Banff, Canada - In the Snow
Touring a beautiful, snowy Banff National Park.
A snowy Lake Louise
Banff is one of those places where describing it in words is probably doing it a disservice. It’s a place that you just have to see for yourself.
Visiting in May 2017, the weather in Banff National Park was still quite cool - mountains were covered in snow and the lakes were at the beginning stages of melting. I would love to see those lakes painted in crystal blue during the summertime, but seeing it coated in fluffy white probably made for a completely different experience.
Entering Banff with the morning sunlight shining through
Right away, even before seeing much of anything, I knew it was someplace that I wanted to come back to someday.
Lake Louise covered in white snow
Staying in Calgary, we took a day trip with a tour we booked from Viator who picked us up from the city and took us on a tour with main stops at Lake Louise, Johnston Canyon's lower waterfall and the Kicking Horse Pass. Lake Moraine was on the list as well but we unfortunately had to skip it due to unsafe conditions.
Johnston Canyon's lower waterfall
Our tour guide was one of those people who do their job because they love it. What had started out as just a short term gig, he apparently grew a passion for it and decided to stay, which ended up in him giving us not only a knowledgeable tour, but one where you could tell he wanted to give us the best experience possible.
Kicking Horse Pass
Blue waters at Kicking Horse Pass
Besides the incredible sights on our tour list, some of the highlights included random, wild animal sightings.
We saw a couple of black bears recently out of hibernation, one roaming and another digging through a log for food, as well as a moose. Our guide seemed genuinely surprised to see them at this time of year and he was just as into watching them as we were, pulling the bus to a halt on the road so we could observe and be in awe.
A wild moose hanging out in Banff
Banff Town was our final stop before heading back to Calgary. A lot of people stay at lodges here being that it’s more convenient, something I’d probably consider doing next time. It’s a small town that somewhat resembles ski villages like Whistler, and there’s quite a bit of shopping there as it’s geared to tourists.
Mountains near Banff Town
In Banff, it's all about the nature. Even the town is surrounded by tall mountain tops, humbling us and reminding us how small we really are. There are incredible natural landscapes to see in the world, and North America definitely has an abundance. Banff has to be one of the ones at the top.
I'm looking forward to being back.
Flying over the Canadian Rockies on Air Canada
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Calgary, Canada
The “Midwest” of Canada, Calgary was a nice short stay while heading to Banff.
Calgary Tower
Calgary was our hub for a day trip to Banff National Park.
Before arriving, I had only known the city for two things: The hometown of the twin music duo Tegan and Sara, and the Winter Olympic spot that Cool Runnings happened.
Downtown Calgary
We caught a cab from the airport to our Airbnb with a driver who was full of stories. He told us about how he immigrated in the footsteps of his dad from Bangladesh (I believe), started a business and ended up calling Calgary his home despite its conservative background that he didn’t really agree with. The low key feel and the opportunities that Calgary could offer him were reasons enough for him to call it home.
Our Airbnb was in The Guardian Towers, a tall pair of residential towers near the Calgary Stampede, an area that seemed to be on its way to being developed.
The Guardian Towers, Airbnb location
Calgary is a small city of about 1.3 million with a very different feel from Vancouver or Montreal. You immediately sense it. It makes Vancouver look extremely hippie and Montreal seem like some city on the other side of the Atlantic altogether. It’s probably akin to a typical American Midwest city, and although I’ve only been to Omaha and Chicago, I’d imagine this comparison to be pretty accurate.
Afternoon in downtown Calgary
The city blocks are big and destinations are further away than you’d think. There’s a streetcar, the CTrain, that runs through the central downtown area, but outside it things are pretty spread apart with not a whole lot in between. It’s definitely more of a driving city. Despite this, we spent our time exploring on foot, mostly south of Downtown on 17th Ave SW and then Downtown itself.
The CTrain going through downtown Calgary
During the rodeo season, the city apparently gets lively as it’s the main event of the year. Otherwise, it seems to be pretty quiet with stores closing early around 6PM. We were there in May and it’s still very lit at that hour, so it was a strange sight to see the city basically shut down in the daylight. Calgary happens to be the sunniest part of Canada actually, and days during that time went until around 8PM.
The Calgary sunrise was incredible.
People in Calgary seemed pretty nice, which fits the stereotypical mold for Canadians in general. The vibe was very laid back - no rushing around, no nonsense - it was a conversations with shop staff type of place.
While I wouldn’t necessarily put it as the main destination of an international trip, it’d be interesting to see it really come to life during the rodeo season.
