A New Decade Begins in Banff

 

I firmly believe in celebrating birthdays, but I especially believe in doing something truly memorable for monumental numbers. You only roll into a new decade every so.. well, ten years. A new decade deserves to be ushered in with boldness and adventure. At least, that’s how my internal workings and beliefs are wired.

I was thrilled when my brother agreed to join me for a trip to Banff to help celebrate my big day. Once I was over the shock of him saying yes to going (he doesn’t like to travel), I got really excited about being in the mountains and having some quality sibling time. Plus I thought this sign that we found in Banff summed it up perfectly: Mountain Porn ahead.

 

Late May is technically considered shoulder season in Banff, which made it a tiny bit hard to plan. Would it be sunny and warm? Would things be unthawed? Would there be a late season blizzard and the place be buried in 10 feet of snow? Weather is just so unpredictable! The week before we arrived there had been snowfall, which meant that the ski resorts were still open when we were there. But because it was pretty warm, we opted not to partake in slush skiing. Instead, we spent a lot of time in the vehicle meandering on scenic drives, enjoying the mountain views, scanning fervently for wildlife, and attempting some shorter hikes.

 

We weren’t expecting shoulder season to be so busy. Even though we were tourists, neither of us like touristy areas. This was challenging for us, but it was also the first nice weekend in months, and it was also a holiday weekend for Canadians, which meant that people had come out of the woodwork to enjoy the mountain town and surrounding area.

We also weren’t expecting it to be so difficult to find a local. Banff appears to be very transient. We met workers from all over the globe…. From Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Scotland, England, and various other parts of Canada. When we’d ask people “what do you recommend” we kept getting the same tourist-recommended answers. This made it difficult to find something off-the-beaten path. And perhaps there really aren’t that many “locals only” trails or hidden gems. If there were, we didn’t find them.

 

What we did find was this: majestic mountains, snow capped beauty, lots of bears (seven to be exact), several elk, friendly big horned sheep, gorgeous lakes, delicious beer and hard cider, nice short hikes, and a quaint mountain town.

 

 

I cannot fathom how busy Banff and the Icefields Parkway must be during June and July, because it felt incredibly busy even in shoulder season. We wish we’d have had more knowledge about the Canmore area, just a mere 25 minute drive away, where more trails were accessible due to a slightly lower elevation and the snow being melted. But even with the bustle of locals and tourists, the Banff area was a great choice for a sibling trip to kick back and relax and celebrate the turning of a big year.

 

Recommendations:

• Bow Valley Parkway. Absolutely gorgeous with ample wildlife opportunities if you are lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. This parkway is where we first saw bears.

• Bow Lake. This was frozen when we visited, but beautiful. Bonus – sinking hip deep in the snow thinking you’re on solid ground. Oops.

• Waterfowl Lake. This was our favorite spot. So much so that we went to the area twice. The hike to the lake is short but offers stunning views. Cross the footbridge and you have hiking options of going to Cephren Lake or Cirque Lake, neither of which we made it to, because after hiking in the slushiest, muddiest trail ever, we wound up knee deep in snow with no visible sign of the trail, forcing us to turn back. Bonus on this trail: we heard our first ever avalanche, which is both incredible and a bit creepy all at the same time.

• Mistaya Canyon. Definitely worth the short stop if you’re going by it on the Icefields Parkway.
• Banff Hike: Tunnel Mountain Trail. Worth doing for some great overviews of the city of Banff. Gorgeous mountain scenery on a local trail that requires little effort to get to and isn’t too difficult but can be somewhat crowded.

• Lake Minnewanka area. Another one of our favorites, simply for the views. The friendly big horned sheep were a surprise bonus.

 

• Canmore area. Grassi Lakes Hike and Spray Lake Scenic Road. Simply spectacular views of emerald green ponds and lakes on the Grassi Lakes Hike. This is probably going to be busy no matter when you go, but don’t skip it.

 

Skip

• Johnston Canyon Hike. Unless you like to climb upward, with a thousand other people, on a narrow path where you’re forced to walk at a snail’s pace for a very unrewarding view, skip this.
• Lake Louise. I know, it’s the iconic lake of the area. But I say skip it, especially if you’re there when it’s still frozen. It’s crowded. REALLY crowded. And honestly, being frozen, the scenery wasn’t that grandiose.

