Part 2: Sunshine vs. Lake Louise

A day late, but better late then never, they say.  Part two of our Rocky Mountain vacation got us outdoors and on a mountain, read part one here.  This was why we headed to the mountains and everything else was icing on the cake.  Now that the girls are old enough and skilled enough, one of our favorite family winter activities is going skiing/snowboarding.  We enjoy going to a nearby hill but it doesn't even come close to skiing/snowboarding in the mountains and we've wanted to share this adventure with our girls for years but hadn't experienced it yet.  Now that we have, I kind of think we might choose a mountain adventure over a hot beach holiday, at least every couple of years.  WE LOVED IT!!!  

Now let's look at the two mountains we tested out and give you our take on both.

Sunshine Village

The gondola ride up to the base is beautiful in itself and a great way to see just how big the mountain is.  Along the way you can get off at Goat Eye (we didn't explore this area),  or ride up to the top where you are greeted by a big chalet, the ski school area, and several chair lifts and numerous runs.  From previous experience Logan and I knew that the green runs at Sunshine are not for snowboarders.  They have lots of flat spots along the way and usually make it almost impossible to have enough speed to get through them, which results in you having to take off your board or side slide it = NOT FUN.  We decided to hit up the blue runs and enjoy the day.  It was COLD,  - 33C in the morning and as the day went on it did improve to approximately -22C.   We were all bundled up and made the best of the day, but didn't take a ton of pictures because our hands would get so cold anytime we didn't have our gloves on, LOL.  Anyway, I've decided that the easiest way to compare the two places are with a pros and cons list. 

Pros:  

• Lots and lots of different runs to choose from and you wont get board.  
• Multiple lifts and no waiting (although it was a chilly day).
• The gondola ride up is beautiful.  Be warned though that they charge a spectator $50 to come up to sit in the chalet and watch (seems kind of steep).
• A bit less expensive/adult/day.
• Less waiting in lines because there is so many lift options.

Cons:

• Runs are poorly signed, so you often aren't sure where you are going or what level of run you are on.
• Very open  and windy.

Lake Louise

This was unanimously our favorite of the two and next time we would actually skip Sunshine all together to be honest and spend more time at Lake Louise.  We LOVED the atmosphere, the lush tree surroundings and the the runs were just overall better and you 100% felt like you were in the mountains.  Also, we met up with some friends on the hill which was fantastic!

Pros:

• The chalet is enormous and it stands at the base where people gather.  It's a busy but also a beautiful sight.  Also, if you do have a spectator they can join you and watch you from the chalet for free.
• Lots and lots of runs to choose from, as well as a gondola and several chair lifts.
• The runs are well signed and you don't worry about splitting up as a family because after a few runs you get a good feeling of how the runs reconnect and land back a the base.
• The runs are LONG, like 15 minutes of straight riding, or longer depending on which chair lifts you take.
• Spots to take photos along the way that showcase the beauty of being in the Rocky mountain.

Cons:

• More expensive, get the Costco passes they are worth it.
• Further from Calgary and Canmore but still drivable and it's about 30 min. further than Sunshine.
• More time waiting in line for the gondola but there are many other lifts available, it's just what we choose to wait in line for the most. 

At the end of the day, both were incredible experiences for our family and we would love to go back again next winter.  I definitely think it's going to be something we try to budget for if not every year, every second.  

If you are wondering what the cost of our trip was for basically 2 adults and two youth, two days of skiing, four nights in Canmore, food on the hill and groceries at the condo, and also doing a bit of exploring in Banff, I would say $2600 - 28000.  We also did a shopping day in Calgary and that was an added extra but I also figure the shopping we did there would have been done at home or online regardless, it was just that we did it in one shot.  

That's a wrap.  Thanks for joining me on this travel diaries installment.  Next week, I'll be back with not one but two fashion posts, Monday, March 14th and on Thursday, March 17th join me and the ladies of ageless style in styling our sweatshirts and a link-up.  Happy Tuesday!

Part 1: Rocky Mountain Family Getaway Diary & Tips for Your Next Vacation

Morning view from our Airbnb in Canmore.

It's the last day of February and for me this month flew by.  We welcomed a new baby niece, my husband turned 40 and we had a family vacation to the Rocky mountains over the last week.  Although this was not our original vacation plan or the way to ring in my husbands 40th birthday, we enjoyed our time away skiing/snowboarding as a family.  One of the benefits of having older children is that we can finally do this kind of activity without anyone holding anyone back, needing nap times, or ski school, etc. Upon writing this post, I decided to break it up into two different parts, exploring and skiing/snowboarding.    Let's take a look at how we spent the first three days of our vacation.

