My Favourite Picnic Spots in Banff National Park

With summer rapidly approaching, I always start to get a little antsy waiting for my first picnic of the season. Last year I remember driving for a picnic on a sunny day in April down to Kananaskis...unfortunately there was much more snow there than in Banff and the picnic had to take place in the car :)

Clearly the most important part of picnicking is what you've packed to eat. There needs to be a perfect balance of good food, drink and a nice sweet thing to finish things off with! Banff has a lot of great bakeries to buy a brownie or cookie for your picnic dessert.

If planning on visiting Banff in the next few months, have a look at my favourite picnic spots in the area and check a few of them out if you have time:
*Two Jack Lake - a short drive from Banff on the way to Lake Minnewanka; no hiking required...an easy car picnic with amazing views
*Banff Central Park - right in the town of Banff and on a sunny day, there is amazing people watching :)
*Most picnic areas along the Bow Valley Parkway (Highway 1A between Banff and Lake Louise). Just such gorgeous scenery on this drive and always a good chance to see some wildlife. If feeling like a walk before eating, hike up to the Upper Falls at Johnston Canyon...amazing views and comfy rocks to enjoy your picnic
*Lake Agnes Tea House in Lake Louise - one of my favourite hikes to do in the area...I ensure it is done at least once a summer. It is an easy-moderate hike and the reward is your prepacked picnic at the top. Once you've finished your picnic, enjoy a nice cup of tea inside the Lake Agnes Tea House.

This photo was taken during my first summer in Banff at an evening picnic at Two Jack Lake...it has all the essentials in my opinion!

Happy Picnicking to all!

LIVE! with Kelly...in Banff

There has been a lot of excitement this past week in Banff. Kelly Ripa from the show LIVE! with Kelly was in town hosting her daily talk show and showcasing the incredible Banff Lake Louise area.

When I heard that Kelly Ripa was coming to Banff, I was excited that Banff Lake Louise and Alberta would be receiving some awesome exposure through her show. I didn't try to get tickets, as I wasn't an avid watcher of her show and didn't think I needed to go.

I was at the grocery store on Sunday evening and ran into a friend who had tickets to the taping on Monday morning. She asked if I wanted to join her...I said yes and off we went to the Banff Centre early Monday morning.


I have watched LIVE! with Kelly a few times and she always made me giggle. Seeing her in person is so much better! She is exactly as she seems...sweet, funny and incredibly genuine. She was so grateful for everything that she experienced in Banff National Park and Alberta and didn't appear to take anything for granted. She was able to promote Alberta and make all Canadians look fabulous doing so :)

Peter Facinelli (or P-Fatch as Kelly calls him) was the co-host of the show that I saw. The guests were Johnny Galecki (Leonard from Big Bang Theory) and Canadian R&B singer Melanie Fiona; who had just won a Juno the night before. This photo is blurry...but it is of Kelly, "P-Fatch" and John Galecki during his interview.


I know that I am lucky to live in Banff, but watching LIVE! with Kelly this past week has made me SO much more grateful for this awesome place that I call home :)

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Spring Skiing in Banff National Park

I feel like I do a post on this every year...but seriously...it is required! My favourite time to ski in Banff/Lake Louise is mid-March and April. The snow is amazing and the temperatures are around 0 Degrees Celsius. This year is no exception and I think 2012 may be the best Spring Skiing I've experienced yet!

Around three weeks ago we had the biggest snow storm in years, with heavy snow starting to fall in the evening on March 4th and finally stopping in the morning of March 6th. Here I am skiing in Lake Louise after the snow stopped on Tuesday March 6th:


We've had more snow in town since then, but the ski hills have been receiving almost 5-10cm almost nightly! And today? I wake up to another awesome storm...I was covered in snow by the time I got to work (with a guest saying to me as I walked inside "wow...you're covered in snow"). This photo was taken on my walk to work today (Mar22):


Here is why you need to experience spring skiing in Banff/Lake Louise:
~Warmer temperatures
~Champagne powder
~No lift lines if skiing midweek
~Sunshine Village is only 15cm away from breaking their all time snowfall season record!
~Night skiing, tubing or enjoying a cup of tea at the top at Mount Norquay
~The Powder Bowls at Lake Louise
~Weekend concerts at each mountain
~Sitting outside at any of the mountains while enjoying a BBQ lunch & beverage break

See you all on the slopes!

Happy Valentine's Day!

To celebrate Valentine's Day, I am posting my top five favourite romantic things to do in Banff National Park:

1) Sleigh Ride along Lake Louise (through Brewster Adventures)
2) Ice Skating on the Bow River or on the new rink beside the Banff High School
3) A winter walk (Tunnel Mountain, Fenland Loop, Marsh Loop)
4) Downhill skiing with a picnic somewhere on the mountain
5) Cross country skiing with a picnic on the way (my favourite place to cross country ski is at Emerald Lake Lodge - it is amazing!)

Please note; all of these things MUST be followed up with a lovely dinner! The restaurants that I enjoy are Georgio's, The Banff Balkan and The Maple Leaf; all are delicious!

Facebook & Twitter Friend Special

Thank you to everyone who currently follows the hotel on Facebook, Twitter and through our Banff Aspen Lodge Blog. We really appreciate all of your support and feedback! To show our appreciation, we'd like to extend a special rate to everyone who is apart of the Banff Aspen Lodge Online Community:

Travel from March 11 - 31, 2012 and stay in our Premium Room for only $99+tx/night; this is savings up to 40% and includes our delicious Canadian Rockies continental breakfast, wireless internet and parking! Book online here and ensure you use the special access code: March99. This code must be used in order to access the discounted rate.

For more information on the special, visit our Facebook Page

Mount Norquay's $2 Lift Ticket Days, Tea House & More!

Skiing in Banff just got easier with Mount Norquay's $2 Lift Ticket Days. On the second Thursday of each month, ski tickets to Norquay will only cost you $2. This awesome deal is available on February 9th, March 8th and April 12th, 2012.

Norquay is one of the oldest ski areas in North America. Be apart of its history and visit the newly restored tea house at Norquay at the top of the North American Chairlift. Enjoy a ride up to the tea house where you will experience panoramic views of Banff National Park. Snacks, sandwich's and tea are available for sale. This is the most accessible tea house in the area, as you take a chairlift to get to it instead of hiking. The tea house is available to both skiers and non-skiers; pricing to access the tea house and more information is available here. The following is a historic image of the tea house from it's early days:


Norquay also offers tubing and snowshoeing. Night skiing is available on Friday and Saturday nights from 5-10pm; it is the only ski resort in the area to offer night skiing! If interested in trying a bit of skiing, some tubing and visiting the tea house in one visit, Mount Norquay has a ticket available for all three for only $59. For more information on Norquay, please visit www.banffnorquay.com