If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.”
Jim Rohn
It’s been 1.5 years! 1.5 years that I haven’t been to Canada and couldn’t see Blake’s family. At least he got to travel back for Christmas in 2020 to stay with his family for a month. Being back in Canada after such a long time made me realize how much I had missed this beautiful country with its friendly people!
The next five weeks were filled with road trips, family time, get togethers with friends, BBQs, outdoor activities and much more.
What to expect
Calgary
In Calgary, Blake’s hometown, we had a lot of BBQs with friends (sometimes two BBQs a day with different groups of friends). What should I say? Blake can be a big planner if he wants to 😉. Besides seeing his friends and family, there was one big festival going on.
Stampede
The Calgary Stampede is an annual rodeo, exhibition, and festival held every July in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The ten-day event, which bills itself as “The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth”, attracts over one million visitors per year and features one of the world’s largest rodeos, a parade, midway, stage shows, concerts, agricultural competitions, chuckwagon racing, and First Nations exhibitions.”
wikipedia
Stampede Breakfast
Before we got to experience the Stampede Ground, we went to one of the many Stampede Breakfast places where you can get free pancakes, eggs and sausages while listening to live country music. Coming from a country where you have to pay for public parking as well as public toilets, it was hard for me to understand that they give out food for free. But of course I loved it and it was a great experience! Everyone really lived the country style from head to toe 😉.
Stampede Grounds
We would have gone to the Stampede Grounds either way, but we were lucky that they handed out tickets for free during Stampede Breakfast: not just for the entry to Stampede, but also for the Rodeo show inside the stadium. This is why we made a whole day out of it and headed straight to Stampede Grounds. I think it’s comparable with our German fair (“Kirmes”) or the Octoberfest (minus the tents with all the beer-drinking people in Lederhosen and Dirndl). There were many rides and rollercoasters, game stands and a lot of food stands!
It was almost impossible to find something healthy here (not that I was looking for it) but food was either fried or deep-fried. So technically, we had no other choice but to try the famous mini donuts, deep fried cookie dough on a stick (no kidding), pretzels, poutine and rips (for Blake). It was fun soaking in the atmosphere and quite “interesting” to watch riding the bull, horseback riding, catching calves with a lasso and so on. No wonder why WOF is demonstrating there every year…
At the end of the day we danced to a concert from the country band “Reclaws” and watched the fireworks afterwards. Such a unique experience!
Stampede tents
On another day we also partied in one of the Stampede tents that are all around town with live bands as well as DJs. Again, everyone is dressed in cowboy/ cowgirl outfits which is so interesting to watch. This was also one of the first bigger parties I went to during covid so I couldn’t help but smile at everyone who passed me (I probably freaked out a few party people with that).
Bow River
A great summer activity is floating down Bow River: Whether it’s on a SUP or in a paddle board and whether it’s rented or your own – just make sure, you bring some drinks, snacks and good company along the way. 😉
Lookouts and parks
In the previous years we never really checked out Calgary’s city centre, but it has a really nice skyline that you can admire from Crescent Heights. Also, walking down the many steps is worth it in order to visit Prince’s Island Park. If you feel very active, you can also run the stairs up and down as many people do. Let’s just say it was a very hot day and that’s why we only walked them down…
Calgary Zoo
The last time we visited Calgary Zoo was to see the Zoo Lights in winter. This time it was nice to see the animals for the first time as a belated birthday present for Soleia, Blake’s five-year-old niece. However, she was more impressed by the mechanic dinosaurs than the actual animals.
Banff National Park
I just love Banff! Blake and I made it a tradition to stay in Banff at least for one night every time I’m coming to Canada. Since it is very close to Calgary, we did a few day trips to Banff, but also stayed there for one night.
Sulphur Mountain
On one of the day trips we hiked up Sulphur Mountain with two friends of ours. You can also take the gondola up to the top. However, we wanted to challenge ourselves and earn the beers at the top. The view is stunning and we highly recommend walking up!
hiking up… 
…Sulphur Mountain
Moraine Lake and Lake Louise
Another day trip started early in the morning when we headed to Moraine Lake and Lake Louise. This was our third time visiting Lake Louise together (it’s cool to see the different colours in summer and winter), but our first time visiting Moraine Lake together – mainly because it was closed every time we got there. We recommend parking your car at the public car park and then take the shuttle from there. It leaves every 15-20 minutes and also drives between the two lakes. Make sure you come early and book your shuttle ahead of time – don’t be like us 😉.
Even though there was still a lot of smoke in the air because of the wild fires nearby, Moraine Lake looked magical! After we walked up for about 10 minutes to admire Moraine Lake and another walk alongside the lake, we took the shuttle to Lake Louise where we hiked up to Fairview Lookout (2.4 km one way).
Moraine Lake 
Lake Louise
Johnston Canyon and Banff town
If you are looking for an easy hike that is close to Banff, visit Johnston Canyon. We personally prefer less touristy paths, but it’s definitely worth a visit when you are in the area.
