Some trips are about seeing a new place. Others are about realizing just how special the season of life you're in really is. Our six days in the Canadian Rockies were a little bit of both.
More recently, people have been telling us, “Your kids are at the perfect ages.” And this trip was a perfect example of just that. This summer, Natalie and Thomas were old enough to hike the mountains, appreciate the views, and embrace every adventure—but still young enough to reach for our hands along the way. It was a pretty perfect combination.
Here’s a look back at one incredible week.
Day 1: Hello, Alberta
Our adventure began bright and early with flights from Grand Rapids to Atlanta and then on to Calgary. After a quick two-hour drive through was we assumed was increasingly beautiful scenery (the wild fires caused a massive amount of smoke in the area - but good news, it cleared day 2 and we had perfect weather the rest of the week), we arrived at the iconic Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise just in time for dinner.
Even after a full day of travel, walking into the hotel instantly felt special. We settled into our room, enjoyed dinner at Alpine Social, and couldn’t wait to see what the mountains had in store for us.
Day 2: Lake Agnes, Little Beehive & Our First Taste of the Rockies
First, coffee and fresh chocolate croissants from the hotel’s Pantry Café, which made for the perfect breakfast before beginning our hike. We hiked to Mirror Lake, continued up to the famous Lake Agnes Tea House, and then climbed to Little Beehive. Along the way we passed beautiful waterfalls, mountain streams, and endless scenery. Although the tea house was packed (and experience we ended up skipping), the views made every step worthwhile.
At Little Beehive, Thomas and Jeff even made a memorable “pit stop” on the side of the mountain - boys! - while Natalie declared she was completely exhausted before somehow finding a second wind for the hike back down.
Lunch at the Lakeview Restaurant featured probably the best dining view we’ll ever experience. The Fairmont experience was everything friends said it would be.
That afternoon we participated in one of the hotel’s complimentary kids scavenger hunts. It was far more elaborate than we expected, complete with videos, puzzles, clues, and a giant candy bar hidden inside a locked safe that required solving a four-digit code. The kids absolutely loved it and meanwhile, we explored every single inch of the castle like campus.
Later we rented a canoe and spent 45 peaceful minutes paddling across the turquoise waters of Lake Louise. The line to rent the canoe was also 45 mins, but staying at the hotel included skipping the notoriously long canoe line—a wonderful perk.
Throughout the day the smoke continued to clear and by evening, something magical happened. The smoke was gone! As we enjoyed dinner at Fairview Restaurant, the mountains finally revealed themselves in all their glory. It was the view we’d been hoping for since arriving.
We finished the evening playing ladder ball on the hotel lawn before stopping at the candy shop on the way to bed. Nothing like a good dose of sugar right before bedtime.
Day 3: Moraine Lake & Consolation Lakes
Another early morning shuttle ride brought us to Moraine Lake for a 7:30a start time - a great benefit of being on a two hour time difference. We were already up!
We first climbed the famous Rockpile for the classic postcard view before hiking to Consolation Lakes—without question my favorite hike of the trip.
Unlike the crowds gathered around Moraine Lake itself, the trail to Consolation Lakes was peaceful and quiet. We assume that because you cannot drive to the start of the hike (you have to take shuttles which are all timed) that most do the Rockpile view and skip the actual hike to Consolation Lakes leaving it pretty sparse of others. We spent 1½ miles simply walking, talking, and soaking in the beauty surrounding us. Sometimes the best memories aren’t the dramatic moments—they’re simply uninterrupted conversations with your family. The kids gapped the whole way most of which was spent on rehashing past trips and looking forward to the ones on the horizon. We can confirm we’ve planted the ‘travel’ seed firmly within both kids hearts.
Before our 45 minute drive to Banff we grabbed a quick lunch in Lake Louise before checking into the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel - another castle like experience. We were early and our room wasn’t ready yet, so we headed straight for the pool before enjoying an outstanding dinner at Chuck’s Steakhouse in downtown Banff. We ordered the 40-ounce tomahawk steak, a table side Caesar (such a fun experience if you’ve never had one), and sides to share. It was incredible. An evening walk along the Bow River capped off another perfect day.
Day 4: Johnston Canyon
Our best piece of advice for Johnston Canyon? Get there early. We arrived before 8:00 a.m., avoided the parking headaches and crowds, and were rewarded with what may have been the most scenic hike of the entire trip.
Waterfalls seemed to appear around every corner as we hiked to the Upper Falls. The walk took about 55 minutes up and 45 minutes back, and every minute was worth it.
After our hike back downtown, we grabbed lunch and did some souvenir shopping. Natalie snagged a cute little jewelry combo with mountain charms and Thomas added to his souvenir self at home with his purchase of a little statue of a bear with a fish in it’s mount made of jade - the stone Canada’s most known for in that area.
That afternoon, the kids completed another treasure hunt back at the hotel, while we also enjoyed the hotel’s fascinating history tour. We learned that Marilyn Monroe and her husband at the time, Joe DiMaggio, as well as Queen Elizabeth II had all stayed there over the years. We also learned that up until the 60s, in order to stay at the hotel you had to commit to staying the whole season which was 3-5 months!
The rest of the afternoon was spent at the pool, relaxing in the sun. I also had my moment taking in the lovely views from the outdoor sauna - I love a sauna! Dinner later at Bluebird was another winner and this time we opted for grabbing the complimentary shuttle back to the hotel.
Day 5: Tunnel Mountain
One of my favorite parts about all of our vacations is being able to wake up without an alarm clock. Back home, our days are scheduled and it was wonderful to enjoy the slower mornings enjoying coffee and snuggling with the kids before starting our adventures that day. Thomas became obsessed with the hotel’s ham and cheese croissants, and honestly, I don’t blame him. They were delicious.
Our final hike was Tunnel Mountain. While it was the shortest hike of the trip, it was definitely the steepest. Every step seemed to go uphill until we finally reached the panoramic summit views. The climb took about an hour and fifteen minutes in total and although our legs were ready for it to be over, the scenery was worth every step. The views included a great sight of our hotel from above, downtown Banff, the golf course, and the entire Bow River Valley.
After treating the kids to Starbucks back in town, we enjoyed lunch at Waldhaus, the Bavarian restaurant overlooking the Bow Valley and the Fairmont golf course. We shared the full fondue experience all agreed that Bavarian food is fun (those long forks meant for dipping absolutely got turned into swords for playing during the meal) and decided our Super Pretzels back at home were better because Waldhaus’ lacked the salt element - very important, indeed.
With our sightseeing complete, we spent our final afternoon back in our happy place —relaxing together at the pool, soaking in the views, and simply enjoying being together.
Day 6: Heading For Home
After one last breakfast, we made the hour-and-thirty-five-minute drive back to Calgary. The rental car return, security, and customs all went smoothly, and before long we were headed home to Michigan with full hearts, tired legs, and so many great memories.