Calgary, south of downtown, with the Canadian Rockies in the distance
One thing that took me by surprise was that there were some delicious places to eat, including seafood in this city despite it being far from the ocean. Here’s some great places that we ate at:
Village Ice Cream
First stop of Calgary after checking in was Village Ice Cream, a dessert shop that we found nearby that had good reviews. while I forgot to take a pic of the ice cream iteself (I know...), those reviews were right. Village Ice Cream has 3 locations, the one that we went to was somewhat like a popup in an empty garage. The ice cream was amazing, creamy and with an assortment of flavors. Maple Pean, Salted Caramel, Cardamom... and seasonal flavors like Guava Coconut Milk. Simply amazing.
Ten Foot Henry
Searching for places to eat in town, we came across Ten Foot Henry, drawn in by its name. It became apparent that having a reservation would be the best as it's popular, but we got in after an hour or so. The location is hip, probably an old building gutted and renovated. The dishes always seemed to have a mix of flavors from around the world, like the hanger steak with truffle mustard and gai choy. Their white win sangria is also pretty delicious.
Rodney’s Oyster House
We randomly walked into Rodney's after discovering that it was a well-reviewed restaurant only a couple blocks away. Calgary is in the middle of Canada but their seafood was quite good, both the oysters as well as the shrimp cocktail. Their Alberta beef tartare came recommended by the staff, who I'll add was friendly and helpful at giving us recommendations, and that was delicious as well. Worth a stop.
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Victoria B.C., Canada
A day trip from Vancouver to gorgeous Victoria.
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
Victoria was a lot more enjoyable on my second trip there as an adult. While vacationing in Vancouver in late April / early May in 2017, we decided to take a day trip to the BC capital.
The main attraction for most visiting Victoria is probably Buchart Gardens. A vast and beautiful landscape of various flowers, trees and lakes, it has several gardens to stroll through such as The Sunken Garden, Rose Garden and Japanese Garden amongst others.
I definitely appreciated it a lot more on my "adult trip" than when I had visited as a high school student.
The Sunken Garden at Buchart Gardens
Without a car, we caught the SkyTrain from our Yaletown-Roundhouse station to Bridgeport station where we transferred to a bus (route 620) that took us to the Tsawwassen terminal. From there, we took one of the hourly ferries [schedule] to the island. It's about a 1 hour and 35 minute scenic ride through the beautiful San Juan islands between the mainland and Vancouver Island.
Ferry from Vancouver to Victoria
Once arriving at Buchart Gardens, we had our scheduled afternoon tea at The Dining Room (make reservations). How adult, right?
The food was ok, perhaps a little sweet overall for my taste, but the tea was good and the room itself provided a nice ambiance. Being that it's in the middle of a flower garden, it probably would’ve been a better experience if they had more open-air space. We may have been a bit too early in the year for that, though.
Afternoon tea at The Dining Room, Buchart Gardens
We weren't able to see all of the gardens as the last bus to downtown Victoria leaves in the afternoon and The Sunken Garden alone is 151 flower beds spread over 5 acres.
The bus from Buchart Gardens took us straight into the downtown area.
Downtown Victoria is easy to walk, and a gorgeous one at that. Its British colonial history is seen in the Victorian buildings that line the wharf, and had we not been full from afternoon tea, we probably would've grabbed some food and sat out somewhere along the waterfront.
While my memory from my first trip to Victoria in high school is hazy, I remember walking the area with my family and grandparents, admiring the surrounding architecture and outdoor performances that were happening around the wharf that time. It's one of the more memorable sights in Vancouver and Victoria.
The Fairmont Empress next to the wharf in downtown Victoria
Downtown Victoria does close early, real early. 6PM seemed to be the closing time for most shops in the area.
We caught a bus back to the Swartz Bay terminal and boarded the ferry back to Tsawwassen Bay on the mainland as the sun set.
Victoria is a nice day trip, but it will take a full day. We spent around 15 hours total including transportation, leaving early in the morning and returning at night, but it was well worth it.
From a visual standpoint, Victoria contrasts Vancouver quite a bit. While Vancouver is nice in its own right, Victoria is one of the most beautiful sights to see while visiting the area.
Sunset from the ferry between Victoria and Vancouver
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Vancouver, Canada
My first trip to Vancouver as an adult, and while a good place to visit, it seemed like a pretty nice place to actually live.
![The Vancouver skyline - [BUY PRINT]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f8b23b0626755198127ae3/1677518510349-EIQ6PLMP9INTI90PUDVN/canada-vancouver-stanley-park-skyline-metal.jpg)
The Vancouver skyline - [BUY PRINT]
I have always liked Canada. 2017 was my first time back to Vancouver since I was in high school, and after settling in, I thought to myself, "I could see myself living here someday."
Perhaps it’s because I flew in from Tokyo, but Vancouver seemed smaller and more quaint than I had remembered. Even catching the SkyTrain into the city from the airport was easy and chaos-free.
We stayed at a couple of Airbnb’s - one just outside of Yaletown on Smithe St, the other in the central area on Hornby St. Both were in nice residential towers just a few blocks from main areas.
