Canada Trip with Friends

We decided to try out the Iron Goat Pub and Grill for dinner. I will admit, our service was lackluster, but the food was good. Our Chipotle Mango Duck Wing appetizer was especially delicious! For our main meal, we went with the Game Meatloaf and the Bison Sirloin. I would say the highlight for this meal was the appetizer!

The next day we ventured out to Banff to try a lot of the normal “touristy” things. We started with taking a bus to the Banff Gondola. The gondola takes you up to the summit of Sulfur Mountain, where you are able to have a 360 degree view of the surrounding area. I will admit, the ride in the gondola was a little nerve wracking for me, given my fear of heights. I was thankful to have friends in there with me to calm me down. The views at the top were incredible. We were even able to see where we would be going the next day, Mount Norquay.

When we were done with the hot springs, we were all ready to eat. We took the bus back down to the main street and stopped in at the Banff Grizzly House for lunch. The Grizzly House is very well known for their fondue, as they offer many different kinds of meat options. One thing we did not realize when we chose this place to eat was that it is also known for something else. When we sat down at our table, we noted there were telephones at each table. When we asked our server about it, she said that you would use them to call other tables. We did not realize that the restaurant was not just for fondue lovers, but  was also “for lovers and hedonists”.  We all kind of got a kick out of it. Unfortunately, we did not get a phone call while we were there. We were able to enjoy some delicious fondue, however. We did the Four Course meal which comes with a salad or a soup. Then there is a cheese fondue with bread as an appetizer. For the main course, they brought out different meats that you cooked on a hot stone and could dip into five different sauces. Finally, for dessert, it was a chocolate fondue with different items to dip in it. Everything was so good, and we all had such a wonderful experience. 

Before venturing back to our airbnb, we did a little shopping downtown Banff. It was so fun walking around and just checking out the stores. My husband did find a nice little souvenir, a new coat from Canada Goose. It will really come in handy for some upcoming trips we have planned! It was also neat because they even had a subzero room, the Cold Room,  where you could test out the different coats and accessories. So, of course, we all had to get in there and try it out!

We started the day off with a trip to the Rocky Mountain Bagel Co. where we were able to grab some nice warm beverages and delicious bagels before a big adventure.

Once we were all done, we headed back to Canmore and chose to eat at BLAKE Brewhouse & Distillery. We started off with Duck Wings and Dumplings. We then tried the Kari Chicken Burger and the Kimchi Fried Rice. Very delicious! One of our friends also ordered the Mechanic Burger which had a “charcoal bun”. It was so neat to see the different items on the menu.

On our drive back to Canmore, we stopped at a few viewpoints along the way, Peyto Lake and Bow Lake. Both of these lakes were gorgeous! The colors were absolutely breathtaking!

The next day, we chose to do a hike, the Johnston Canyon up to the Inkpots. This hike is a seven mile out and back trail that goes by two waterfalls before finally finishing at the Inkpots, and it is only about a 30 minute drive outside of Banff. For those who do not know, inkpots are small mineral springs that can be slightly different colors depending on the time of the year. We made sure to get there early, since it is known to be a very popular hike. We were glad we did because as we came back down, it was crazy busy. The trail, per AllTrails, is a 7-mile out-and-back trail. It is fairly steep being about 1,899 feet elevation gain, so be prepared for that. The views were incredible and the weather honestly was perfect.

One thing that everyone needs to do while in Canada is visit Lake Louise. We were unable to take the shuttle there, so we ended up driving. We got lucky and found a parking spot. I believe we got there around 7 AM and it was already almost packed! We got our normal photos in front of the lake before heading out to the Teahouse. We took the Lake Agnes Trail up to the Lake Agnes Teahouse where we stopped for a little something to eat and drink. It was a chilly, rainy day, so this was honestly perfect. Something to get us out of the rain and to warm up. You may have to wait a little bit in line as there are not many places to sit, and highly recommend bringing cash. They do accept cards, but the system can be unreliable being that far up. They also usually have to bring everything up there, so please be kind and pack up your trash and take it back down with you. After we were a little warmer, we continued on up to the Little Beehive. The views were incredible! We got a great view of Lake Louise and the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. The total hike, per AllTrails, is 5.7 miles out-and-back. It is fairly steep most of the way up as it ends up being about an elevation gain of 1,755 feet. Honestly though, it was incredible, and we would recommend it to everyone!

We ended the night by trying marmite. Let me save you the details and just say, I am fine with never having it again!

When we were done, we stopped in Field, British Columbia for a midday meal at  Truffle Pigs Bistro. We started off with the Schrute Farms Beet Salad (mainly because of The Office). Then for our main dish, we went with the Chicken’n Dumplings, and the Balbi Korean Ribs. We then ended our meal with the lemon tart. It was nice to be able to dry off and enjoy some delicious food and warm beverages.

Now we have come to our final full day of our trip. We checked out of our airbnb and headed to the Fairmont Banff Springs for our final night. A few of us decided to try out the spa while we were there and got massages as well. While we were waiting for our massage time, we enjoyed some breakfast at STOCK inside the Fairmont. We had a hot chocolate and London fog to drink and enjoyed their Salmon and Lox bagel and the Acai Bowl. We then enjoyed a raspberry tart.

The Fairmont Banff Springs has a full spa onsite where you get your nails done, have massages and facials, enjoy the different whirlpools and mineral pool. We chose to do the Ultimate Ascent Massage which is a two hour restoration and healing of the body. They start with a footbath and foot scrub followed by a gentle dry-brush exfoliation. Then they do a hydrating massage followed by a warm wrap and a face and foot massage. I had never done the dry-brush exfoliation before, but man was it rather amazing! The whole experience was incredible and felt perfect after a week of different adventures! We were also able to enjoy the different whirlpools that were of different temperatures. So incredibly relaxing!

For our final dinner, we chose to eat at the 1888 Chop House inside the Fairmont. We started off with the King Crab Tart, the Lamb Tartare, and the A5 Gunma Joshu Japanese Wagyu Filet. The gentlemen had been talking up the A5 Wagyu they had on a previous trip, so of course we had to try it out! It honestly was delicious. Literally melted in your mouth! For the main course, we had the Dry Aged Brome Lake Duck and the Gold Standard Wagyu Filet Mignon with the addition of Foie Gras (which is duck or goose liver). Honestly both were incredible and would highly recommend! We also all split some potatoes, asparagus, carrots, and sunchokes for sides. Finally for dessert, we tried a few different options. We went with the Strawberries & Milk, the 1888 Sundae, and the Preserved Banana. They were all  very good and complemented one another nicely. It was a perfect way to end our trip.