There is no Buzz post today as I found very few items to feature and I have decided to roll them into my next Buzz Post that should appear around Thursday 12 midnight EST. I am really sorry about this but I was just not going to post something with just four or five entries!
GUEST BLOG POSTS:
During my absence I would love to have guest posts. They must fit the mission: “Entertain, Educate, Inspire”. And I am indeed very picky what appears here. This is my baby and I am the one pampering it! If you are interested you can send me what you have as you want it to appear. Yes of course you can have a backlink or two to your site. BUT if I do not find it suitable for my readers I will NOT post it. Please no hard feelings ok? Same with material you guys send me to feature in my Buzz posts! Thank you so much for that, keep sending them to me, I do look at all of them and I do feature here the ones I find they make the cut. If you do not see it please do not email me saying “hey, post it” as I won’t for sure then! And don’t you dare send me an article with affiliate links lol.
We are looking for recommendations on what to do at Banff Springs and Lake Louise. We like hiking, nature walks, looks like some time on the lake is a must. We also like scenic drives too. What are MUST dos? Any tips on the two Fairmonts is also very welcome! And yes we do like deals!
I have a few more additional questions near the end!
HOTEL SCHEDULING SNAFU
The next adventure is four of us flying to Calgary on United award tickets and experiencing the Fairmont hotels in Banff Springs and Lake Louise. Here is our tentative itinerary (not finalized yet!)
Arriving late to Calgary Airport, staying at the Hilton Garden Inn (free stay, won 1 night in a contest)
Pick up midsize SUV next morning from Hertz and drive to Banff.
Night 1 and 2: Fairmont Banff Springs – Complimentary nights of Mrs. TBB’s Visa
Night 3: Fairmont Banff Springs – So far it is a pay reservation, only $768 CAD in a suite (gulp!)
Night 4 and 5: Fairmont Lake Louise. My own two complimentary nights from Visa
Night 6 and 7: Fairmont Lake Louise. Pay reservations at 619 CAD in a suite. I will convert soon Night 6 to my own Lifetime Platinum complimentary night.
Night 8 and 9: Two nights we have no reservations!!!
Night 10: We have 6 am flight the next morning. We are thinking about sleeping at the Calgary airport as we won’t be getting much sleep at an airport hotel anyway!
Plan all along was to each have an additional free night from the Visa anniversary as we both hit the minimum $12k spend for the year to earn it. BUT, I screwed up as both anniversary dates are happening today and tomorrow and I am very afraid both nights will NOT be credited to our own Fairmont accounts in time!
Do I keep Night 3 at Banff Springs if the complimentary night has not been credited yet by Chase to my Fairmont account? I do have $350 in Fairmont gift cards from cashing out the Fairmont Visa points recently…Still hurts paying over $400 for a night! Or should we leave and stay somewhere else. WHERE? There are no other chain hotels in the area so next best move may be to drive back to Canmore where there are several chain hotels. Any good hotel deals in Canmore on points?
Same situation with the fourth night in Lake Louise (Night 7 above). If no certificate credited yet, I am thinking of ditching it and then I will look to book three nights somewhere else. Where should we go? Any decent non chain hotel (lodge type) in a must see location? I realize it is late for this. There were a few properties at airbnb but none is available now. We could go back to Canmore and hit a Radisson to get the free award night and then drive somewhere during the days? Or another scenic place we must visit and stay at since we are up here?
Should we spend one night in Calgary city? Is there anything to see there other than the former Olympic facilities? Is there a Chinatown (we have a tendency to hit Chinatowns where we travel)? Maybe have the last night (Night 9) in the city and just see the City in our last full day before driving to the airport. 6 am flight would be brutal; this is what happens when you book 4 award seats together!
I have not had time to really do my trip research as thoroughly as I usually do! TBB duties have cut into available time quite a bit so I will REALLY appreciate any help you can provide me.
All comments are welcome. Please help me with my itinerary if you can! Thank you very much.
no Buzz post today??? what !!!!
Yes I just had five entries. So.Much.Nonsense.Today
unlike the day before:-)
Bam
You missed numero one by…that much;-)
Time stamps would indicate a tie….
Yes but there is a tiebreaker apparently:-)
Hi, Calgary is a great city. We have done a few articles on them. I would recommend spending the night or more there.
Good eats recommendations: Charcut (video on Connie DeSousa on of the chefs http://vacay.ca/2013/06/the-top-chef-with-a-wicked-blade/, Rouge, Model Milk or Muse. Calgary also had 8 Restos on the top 50 Canadian 2012 Restaurants: http://vacay.ca/top-50-restaurants/
Try your hand at glass blowing at the Bee Kingdom. http://vacay.ca/2012/06/video-bee-kingdom-buzzes-in-calgary/
Here is the website for their tourism dept: http://www.visitcalgary.com/.
Check out the National Music Center: http://www.visitcalgary.com/things-to-do/arts-attraction/galleries-museums/national-music-centre.
Go to Wildrose Brew Pub: http://vacay.ca/2012/06/calgary-brewery-on-target-in-old-military-base/
Take drive to the Badlands: http://www.visitcalgary.com/explore-calgary/itineraries/badlands.