The view from our Airbnb on Smithe St., just outside of Yaletown
We chose to walk around most of the city and only caught taxis when we had to. Vancouver has the car2go service which I wanted to use - it lets you get in and drive the nearest available car and just leave it when you're done - but I hadn't received my renewed license yet. Bummer.
We walked around Robson Street and the Gaslight District, two of the main areas in town. There weren’t any must see's or do's there in particular, but they were nice areas to walk while shopping at Canadian brands like lululemon and Kit and Ace while stopping to grab a bite or drink.
The Gaslight District
One of the highlights of our time in Vancouver was Granville Island.
We caught a small ferry boat from the Aquatic Centre Ferry Dock [map] to the island, where the main attraction is its public market.
A warehouse full of shops and food stands, Granville Market had everything from sausages and deli cuts to fresh fish, cheeses, pastries, soups and more to pick and choose from. We decided to load up on a variety of meats from Oyama Sausage Company, candied salmon from Seafood City, cheese from Benton Brothers and some fresh soup from The Stock Market, grabbed a table and filled our stomachs and brought some back to the apartment for later.
I had wanted to re-visit Grouse Mountain and Capilano Bridge since I had seen it on my earlier visit to Vancouver, but we didn't make it due to it being rainy, down jacket weather every other day. We went in late April / early May, and being in the Pacific Northwest, the weather was still going back and forth between cloudy, rainy and cold, to clear, sunny and warm.
Instead, we used a sunny day for a day trip to Victoria on Vancouver Island - I wrote about it here.
While it's easier to drive and take the ferry from Tsawwassen terminal, the main port for people going to and from Victoria, we took a bus there before departing to the island. Our two main stops there were Buchart Gardens and downtown Victoria.
Buchart Gardens was the main destination in Victoria
For a park stroll that's closer to central Vancouver, there's Stanley Park which is likely on most people’s lists when visiting.
Before walking through the park, we stopped on the northern side of Robson Street, near the Denman Street intersection, which was somewhat of an Asian Town. Japanese, Chinese and Korean food galore. Being that Vancouver is quite a diverse city with a lot of people of Asian backgrounds, it makes sense that there's an area with a lot of authentic Asian foods.
Vancouver skyline seen from Stanley Park
After lunch, we walked around the park, snapping some skyline shots of the city (like this one and the photo up top).
The view from our second Airbnb near Downtown on Hornby Street
Our final day was spent in Vancouver with a walk through Davie Village, Sunset Beach and English Bay Beach. These areas are probably the main reasons BC is considered the more liberal, "hippie" part of Canada.
A car2go drives through Davie Village
Davie Village is considered the "gay village," and it's not hard to tell with the rainbow flags and rainbow crosswalks painted on the streets.
Nearby down the street is Sunset Beach and English Bay Beach. There, people are out relaxing, playing sports and having fun soaking in some fresh air with a slight smell of ocean and weed. Having lived in San Francisco, I found the environment to be familiar and almost comforting after living in Japan for so long.
People hanging out at English Bay Beach
My return to Vancouver reminded me about why I liked it, and Canada as a whole. The city is very international and diverse, people are polite, and you get a sense of freedom that you can be who you are and that it's ok. I'm sure that it's not perfect - a taxi driver mentioned the rising cost of living due to foreigners buying up condos that they never use - but everywhere has its troubles.
Robson Street in the late afternoon
In the US, it's common for Americans to make fun of Canada in a big brother sort of way. I've smirked at it, I guess, but I never understood why that became a thing. I still don't. Canada is a great place, and I look forward to the next time I'm there.
The Keg Steakhouse + Bar
It's hard to beat The Keg because it's delicious steak and seafood along with a good drink selection in an upscale yet casual environment. My steak was cooked to perfection and the shrimp cocktail was great. Service was laid back and friendly yet assertive. Our time at The Keg was a perfect afternoon with some beers from the area, and I'd definitely go back for another round next time
Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House
A gigantic platter of mixed shellfish on ice right on your table. Being in Vancouver, we made it a point to eat a bunch of seafood and because there were too many delicious-looking choices to choose from here, we got Joe's Seafood Tower on Ice. Good decision. Joe Fortes has a classical, high quality, American-esque type of ambiance and the service was really good. It is a popular restaurant right off the main area of Robson Street though, so after we failed with a walk-in, we reserved a spot for the next day.
Medina Cafe
What a good place for brunch. I usually don't feel like deciphering "super cool" dish names on menus before noon, but I was pleasantly surprised by what I got at Medina Cafe. Their Wolves Breakfast was basically a meat sampler of cured flat iron steak, double smoked Medina bacon, Andouille & Merguez sausages, and eggs on the side. It's a hip, lively place that's seems to attract a good crowd, so I'm pretty glad that we stopped by and got in only after a little wait.
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Touring a beautiful, snowy Banff National Park.