> WHEN YOU GO

Get there: I flew to Calgary via WestJet (westjet.com) and transferred to a Sun Dog Tours (sundogtours.com) bus to Banff. From the Banff bus station I took my final and spectacularly scenic trip to Jasper via a Sun Dog van.

Get around: Jasper as a town is highly walkable but visitors could benefit from having a car to travel to its many surrounding parks and lookout points. Avis, Budget and Hertz are all available downtown along Connaught Dr.

Stay: I stayed at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge (fairmont.com/jasper) in one of its many log-cabin suites, which came complete with a pre-stoked, wood-burning fireplace.

Take part in the Dark Sky Festival: Drawing specialists in the field of astronomy from across the globe, this annual festival (jasperdarksky.travel) offers a variety of events throughout October, including outdoor excursions, children’s programming and seminars with a focus on the night sky. Most of the festival’s programming is free.

Eat: One of Jasper’s more unique culinary experiences can be found at Cassios Italian Restaurant (cassios.ca). Located in the Whistler’s Inn hotel, the popular dining spot not only offers a range of tasty pastas and mains, but invites waiting diners to take a tour of an adjoining natural history museum.

Do your research: jasper.travel or jaspercanadianrockies.com