Onward to Banff

Published September 1, 2019

Any nature lovers around? If you enjoy that, as well as hiking, definitely hit up Banff! Located about an hour west of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, it is a national park with tons of nature trails and scenic locations. It is a great escape (especially for me, form hot and humid Houston) and a breath of fresh air. We headed up there during the tail end of the summer rush, so it was light jacket weather, which I love!

It is an escape from reality, and even if you're new to hiking, there are paths of varying difficulty that let you experience the a bit of nature. What drew me to Banff was the surreal look their lakes had. Naturally, the waters emit the turquoise hue from the way the sunlight reflects the rock sediments (coined the term rock flour).

We decided to hit up the two major (and rather easily accessible) lakes Banff had to offer, Lake Louise and Lake Moraine. Both are still about a 30-45 minute drive from downtown Banff, but Louise is much easier to access, and you get the beauty of one of the 5-star Fairmont Hotels overlooking the lake (yes, you can stay there, but it has a hefty nightly rate!)

To beat the larger crowds of people (and this is the most busy I've seen any national park), aim to get there early! Although there is a sizable crowd in the morning, it gets busier and busier as the day progresses.

To quote Keanu Reeves, the view was "breathtaking!" It's all breathtaking!

From my perspective, Banff is a highly recommended vacation (or even a long weekend) to reset your mind and relax. You can elect to go and hike the trails, or sit and relax lakeside and let time pass by slowly. Hope you all have a chance to see it, or if not, I hope these couple of pictures help you see what beauty nature has to offer!