Explore the Great Divide

One of my favourite hikes in the Banff area has to be Sunshine Meadows, which is the Sunshine Village Ski Area in the summer time. You drive to the Sunshine Village parking lot and then take a school bus up the "ski out" to Sunshine Village (where the gondola drops you off in the winter). You have miles of open meadows to explore by following the trails and you can discover incredible lookout points, gorgeous forests and lakes.


The Banff Aspen Lodge has a new one night summer package that includes our continental breakfast and the shuttle bus ride (for each adult) up to Sunshine Meadows. The best part of this package? You will receive savings just over 30% when you book it. It is our Explore the Great Divide package and allows you to hike at 7300 feet over the Continental Divide ...you can spend your day hiking on Top of the World :)

Visit http://www.banffaspenlodge.com/u/specials.phtml for more info~

Earth Day

Happy Earth Day to all of the BAL Blog Readers; I hope everyone is doing something a little different today to help the environment. And why not continue to do that thing a little different every day for a more long term effect? Here is what we are doing today:

~Some hallway lights will be dimmed for one hour
~Guests will be encouraged to reuse their glassware, towels and sheets
~Staff members are encouraged to walk / ride their bikes to work
~Everyone is reminded to turn off all lights, televisions and other electronics when not in use

We do our best at the hotel to reduce our Carbon Footprint 365 days a year and hope that our efforts encourage others to do the same. The Banff Aspen Lodge has a recycling program in place and low flow toilets / water saving devices are in some washrooms. All guestrooms at the hotel are equipped with Eco-Friendly amenity containers and soaps. These eco bottles are biodegradable and the soaps are made using palm kernel oil, a 100% vegetable soap base. They are made using a renewable resource. Finally; we put quarterly environmental reminders in all guestrooms with little tips / reminders on how we can all do our part to help the environment ~

I read the following quote this morning and think it is a perfect to end this post: "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children" (Native American Proverb)

The Effects of the Volcano in Iceland

Along with the rest of the world, Banff has also felt the effects of the volcanic eruption in Iceland. We have some guests staying at the hotel who were supposed to fly home to the UK last week and they have had to extend their stay in town. As frustrating as it would feel to be “stranded”, I think this is the perfect time to be in Banff; the weather this weekend is incredible…so much sunshine :)

If you are still in Banff and looking for some things to do, I highly suggest the following:
~Hike up Tunnel Mountain (in downtown Banff)
~Stop by the Bison Restaurant for lunch or dinner; the food is fantastic
~Sunshine Village and Lake Louise Ski Areas are both still open, offering you the opportunity for some wicked good spring skiing
~Take a drive up to Lake Minnewanka and explore the “Lake of the Spirits”
~Have dinner at the Balkan Restaurant on their “Greek Night” and do some belly dancing and plate smashing

Room Renovations Continue...

The Banff Aspen Lodge is excited to announce that we have started "phase two" of our guestroom renovation project. From March 21st – May 21st, 2010, 1/3 of our rooms will be under renovation; the rooms are being totally transformed with new carpet, window coverings, lighting and bedding.

This photo is of our Premium Room with two queen beds:


And here is our Superior Room with one queen bed:


By June 1st 2010 over 60% of the Banff Aspen Lodge Guestrooms will have been renovated and all rooms will be complete by December 31, 2010. Please call the hotel with any questions and we look forward to you all experiencing the newly improved BAL :)

Kananaskis Heli Tours

I had the amazing opportunity to go on a helicopter ride with Kananaskis Heli Tours. I had never been on a helicopter before and was kind of nervous, but their staff were fabulous and did an amazing job at getting me all pumped up! We did the Introductory Tour which was six minutes, the perfect length for my first time. The take-off was so smooth...I didn't even really realize that we had left the ground. We went across the Bow River and then over to Mt. Yamnuska; I loved being above the mountains and seeing everything from a "bird's eye view"



Kananaskis Heli Tours have a variety of different packages available, ranging from the six minute Introductory Tour to a 55 minute Ultimate Assiniboine Tour. You can also "build your own" package and add a one hour wilderness stop to any tour over 20 minutes. I think I would like to try the Romance Package where you have a private 20 minute sightseeing tour plus a one hour stop at their romantic wilderness location where you can sit by the water and enjoy champagne and chocolates or go for a snowshoe or hike. (Although I'm thinking the chocolates and champagne is more my style!)

If you are coming to the Canadian Rockies you must check out Kananaskis Heli Tours and everything they have to offer; they are a great company with superb service. Located just a 40 minute drive from Banff, at the Stoney Nakoda Resort and Casino at the junction of the Kananaskis Trail (Hwy 40) & TransCanada Highway (Hwy 1). Check out http://www.kheli.com/index.htm for more info~