Marvel at God’s architecture
spend much time in Calgary (especially downtown area), my over-all impression of this city was positive. The airport was about 18 kilometers from the downtown area and along the way to Banff, there were pockets of developments with beautifully designed new houses and excellently planned communities. The views along the way were likewise, breathtaking as a testament to the beautiful Canadian country landscape.
After about an hour and a half drive, we arrived in Banff. Immediately, I was awed by this small picturesque town right within the Canadian Rockies with Mount Rundle and Mount Cascade dominating its skyline. This is a resort town and naturally, its main structure’s character is catered to that of its tourism industry. The main street, Banff Avenue, is lined with chateau-type hotels interspersed with restaurants and gift shops.
One outstanding structure is the St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, which was moved from where it was originally built in 1888 to its current location in 1930 along Banff Avenue. It was designed by Calgary architect D.S. Mcllroy in High Victorian Gothic architecture style complementing the design of the Banff Information Center situated nearby. The residential areas were located in the inner streets but this gives you the impression that these serve as transient Airbnb quarters to meet seasonal demands.
the scenic Two-Jack Lake and the majestic Banff Fairmont Hotel overlooking River Avenue. Our second day was even more exciting as we set off for the Canadian alpine town of Jasper. We took time to pass by the Columbia Ice Field, which was actually our intention tires where we boarded approaching the glacier. We were treated to the view and actual experience of walking on one of the principal
The Canadian Rockies as seen from Banff Avenue through a glass platform where giant glaciers perched above and overlooking a 280- foot drop where you’ll see a spectacular view of the Sunwatpa Valley. This wonderful experience really made our day as we headed to an hour and a half drive to Jasper where we checked in to a hotel to spend the night.
We spent the morning of Canada Day in Jasper, where we observed Independence Day traditional activities such as the program and parade. This town is somewhat the same in character as Banff, only a little bit smaller. Later in the day, we set off for Lake Louise on our way back to Banff. This lake is described as one of the most beautiful lakes in Canada with its turquoise glacier- fed lake water ringed by high peaks overlooking a stately chateau, the Fairmont Banff Springs. The experience was kind of surreal since this lake is among everyone’s bucket list to visit. We were all in awe and this was mostly the subject of our entire conversation on our way back to Banff where we spent our last night before heading to Calgary airport the following morning.
was calm and overcast which is why we abandoned the idea of a Gondola ride. Besides, we were pressed for time as we had
- couver in the late afternoon. We thought we had seen enough of