Visiting Banff in the summer led to a whole host of new experiences (all hosted by Pursuit). From biking the stunning lakes and checking out the best viewpoints to gazing at glaciers and chilling on the icefields, summer in the Canadian Rockies is a completely different journey from its winter counterpart. Here’s a look at day two of our Canadian summer adventure which took us road tripping on Icefields Parkway.
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Day Two in Banff: Breakfast at Mount Royal Hotel
We started the day with breakfast at Mount Royal Hotel’s in-house restaurant, Brazen. Pursuit’s restaurants are apparently known for their potatoes, and no kidding, they were fantastic. I had the steak and potatoes (I love enjoying the beef and game meat options in Canada), and they were amazing. We got to meet with a manager from the Banff & Lake Louise Tourism team, who told us a lot of unique facts about the town and its residents (the wildlife).
Biking Vermilion Lakes & Surprise Corner
After breakfast, we headed over to Black Diamond Bike & SUP Rentals to rent e-bikes. Biking always makes me nervous because I’m in between sizes, and I can never get my toes to touch the ground on an adult-sized bike. To help ensure more stability (for my size and clumsiness), I rented an e-trike (which I still managed to fall off of facepalm).
We biked all the way through Vermilion Lakes, one of the most scenic trails (which looks very different in the winter but is just as beautiful). To top it off, we biked up to Surprise Corner for the best view of Fairmont Banff Springs. You can’t beat this view, no matter the time of year. It’s a bit of a steep bike ride (and there are no guardrails), so just be extra cautious!
Exploring Banff Avenue & Lunch at Evelyn’s Coffee Bar
Once we arrived back at our hotel, we loaded our luggage into the SUV, grabbed a to-go lunch at Evelyn’s Coffee Bar (they have fantastic pastries and Nanaimo bars), and hit the road. Banff Avenue literally just closed a portion of the street to vehicle traffic that morning, so we also got the chance to take some iconic Banff Avenue photos from the middle of the road!
Driving the Icefields Parkway
From the Trans Canada Highway, we hit Icefields Parkway, which is widely considered one of the most scenic drives in the world. Icefields Parkway is named for the icefields that are formed from multiple glaciers. There are somewhere around a dozen glaciers lining the region, along with beautiful glacial lakes and spectacular mountain views that are unique to the Canadian Rockies.
Like in Banff, you can’t stop to view wildlife along the way, and you really can’t stop except in designated areas (like around Bow Lake). Even so, we were stopped in traffic when a bear decided to cross the road!
Staying at Glacier View Lodge Near Athabasca Glacier
After a couple of hours, we arrived at our main destination—Glacier View Lodge. The hotel is literally right across the street from the Athabasca Glacier and the Columbia Icefield, and many of the rooms have a direct view of the glacier. If you’ve ever wanted to get truly up close to a glacier, this is the place to do it! We were checked into our rooms quickly and had a bit of time to wander before we headed to dinner at Altitude, one of the on-site restaurants. The hotel is beautiful and extremely environmentally friendly. The property is fully off the grid and is actually one of the only places for miles in either direction that has any kind of services—there is no wifi for much of Icefields Parkway, except at Glacier View Lodge.
Dinner at Altitude & Dark Sky Evenings in Jasper National Park
Dinner at Altitude was delicious—but at this point, I didn’t expect anything less since every other part of the property was perfect. The menu is smaller, but there’s something for everyone. We dined at Altitude for two dinners and two breakfasts, and the food was always great! One of the best things about Glacier View Lodge is the fact that there’s nothing nearby, so there’s very little noise and very little light—Jasper National Park is actually a Dark Sky Preserve. It’s the perfect place to get a good night’s sleep with virtually no distractions! If you have trouble sleeping, stop by the lobby lounge for a cup of tea (or the best machine-made hot chocolate ever) and a fuzzy blanket to lull you to sleep.
Check out more Banff posts here!
