I honestly have to say that everyone must visit Alberta at least once in their life. And although COVID-19 impacted our ability to travel internationally, travelling within Canada has been nothing short of amazing!
P.S. I almost texted my boss to tell her that I'll be moving to Banff until further notice. There is definitely something in the air.
Bow River
Okay, when I tell you that this is the cutest little walk that's so close to the boardwalk in Banff National Park, I'm not lying. It honestly felt like we were looking at the Apple MacBook stock backgrounds. The beginning of the hike is absolutely breathtaking (and very easy to walk through) and the bridges you pass give you the best views of the mountains!
Then you get introduced to the Nature Art Walk, which is filled with long and tall trees, the river and ends with a magnificent waterfall, but let me warn you, it does get difficult 10 minutes into the hike. Talk about stairs on stairs on stairs!
Moraine Lake
Everyone raves about Lake Louise, but let me tell you that this detour to Moraine Lake (which is on the way to Lake Louise) was one of the best decisions we ever made. The water is so blue (and a lot more calmer than Lake Louise) and the hike is absolutely gorgeous. It's an easy walk around the lake and you get a gorgeous view of the mountains.
There's also a rock pile - which fun fact, is actually the Rocky Mountains - that you can hike up. Now this hike is something that's worth doing, despite how breathless you get while getting to the top and the narrow steps up with a busy crowd. The view of the lake will take your breath away! Definitely worth the trip, just make sure you go early in the day.
Johnston Canyon
As much as I enjoyed the waterfalls, this was not a hike that was worth doing. It was great to go on a very difficult hike, but it was not worth the two hours we spent going to the top. Now, we found out after an incredibly tough hike to the Upper Falls that it was closed, and we couldn't actually see the waterfall the way we were meant to. It was definitely cool walking through a cave, but it was not worth the hours spent.
Lake Louise
The photos you see online about Lake Louise do not add up to how beautiful it looks in person. We kept wondering if it was real, if the water was actually that blue. Yes. Yes it was.
We took the easy walk towards the Glaciers, but didn't actually make it to the Glacier because we found a cute little hideaway at the end of the lake. Although it is a classic place to visit when in Alberta, it should 100% be on your list of places to visit. Though you definitely want to go early in the day otherwise you will not find parking and will be turned away.
Jasper
This drive is unbelievable. With all the stops you can make on the side of the road and the views you have? It's absolutely breathtaking. It is only a 3 hour round-trip drive (because let's be honest, you'll stop everywhere on the way there, and just drive straight back!) and you have to add this to your itinerary. P.S. you don't have to do the glacier walk that the town offers, you can just drive to the parking lot and walk to the toe of the glacier! But, I'll be honest when I say you definitely need warmer jackets because it gets cold!
It's safe to say that by the end of the trip, my ankles and calves were absolutely tired. There's still so much more to discover in Banff and Alberta, and I can't wait to go back and visit!