Kevin and Melissa Take On Banff!

3 hours ago

1 minute read

This episode has us in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta. Banff, to be specific. What a beautiful location, but wow, was it crazy busy! Of course, being the last long weekend of the summer, it wasn’t exactly a surprise. What was surprising was the sheer number of people who came out to take in nature’s beauty.

I think the biggest reason for the “busyness” and getting around was the fact that the main street, Banff Avenue, was altered. What happened during COVID times was that Banff Ave. was closed to vehicle traffic (except buses in the median lanes). This allowed the businesses to make use of the curb lane for sales of merchandise, restaurant tables, etc. The sidewalks had much more space for walking, as many people also used the street. Now, it is back to normal, and this forces everyone to use the sidewalks again, causing an amazing amount of congestion.

But I digress. As mentioned, Banff is an extremely beautiful place to visit. The stores were busy and everyone was having a good time. The falls near the Banff Springs Hotel are another awesome picture-taking opportunity, and the serenity of the falls is to be believed. We did see about 15 elk on the road to the golf course and even witnessed a huge bull elk and two smaller ones running down the 15th fairway!
Lots of hiking trails to keep you in shape, that’s for sure! Tourists were everywhere, taking pictures and excitedly pointing out nature’s bounty. The gondola to the top of the mountain had a constant line up, as well as to the hot springs (which were being closed for renovations beginning Sept. 2). What was also nice was that Parks Canada was not charging admission to the National Parks this summer. This could have been another reason why it was so busy.

All in all, it was a great three days out there camping and sitting around the fire just chilling. And the best part for us was that limited to no cell service at the campground. What a great way to unplug from social media and just enjoy. Watch for part two!