No matter what you do, you can’t go wrong in the Banff area. It’s stunningly beautiful with picturesque lakes and mountains, teeming with wildlife and jaw-dropping views. I am forever grateful to have been able to spend that time with my brother in such a beautiful, relaxing setting.

 

Side note: Lesson learned: Never tell your older brother that you can keep up with him drinking.

Meandering in Montreal

Some of my most favorite urban traveling memories are from when I have been able to explore cities on my own. Like the day I spent discovering the beautiful streets, churches, and sidewalk artists in Paris. Or the twisting and turning that came with each new wall mural in Lucerne. Navigating my way through the bustling sidewalks and streets of Hanoi. And more recently, wandering in Montreal.

 

I usually set out with no agenda and fall into step with whatever tempo presents itself. These days are carefree and leave me feeling exhilarated from my willingness to go whereever the moment takes me, trusting my path to lead to interesting places. On these days I’m guided by curiosity instead of expectations.

Meandering… no demands, no deadlines. Street by fascinating street.

 

Montreal is a city filled with stylish, fashionable, multicultural, multilingual people. It’s friendly, it’s chic. It feels young with all the trendy people clipping down the streets in their flashy shoes and skinny jeans. That is, until you cross a street and round a corner and suddenly an old church from the 1600s pops into view, offering an observable reminder that this city has a wealth of history, too.

 

My first couple of days in Montreal were spent exploring with a friend. We did the typical “first time in a new city” things and we thoroughly enjoyed them. My friend left after a few days of catching up, and I stayed on for a few more.

 

On my last afternoon in Montreal I went back to parts of Vieux-Montreal that I hadn’t yet seen. It was a walk that took me through China town and down to the old port area. I was reminded of how much I enjoy wandering on my own. Turning this way or that simply because the architecture or window whispers “come this way...” and winding my way through cobblestone streets lined with beautiful foliage and flowers in window boxes hanging onto the end of summer.

 

Montreal is seemingly under restoration and repair, with barricades, construction, torn up streets, bright orange cones and detour signs in nearly every place you’d want to take a picture. I think I’ll just caption most of my photos from this walkabout as “Pardonnez la construction.”

Nevertheless, despite the construction, Vieux-Montreal still manages to be eye-candy for the soul, and a day of spontaneous wandering reminded me how much I enjoy letting go of the agendas and schedules, if only for a few hours or a day.

 

 

 

Things to Do in Montreal

 

People have always said how Montreal is a really cool city, but in the back of my mind, I was always a bit reserved. Maybe it’s because I’d spent some time in Toronto, the super-sized city that’s a nearby neighbor and had left me feeling anything but impressed. Or maybe it’s that cities aren’t usually my thing and rarely make me want to return for another round. Whatever the reason, I went into my Montreal work-play combo trip with a hesitation that was balanced by optimism at looking forward to some fun exploration of a new place with a friend.

 

Montreal turned out to be amazing. Below are the top things I experienced and would highly recommend for anyone visiting this fabulously diverse, incredibly friendly, easy to navigate, urban place.

1. Mont Royal Park – walk, hike, scale, or climb for the amazing views.

I’m positive there is an easy way to get to the top. I’m also equally positive that we didn’t take it. We started out walking on the paved trail that slowly zigzagged its way up the side of the very large hill. Along the way I realized there were short cuts built into the path, which, in theory, should have cut the time. So I led us up one of these timesavers which took us right to the side of the cliff where a barely visible trail sort of existed. My friend was quite skeptical, but I figured the only way was up and somehow convinced her to believe me, so we climbed, crawled, and scaled the side of giant boulders, weaved our way through fences, and finally made it to the top, where we were rewarded with spectacular views overlooking the city. I don’t necessarily recommend the route we went, but going for the views is something one should do. Mont Royal Park is easy to find (it’s the only giant hill in the city) and the easiest route is to take the bus up to the top. We opted to take it back down to the metro station, which then connected us to our downtown hotel area.

