When we first decided to go to Alberta, Canada it was to see the stars ✨. We’re city kids so the thought of seeing stars in the sky is a complete wonder. As I was Googling (I love how that’s a verb now) I found out that Jasper National Park was a Dark Sky Reserve, meaning that light pollution is limited and we were more likely to see a shit ton of stars. Every fall/winter Banff and Lake Louise are all over my Instagram feed as every bloggers favorite go-to. Luckily for me, Banff is on the way to Jasper so it seemed like a win-win. What I wasn’t expecting was for how different these two places were.
The Fairmont Banff Springs is nicknamed the Castle in the Rockies. And rightfully so, the resort goes out of it’s way to bring the medieval castle to the 21st century with modern necessities, and somehow keeps all the grandeur of a castle. This hotel is spectacular and truly a once in a lifetime experience.
If you ever find yourself in the most beautiful mountains in the world, aka the Canadian Rockies, then odds are you’re within walking distance of some amazing views. The trick is just to know where to go. Boyfriend and I love being outdoors and we love to hike, luckily Alberta has some amazing walking trails that don’t require advanced equipment.
One thing you’ll quickly learn about Boyfriend and I is that we are not ‘roughing it’ people, we are spoiled brats who can’t go a single day without modern necessities and (of course) wifi. For us, Jasper National Park was the perfect place to get one with nature and experience the outdoors, while also staying at nice hotels.
Being from the flat state of Texas, I was so excited to go to Canada to see ALL the mountains. I was even stoked to make the 5 hour drive from Calgary to Jasper to see all the amazing scenery. It ended up being around 6 hours because we stopped to take pictures about 50 times (#worthit). The sights along the way did not disappoint and the pictures really speak for themselves. Below are a couple of our favorites and places we specifically sought out on the journey.
