Falling snow, poutine, Bow Falls & Fairmont Banff Springs
I honestly don't know how anyone comes to Canada and doesn't fall in love with the country. Even the cold just kind of adds to the whole atmosphere. When we decided to hire a car, one of the first things we did was go to Banff to explore the town. As luck would have it, we walked into that perfect little town during a winter festival. The main street that aligns with the most perfect view of Cascade Mountain, a crown jewel that towers above welcome us as we drove around the little town trying to find a park so we could explore on our own time. We luckily found one pretty quickly and after getting our gloves and beanies on, we jumped out excitedly. The second we opened the car doors, the cold air breezed in. Cold and crisp air in a beautiful place is one of my favourite feelings. We walked across the street, Josh holding my hand to keep my clumsy self from slipping on the slippery roads.
We walked for a little while until we reached the street with this amazing big cat snow sculpture. I just kind of stopped in my tracks, amazed. We had seen it from the car but seeing it up close it was astounding how much detail had been added to this one sculpture...and all out of snow! And behind the big cat sculpture were four or five more. This was the main street where the the snow sculptures were. And it was so beautiful. Every snow sculpture seemed to somehow have more detail than the last. They were all so perfect. We spent a while wandering through them all, taking in the design and the story of each of them. And through and up the centre of the street, rising above, was a gorgeous view of the Rockies, capped with crisp white snow and framed perfectly against that bright blue sky above. Those snow sculptures were stunning, the perfect accompaniment to the winter festival that was playing out around us on that clear, sunny winters' day in Banff.
In awe, we eventually came to the end of that wonderful snow sculpture display. We wandered around the street and ended up smack bang in the middle of a horse race. Beautiful horses and fantastic costumed riders were racing through that little centre. And next to them, they were handing out biscuits, chocolate, and marshmallows next to some set up fire pits for everyone to make s'mores. We went up to the stall, got our ingredients, and we took our marshmallows to roast them over the fire. They were the perfect s'mores. And to top it off, there were so many dogs around. There we were, standing in the middle of a winter festival in Banff, surrounded by dogs and fun and beauty, snacking on s'mores and taking in the wonderful atmosphere that surrounded us. And then Josh suggested we try a famous local food. Those that know me know that I am quite food driven, so naturally I was all for this plan.
It was time to eat. So, what do you get for your first meal in Banff? Poutine, of course! We went to this charming little bar off the side of the main street and ordered drinks and a share plate of poutine. Poutine is basically hot chips topped with gravy and cheese curds. That little bar was great, cosy and warm and full of old wooden accents. While we waited for our food, we revelled in the moment, excited by where we were and what we were experiencing. We had always talked about going to Canada together and here we were. Our food finally arrived and we dug in, Josh looking amused and waiting for my reaction to this new food. We will both always try something once. I am happy to report that poutine is well worth the effort. The kind that we got had added duck on top as well. To be honest, I tried a little bit of the duck and then ate around it. A delicious meal, definitely, however next time we agreed we should try the type of poutine that came without the meat.
We finished our drinks and our food, paid our bill (with added tip of course), and headed back out into the brisk cold day to see more of Banff. The centre of the winter festival held a little ice rink and it was filled and surrounded by laughing, happy families and a few more snow sculptures. Dogs with little winter booties happily wagged their tails and walked with their people. And the clear sky was still as blue as it was when we headed into the bar for lunch. Banff is every bit as magical as you read about or se in the movies. We made our way back to the car and eagerly drove to our next destination for the day...Bow Falls. I was not really sure what to expect from Bow Falls because you can never really tell how nature is going to show off on any given day, especially in different seasons. When we got there, there were just a few cars and we were surrounded by fluffy white snow and emerald trees once again.
We got out, locked the car, and walked over to the viewpoint over the falls. I will never forget that sight. It was later in the afternoon and a few clouds were drifting in the afternoon sky, the right side of said clouds lined with a soft yellow, a reflection of the dipping sun. The snow was such a pure white that it was tinged with the palest of icy blue tones. The pine trees were a deep emerald green, perfectly triangular. The rocky walls and stones to the left of the lookout were natural hues, the perfect contrast to that bright white snow. And in the midst of it all was the creek reserve that laid out beneath the falls themselves. Bow Falls itself was frozen solid to the eye, however underneath you could just imagine small droplets and tiny streams of icy water rushing through, making their way to the water beneath.
To the left of us was a staircase upwards. Only, you could barely tell it was a staircase, there was so much build up and packed down snow. We could see a higher lookout above so we decided to carefully navigate our way up, using the handrails to hold ourselves steady. Remember how I said I was clumsy? I fell almost immediately, my left knee slipping out from underneath me. So, for once being smart enough to know not to push it, I stayed down and watched as Josh carefully inched his way to the top. After a little while at the top, he made his way back down. This in itself made up for not being able to go up there myself, he almost slid down but managed to gain his balance. Josh is not usually a cautious guy, so watching him slip and slide his way down the stairs back to the bottom had me in hysterics. When he did get to the bottom, we walked back to the main lookout and then made our way back to the car.
'I have dreamt in my life, dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and changed my ideas.'
Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights
After exploring the falls and taking in that winter wonderland postcard view, it was time to go and see the Fairmont. We parked and as we got out of the car, the softest of snow fall started to drift down from above us. My excitement got the better of me and I jumped up and down, too excited to stay still. So, we left the carpark with our ticket and went to explore. In Banff National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Fairmont Banff Springs is a literal castle of a building, towering up above the surrounding pine trees and topped with the same white fluffy snow that nature had decorated the entire town of Banff with. Over 130 years old, this hotel is awe inspiring to take in for yourself. Fairmont Banff Springs is built around the springs. The main road in and out of the Fairmont is lined with cobblestones. We walked up and around the spa entrance and through all the winding paths that surrounded the building.
When you stepped even a little ways off the path to the side, your foot sunk down into the snow. It was such a wild experience, with this trip being the first time I had seen fluffy white snow in such natural abundance. Having its own gold course, spa, fitness and aquatic centre, bowling, and ice skating, Fairmont Banff Springs truly does have it all right there. This is the perfect place for families especially. For us, it was the perfect way to cap off a wonderful day getting to explore Banff. A snowball fight or two later, we made it back to the car, laughing and riding the natural high of this positively insane place. Paying for parking and getting back on the road, we made the drive back to Canmore from Banff, watching the sun dip lower in the sky and the bright colours of the day fade to softer tones of the same wonderful tones.
We drove to and through Banff a few more times in this trip, however we never saw that main strip at night (though we did drive through Banff on the way back from tours in the early evening). Next time we will be there at night time. Banff has that certain kind of magic that you cannot really do justice when telling people about this place. Canada has a place in my heart now however Banff holds a piece of my heart forever. In the fading light of the day, we drove back along the black ribboning highway to Canmore, the Three Sisters eventually coming into view along with the night lights of Canmore, our Canadian home away from home. With so much exploration in one day, it was fantastic to go back to our Airbnb. From the pure fluffy white snow to our clean fluffy white sheets, this day was one to remember.
