During our Banff trip in January, we visited Johnston Canyon via Banff Tours. Since it was winter, we got to experience the amazing ice walk and it was SO worth it. Although you can do the Johnston Canyon walk yourself, I highly recommend going with a tour guide for your first time. Not only was it a great educational tour, they also provide you with ice cleats and hiking poles which are SO important if you plan on doing this little hike in the winter. There are some seriously slippery hills and we definitely witnessed a few people accidentally slipping on them. If you don’t go with a tour, you can rent all the equipment you need in downtown Banff.

You’ll also get a maple cookie snack and hot chocolate at the end of the walk which is such a nice little treat. And if you go with Banff Tours, they’ll come and pick you up and drop you off at your hotel.

Already to dreaming of going back. I think Banff in the summer is the next plan.

More soon,

Right when you walk in, you’ll notice the modern finishes in the bright, open concept lobby/check-in area. I absolutely loved the tones and textures that the hotel featured. The decor was simple but very beautiful, while still holding its Canadian, PNW feel.

The Hotel

Walking past the lobby, you walk into an inviting seating/lounging area which looks like a beautiful living room. I felt like this space was designed for me—from the blue accent walls and wood finishes, to the neutral colour palette and grey velvet arm chairs…everything in this space is exactly how my dream living space would look like.

The interior designer who did this space totally killed it and they created the perfect resting area for those coming back from skiing or even for you to lounge and read when you’re hanging out at the hotel.

Rooms

We stayed in a room with two queens on the first floor, and it was super cozy and cute. It had the same gorgeous modern wood finishes all though out, a glossy white night stand, and a wood media console.

The hotel also has loft suites, regular king rooms, deluxe king and queen rooms, and junior suites that have amazing lighting and are beautiful.

Amenities

Amenities include:

• Complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi
• Underground parking
• On-site restaurant and lounge
• Full-size lockers for ski equipment
• Explore Rockies activities and sightseeing desk
• Coin-operated laundry facilities
• Gift shop

Whether you’re looking for a relaxing après-ski sanctuary or a big night on the town, this minimal yet cozy Rocky Mountain-inspired hotel is the ideal accommodation choice for exploring the best of Banff. I absolutely loved our stay at the Elk + Avenue and would definitely recommend it if you’re ever in Banff.

The first time I travelled to Banff, I went with family. This time, Joel and I packed up a pick up truck and decided to drive ourselves. We were lucky we’re having a warmer year than usual, so the Coquihala Highway was not so much of a “Highway Thru Hell” as it’s depicted in the Canadian reality show.

We broke the drive up to two parts, stopping in Kamloops on Thursday night. Our goal was to visit landmarks and view points on the way so that we can just drive the whole way back on Sunday.

We personally stopped at Rogers Pass and Lake Louise on our way to Banff from Kamloops, but there are tons more really cool places you could visit. Our issue was that many of the nature features along the way were blocked off or too hard to access due to the snow. But if you were making this drive in the summer, I recommend checking out more of the national parks and lakes on the way.

Despite everything pretty much just being frozen over and snowy, I was still a very happy little traveller (as depicted below).

Lake Louise was completely frozen over and it was insane to see. The last time I was here, it was when it was still warm enough that the lake was a lake, so it was nice to see something different this time around. You can bring skates and skate on parts of the lake—they shovelled off some snow and create a little rink. I think you can also rent skates at the Fairmont Lake Louise as well if you don’t own any.

So happy I took this little weekend getaway and just go to escape the city for a couple of days. Definitely thinking about visiting Alberta again in the summer. There are some glacier features and hikes that I want to do in Jasper and I think summer would be the perfect opportunity to go.

Have you driven from Vancouver to Banff? What was your favourite part?