too, a buffet breakfast at Best Western. I can't emphasize enough what a tremendous benefit this has been for us on our family vacation. For me, breakfast is the best meal of the day and to have a warm buffet, prepared for me with no clean up is becoming a staple of any vacation I take moving forward. If you are planning a trip in the near future, remember to include things like breakfast, parking and internet access in the budget. Breakfast alone on this trip saved the five of us approximately four to five hundred dollars!
We checked out of the BEST WESTERN PLUS Jasper Inn & Suites with a special thank you to the excellent staff for yet another tremendous service experience with Best Western. They made some great recommendations and were very helpful throughout our stay. Jasper doesn't get as much attention as Banff but it has lots to offer, with better views (if that's even possible) and less crowds. I encourage you to consider Jasper if you are heading to either Calgary or Edmonton. The drive from Calgary is about four hours, but I guarantee it will be the best four hour drive of your life.
On the way back to Canmore, we stopped about thirty minutes north in Lake Louise, another must see for those into unbelievable mountain views, glacier capped peaks and emerald coloured lakes. We were tempted to rent a war canoe and paddle the lake for ninety minutes but some of our crew were not ready to paddle the behemoth canoe and less prepared to swim should it capsize so we decided to just sit back and take in the view.
By mid afternoon we checked into the BEST WESTERN PLUS Pocaterra Inn in Canmore, a very modern and beautiful property right off the main drag in Canmore. We met back up with my sister and her family and the kids spent two hours before dinner in the pool, which according to my son has the best waterslide around. He's become quite an authority with the number of Best Western's he has the opportunity to check out!
We were delighted to learn that the restaurant my Aunt recommended was walking distance from our hotel and eleven of us set off on foot to the Crazy Weed. What a cool place! Great ambiance, better food and world-class service made the this the best dining experience of the trip. Well done Aunt Heather! Look for it in Canmore, you won't miss it, it's the one with the grass roof, or maybe they are weeds.
We were really struck by Canmore as a fantastic hub, nestled nicely between the peaks of the Rockie Mountains. We envisioned coming back for a ski and snowboarding trip in the winter and felt that Canmore, The Pocaterra Inn and Crazy Weed are all on the must see again list!
What's your favourite four season destination?
Jasper to Canmore
No comments:
Post a Comment