Hannah Banana and I flew to Calgary, the largest city within the Alberta province, to visit Banff and Jasper National Parks. The funny thing about this trip is we COMPLETELY forgot that the weather would NOT be the same as Texas in March. Silly Texas Women! Our plans of kayaking Lake Louise were quickly shattered.
To our surprise, the car rental company we used (Driving Force) was not located at the airport and instead they provided a shuttle to the premises. This was slightly inconvenient but if you have the time- it saved us a significant amount of money.
We decided Jasper would be our first destination, followed by Banff and then back to Calgary.
Calgary to Jasper took us about 5.5-6 hours. Considering the snow, this was great timing and thanks to my Ohio roots, I have experience driving in the snow.
Trust me when I say the “Icefields Parkway” route is the best. The scenery is unbelievable and there are numerous stops along the way allowing you to pull off, soak in the views, stretch your legs and snap a couple photos. The Glacier Skywalk, a u-shaped bridge suspended high over the Columbia Icefields, is one of these stops. Unfortunately it was closed when we went but stopping looks worthwhile.
Jasper is a very small town with only a few lodging options. We stayed at Mount Robson Inn, reserved through booking.com. Just like any ordinary Inn, it had everything we needed. Upon arrival we were informed free breakfast was cancelled due to renovations. Although this allowed us to check out local breakfast spots; a warning would have been nice.
Our first evening included a visit to The Jasper Planetarium. We purchased tickets ahead of time which I recommend doing especially during peak season. The tour began with an educational presentation within the planetarium. Afterwards, we went outside to view the stars through the largest telescopes in the Rockies. The weather was not cooperating for us but they do offer a two year rain check for this reason. The tour finished with some local tunes, smores and hot chocolate next to a bonfire. I highly suggest adding this to your list of destinations. The stars are stunning in an area with so little light pollution. Jasper is the world’s largest accessible Dark Sky Preserve. There are even reports of being able to witness the Milky Way and Northern Lights from this planetarium.
Maligne Canyon was my favorite stop in Jasper. We did make this journey on our own but there are tours available if preferred. Choosing the correct footwear is crucial. My Salomon Trailrunner shoes were perfect and offered great traction in the snow. These are my “traveling sneakers” because I take them on every trip. Hannah purchased removable spikes for her boots which would have been extremely helpful if she had worn them LOL. Lets just say, a couple spills were taken. It is quite a hike to find the entrance that leads down into the canyon but you’ll eventually see an open gate.
After Maligne Canyon we split a pie and had some brews at Jasper Pizza Company. The pizza was delicious (in my top 5 favs) and we recommend trying the blueberry vanilla ale made by Jasper Brewing Co. This honestly is my most memorable meal of the trip. I wish the beer was available within the States.
Next stop- Jasper Skytram. Im gonna give this a big “meh.” There is a small gift shop and cafe at the top. Aside from a few quick photos, we didn’t go outside because of the high winds and freezing cold. There are hiking trails but it was really just too cold to make our way out there. This would probably be a better experience in the summer months. Nonetheless, the top of the skytram offers a spectacular view of Jasper. Oddly enough, the city is in the shape of a “J.”
Jasper from the Jasper Skytram
The following day we made our journey towards Banff National Park. A lot of our desired stops were on the way and to reserve ample exploring time we decided to stay in Lake Louise the next night. This minimized the amount of driving in one day. To Continue reading, check out Banff National Park.