Welcome to the Town of Banff (Alberta, Canada)

While Banff didn’t quite make the cut for my international travel bucket list, it’s still a nice place to visit on a long weekend such as the one we are currently enjoying. It may not be quite as exotic as a trip to Taiwan, but it also means that I wasn’t in for as much of a culture shock. We are still in Western Canada after all.

I went on a whitewater rafting adventure the day before, so the goal with my Banff visit was to catch some well-deserved rest and relaxation. I’ll be wandering around the town, going up the mountain on the gondola, and snapping plenty of pictures along the way.

While other people may prefer to stay right in the middle of Banff, Susanne and I decided to get condo-like accommodations that are a couple minutes outside of town. The Hidden Ridge Resort is a little more private and a little more secluded. It also comes with a number of great amenities, like outdoor barbecues, complimentary Wi-Fi Internet access, and a fairly complete kitchenette.

Watch the video to check out our room.

Aside from the lovely town of Banff itself, the drive into the Rocky Mountains can also be very scenic. You are surrounded by some great views along the way.

Welcome to the Town of Banff (Alberta, Canada)

This raven was hanging out in our condo complex when we arrived. You never really see any ravens in the city, so it was nice to see the object of Edgar Allen Poe’s affections. I’m not entirely sure why the raven was vocalizing so much, but it was croaking pretty well the whole time.

Welcome to the Town of Banff (Alberta, Canada)

As part of the package with Hidden Ridge Resort, we received a full sirloin steak dinner from The Keg Steakhouse. This is not served at the restaurant. Instead, it was delivered directly to our door and then we went to the outdoor barbecues to fire up the steak (and warm up the baked potato). You get all the fixings on the side, like the real bacon bits and sour cream, along with a Caesar salad. Not pictured is the slice of cheesecake that is also included.

Welcome to the Town of Banff (Alberta, Canada)

No, visiting Banff may not be quite as exciting as a trip through Egyptian tombs or the ancient Greek ruins, but it can still make for a very relaxing and rewarding weekend excursion. As I mention in the video, I hope to have some more pictures and videos up in the next few days. Look for them on my Flickr and YouTube accounts, respectively.

On a side note, expect a big announcement tomorrow on Beyond the Rhetoric. You’ll want to stay tuned for that.

UPDATE 09/13/09: The Banff Gondola video is now up on YouTube for your viewing pleasure.