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One really enjoys the way the scenery changes on the Trans- Canada highway from Calgary to Banff via Canmore - a quaint little town in the foothills which is being developed for tourists. One hour from Calgary International Airport, the drive is easy, winding through scenic prairie west of the Calgary and the mountains slowly close in and envelope you – and you are in the cosy heart of the mountains. You are in the small town of Banff.
This quaint little town, surrounded by turquoise lakes and an equally turquoise Bow River, was founded in 1883 after two railway workers went looking for gold and found hot springs at what is now the Cave and Basin National Historic Site. Charmed by its beauty and promise, tourists and explorers soon flocked the area. Since 1885, the 6,500 acre unique wilderness is a protected reserve, and also now it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Banff Center for the Arts has made Banff a cultural hot spot. Banff is a hub for outdoor sports, fine dining, shopping, and has a lively night life. The easygoing atmosphere completes the town’s charm. In Canada, it is a major tourist destination.
The crowning glory is the majestic Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel sitting as a magnificent fairy castle amidst a sea of deep pine forest. It was originally built by the Canadian Pacific Railways a hundred years ago. At that time it was the largest hotel in the world. The hotel was founded above the confluence of the Bow River and Spray River, at a point where the Bow takes an impressive plunge before the two rivers meet.
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Close by is Lake Moraine, nestled in the Valley of the Ten Peaks. Lake Moraine is also breathtakingly beautiful. Sip a cup of thick hot soup on the patio of Moraine Lake Lodge while enjoying the view of the turquoise lake and the majestic ten peaks which stand guard around it.
Hence, on to the Icefields Parkway! It’s dubbed the most beautiful road in the world. This road runs along the valleys through the high, majestic peaks of the Canadian Rockies, strung with lakes – large and small – of all shades of green, blue and turquoise. The bright blue of the lakes and rivers is so striking that one wonders whether chemicals are used to create it.
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Soon you start believing that you are living in a postcard! On a clear sunny day the sky is unimaginably blue and the air is fresh and crisp. If you are lucky to find a clear day, the shimmering lakes and the mountains will be a memory you will always cherish.
As you start your three and a half hour drive towards Jasper, a series of stunning lakes come into view. Expect deer, elks, and big-horned sheep strolling leisurely in the middle of the road, surprisingly unruffled by the fact that people in their cars are excitedly taking their photographs.
Quieter than Banff, hundred year old Jasper is a small frontier town for the early colonists, and is also a railhead. The charming town sits on a broad ridge overseeing the green pine forest – just like a seaside town on the cliffs atop a beach! You can shop at the ‘corniche’ for wonderful handicrafts.
The view from the Jasper Tramway is an impressive panorama of the town site and the Athabasca and Miette River valleys. As you travel in the gondola you notice that between tree line and snow line, a land of hardy life exists, the alpine tundra. Because most of the peaks are hard to reach, you are one of the few who enter this land above the trees. Hike to the summit of the Whistlers; discover the miniature life forms inhabiting this area that looks so barren at a distance. Sip a cup of hot tea and enjoy the view comfortably from the café while waiting for the gondola to pick you up!
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