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Travel & Experiences

Canada: In Banff, stunning vistas, fairytale hotels and elk nachos

Heavy rains have left the Bow River bulging. These falls, on beautiful trails south of town, can't be run by raft. But float trips are available on a more peaceful stretch just south of them.

Heavy rains have left the Bow River bulging. These falls, on beautiful trails south of town, can’t be run by raft. But float trips are available on a more peaceful stretch just south of them.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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As was once common in these Canadian Rockies, we struck gold this week. Well, photographic gold. Check out Al Seib’s shots of Banff and surrounding attractions. It’s a mixture of castle-like hotels and breathtaking natural scenery. The hotels are easy to spot. So is the scenery. But finding the raging waters of Bow Falls took a little digging. Well worth the effort -- a wedding dress of whitewater and mist a short walk from town.

Banff

Banff is an Alpine village, boasting shops, restaurants and even a high-end summer festival. New Yorker writer Calvin Trillin will be appearing here in July. Dancer and choreographer Mikhail Baryshnikov will be speaking later in the summer.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Bow Falls

Bow Falls, full of recent rain, blasts along a nature trail where elk and bear roam. The sound alone is worth a visit.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Street sign

Street sign in Banff points to the town’s attractions. Local buses knit locations together. The gondola is 10 minutes away by bus.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Elk nachos

Is this dinner or another mountain? Elk nachos are piled high at the Elk & Oarsman restaurant at the center of town. This is a single dish, but it could feed four.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Fairmont Banff Springs

No, that’s not a castle. Or maybe it is. The Fairmont Banff Springs was built by the railroads to attract dignitaries and the rich. It still does.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Mountain goats

Mountain goats greet guests at the top of the gondola. On the day we were there, they nibbled the paint off the gondola building.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Banff from the gondola

Banff as seen from the gondola. The round trip is $37. Or you can walk the switchbacks to the top, a rigorous hike that takes about two hours.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Sanson's observation point

The top of the gondola, as seen from Sanson’s observation point. The complex features view spots and a snack bar.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Observation point

Observation point near a little stone house built by one of the town’s founding fathers, Norman Sanson. He built a weather observation center at the top of the mountain and would hike up to it every two weeks. In winter, on snowshoes, the hike could take nine hours.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

A the top of the Banff gondola

A target-rich photo environment. Visitor takes a panoramic shot with his phone from observation area at the top of the Banff gondola.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Wooden walkway

This wooden walkway, almost a very wide deck, connects the top of the gondola to the little stone house where Sanson monitored the area’s extreme weather beginning in 1903. The walk takes about 10 minutes.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Gondola

On a busy summer day, the wait for the gondola was less than five minutes -- shorter than the wait at the nearby Starbucks.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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