Canada > The Banff Fairmont Spring Hotel

Today we can sleep in. This morning, at 11:00, we have a helicopter flight planned over the Rockies. The flight will only take place if the weather is good. The forecast isn’t very promising, but maybe it will work out. When we wake up, we see that it has snowed and the sky is cloudy. It’s getting exciting. We have breakfast at a small café along the main road with a sandwich and coffee. Around 10:30, we gather at the reception for news about the flight, but it turns out it’s too cloudy. Graham mentions that there might still be a chance this afternoon. For now, we drive to Banff and check around three o’clock if a flight will be possible. In about half an hour, we arrive in the tourist town of Banff. We drive along Banff’s main street.

Canada - The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel nestled against the mountain

From a viewpoint, we can see the iconic Banff Springs Hotel across the Bow River. Eventually, we are dropped off at the Banff Hot Springs, about 6 kilometers outside the town. The hot springs are fed with water from the mountains and have a temperature of 39°C. It’s wonderful to relax outdoors. After about an hour of soaking, we take two taxis back to the center of Banff. Banff is very touristy, with plenty of souvenir shops. We browse a few stores, order a sandwich for lunch, and are back at the vans at 2:30 for news about the helicopter flight. Unfortunately, the weather hasn’t improved, and the flight is definitively canceled. This means we can stay longer in Banff. We walk to the Banff Fairmont Springs Hotel, about 2 kilometers outside the town. The hotel dates from 1886 and is very luxuriously furnished. From the outside, it resembles a castle. We walk into the enormous building. Even the reception hall is huge. Through several corridors and stairways, we reach the lounge on the second floor at the back of the hotel. Here I order a Banff Springs Ale. We enjoy our beer in the luxurious ambiance. At four o’clock, we are back in Banff and drive with the vans back to Canmore. In the evening, we have a barbecue. Graham did the shopping, and together we prepare the meal. The meat is cooked on the balcony while the tables are set inside the guide room. Especially for this last evening in the mountains, Graham has prepared a quiz about the trip. He has a small prize for the top three. I don’t do very well, but that’s not the main point. After the barbecue, we have a few drinks, and slowly everyone goes to bed.