Travel to Canada

Alberta

Smack in the heart of the transition zone between the prairies and the Rocky Mountains lies the province of Alberta. You'll immediately discover that not only is its geography legendary, but so are its two largest cities - the provincial capital Edmonton, in the north and Calgary in the south.

Banff | Alberta

The spirit of adventure is defined in Banff - Canada's first national park. Walk the streets of this charming alpine village by the same name, 135 km west of Calgary, and you might find yourself face to antler with an elk, or, nose to nose with another mountain biker or hiker.

This adult playground is loaded with hiking trails, mountain bike routes, world-class alpine ski resorts, wildlife-viewing tours, backcountry lodges, alpine castles, unique shops and stellar restaurants. Be sure you visit the long awaited, newly reopened Storm Mountain Lodge, perched high on Vermillion Pass, about 20 minutes west of Banff townsite). Once a CPR bungalow camp, this cluster of log cabins and heritage lodge straddles sweeping views of the Sawback Range, Castle Mountain and the Bow Valley.

While mountaineers, entrepreneurs and nature-lovers are lured to Banff today, back in 1883 it was railway workers who were leaving their tracks on this rugged landscape. Legend has it that Banff was discovered by three of these workers - Frank McCabe and the McCardell brothers who noticed a plume of steam rising from a crack of rock, near the present-day townsite of Banff. Following it, they found a hot pool, which the world soon dubbed the Cave and Basin (now an historic site).

Ever since, people have flocked here to examine the waters for their healing properties. Today, you'll find top-notch spas, (some of which have been built around these original waters), golf resorts, art galleries, boutiques, terrific outdoor gear stores and the world-class Banff Centre, which hosts a summer-long international arts festival. Besides featuring the new Canadian opera, Filumena, there are scores of chamber music concerts, dance performances, art walks, readings and so forth.

However, what you will likely remember most about Banff National Park is Mother Nature's design - some 25 mountains each more than 9,840 ft. (3,000 m) high, ridges of hoodoos, canyons and the world's most photographed lakes, Louise and Moraine. Strict conservation policies enable visitors to often see healthy populations of big horn sheep, mountain goats, elk, bears, wolves and even woodland caribou.

Local outfitters can be hired to guide full-blown alpine climbs or to take groups horseback riding (from an hour-long trail ride to a 7-day expedition). Interpreters are always available to take visitors on heritage tours or an interpretive walk. One of the legendary experiences city slickers love is an evening trail ride with Banff's fabled Warner Guiding & Outfitting which includes a hearty cowboy barbeque.

Fondly dubbed Canada's "Festival City" at no time is that moniker more evident than in the summer.

Some of the world-class headliners for this Aug. 7-10 event include Norah Jones, Elvis Costello, Solomon Burke, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings and dozens more. Edmonton also has more theatre groups for its size than any other city in the country. So, it's easy to see why Edmonton's most popular festival is the Fringe, the largest festival of alternative theatre in North America. About 500,000 people attend the Fringe each summer.

If you wrap your holiday around any of these festivals - and with so many it's impossible not to - you're bound to find yourself in the North Saskatchewan River Valley. Laced with 58 km of paved bike trails, the largest urban park in North America (22 times larger than New York's Central Park) is one of the prime venues for summer festivals, picnics and theatre in the park.

Water activities on the North Saskatchewan River include jetboating, canoeing (in voyageur as well as tandem canoes) and sightseeing cruises aboard the Edmonton Queen, the city's paddlewheel tour boat. The river valley also boasts of six golf courses, 29 day campsites, the Whitemud Equine Centre (yes, you can horseback ride here), two outdoor pools and some 24 running routes.

You'll also discover Edmontonians are respectful of the many cultures that invigorate the city's flourishing ethnic areas, making it a foodie's delight. Old Strathcona is home to one of the boadest ranges of cuisine in the city. Within a few blocks, diners can choose from Thai, Mexican, German, Japanese, French, Cajun and more. The hot new spot in Edmonton City Centre is L'Azia, an eclectic joint that serves everything from fish and chips to elegant Asian-infused dinners.

And with Edmonton ranking as Canada's sunniest city, you'll want to take advantage of the many outdoor patios that grace the Old Strathcona area, such as Yianni's and Pack Rat Louis'. Those intent on sipping a cool Chardonnay while feasting on the very best views of Edmonton, should pull up a chair on the sunny deck at the Hotel McDonald Fairmont or next door at the Thornton Court Hotel, both of which overlook the lush river valley. Just so you know - those glass pyramid-like structures below you are the Muttart Conservatory, yet another stop to add to your roster of must-sees.

After an amble along the boutique-laced Whyte Avenue, most power shoppers make a beeline to West Edmonton Mall where they'll find nationally known retailers and intimate specialty shops all under one roof. And while you're there, go beyond the shops. Take in a dolphin show, visit African Blackfooted penguins, ride the triple loop rollercoaster known as the Mindbender, gamble at a Las Vegas-style casino or bunk down at the Mall's Fantasyland Hotel.

