Fantastic Lake Louise Exceeded our expectations

Our room was advertised as having a bedroom and another bed in a couch pull-out, but we were glad there was only the two of us. The room was cramped, to say the least. We never were able to get the fireplace to work (yes, we know how), and so the fee we paid to get firewood was wasted. Despite these setbacks, we weren't there to spend time at the resort.

The scheduled pickups for the ski resorts were right on time and easy to use. We traipsed down to the activities center, where they arranged for us to go heli-touring with no fuss. They offered an indoor/outdoor pool (heated), squash courts, games for loan, and all kinds of other things that made you feel at home. The shuttle into town was also a godsend—they even ignored the hourly schedule if you asked nicely for a ride.

We got what we needed and wanted, and if we had a bigger room, we would certainly go back.

Part of an international chain of restaraunts, the OSF provided us with more than we could eat and was easily the best value for our money we had the whole time, food-wise.

Situated in a small indoor mall, the restaurant had fast and friendly service, a pleasing variety of food, mountains of pasta and sourdough bread, and all of it was tasty. With its central location in Banff and the allure of the amazing shopping opportunities along the street, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

After inquiring around town, we got several nods to this place. It wasn't too crowded when we arrived around 7pm, and we later learned it got busier later in the evening. We had ample time to look over the menu, which had a wide variety of choices. My steak, for one, was very good, perfectly cooked to order and with pleasant side dishes. We were cared for by a knowledgeable waitstaff who worked together seamlessly, and we left impressed.

This was a typical English-style pub, with all the appropraite menu items you would expect to find. The food was mostly good, and the people-watching outside our tableside window was entertaining. We learned that there was live music in the evenings, but as we were there for lunch, we missed out on this opportunity. Waitstaff were a mix of friendly and standoff-ish, but nothing too brutal.

There's absolutely nothing I can think of that disappointed me in Lake Louise. We visited for three days during our week of skiing and wished for more. The runs were well-marked and managed, the staff throughout was helpful, and everything seemed designed for the bulky requirements of skiiers and their clomping boots inside the resort. Food was great, with too many choices (my wife and I failed to note which place to meet, thinking there was only one the first day). The lifts are quick, and the variety of choices confronting the skier is great. Some great straight runs, adrenaline-fueling curves, and astounding views round out a simply fantastic experience.

This was a highlight of our trip. We had been looking forward to our first helicopter ride, and to take it in the Canadian Rockies was the cherry on top. Only a short 20 minutes from Banff, we got there quickly, and having made reservations, we were quickly ready to go after an introductory video.

Our flight was magnificent, soaring over peaks, hovering next to glaciers, and flitting through canyons laden with snow. While the flight wasn't cheap (three fares of C$250 per trip required - we paid for a third empty spot to go), it was awesome. We oohed and ahhed the whole time, with helpful suggestions and banter with our pilot. Needless to say, we shot a lot of pictures and video.

This was well worth the time, effort, and money, even if you have to miss a day on the slopes.

No trip to Banff can avoid the presence of the Banff Springs Hotel, originally built as a Canadian Pacific Railroad hotel that began the Canadian tourist industry. While visiting the hotel is a lesson in how it was and still should be, the hotel offers ice skating and rents skates to those who would like to take part in this ancient frozen lake activity.

Don't expect great skates. In both my pair and my wife's, the laces were broken, and the ankle support was sadly lacking. The kids zipping around the ice had their own skates and made a sad mockery of my wife, trying her best on an uneven surface creased by numerous skates while wobbling around the oval in skates that couldn't tie up strongly enough to support her ankles. We gave up after five minutes and spent the rest of the time exploring the grand old hotel.