Part 1- Calgary  

We had to travel by car from Saskatchewan to Calgary which is 6 hours away.  Logan and I chatted, listened to music and started listening to Green Lights by Matthew McConaughey on our trip.  Again a benefit of traveling with teens is that they take care of themselves, reading their own books, listening to their own music and watching downloaded movies on their own devices.  I just brought snacks and water along.

Calgary we shopped at the Chinook Mall which had something for everyone, and much more.  On the shopping front we all ended up scoring some new spring items for ourselves including a dress that I am obsessed with but wont be able to wear really until June, a new bathing suit, and a bright pink sweater to get me through a few more months of cold.  The girls also found a variety of items that they liked and I talked Logan into getting himself a pair of Blundstones, very similar to the ones I own, see here.

I'll shout out the Delta  by Marriott South hotel.  It wasn't glamorous by any means but it was a pefect location to the shopping center, provided clean and comfortable one night stay, a great pool and the gym was more than I expected it to be.   We would definitely stay there again for a one night stop over or shopping trip.

We also hung out with a university friend of mine and her family.  Since she had her first child just prior to the pandemic and her second arrived just a few months ago, I really haven't properly spent anytime with her kiddos.  The came to our hotel to swim, visit and I even had a dance party in the hotel room with a almost 3 year old.  I can't wait to visit and see all the pandemic babies more as things improve and we all become more comfortable seeing one another.  

Part 2 - Canmore & Banff

First off our Airbnb accommodation was PERFECT!  Two bedroom, two awesome bathrooms (key with teenagers), living room, full kitchen and the most wonderful view out the balcony.  Also a great pool with both a kiddie pool and waterslide, as well as our favorite an indoor/outdoor hot tub.  Although there were minor things that I would have improved upon such as having wine glasses in the cupboards, more chairs by the pool as there were maybe 6 at most for the whole complex, we were really happy and pleasantly surprised.  Our host was kind to leave us a chocolate which we all enjoyed and was super responsive to any questions we had.  Logan and I are already looking to book again just the two of us to do some hiking, and we would like to return next winter as a family.  If you ware looking for a place to stay we highly recommend this condo or anything in this building.  Also the restaurant attached, Gradne Kitchen + Bar offered a great menu, family friendly, great service, and reasonably priced; no wonder it has such high ratings on TripAdvisor.  

The first day was extremely cold in the morning, like -38C, so we decided to skip going to the hill and waited until the afternoon to explore Banff.  We didn't take many photos because our hands would freeze as soon as they were out of mitts for too long.

1.  Banff Upper Hot Springs:  Meh.  Honestly cool to do but we wouldn't do it again.  The water was hot and the view was nice but it's was ultimately like a large hot tub.  

2.  Exploring Banff downtown and the little shops was great, and we kept warm by going in and out of stores.  The kids like looking at tourist nick knacks and we all picked something out; I got a new mug for my travel mug collection.  

3.  Beaver Tails were the highlight of our day.  Anya got strawberry cheesecake, Logan and Halie got brownie and I went for Nutella and bananas.  Worth every calorie.

4.  Bow Falls So I desperately wanted to see these "waterfalls".  The kids and Logan braved the cold and walked the 1. 6 km to see it.  it was cold, icy at times, and we only met one person on the trail.  We get there and....... it's not a waterfall but rather a rapid that's very nice to look at.  HAHAHAHAH.  Well at least we walked off an eight of our beaver tail.  

5.  Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.  This is a castle hotel like no other I've ever seen.   We had friends staying there so we went into their incredible pool after a day of skiing.  The luxury is top notch and the view was incredible.  The hotel is huge and tourists are welcome to explore it on foot which I would recommend and wish to do next time.

Honestly there was so much we didn't see and we would like to see in both Banff and Canmore, especially on foot.  Some of the things we want see is Johnston Canyon, hike up Sulphur Mountain, see the Three Sisters reflected on the water at sunrise and endless more hikes to explore. I think we need to go there in the spring, summer or fall to truly enjoy the natural beauty and all it has to offer.  

Next Monday I'll review and give you our opinion on Sunshine vs. Lake Louise for skiing/snowboarding adventures! 

Your turn!  Tell me something good from your February!