20 YEARS LATER, BANFF IS JUST AS BREATHTAKING
I was five years old the first time we drove to Banff, in a small Toyota Camry that my dad still treasures to this day.
I would like to think that it reminds him of the country that welcomed him in his younger and more pivotal years; the path that he started to build for his family in this new society was what began on this journey in Banff.
When I was 15 years old, I went to Banff for the second time.
This year, on my 20-year reunion with Banff since my first time, I want to acknowledge my coming of age and along with it, the Rocky Mountains that have always stabilized me, revitalized me and given me strength throughout the years.
Banff will always remain in my heart as one of those places that have resisted the testament of time. These 20 years have shaped my world view, my values and solidified the way that I govern and live my life.
My dad still remembers carrying the five-year-old me on his shoulders, and the picture in our photo-book attests to the small Pikachu that I treasured on my first trip to Banff.
My mom always tells me that I inherited more of my father’s craziness than her calm demeanour. I giggle inside but I secretly wonder — maybe that’s why I always feel a strong sense of nostalgia when I travel the Icefields Parkway and glance at the receding Athabasca Glacier.
The scenery is still as majestic as remembered, sweeping mountains and emerald-green lakes encapsulate and melt away all my problems.
Banff is a quintessential Canadian park, full of natural landscapes and abundant wildlife roaming about.
Some people would even say that Banff is a symbol of Canada in its entirety — its peacefulness, calm and vast openness.
At Lake Louise, hike the Plain of Six Glaciers trail from the bottom of Lake Louise to witness small avalanches during the early summer months from the tea house above.
An hour away, take the Sulphur Mountain Gondola in the city of Banff to see mountain formations older than you can imagine.
When I first travelled to Banff, the Sulphur Mountain Gondola was without the steel installed fence that you see today, and the mountains in the background of that old-greyish Polaroid photo almost seem out of place.
From Banff, travel along one of most eye-dropping highways in the world — the Icefields Highway to Jasper.
Along the road to Spirit Island and Maligne Canyon, watch for black bears feeding on delicious berries in the summer months. At Spirit Island, don’t miss the chance to take that award-winning photo of Spirit Island that was made famous as a display in Grand Central Station in New York.
From your rear-view mirror, you might be lucky enough to see elk and mountain goats cross the highway as I did on this trip — a spectacular sight.
Maybe one day you will also see that reflection of yourself through that review mirror, and you will catch a glimpse of your past, and wonder: how did the years go by?
And we can only hope that the people who are with us throughout our journey see us through the important moments in life and that we treasure every opportunity that we are given.
The road ahead may be filled with up and downs, but I can always count on the Rocky Mountains to bring me a sense of peace.
Banff, my 20-year reunion has been nothing but extraordinary. I hope to celebrate every decade with you in the everlasting Rocky Mountains.