Another place to check out: http://vacay.ca/2013/02/go-all-out-for-love-at-azuridge-estate/
You will enjoy Calgary, people are lovely too! Julia
Thanks Julia for the suggestions and the links, I greatly appreciate it!
“Badlands” reminds me that I almost forgot something that my daughter loved: the Royal Tyrell musuem. If you or your kids loves dinosaurs, this is the best musemm in the world for learning abotu that. Great exhibits (not just bones but dioramas and movies too).
My daughter joined up to be a “junior paleotologist (sp?)” and learned about bone digging.
That area has a LOT of dino discoveries. Near the badlands.
I think I gave you some of this advice from a few months ago but I repeat it here because it is so good 🙂 (these come from a trip with my family, with daughter age 8 and son 4)
1) Yes, do swim/rest in the hot springs in the big public pool
2) Rent a canoe in Moraine Lake. Most interesting shade of green—like Jade.
3) Maligne Canyon Hike (must drive north to Jasper)
4) Make sure you go as north as first glacier, to at least see them from the distance. If you have time and inclination, there are ways to drive up and then walk on them
5) Go for a horse back ride with steak dinner , leaves from near Banff and you go to a BBQ. Best BBQ you will ever have. We had a bear visit the cooksite.
6) In Calgary, there is the living history museum, possibly the best one like it we’ve been to in North America. Great for kids.
7) One advice for your Fairmont visits: learn a little Japanese so you can say something to the rest of the guests. 🙂
Oh, Bow River rafting “float” trip is very tame so go only if you guys are all on the timid side… 😉
Yeah bluecat, I remember we were talking about this a while ago. I saved them…somewhere. Thanks.
Follow up questions:
1) What is the location of #1 “swim in the hot springs in the public pool”
4) “north first glacier” – Where exactly is this again?
5) Horse back riding: In BF or LL? Sounds quiet expensive…would love to skip the horses and go straight for the BBQ lol.
Had no idea many Japanese stay at these two Fairmonts!
“Bow River rafting”: Location again? 3 family members are very timid, I am different:-)
Here are some links (I hope I can get them passed your blog censor tool):
1) www. banfflakelouise. com/Things-To-Do/Summer-Adventures/Hot-Springs
4) Great drive and it is Columbia Icefield, as another reader mentioned. http://www.banffnationalpark. com/ activities/ summer-tours/banff-scenic-drives-from-banff-national-park-to-jasper.html
5) Yes, the horseback is little pricey (and I got the sorest butt of my life because I did not sit properly) but they also have a carraige you can take. Something like 110/pp, Canadian. 🙂
(Hey! Don’t be cheap! You are not trying to set a record for freest vacation! Besides, the US dollar is stronger)
For the rafting, just google “Bow river raft float trip” or something like that
We also did a boat trip of Lake Louise (so-so), an evening diinner show in Canmore (you will see the advertisements—so cheesy that it is almost good), gondola ride up the mountainside aross from Banff/LL (ok for views but they scare you from hiking with talk of bears).
Have fun,.
I will try to trick (again!) your censor machine… 🙂
1) banfflakelouise dotcom/Things-To-Do/Summer-Adventures/Hot-Springs
4) Great drive and it is Columbia Icefield, as another reader mentioned. banffnationalpark dotcom activities/ summer-tours/banff-scenic-drives-from-banff-national-park-to-jasper
5) Yes, the horseback is little pricey (and I got the sorest butt of my life because I did not sit properly) but they also have a carraige you can take. Something like 110/pp, Canadian. 🙂
(Hey! Don’t be cheap! You are not trying to set a record for freest vacation! Besides, the US dollar is stronger)
For the rafting, just google “Bow river raft float trip” or something like that
We also did a boat trip of Lake Louise (so-so), an evening diinner show in Canmore (you will see the advertisements—so cheesy that it is almost good), gondola ride up the mountainside aross from Banff/LL (ok for views but they scare you from hiking with talk of bears).
Have fun,.
And I insist you investigate that historical park (my #6). Their slogan “How the West was Once”. heritagepark dotca/plan-your-visit.html This is not cheesy at all and you and wife may love it more than the kids do. Best thing in Calgary for a family. (forget olympic park and downtown, IMO)
Bluecat: You are awesome, thanks a lot! Mucho to digest, saved me much time! Muchas gracias!
There is a cute little hotel/ inn right before the Fairmont Lake Louise called the Paradise Bungalows if you don’t want to spend your own $$ at the Fairmont. Take a day drive to the Columbia Icefields..it was great.
Got it, thank you!
Sleep in the Airport? Seems beneath TBB.
Absolutely not. I see it as adventure and a good detox from the Fairmont comforts;-)
I am actually more frugal than that Frugal Travel Guy lol.
Frugal? I’d call that cheap, just plain cheap. Come on George with the kids? Spring for a Motel 6 or something along your normal travel lines 😉 Red Roof Inn?