If you've done all this before, take a detour at the Mall to Chinatown (one of their newest additions) as well as zoom across the Waterpark's new 310-ft.-long Zip Line and the Giant Swing (that rocks you back and forth 106 ft. above the water). For those who love white-knuckle rides, check out the Space Shot - a new ride in Galaxyland that shoots you up 14 stories high - so fast in fact, that G-force is a critical part of the experience.

More than the Rockies or Badlands will take your breath away. Alberta's cities have enough urban attractions to ratchet up anyone's pulse.

Skeptical? Try, if you dare, one of Canada's top adrenaline kicks - a heart-thudding ride on the Road Rocket at Canada Olympic Park. As you hurtle downhill at 95 kilometres an hour - strapped into the bowels of a modified bobsled on wheels, take note: there is no driver and no brakeman. Just you and three other people pitted against a twisting, turning concrete chute. The Road Rocket at Canada Olympic Park is just one unique idea to emerge out of the legacy of the Winter Games hosted by Calgary in 1988. You'll discover more on a tour of this tremendous facility, which also includes the Olympic Hall of Fame Museum.

Plus, right downtown is one of Calgary's greatest anomalies - Prince's Island Park - an urban playground, with its peaceful lagoon, resident ducks and charming restaurant. Not to be dismissed is the No.1 teen pleaser - the Shaw Millennium Park, a skater's heaven loaded with ramps, rails, fun boxes, pyramids and quarter pipes.

This year's 10-day wingding, running July 4 to 13, includes all the usual rootin' tootin' fun with some of the main acts showcasing the talents of Colin James, Lisa Brokup, Doug and the Slugs, Seventh Rain, Doc Walker, plus dozens more.

As for food, you'll find new trendy cafes like Divino's, the Latin Corner and Catch (rated Canada's No. 1 new restaurant by En Route magazine) as well as lots of outdoor patios (don't miss a fine evening on the banks of the Bow at the River Café) and rooftop restaurants such as Hurley's, Ceili's and the Whiskey.

If you're in Calgary during Stampede you're bound to be invited out for a free pancake breakfast (a Stampede tradition thrown by virtually every company in "Cowtown" and then, later, be sure to feast on Alberta's world-famous beef at a classic steak house such as Saltlik, the Chicago Chop House and Hy's. And be sure to wash all that down with a chilled bottle of Big Rock Beer, brewed right here in Calgary and shipped as far as California.

Calgarians love the summer as much as the winter, purely for its diverse attractions. Whether you're there to see the chuckwagon races at Stampede or to hike in the nearby Rockies, Calgary's attractions straddle both worlds - inside and out. World-class museums such as the Glenbow brag of international exhibits such as Inusivut: The Way We Live (which depicts the lives of Northern people throughout the centuries) as does the Art Gallery of Calgary.

For pure whimsy, take a stroll through our Udderly Art Legacy Pasture (a herd of lifesize, handpainted cows) in the Centennial Parkade +15 walkway. For an amble through Calgary's past, visit the antique strip in Inglewood, Calgary's very first neighbourhood.

Just north of Banff about a 3½-hour drive along one of this planet's most scenic roadways known as the Icefields Parkway lies Canada's largest national park - Jasper.

A showcase of pearly blue lakes, long ridge-top hikes, canyons, bike trails and a world-class golf resort, the town of Jasper is considered a throwback to a gentler time. It's a casual reminder of the splendid grace of steamer trunks and luxurious long distance rail travel, of swarthy explorers, of intrepid Swiss mountain guides and tough talkin' miners. Still a sleepy sanctuary for families, Jasper is also known as a refuge for bighorn sheep, elk, deer and moose - all of which have been spotted wandering its streets.

If you have children in tow, be sure to pop into The Den Wildlife Museum - an impressive exercise in taxidermy with scores of indigenous and exotic stuffed animals displayed in their "natural" settings. Also worthy of a visit is the new Jasper-Yellowhead Museum, which catalogues the human history of the park and has a superb archival collection.

Poke around this collection and you'll discover that just a few kilometres away, was where the mighty explorer David Thompson hacked a route across a formidable icefield in 1811, en route to the Pacific Ocean. The scrape of ice on what is now known as Athabasca Pass, the whomp of the snow pack under an explorer's ice axe; they are all here, told in elegant longhand, tucked in journals, government records, letters and even grocery lists.

Then lace up those boots and pick a hike - after all, you have more than a 1,000 kms of developed trail in this park. Routes such as the North and South Boundary trails offer solitary rambles of over 160 kms each, while shorter treks up the Watchtower, to Mt. Edith Cavell or along the Opal Hills loop, are also rewarding and differ dramatically.

Besides the usual cachet that oozes from a small alpine town, don't miss a quick diversion to nearby Maligne Canyon. In the winter this spot is transformed into a magical frozen gorge of icy spires and chimneys but in the summer it's equally beautiful - framed by cool, wet walls of rock zippered together by bridges far above the frothing torrent below.