Johnston Canyon 
Banff town
Jasper National Park
The Icefields Parkway
The Icefields Parkway is a 230 km long scenic road that parallels the Continental Divide, traversing the rugged landscape of the Canadian Rockies, travelling through Banff National Park and Jasper National Park.”
wikipedia
The drive from Banff to Jasper is probably the most beautiful drive I’ve ever been on! Picture huge mountains, turquoise lakes, great music and your favourite person next to you 😊.
Columbia Icefield
The Columbia Icefield is the largest ice field in North America’s Rocky Mountains.”
wikipedia
If you are in Alberta, you should definitely put the Columbia Icefield on your bucket list! It’s sad to see how much ice has melted over the years, but hiking towards (or on) the icefield is a spectacular experience.
Waterfalls and lakes
Jasper is home to some of the most incredible waterfalls in the world, so you won’t have to look far to find a beautiful spot in this part of the world.”
theculturetrip
Some of the waterfalls on the Icefields Parkway that we visited include the Athabasca Falls, Sunwapta Falls and the Tangle Creek Falls.
Athabasca Falls 
Sunwapta Falls 
Tangle Creek Falls
Pyramid Lake in Jasper and Bow Lake on the Icefields Parkway are both beautiful lakes, but there are definitely many more lakes to discover. This just gives us a good excuse to come back 😉.
Bow Lake 
Pyramid Lake
Old Fort Point
Unfortunately, we only had two nights in Jasper, so we couldn’t do all the hikes there. The Old Fort Point Trail, however, is definitely worth doing as you have stunning views over the town and the Athabasca River.
Kananaskis Provincial Park
Kananaskis Provincial Park is close to the town of Canmore and only a 50-minute-car ride away from Calgary. This is why it’s worth going here for the day. Besides hiking, you can also stand-up paddle, kayak, swim, mountainbike or hike to some beautiful waterfalls.
Canmore
Canmore is such a quaint little town and has the perfect location if you want to head to Kananaskis Provincial Park or Banff National Park. But the town itself has a lot to offer as well. I went to Canmore with Blake’s sister Erin for two days and we went to the local market, did the Grassi Lakes Trail (watch out for bears!) and went out for a nice dinner in town.
Waterton Lakes National Park
This was the second time Blake and I visited Waterton National Park. The last time was in summer 2019 when we stayed in the Prince of Wales Hotel which is an iconic marker for the Waterton Lakes National Park.
Crypt Lake Trail
This time we went here with two friends of ours and wanted to hike the Crypt Lake Trail which you can only access by ferry.
The Crypt Lake Trail is one of the premium hikes in Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada.”
wikipedia
The tricky part is that the ferry only leaves until a certain hour in the afternoon to get back to the townsite, so you are under a little bit of pressure to get back in time.
This trail was even voted as “Canada’s best hike” in 1981. It is definitely a stunning hike, passing six waterfalls and having remarkable views over mountains, valleys and the lake. It is a total of 17.2 kilometres round trip, with a gradual 700-metre elevation gain. At the end you are rewarded with the alpine Crypt Lake that you can bath in and which is only 50m away from the US border (which you could enter illegally from here – just saying), before heading back the same way down to the ferry point.
British Columbia
Road Trip through British Columbia
At the end of my time in Canada Blake and I did a twelve-day road trip through British Columbia.
Fernie
Things to do in Fernie
- float the Elk River
- go beer tasting in the local Fernie Brewery
- hike to the waterfall “Ferry Creek Falls”
- relax at Silver Spring Lake and jump off the cliffs to cool off
- do a hike in Mt Fernie Provincial Park
Nelson
Things to do in Nelson
- relax in Oso Negro Café
- hike the Sproule Creek Trail
- take a swim in Kootenay Lake or go stand-up paddling
- go beer tasting at the Nelson Brewing Company
- admire the murals all around town
Where to eat in Nelson
- Jackson’s Hole and Grill: fresh salads, soups, (poké) bowls and burgers – high-quality pub food
- The Yellow Deli: sandwiches, fresh salads, soup – very affordable
- Louie’s Steakhouse: steaks, pasta, pizza, and fresh seafood
Kaslo and ghost town Sandon
Things to do in Kaslo and Sandon
- walk the Kaslo River Trail (3.6 km round trip) and look for the magical “Koots” sculptures playing hide-and-seek
- visit the most famous ghost town in western Canada which used to be a former wild silver mining town
Nakusp
Things to do in and near Nakusp
- treat yourself to some chocolate
- enjoy the Farmers’ Market
- walk along the river on the boardwalk
- bath in the Halfway Hot Springs
Revelstoke
Things to do in and near Revelstoke
- see the Guerrilla Gigs (live concert) in a park (in summers) and combine it with a picknick
- do a hike in Mt. Revelstoke National Park
- see the Sutherland Falls
- follow the Giant Cedars Boardwalk Trail and walk past over 500-year-old trees
After these 5 weeks in Canada together and the past 1.5 years of living in Germany together, we went back to long distance. It wasn’t easy but it gave us an even better reason for meeting at a warm third destination for my autumn holidays.
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