[Aimless1]

I have a business trip to Banff next week and have two free afternoons. Not alot of time to do much, but wonder if anyone has any suggestions. Anything that is a must see or I'll shoot myself later if I don't do it?

 

[Assorted]

There's really not much to shop around in Banff. The main street -can't remember the name- has a lot of restaurants and pubs, and a few malls with clothes outfits and Rocky mountain style candy shops.

I was going to suggest you drive up and enjoy a nice ride in a gondola, or even book a helicopter tour, but seeing that you only have two afternoons, I believe the best idea is to enjoy a nice car ride and absorbing the mountain air.

I've been there so many times (like most urban Albertans) that it's become a slightly less magical place to go to

 

[Clutz]

Go to the public hotsprings. I really enjoyed that.

 

[acidbasement]

Get out on the trails, either by rented bike or on foot. The national park staff will be able to recommend some good ones. There are sooo many people there, but most of them never set foot off pavement, so it doesn't take long to get away from the throngs.

 

[wareagle69]

All the recommendations so far are good. If you have a rental car, it would be worth a trip to Lake Louise and Morraine Lake. It's only 30-35 miles west on the Trans Canada highway, and the drive has fabulous scenery all the way. I lived in Calgary for 20 years, and really miss the mountains.

 

[Aimless1]

Thanks for the suggestions. Always try to hike no matter where I go

. I'll be staying on Lake Louise. Didn't look that hard, but didn't see anything on the public hot springs.

 

[orkney]

I'm in Banff a few times a year and there's lots to do outdoors within a short walk of the town centre. You can hike Tunnel Mountain from the town right through the Centre for the Arts and get some spectacular views of the mountains and valley -- it's a few hours up and down on a switchback path. There are a number of great walking/light hiking trails that begin from midway up Tunnel Mtn including the Hoodoo and Sundance trails and a pretty interesting partly boardwalked trail that takes you past the old springs and into the grounds of the Banff Springs Hotel, which is a scenic if pricey place to grab a drink. You can also walk along the shore of the Bow River up to the Bow falls, which is a nice combo of thrashing and peaceful.

Trails are well-marked and you can pick up a copy of the guide from the tourist office near the bridge downtown near a great independent bookstore and a well-loved coffeshop, Evelyn's (I think) that's worth a quick visit. And a whole lot of diamond boutiques.

best,

o

 

[ncmando]

x2! Also the Columbia icefields, if you have time and a car.

 

[potato28]

I liked Jasper better than Banff, less people. But the icefields are awesome and the hot springs are pretty interesting too.

 

[Equus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ncmando /img/forum/go_quote.gif x2! Also the Columbia icefields, if you have time and a car.

x3..and x2 one the ice fields. That was a fun trip. Course it was also my first time really being in snow or anything like that, so it was more of an "experience" for me than it would be for others.

Really that's one of the only things I really remember from my trip up there years ago. That and the legions of dead chipmunks that were all over the highway as we went there from Calgary.

 

[pbone]

go to the banff tea company. soo much good tea there. i spent almost 45 minutes in there smelling all the different tea there. i got some wicked good tea there last time.

http://www.banffteaco.com/

 

[Abbadon]

I was up there in 2000. You should check out the icefields and lake louise.