Banff - Calgary - Edmonton - Area Trip

My wife and I are planning a late Sept (22 - 29) vacation to the Banff - Calgary - Edmonton - Area with another couple. We will be flying into Calgary.

Our interests:

• Craft beer
• The outdoors
• Local perspective
• Hiking
• Great food
• Cuban cigars
• Getting our Wisconsin accents back
• Cool air

We are looking at the Banff Springs for a night, although the 6 to 7 hundred dollar per night gives us pause. It is an incredible hotel though. Alternatives?

The rest of the ticket is blank as well as the overall duration.
We prefer to do as the locals do when we travel but we are open to most anything.
What do we have to do (touristy or not)?


As an aside...
A few years back, wife and I and another couple drove from PHX to Yellowstone and Glacier and Waterton in the Jeep. We stayed at the Prince of Wales and really loved the Canadian Rocky Mountain experience.

The drive through Glacier Natn'l Park to Waterton was so spectacular. I think that 50% of the car commercials you see feature elements of this drive. If any one gets the chance to do it, do so. It is one of the top 3 driving experiences in my life.

Thanks.

I drove up there from IL in the 90s. Stopped east of Regina (in Indian Head) for the night (camp ground).

Just missed the Calgary Stampede by a day.

Went through Banff, had to pay the toll for the park, etc. Camped again in Golden. Hiked up to one of the glaciers there. Mostly hiked and camped, sightseeing, etc.

Don't forget that's bear country...so be careful.

Gimme a day or so, I can get you a few sights to see...

If you want to do as the locals do you'll have to avoid Banff/Jasper/LL. Maybe Cheyco can take you up to Grande Prairie. Just kidding.

If you're at all into canoeing and/or fishing, the last time I was in the Banff area (1985) it was possible to rent a canoe at lakes in the park that you had to hike to. You would basically rent the canoe at a shop where they would give you the combination to a locked canoe, you hike to the lake, unlock the canoe, and fish or do whatever. It was a great way to get away from the crowds as we never saw another person once we started hiking. Maybe they were all on the golf courses getting charged by caribou.

Sorry to tell you this Lord Sir, but we burned down all the lakes to make room for Krispy Kreem Doughnuts, only to have them get burned down by the Tim Horton's thugs. Now we have no lakes.

Chairman Cheyco said:

Sorry to tell you this Lord Sir, but we burned down all the lakes to make room for Krispy Kreem Doughnuts, only to have them get burned down by the Tim Horton's thugs. Now we have no lakes.

Click to expand...

LOL.

I heard the views are great. Once they got rid of the mountains.