TOFTG
Frugal is fine, cheap is, well, a cheap shot lol. I am supposed to turn in the car at the airport around 9 pm the final night, then why bother do the shuttle to an airport hotel and then get up at 3 am or so and do the shuttle again…Besides, we have never done this before, it will build character so my kids don’t get more spoiled than they already are:-)
I have actually never stayed in a Red Roof Inn before! I ‘ve done Motel 6 just once during spring break in Ft. Lauderdale, back in my college days! Come to think of it, I may have just enough points for a Best Western, I will take a look! Frankly, I got other burning hotel booking issues than this final night.
I slept in an airport twice. it is way overrated as a character building experience 😉
I think your censoring machine picked up on the links I was trying to send you. 🙁 Should I try again?
Success in tricking it!
I recommend the Banff Upper hot springs and a water rafting trip in Golden.
I am a big fan of camping in this area (many facilities) but can’t beat the location.
Thank you! We are not big fans of camping. And I hear talk of bears visiting you:-)
For some reason, I can not add your site to my Feedly feeds!
I’m not familiar with Calgary, but let me know if you make it to Vancouver or Victoria.
Original plan was to drive all the way across to Vancouver and fly back from there but, on a second thought, it just proved way too ambitious!
Since it is a slow blog day, I thought I would finish the story I told you a couple of weeks ago about Cher and Gene Simmons and The Mile High Club. Buzz please feel free to delete this post if too tasteless, although it does have a Happy Ending (for Gene). Again this is fact not fiction.
Backstory: TWA Flt 149, L1011 (best plane ever) JFK-LAS 9am departure (I kept a log book). Gene Simmons (at the time nobody knew what he looked like w/o Kiss makeup on) sat in seat 3a. Cher whom he had been dating sat next to him. Lap child Baby Elijah Blue Allman (Cher’s kid w/ Gregg) ran around F/C for hours in a dirty diaper stinking up the cabin while the nanny slept in coach. Great parenting!…………A couple of hours into the flight, during the movie, I spotted the 2 of them sneaking up the the f/c Lav together. Lav is located between a center mounted galley and behind the cockpit door, and one of the two lav’s was already occupied. When I notice both disappeared I knew shenanigans was afoot. Went into the cockpit and told them celebrity nookie going on just a few feet away. Captain was cool to putting on the seat belt sign. He even took it a few steps further when he made an announcement saying there was reports of clear air turbulence ahead, everyone return to your seats. He left that seat belt sign on for over an hour even though it was as smooth a ride as can be. Who says pilots don’t have a sense of humor. I knocked on the Lav door and instructed them they had to go back to their seats. I could hear Gene’s Kiss belt buckle banging against the door. They went back to their seats and Gene kept asking me every tens minutes how much longer will the seat belt sign be on? Finally after about a half hour Cher asked for 2 blankets so she could take a nap on Gene’s lap while under the blankets. The cabin was dark for the movie, and she had a restless nap on his lap (read between the lines here). While baby Elijah Blue slept on the floor nearby (great parenting). Gene went from angry to HAPPY!
I had no idea that Gene dude was ever married to Cher. From what I know about him, he is just not a very nice guy! Thanks for sharing, I enjoyed the story! Poor nanny:)
Worst not even close to funny awful pun ever (yep, just popped into my head) ; If you CallGary, tell him I Banffine…
Hehe! Funny thing is I just published a post asking for suggestions for a trip to Vancouver area in Canada. Great minds think alike or is it Canada season? 😉
Well, considering Detroit City filed for bankruptcy today, it is clearly time to get out of Dodge:-)
And expert minds definitely think alike;-)
Does this mean I need to ford the river in my new jeep? To get out of dodge? Jesus chrysler! We have no money. Government motors took it all. Maybe slim shady will help.
Actually, everything excluding the City of Detroit’s finances is looking up here! Especially Ann Arbor has been booming. Detroit will get fixed and downsized to reality that has been avoided for several decades now. I am VERY optimistic about Detroit and Michigan!
Yeah baby, we are made of steel here. This always gave me chills, enjoy our slim shady:-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKL254Y_jtc
Yikes. Seems you’ll be spending more time checking in/out and driving around to hotel to hotel than actually enjoying your vacation. You seem to be going just because you have “free” nights – that will end up being very expensive and not all that much fun. But then again, taking brats along on vacation is never fun.
You bet we are going there for all the free nights! A bit driving around is fine, have more experiences, it’s fine. The free nights & flights keep costs lower:-)
On your last night in Calgary, go for steak at Vintage Chophouse. Make sure you get a side of truffle mac and cheese. Your taste buds will thank me. Your wallet will not. It will be worth every penny.
Hmm sounds delicious and expensive. I made a note of it. We might if time allows.
Any ideas on best hotels in the city, preferably good deals on points?
George, did you say guest blogger? Cough. Cough.
I can not pay you like that other blog;-)
Not sure if you would like to do one on your Brooklyn Reality Tour? You’ve been around a long time and I would love to finally do this next year…so notify me when you set it up. Then again, you may not want the publicity at all and keep it the way you have it now…
As I said I am quite picky of my blog baby and I must feel it is worthy. What makes it worthy? Entertaining/Educational/Inspiring…at least do one well (high standards lol).
So sure…email me, flying out on Wednesday night!
travelbloggerbuzz@gmail.com