a Winter Wonderland family vacation | Banff, Canada

This post will show you how to have a “Winter Wonderland”-level family vacation in Banff, Canada.

Last month we took our first big family “international” trip, if you don’t count hitting Mexico from the cruise trip we embarked on last summer, which I think counts. But this trip involved a flight, so the rules were much less loosey-goosey than when we stumbled off the Carnival Imagination for the afternoon in Ensenada.

A bestie of mine had taken a summertime trip to Banff, Alberta, Canada, and you just have to Google the place once to see how spectacular it is. It’s known for being a world-renowned golf and hiking destination in the summer, situated along the turquoise-blue waters of Lake Louise; however, it’s a pretty stunning ski retreat in the wintertime, with hot springs and an incredible dog-sledding outfit in nearby Canmore.

I booked well in advance on Expedia to try to get this family of five the best deal at the place I really wanted to stay: the Fairmont, Banff Springs. 

It looks like a castle, doesn’t it? 

It’s not cheap, but as you will come to find, it might just be worth the price. We even sacrificed something I really hate to do without these days on family vacations: the separate bedroom for us. If you can swing the extra bedroom for yourself, then do so… not to mention the possibilities if you are kid-free or empty-nesters. But for us booking as late as we did, we had to be happy with TWO queen beds in a single sleeping chamber (along with a pull-out in the living room), and given the small amount of time that we were all spending in the room, it worked out just fine for us. 

That’s the Fairmont in the distance.

To make this trip from Southern California, you’re going to fly out of San Diego (better flights go out of LA, but I am too impatient to tolerate that drive) and connect in either Seattle or Phoenix, or wherever. You’ll wind up in Calgary, if all goes according to plan. 

Look how cute the baggage claim is in Calgary?

Too bad the rest of Calgary isn’t as cute, because next you’re going to rent a car and drive 1.5-hours to Banff. On the day we arrived (and even moreso on our return drive), Calgary was flat and bleak, so don’t get depressed and wonder where all the mountains are and whether someone played a trick on you. They didn’t (this time). 

I’m sure someone will call me out for saying Calgary wasn’t cute. What can I say? It wasn’t. Maybe it’s cute in the summertime? Or if you photograph it through a very blurry lens.

The closer you get to Banff, the more you will see the landscape change. I have no pictures of Calgary for a reason, but here’s what you’ll start to see as you get closer to what you came for:

This is the town of Banff, and it is darn cute!

This is a frozen lake, and one of many. Don’t just go stomping around all over the ice! You have no idea how thin it is. If you fall through, they may never even find you and you’ll pop out centuries later like the animals in the bog at La Brea Tar Pits.

By the time we got to our room we were travel-fatigued. 

The Pub makes a delicious Old Fashioned, just the way I like it: with some liquor-soaked cherries in the bottom. I know they say the worst way to cure jet lag is alcohol, but it’s the best way to cure traveling with three children.

The traveler next to me in this pic was exceptionally delightful, of course.

They also serve the BEST goulash I’ve ever had, with beer and pretzel bread if that’s your thing.

It was cold enough for me. All the thickening my blood supposedly did when I lived in New York is long gone! That was a decade ago. 

I wish we could accumulate tolerance to cold or humidity like superpowers we keep for life, because living in San Diego has only given me tolerance to cold water. What a waste it’s been to all of my other tolerances.

I quite enjoyed the fire outside. I don’t even know how to behave in the cold anymore. I got so close to the fire I could’ve crawled right into it. Thank God these clothes aren’t super flammable! 

By the time we dragged ourselves away from the Pub, it was dark enough to just chill out at the pools. There is a heated indoor pool (which is cool in temperature), and an indoor hot tub in this grotto-type area:

And then… there is the outdoor pool. It’s not quite as hot as the hot tub, but it’s not at all temperate like a heated pool… it’s VERY WARM. See the steam rising? This night it was actually snowing gently on us, which was delightful in the heat of the pool. 

I might be a little overly-obsessed with pools in general, but this outdoor heated pool was everything to me. I know this photo isn’t super cute or helpful in showing the whole pool (or even most of the pool) at night, but with the lighting outside it was actually pretty difficult to get a decent shot. 

We have a few very weird shots. You would probably prefer those, which is human nature, but it doesn’t mean I have to post them.

On our first full day in Banff, we decided to try skiing. We tried it for the first time in my all-time favorite San Diego getaway – Big Bear Mountain – two years ago, and I finally understood what all the fuss was about with skiing. Okay? I get it. 

This time we even had a gondola ride, which was pretty fun all on its own! We chose Sunshine Village Ski Resort.

 

 

 

But we’re still total novices and our middle child can’t even walk in ski boots (I barely can?) so we put the other two kids into refresher ski training. 

Meanwhile, the old man and I PIZZAED our way down the bunny slopes…

… and I also made sure our middle child was happy making snowmen, or at least not hurting people with the snowballs she was throwing at incoming chairlifts (she was only throwing snowballs at the empty, incoming chairs, before you go getting indignant! But it still doesn’t look good, I’ll give you that.)

So while the old man was busy getting misrouted onto blue diamond runs while I played with our middle one…

… our boy was getting increasingly confident and excited about skiing. 

