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.
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.
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.
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.
Pretty nice Michael, and I thought my pictures of the playland at the McDonalds were nice… 😉
Have to bookmark the lodge page for future reference and vacations.
awesome…. really a nice town.. i can felt the ” warm ” just from looking at the picture…
It’s cold not warm. I think there is ice at the top of the mountains.
Compared to Red Deer this must feel like a big city!
Big announcement? Did you fall off an ATV or something 🙂
my god that meal looks absolutely godly.. all thats needed is an IcE CoLd beEr to wash it down
Great videos and photos – glad you enjoyed your visit!
Was hoping to see the pics and videos of your white water rafting adventure as well as the gondola trip going up the mountain.
I wanted to get some pictures from my whitewater rafting too, but I don’t have a waterproof camera. If only a sponsor would nab me one of those waterproof Xacti camcorders….
Regarding a video of the gondola trip, I think I have a video of me going down (but not up). I’ll post that up on YouTube when I have the chance. Subscribe to my YouTube channel and it should let you know when it’s been uploaded.
Gondola video is live on YouTube.