Mini-cation

Last week we took a mini-cation in Banff to kick off our camping season. The van, a 1992 RoadTrek, hadn’t been on the road for a few months so we wanted a gentle trip to warm her up. Banff is only 90 minutes away (128KM) on a nice highway with no giant mountain passes, and there is cell service most of the time.

You’d think we were setting out on a month-long exploration into un-chartered territory….not heading down the road to a town with shops and restaurants. The first trip of the year seems like such a big deal we always over-estimate how much food, drink and clothes we’ll need. Better safe than sorry.

We decided to stop at Lake Minnewanka and Two Jack Lake before checking into our campsite at Tunnel Mountain Village.

Lake Minnewanka is a popular boating, fishing and scuba-diving area with an interesting past. Under the beautiful crystal waters there are the remains of Minnewanka Landing, a small resort that used to exist along the original shores of the lake. In 1895 a dam was built to improve the shoreline for boating, in 1912 a second dam was built to store water for a downstream hydroelectric plant and finally in 1941 a third dam was built, raising the water levels to such a degree that the village was submerged. There have also been archaeological discoveries suggesting that the area has actually been inhabited for at least 10,000 years.

Two Jack Lake is a short drive from Lake Minnewanka with a campground and day-use area. Even this early in the season the campground was fully booked and there were people paddle-boarding and picnicking.

We next headed to Tunnel Mountain Village 1 to set up camp. We chose to stay in Village 1 with no services (electric or water at the sites) because it has lovely big trees and the sites aren’t too close together. There are amenities such as flushing toilets, hot showers and potable water taps available throughout the campground.

The next morning we christened our new Coleman stove, these little camp-stoves bring back so many memories of camping with my parents when we first moved to Canada. There is nothing like outdoor bacon!

Tunnel Mountain Village 1 is about 4.4KM from Banff, a nice downhill walk with amazing views of the mountains and an unexpected encounter with two Elk Cows resting in the woods along the walking path. It’s Elk calving season so we quickly and quietly moved passed them.

We walked around town and eventually made our way to the Banff Springs Hotel. Built between 1911 and 1928 this beautiful chateau-style hotel is nestled at the foot of Sulphur Mountain and boasts views that include the Bow River, Tunnel Mountain and Mount Rundle. After exploring the hotel, all plush carpets and velvet wallpaper, we had a drink on the terrace. We had thought it would be more boujee but other than the prices you could have been at any patio with amazing views. Ah….that’s probably what we paid for.

No trip to Banff is complete without a walk to Bow Falls. We strolled along the path from the hotel to the Falls and back into the townsite. Although there are several small changes in elevation the path is well maintained and the views make all the stairs worth it.

As some of you know the hockey playoffs are on so we stopped at the Keg for a snack and to watch the game. As usual the Keg was excellent and that’s all I’ll say about being on a camping trip but stopping at the Keg to watch a hockey game.

On our way back to Calgary the next day we continued to be tourists in our own Province and stopped at two places we’ve driven past numerous times. Dead Mans Flats, actually a small hamlet 78KM west of Calgary, and Lac des Arcs (88KM west of Calgary). Lac des Arcs has always fascinated me but I never knew it was actually a place that people lived, I always thought it was just a lake on the Bow River with a quarry on the far shore. The Hamlet of Lac des Arcs was originally a seasonal cottage community in the 1960’s but now many people live here year-round. The area has numerous biking and hiking trails and the lake is a popular spot for windsurfing, canoeing and fishing. There is also a 30 site unserviced campground with access to the lake and amazing views.

Our last stop was the Livingstone Golf Course, less than 50KM outside Calgary. It’s a beautiful 9 hole course suitable for all skill levels, with “pristine rolling fairways, exceptional greens and tees carved against the Livingstone ridge and natural valleys“.

The first trip of 2025 was a success and reminded us that there are so many beautiful places right on our doorstep.