BANFF IN THE SUMMER The historic Fairmont Banff Springs hotel is a focal point and a romantic destination with unparalleled opportunities for star-gazing, heritage mountaineering and interpretive hiking programs. People come from all over the world, year round, to enjoy what nature has to offer. Although the mountains are the biggest draw, the town of Banff offers shopping and strolling in pleasant settings, reminiscent of the quaint old European villages.
BANFF IN THE WINTER
The western section of the Canadian Rockies, Northwest of Calgary, is one of Canada’s most spectacular regions. Banff National Park is one of four adjoining mountain parks that comprise some 5,200-square miles of Rocky Mountain landscape. Banff comes to life in the winter as it fills with skiers and snowboarders headed for Sunshine Village, Lake Louise and Mount Norquay. It starts snowing in October, so skating and cross-country ski conditions are ideal for more than half the year.
THE CALGARY HERITAGE MUSEUM At Heritage Park, discover the Old West, right in the heart of Calgary. All the sights and sounds of pre-19th century life are re-created in a 66-acre Park that boasts over 150 exhibits depicting the joys and hardships of the prairie pioneers. Authentic exhibits and lively interpretation bring the nostalgia of yesteryear to life. Strolling through the 1910 town, you might experience a prairie wedding or catch some good old-fashioned gossip.
CALGARY Calgary is an oil capital and commercial center, with a rapidly growing population of young professionals attracted by the vibrant economic environment. It takes just a little over an hour to drive to the Rocky Mountain resorts in Banff National Park. Calgary has grown around the intersection of the Bow and Elbow rivers, and the city is divided into a four-quadrant grid, with the Bow River separating North from South, and Centre Street-Macleod Trail.
EDMONTON At almost the geographic center of Alberta, Edmonton is the provincial capital and the fifth largest city in Canada. On the banks of the North Saskatchewan River, grew from a small trading post in the late 1700s to become the hub of Alberta’s oil, gas, coal, forestry, and agricultural industries today.
DINOSAUR COUNTRY Many families who visit the Calgary area like to include a tour of “dinosaur country.” Situated near Calgary and looking like a barren and lumpy desert, Alberta’s Badlands got their name from early settlers who found the soil too poor to farm. The Badlands are gouged out of the prairie by ancient rivers and ice and were once the domain of the dinosaur.
THE PROVINCIAL MUSEUM OF ALBERTA & SCIENCE CENTRE The Edmonton Space & Science Centre in Coronation Park features an IMAX Theater and Planetarium, educational displays that provide insight into the heavens and a computer lab offers explorations of the latest in state-of-the-art technology.
FORT EDMONTON PARK Bring your curiosity and sense of adventure for a day at Fort Edmonton Park, Canada’s largest historical park, in which you’ll discover four distinct living villages. Each era is authentically re-created, transporting you back through time. Visit with friendly merchants in their shops and stores, and discover that some things never change, regardless of how much time has passed.
LAKE LOUISE Lake Louise is a two-hour drive from Calgary. At one end of the lake are Mount Victoria and the Victoria Glacier, and at the other is Chateau Lake Louise, an imposing formal hotel. The caliber of its skiing attracts skiers from all over the world. The Lake Louise Ski Area is Canada’s largest, and one of the biggest in North America, measured in total skiable acreage, length of runs, number of named and groomed runs, and amount of novice terrain.
MUTTART CONSERVATORY One of the Edmonton’s icons in the river valley near the downtown core. Built in 1976, the Muttart Conservatory has become a scenic landmark in Edmonton. Its four glass pyramids are divided by climate, and the greenhouses here supply most of the flowers for the city of Edmonton. Three pavilions feature the plants of climates not found in Alberta.