Banff!

We made it to Banff and back!  Wow!  What a trip!  I still can't get over how gorgeous this part of the world is and I would recommend it as a vacation destination to anyone looking to take their breath away!  It was kind of a random idea to go here and then I convinced my family to all go together!  Dan and I classified it as our one year wedding anniversary trip as well :)

I'm not typically extremely outdoorsy but there were awesome activities to do in and around Banff. We all purchased a package that included: canoe rental, horseback ride, and gondola ride.  It was a great deal!  Everyone but my mom and I made it to all 3, oh the drama!  I have major issues with heights (so does my mom) and we just couldn't get on the gondola.  It was the steepest, most scariest thing I'd ever seen!  A panic attack waiting to happen.  So we waited for the others to go up and come back down and putzed around the gift shop, got coffee, etc. :)  But that was fine with me!  Literally, as you probably know, one of my most favorite past times is "browsing".  I could stroll around any town with a cup of tea in hand and be just dandy!

We visited many lakes including: Lake Louise and Moraine Lake.  We couldn't believe the color of the water, just unreal.  It only rained one day but we made the best of it that day by walking around the Chateau at Lake Louise and doing some shopping and eating.  Let me paint a picture for you:

Your senses are heightened in anticipation as you make your way closer and closer to the majestic Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.  The tremendous views of the mountains as you approach the grand hotel is like nothing you've ever seen and then, before your eyes, stands an illustrated page from a story book.  A man dressed right out of the mid-century approaches your vehicle to welcome you and escort you to the entrance of this real-life fairy tale.  Once inside, the lobby takes you back in time and overwhelms you with a warm feeling of hospitality.  Although bustling with action, you still feel the calmness in the atmosphere created by the angelic melody of a harpist and the smell of  freshly baked bread and tea fills the air.  A little jingle that you realize you've been hearing pulls you out of your daydream as you see a spunky Yellow Lab frolicking about.  With no leash and a ball in his mouth, he stands by a hotel plaque on the wall introducing the dog as the "Manager of Pet Relations"!  Marcus is his name and his playful greeting of each and every guest is the cherry on top to this whimsical scene.

Ok I might have gotten a little carried away there, haha!!  

Everywhere I looked, I couldn't being to imagine how GORGEOUS a wedding would be here!  Part of the reason I wanted to come here was the sheer curiosity of the scenery due to all of the wedding blogs I read!  There are so many great photographers in the area but, seriously, how can you take a bad picture in a place like this?!  We did have a family photo session with a photographer named Kim Payant. She was nice, flexible and funny!  We absolutely adored her Quebec French accent!

 (here is a link to her blog: http://www.kimpayantphotography.com/apps/blog)

So, that's our trip in a nutshell!  So amazing!  Has anyone else been to Banff, Calgary, Canmore or that area?  If not, put it on your bucket list!