The Real Banff Blog

Last summer I fell in love with Dragon Boating... being a canoe paddler from way back I had a hard time letting the J stroke go and adopting the short, forceful strokes of a dragon boat paddler. But once I gave in & felt the power of paddling in unision with 21 other people in the boat I decided dragon boating will continue to be a highlight of many summers to come.

The Banff Lake Louise Tourism team has been out on the water pacticing once a week for the past few months, they invited me out & let me sit back in the boat while taking some video of them practicing out on Lake Minnewanka last week to create this preview of the festival to come.

The Banff National Park Dragon Boat Festival is coming up August 15-16, 2009. If you're keen on heading out to Lake Minnewanka to watch the races there is the Dragon Express free shuttle heading out from town on both days from 8am-5pm. If you can't make it out to the lake you might be interested in some of the cultural performances taking place downtown Banff from 3pm-5pm on Saturday. Either way, check out the schedule of events to make the most of the festival.

If you are thinking about visiting Banff National Park see our Special Offers page for current deals & feed your adventure for less!

Moped... just saying the word brings a smile to my face.

Some friends of mine came for a visit the other day, both had been to Banff National Park many times & both had driven our scenic routes, but neither had experienced the scenic routes from the back of a moped.

"it's way different when you're out in the open & you can smell everything... you can really take your time and look around you."

If you're looking for a more intimate way to see the park, but you don't feel like peddling, paddling or walking check out this video to see if mopeding is something you might be interested in, then contact our information centre to get more information.

So "if you've done these drives before in your vehicle, maybe now you need to try it this way... it's pretty casual riding."

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.

There are so many different ways to explore Banff National Park & this week I decided to check out the GyPSy Guide... which is a GPS unit you use in your own vehicle to tour around the many scenic routes (pdf 649.46 kB) our destination has to offer.

The family I spoke with gave it rave reviews, and honestly, when I took it out for a spin, even I learned a few new facts about Canada's first national park. The best thing about this tour according to the family is "you just take off and drive whenever you want & your guide's always there". Now if you would like to have someone drive you around as well as get the commentary a guided sightseeing tour might be a better option for you.

Which ever way you decide to experience Banff, Lake Louise & everything in between visit BanffLakeLouise.com &/or email our fantastic Information Centre team ... they can give you ideas that will make this the trip of a life time!

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.

While taking in the awe of the valley's and mountains in the Lake Louise area from top of the Lake Louise Gondola I met this wonderful couple from Arizona... they are professional RV'ers. By that I mean they told me they've been RV travelling for 10 years now, and Banff National Park just took 1st place for their all time favourite RV trip!

Speaking with them made feel so incredibly lucky to call Banff National Park home.

This weekend I'll be up at the Banff Centre taking in some of the Banff Summer Arts Festival ... this is written on the Festivals front page thru the link provided... I think it's so wonderful I'm putting it here:

"Picture this. You are driving west. The sky is blue and the mountains are in front of you. The city is far behind. Exit where the green sign says Banff. Roll down the window. A blast of mountain air says — this is going to be fun. You are driving along Banff Avenue. The leaves sparkle in the sun. You turn left at the high school field and head for The Banff Centre. Oh, by the way — in this small town, the parking is still free."

Enjoy the video, hopefully this couple inspires you to visit The World's Finest National Park!