The Best of the Canadian Rockies
By: Lisa Wolff, Yahoo!7 Travel

Did you know that Edmonton in Alberta, Canada boasts the largest mall in North America (the fifth biggest in the world)? We only discovered this titillating gem of info once we were well out of the city limits of this retail paradise. But even the most hopeless shopaholic wouldn't be tempted to turn back. The Canadian Rockies are simply breathtaking. There is nothing artificial about the tree-green mountains which jut into stark peaks. We meandered through icy blue glacial rivers and passed by a curious elk with large Rudolph antlers on the side of the road.

A Taste of Jasper in the Rockies
After about four hours of easy-peasy driving on excellent highways (and let me tell you I was initially petrified of driving on the 'wrong' side of the road), we hit Jasper. This is a charming town with quaint shops, souvenir stores and cute cafes. There is a lolly shop, bakeries and even a cinema. After checking in to our Wild West Style hotel, Sawridge Inn, we headed out to Evil Daves for dinner. This was one of my favourite meals and I obviously wasn't the only one who thought so as the place was packed, mostly with families. The menu is a mish-mush of flavours allowing patrons to take a taste-bud trip from China to Italy in one easy step. The highlight of the meal was the blackened salmon and our decadent chocolate sundae dessert with chunks of snickers.

Cable way into the mountains
There are so many ways to appreciate nature in the Rockies. Driving along the Icefields freeway straddling the turquoise glacial fed streams was inspiring. We stopped off at the Jasper Tramway, which features a cable car ride up 7,500 feet to the top of Whistlers Mountain. (Don't get confused with the famous ski mountain of the same name. This Jasper peak is named after the noise a local rodent called the hoary marmot makes). Opened in 1964, the original cableway carriage is still in use. The ride runs every 15 minutes and takes seven minutes to haul us beyond the tree line to the harsh alpine territory. Once on top of the mountain, we walked another 45 minutes to the 8,000 foot summit. The views from atop are magnificent and offer a panoramic vista of the Rockies. After ambling through the harsh landscape trying to seek out the elusive mountain goats, we warmed up in the self-service restaurant.

Our next adventure was at Maligne Canyon which is a dramatic split in the rock with waterfalls and churning rapids. There is a well marked path which winds down through six bridges. It took us about 45 minutes to reach the fifth bridge, stopping along the way to take pics of the gushing water. Unfortunately what goes down has to go up again and we huffed and puffed our way back up the steps to the car park.

The view from the water
Back on the road for 40 minutes and we reached Maligne Lake, narrowly avoiding a kamikaze squirrel on the way. This excursion on the lake was rated as the number one boat tour in Canada by Reader's Digest and takes up to 50 passengers through a glacial sightseeing trip. We drifted past ancient forests and the longest unbroken chain of mountains in the Rockies. It's almost impossible to imagine a time back 160-million years when the cliffs were formed. We learned that the see-through sapphire hue of the water is formed by the glacial silt or rock flour settling just below the surface.

There are five different glaciers that feed the lake, three of which we see on the tour. We anchored at Spirit Island and had a short time to wander through this tranquil peninsula, before hopping onboard and heading shorewards. Back at the visitor centre, we bought some sandwiches from the restaurant, sat on the outdoor benches and munched our picnic, soaking up the last of the dusky sun.

The local dish
During our chats with the friendly locals, we had ascertained that there wasn't really a Canadian cuisine. Sure, you could get some unusual meats like reindeer or moose but the closest we could find to a traditional dish was poutine. This carb-heavy meal originated in Quebec and was re-incarnated by Lou-Lou's in Jasper town-centre. Well, we had to give it a try. Poutine turned out to be crispy fried chips smothered in gravy and topped with squiggles of cheese curd (a cross between mozzarella and halloumi). Hmmm, definitely an acquired taste.

We then said our goodbyes to Jasper and made our way towards Banff. We remembered to fill up with petrol and snacks before leaving as there isn't another fuel stop for another 150km after leaving Jasper.

It was really tough being the driver. The scenery was so magnificent that I longed to be able to gaze at the passing pictures without veering off the path. We were forced to stop every so often so I too could appreciate the beauty of the blue-blue glacial rivers topped with rocky ridges.

Stepping onto the Glacier
En-route to Banff we stopped off at the Columbia Icefield Glacier Experience. At this touristy haven, we hopped on board a large Ice Explorer contraption - which looked like a space vehicle with monster tyres. These mammoth trucks crawled onto the icy surface of the 6km long Athabasca glacier. We gingerly stepped onto the ice, took the obligatory photo next to the giant wheels and returned to base. The commercial hype was slightly lost on me but the kids seemed to love it.

Banff is lovely. It's one of those picturesque towns that just oozes charm. I could see myself buying a holiday home here and returning regularly to reconnect with the locals. We headed straight for the fairytale castle of the Fairmont Springs Banff Hotel. This grand palace has one of the most luxurious spas I have ever visited. I was pampered from head to toe with a mineral scrub treatment then relaxed in the tranquil chill room.

Delicious Banff
There are many good restaurants to choose from in Banff. We enjoyed excellent pasta at an authentic Italian trattoria - Giorgio's and lunch was at an artisan bakery and deli called Wild Flour. Evelyn's is the spot for arvo tea and they're well known for making a thick hot chocolate and decadent cakes.

We spent a very pleasant day meandering through the shopping village and then out along the Bow River Trail. The path continues alongside the river all the way to the Fairmont Hotel.

After too short a time, it was time to return to real life and we drove to Calgary where we flew back to Vancouver and beyond. It was but a taste of Alberta and the breathtaking Rocky Mountains. And we loved every morsel.

PLAN A TRIP TO THE CANADIAN ROCKIES HOW TO GET THERE Air Canada Air Canada is the only airline to offer non-stop direct service from Sydney to Vancouver in its new Boeing 777 long range aircraft with spacious cabins, fantastic personal inflight entertainment system, and friendly Canadian service. From Vancouver, Air Canada flies directly to the gateways of the Canadian Rockies - Edmonton and Calgary. For more info and to book online, visit www.aircanada.com. WHERE TO STAY Sawridge Inn, Jasper This is a homely, authentically Wild West-styled hotel. It is situated conveniently only a few minutes walk from the centre of town. My favourite feature was the sunny atrium with the indoor pool and spa bath. It also has a restaurant, which serves an excellent breakfast and a more casual pub. The staff here were on top-form at all times. For more info, visit Sawridge Inn. Brewsters Mountain Lodge, Banff You couldn't ask for a better location to stay in Banff. This hotel is situated in the centre of the town, a stones throw away from Banff's charming shopping village. Parking is no problem here with an underground garage. The rooms are cosy with the generous use of wood furnishings. A very basic breakfast is included. For more details, visit the Brewsters Mountain Lodge website. MORE INFORMATION For more information about the Canadian Rockies, visit Travel Alberta.