The next day, I had planned the event that I was most excited about: dog sledding. My grandfather, Jacques Suzanne, was an avid outdoorsman and used dog sledding as his primary method of exploring the far north. Outside of Lake Placid (where he is legendary) and those obsessed with malamutes and huskies, you wouldn’t know who he is. But in our family he is talked about with the reverence of a God, and even his potential human failings are shouted down with the vigor of the Pope defending Jesus.

In any event I remain curious and inspired by his many talents, especially the connection he had with his dogs and wolf hybrids.

 

Finding an experience which would be good for our family – as well as for the sled dogs – was very important to me. So we chose a dog-sledding outfit known for its excellent reputation for their treatment of the dogs: Snowy Owl Sled Dog Tours.

Here’s one of the owners, Jeremy, giving us a pep talk before our adventure:

It almost seemed like the dogs couldn’t wait to get going.

Our son rode with me on the first leg of the trip. 

 

This is what it looked like from down inside the sled:

Here you see the anchor come out. In fairness, the pros warned us this could happen. But the dogs quickly responded to my calmly-stated “WHOA” direction.

I drove us back by switching sleds and taking over the girls’ sled, driving solo.

What are the odds we can pick up a couple of these babies to add to our family??? If the old man has anything to say about it, odds are ZERO to NONE.

Following our animal adventure, we decided to see what else the Fairmont had to offer besides amazing swimming pools. Turns out that right behind their authentic pub is a frozen pond that’s perfect for hockey and ice skating.

Such a peaceful scene.

The ice all around us was melting. Except on the skating pond! Well I’m sure it was melting there too, but the receptionist who checked us into the hotel assured me that they “refroze it” so it was “all good” for ice play.

I know that doesn’t reassure you, but if that ice could hold me then it can hold almost anyone. Almost.

Our kids had never played hockey before. Our son must’ve fallen a hundred times. A bunch of those falls resulted in him just lying there crying, and I’d think, “This is it, he’s done playing hockey.” Then he’d get right back up and try again.

Our middle girl can’t ice skate any more than she can ski, but she IS very good at tobogganing (here, in the background with Dad).

After the dog sledding and what was seriously HOURS of skating and hockey, I thought I had exhausted the kids. Nope! The ones who skated forever moved on to sledding.

We just put our feet up for a little while while they were sledding.

After all the outdoor play, we decided to try out Canadian bowling (candlepins? If you ask a Canadian, they simply call it Bowling or 5-pin).

There’s an adorable bowling alley at the Fairmont, too.

Canadian bowling is super tricky – all the balls are smaller and in uniform size, and your fingers go around them, not inside them. There are only 5 pins, but somehow that seems to make it tricky, too.

They also have those cheater devices for the little ones.

The old man somehow managed a very lucky shot – I only filmed him once, and this is what I got:

The next day, we decided to take the Official Tour of the Fairmont. Anyone coming from anywhere in town can take the tour, and it was extremely well-attended… but it’s free if you’re staying in the hotel.

They share the incredible history of the hotel dating back to the 19th century, when people foolishly built the entire structure out of wood. By the early 20th century it had burned to the ground. But! That was okay because no one died, and it allowed the owner to redo it like he had always truly envisioned it: made of stone pulled from the surrounding mountains.

Here you see the short wall behind me matching the mountain in the distance exactly. That is not just for show! It’s the same material.

The entire town of Banff is named for the Scottish town of Banffshire, and in fact most of the personnel still wear kilts while Scottish Coats of Arms adorn the walls and windows throughout this magestic castle.

The tour guide kept mentioning how famous types like “Queen Elizabeth” and “Prince So-and-So” had been regular guests there.

I only seemed to take note when they mentioned Americans like Marilyn Monroe. I guess that makes me an “Ugly American.”

Speaking of weddings, on the “Ghost Stories” portion of the tour they told us a horrific (and true?) story of a bride who died going down the spiral staircase to her wedding reception, where she tripped and fell, catching fire on the candles lighting the way.

I don’t make up these stories, I just report them.

We happened to see a bride flit by during our stay. I wonder how much thought she gave to the Ghost Bride story. Not much, apparently.

There are lots of little places to just sit and take in the view. Or the house drinks. Or both.

There are also pool tables on the premises. No library though, which was pretty disappointing. Wouldn’t you think a place like this would have an amazing library? Our eldest was really outraged over it.

The boy got some experience trying out trick shots (he made none of them).

Naturally, there are lots of optional “day trips” and tours that leave from the hotel if you so choose. I opted for a solo nature tour, banking on the fact that my little ones would complain about a bus tour “just to look at plants and stuff” – local flora and fauna.

We learned a lot about some of their local animals which are also some of my favorite animals here in San Diego. Except that in San Diego, we don’t have wolves.

We have deer though!

 But we do not have elk. Boy I wish we did, though.

I asked what conservationists did when populations of deer and elk got out of control. My tour guide said that they literally pack them up and relocate them rather than hunt in the park. They may then be hunted once relocated, but even possessing a firearm capable of discharge – within the park – carries a steep fine.

This is a pregnant female.

Some had lost their antlers already, and some had not. We were there right about when they were shedding them, so unless you have binoculars it’s hard to tell a male from a female from afar.