 

 

2. Explore Vieux Montreal

Vieux Montreal (Old Montreal) is an amazing place. Cobblestone streets, history, restaurants, shopping, the old port, the path along the water, the narrow streets filled with all kinds of architectural details, the market at Marché Bonsecours, the old churches… I could go on. Bottom line, don’t leave Montreal without at least one trip to Vieux Montreal.

 

 

 

3. Notre Dame Basilica of Montreal

I’ve been to a lot of beautiful churches around the world, including the Notre Dame Basilica in Paris. But when I entered the Notre Dame Basilica of Montreal, I actually gasped. It’s gorgeous. I most definitely cannot describe it adequately, so just go and see it for yourself. The rich blue and gold tones are incredibly soothing, the level of detail is astounding, and the energy in the building is peaceful despite all the tourists milling around.

 

 

4. Stop for coffee, tea, or a light bite at Les Intraitables Bistro and Café

This might have been one of my favorite finds in Vieux Montreal. It’s swanky, it’s sparkling, it’s inviting, and above all, it’s super friendly. Go ahead…. take a break here. You’ll be glad you did.

 

 

5. Shop on Rue Sainte-Catherine

Unless it’s an outdoor store like REI, I pretty much hate shopping. My friend, however, loves it, and we spent an evening shopping on the famous Rue Sainte-Catherine, which  conveniently was just 2 blocks away from our hotel. The prominent shopping street is a beautiful one, filled with people from all over the world, fancy shops like Michael Kors and Tiffany & Co. balanced with affordable places like H&M and Forever 21. There’s something for everyone.

6. Grab lunch at the fabulous vegan restaurant, Aux Vivres, in the Mile End district

If you happen to be in the Mile End district, or walking your way from the Metro station to Mont Royal Park like we were, swing by Aux Vivres for lunch. You’ll be so very glad that you did, especially if you’re a healthy, whole foods person like I am. This place has some serious flavor and makes creative vegan food taste like the best gourmet meal you’ve ever had. Check it out if you’re in the area. It’s worth it.

  

7. Ride the Metro

You might think I’m joking. I’m not. I seriously loved the Metro in Montreal. It’s clean, it’s easy, it’s affordable. It’s convenient to get where you want to go. I grew up in the country, where the nearest Metro or Subway was multiple states away and the nearest town, at the time, had one stop sign. I love utilizing public transit in large cities to have a better experience of local life and to get to practice some city skills, and the Montreal Metro might be one of the best ones I’ve taken.

 

8. While you’re at it, Ride the Bus

If you’re good with riding the Metro, then take your city skills up one more step and ride the city bus. It’s also incredibly easy to use and figure out. We had a car while in Montreal as my friend drove up from New York, but we never took it out of the hotel parking garage because we never needed it. The Metro and the Bus and our good ol’ walking shoes got us everywhere we needed and wanted to go. If you’re flying into Montreal, take the bus from the airport to your hotel (and back again). It only costs $10 and saves you a ton of money instead of taking a cab.

9. People Watch

Montreal is a fabulous city for people watching. Trendy and chic, this fashionable city has a plethora of styles, languages, cultures and ethnicities. Much to our amusement, we didn’t even need to leave our hotel to enjoy the variety of people. We stayed at the downtown Sheraton, which has become one of my all-time favorite hotels, and that’s saying a lot. But it’s evidently also the choice for when the Chinese Premier comes to town, as he was there for a few nights with his wife and entourage to meet with the Prime Minister of Canada. Having these two government superstars at the same hotel meant lots of security – ranging from Chinese security with snappy looking suits and secret-service like ear buds, to Montreal police and military complete with leg-strapped weapons, both in the building and outside keeping the protesters corralled. Just think about this combo, all within the hotel lobby…. Chinese Premier. Canadian Prime Minister. Security. Protesters… Entertaining, to say the least. We were somehow able to drag ourselves from the bustling activity at the Sheraton and ventured outside, where the people-watching and interactions were incredible. From visitors, business folks, locals, and hockey fans, this city has a lot going on. And they’re all just so darn friendly… Except for the government security. They must not have been feeling very social.

 

Bottom line: Montreal is awesome. I am positive I’ll be back for another visit. And if you happen to be heading there, consider a few of these recommendations – you’ll be glad that you did!