The Real Banff Blog

Just in case you have no idea what I'm talking about here's the photo of the Squirrel Portrait that has the world going nuts.

That one photo has popped up everywhere since becoming the photo of the day at National Geographic... The Globe and Mail National, CBC, Ottawa Citizen, National Post, AOL News, Minneapolis Star Tribune, the UK Sun, Yahoo! News, the UK's Daily Mail & Telegraph even hosted the photo on their front pages. With appearances as far away from the Canadian Rockies as Italy, Australia and South Korea, this little fellow has the whole world chuckling.

Not only have the news channels gone squirrely, but BuzzFeed.com has done a 'create your own crasher squirrel' application allowing squirrel lovers everywhere to create their own squirrel invasion photos!

Twitter has been a buzz with comments about this phenomena... comments such as:

@NathanDFrench: "is it just me or does everyone have the Banff Squirrel as their background?" @irisdias: "The Banff squirrel is everywhere today. I want to take lessons from his publicist." @Libarbarian: "Squirrel, squirrel, shake your bushy tail... Net goes nuts over Banff's scene-stealing squirrel"

Looking for away to follow the adventures of this curious creature?

You can't go far in Banff National Park without spotting one of these cute, mischievous, apparently photogenic ground squirrels!

Melissa Brandt & her husband Jackson were exploring the shores of Lake Minnewanka near the town of Banff when they decided to set up their camera for a self portrait. Along came one nosy squirrel who became curious by the sound of the camera focusing & the shutter snapping... so Jackson, who had the remote, kept snapping photos enticing the ground squirrel closer & closer until they got this fantastic squirrel portrait!

Melissa had no idea how much attention this photo would get when she submitted it to National Geographic; it started popping up all over the world from the UK to South Korea, not to mention the huge amount of attention on Twitter.

Do you have a fun photo or a great story of your own? We would love to hear it! Post it in the comment section below, email me at real@banfflakelouise.com, join me on facebook, message me on Twitter or send me a link to your blog.

If you are looking to get your own fantastic squirrel shot out at Lake Minnewanka you might want to stop by this weekend, August 15-16 for the Banff National Park Dragon Boat Festival

When EA announced the release of a new DLC course for Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 at the Banff Springs Golf Course my twitter feed went crazy with updates. It seems to me like virtual golfers have been anticipating this release for quit some time.

The Banff Springs Golf Course is renowned for its panoramic beauty & its challenging layout in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. Designed back in 1928, the original 18 holes wind along the mighty Bow River on one side and under the rugged peaks of Mount Rundle on the other. In 1989 an addition 9 holes were completed 'resulting in 27 holes of championship golf.'

This marks the first time the Banff Springs Golf Course has made an appearance in the Tiger Woods PGA Tour franchise...I've read the graphics are so detailed, you'll experience awe for the majestic course almost as strongly as if you were actually walking the fairway in person.

If, once you get a taste for the onscreen course, you decide you want to experience the course live, send us an email, and let us help you live out your dream!

I was lucky this week, in that I got a behind the scenes look at the dance residence program at The Banff Centre. The dancers I spoke with came from all over North America for 5 weeks to study and come together as a company in what they call "a unique place to study". They are dancing in a few different productions during the Banff Summer Arts Festival and each dancer had nothing but praise for the experience they've had so far. When asked what they would recommend people do while in Banff National Park... 'visit the lakes' was what they said.

Summer is half over & I feel like I haven't taken full advantage of it yet. I've definitely had more then my fair share of picnics, but the real summer adventures will have to start now if I want to fit everything in!

The Banff Lake Louise Tourism dragon boat team is in full training for the Banff National Park Dragon Boat Festival on August 15-16. We were out on the water last night, working on our paddling techniques & race starts, trying desperately to intimidate the other team out practicing with our finesse and power. Currently there are 21 teams entered into the festival... 11 of which are local teams, & if last year was anything of an indicator for what we have to look forward to, this year will host some intense local team rivalries!

If you are interested in coming out for any of the events taking place during the rest of the summer in Banff National Park, don't forget to visit our Special Offers page.

Everybody wants a piece of us... including the U.S. government!

The U.S. Senate Environment & Public Works Committee website played host to a classic mountain shot of the Rocky Mountains... the Canadian Rocky Mountains... Lake Louise specifically.

Their original intended use of the photo was as a place holder while the Republicans worked on a website redesign... then when the Democrats took control of the Senate (and the websites management) many of the photos where replaced. Whoever did that job must have loved the look of the Lake Louise vista so much that they couldn't bring themselves to remove it. Great news for Banff National Park.

Lori Bayne, our Director of Communications, says "We thank the Senate committee for the promotion, and we welcome all U.S. visitors to Banff National Park."

P.S. want to see more photos? check out our image gallery

I was hanging out Saturday afternoon thinking about getting ready for the outdoor concert I was going to check out as part of the Banff Summer Arts Festival, when the sound of a didgeridoo started floating across the valley. The show I was going to see was Xavier Rudd & all of a sudden I couldn't sit still any longer... I had to get ready and get up to the Banff Centre NOW!

Sitting on the grass with the mountains as a backdrop to the stage made me giddy. The Banff Centre brings in music, shows & art that should be seen in the Rockies, that belong here, that encompass the feelings inspired by the mountains. Even the night's performer felt this while he was singing "Do you feel it on the mountains... Do you feel it in Banff Alberta"

Banff National Park has it all... a world class cultural venue in a small town setting surrounded by large national park wilderness... no wonder they call us The World's Finest National Park! So if you're looking for adventure, culture, relaxation, a mouth watering meal or a shopping spree with friends then stop on by... we've got something for everyone... including special offers.

I have been canoeing for as long as I can remember, with my grandparents, my family, my friends & sometimes just myself. I've paddled on lakes, rivers, ponds and even whitewater, but never on anything as mind-blowing as the mountain lakes & rivers that surround me now.

The mountains that hug these shores are definitely a part of what makes the experience so awe-inspiring, but what really gets to me is the colour of these glacial fed waters... they are full on, no other way to describe them, turquoise blue. "When you paddle... when it's calm, it just feels like you're paddling on glass" says Ryan in the video below. Could you imagine what that feels like? Can I tease you a little? (be sure to click on the HQ button for better viewing quality)

Canoeing has always been a way for me to slow down & get away from it all... to see my surroundings from a different vantage point & to feel a little more connected to the eco-system I'm sharing at the moment. From gliding past elk on shore, or crossing paths with a beaver swimming in the river, it's a perfect way to experience a little wilderness but still be close to civilization!

If you aren't comfortable in a canoe you could also join one of the many gentle float tours, or if you want something a little more extreme there is always whitewater rafting... either way, if you want to get out on the water, you have plenty of opportunities right here in Banff National Park.