Canadian Adventure
After too many years of relegation, I finally got to go!!
I decided to fly into Calgary and out of Vancouver. This way I would never have to backtrack, or waste time travelling through areas I had already seen.
This turned out to be a Godsend, as there is so much beautiful scenery to see, it would be a shame to not do as much as possible!
After leaving the metropolis of Calgary behind, we discovered the most beautiful scenic drives as we travelled through the Rock Mountains to Banff Springs. When travelling to this part of Canada, you have to stay in the original Banff Springs Hotel. It is a true icon of the area, and has the most stunning views. We stayed for 2 nights, which was the perfect amount of time to see the amazing sights the town has to offer.
From there, we travelled the short distance to Lake Louise, which in summer or winter has jaw dropping scenery to explore. The town itself is no more than a village, but the views more than make up for the lack of infrastructure. Again, two nights is ample time to visit the local sights of the area.
Moving on, we travelled to Jasper....home of the Rocky Mountaineer train. Jasper reminded me of the old Davy Crockett style towns I remember seeing on television as a child. The Jasper Park Lodge where we stayed, helped to make make this notion even more of a reality. It has a real charm to it, and was unlike any other hotel we stayed in during the trip.
We took the famous Rocky Mountaineer train from Jasper to Vancouver. The journey takes 2 days, with an overnight stop in the town of Kamloops. I would defintiley recommend taking the Gold Leaf Service onboard the train. It is more expensive than the Red Leaf option, but with meals included, and the most amazing panoramic viewing windows over your seat, it is well worth the extra cost.
Some of the scenery we saw on the way was jaw dropping, and even if you have no interest in trains (as I did), you will still enjoy every minute of the journey.
Upon arrival in Vancover station, we took a cab into town, for the last few nights of our holiday. Vancouver is a truly internationa town, with every nation under the sun catered for. I felt very much at home in this beautiful city, and we even took a float plane over to Vancouver Island for a day trip to the city of Victoria.
Dont let Canada pass you by, as I have in the past. If you take the time to explore, you will discover the most amazing sights and the friendliest people. Please feel free to give me a call to chat about my experiences, and I hope I can persuade you to visit!!