Why Stay at the Banff Aspen Lodge?

Wondering which hotel to choose while in Banff? Here are some comments from Karen who stayed with us this past week:

Were any of the employees especially helpful or courteous?
"Blair and the other women on her shift; plus Lisa who I made my reservation with. The cleaning staff are excellent and friendly. When we lived in Calgary from 1983 - 1995, my husband and I came to the Traveller's Inn on "mini honeymoons" many, many times. (On this stay) we loved our room; so new and clean. My granddaughter and I were very pleased!!"

Karen; I'm so glad that we are apart of your Banff vacations! Can't wait to have you stay with us again :)

Banff Culture Weekend

Banff's forth annual Banff Culture Weekend is coming up on August 6 - 8, 2010. Continue celebrating Banff's 125th birthday by visiting the park and exploring some of its most historic spots! Some highlights of the weekend are:

*Friday August 6th - Cinema Under the Stars; come down to Banff's Central Park and watch an outdoor movie in the fresh mountain air! The movie being shown is "The Edge", which was filmed in the Bow Valley; start time is dusk (approximately 10pm).

*Saturday August 7th - Banff Culture Walk; demonstrations are taking place throughout town showcasing different artists and there are events at the Banff Centre. Canada House Gallery (at 201 Bear Street) has "Dynamic Demo Day" where you can watch five artists create their pieces. My favourite part is that you are able to speak with the artists and ask questions about their work; so interesting!

*Saturday August 7th - Nakoda Family Camp; visit the Banff Indian Grounds (across from the Banff Rocky Mountain Resort when entering Banff from Highway 1) and experience family friendly activities that teach you about the First Nation's history and traditions. The thing I want to check out? The mini pow-wow ... I think that would be so incredible to be apart of.

*Sunday August 8th - Doors Open Banff; you are able to visit some of Banff's heritage homes and buildings to really experience Banff's history. I love the idea of being able to go through a house that people have lived in for over 100 years and hearing its stories. For information on Doors Open Banff, stop by the Bison Courtyard at 211 Bear Street between 1-4pm

If you have any questions in general throughout the weekend, stop by the Bison Courtyard; the designated "information hub" for the weekend~

Enjoy your time in Banff National Park and learning about how it came to be!

Crazy Last Minute Deals at the BanffAspen!

Are you looking for a last minute getaway to Banff this summer? The first five people to book at the Banff Aspen Lodge for travel on August 15th - 19th 2010 will receive a 45% discount from our regular rates. You must reserve your room by August 1st, 2010! Reserve your room at the Banff Aspen Lodge NOW and book our "Crazy Last Minute Deal"...remember that this rate is only available for the first five people who book~


We look forward to having you stay with us!

Banff Dragon Boat Festival

Banff's third annual Dragon Boat Festival takes place August 14th and 15th on Lake Minnewanka in Banff National Park. This is an incredible event that showcases over 600 paddlers, drummers and coaches racing across Lake Minnewanka in hopes of being the first to cross the finish line. I participated in the first Dragon Boat Festival in Banff and it was amazing; the camaraderie between teams and the feeling of accomplishment was awesome!



There is a free shuttle from the town of Banff to the Lake, so you are able to come up for a few hours, watch the races and enjoy the scenery and then head back to town without worrying about parking.

Folk tradition says that the origins of dragon boating began when a Chinese folk hero (Qu Yuan) threw himself into a river to protest against the corrupt government. Once his followers heard this, they went to the river hoping to save him. They were unsuccessful, but used their paddles to splash the water and beat their drums to scare away the fish from eating Qu Yuan's body.

This is a great event that takes place in Banff National Park and I highly recommend you checking it out. There is also a sidewalk sale in downtown Banff on the same weekend should you want to do some shopping after watching the races~

Park's Day - July 17, 2010

Saturday July 17th is Parks Day and entry into all national parks and national historic sites are free! This is the perfect opportunity to come to Banff for a visit; you are saving money by not having to pay park fees, while learning more about our history and how Banff National Park came to be. Here are some of the activities happening in Banff on Park's Day; interpretive activities, a national parks quiz, guided hike around Vermilion lake, skits by theatre troupe Mountain WHIT, etc! Activities will take place between 9:30am and 9pm

Things that I recommend to check out when in Banff for Parks Day:

~Banff Cave and Basin (national historic site; so entrance is free on July 17)
~Banff Upper Hot Springs
~Banff Gondola
~Lake Minnewanka (ensure you drive around the whole loop to hopefully see some mountain goats)
~Drive along the Bow Valley Parkway (the 1A) towards Lake Louise to hopefully see some wildlife
~Hike Tunnel Mountain; a mini mountain in town that offers wicked good views

Happy Canada Day from the BAL!!!

Happy Canada Day to all from everyone at the Banff Aspen Lodge! There is so much to do in town today including face painting, outdoor performances, a parade and fireworks this evening! Head down to Central Park to check out all the action and I hope everyone has a fabulous day~