| My husband and I try to go skiing for a week at | | | | Banff Springs Hotel and the Fairmont Chateau Lake |
| least once a year and so far we've been to about 15 | | | | Louise and I had an opportunity to explore both |
| different ski resorts on the east coast, anywhere | | | | these magnificent structures in detail. Canada's history |
| from Ontario to Quebec, New Hampshire, Vermont | | | | is inextricably intertwined with the history of the |
| and Maine. But we had never been out west in the | | | | railroads. The Canadian Pacific Railroad played a key |
| Rockies. Well, it was time to change that..... | | | | role in opening up the west and these castle-like |
| So we planned a trip to the Canadian Rockies, and | | | | railway hotels figured prominently in Canada's |
| for both of us it was the first time for us to see this | | | | development of the West Coast. |
| majestic mountain range. Just after we landed on | | | | Last Friday a wonderful adventure provided the |
| March 4, 2006 we started off with a whirlwind | | | | highlight of my trip: I went dogsledding with Snowy |
| four-hour tour of Calgary to get a sneak peak at | | | | Owl Adventures on a crisp crystal-blue winter day, |
| Canada's Heart of the New West. Our extremely | | | | high in the mountains above the town of |
| knowledgeable tour guide took us to the Calgary | | | | Canmore.Our adventure was almost over, but I had |
| Tower, Fort Calgary and past the Stampede Grounds | | | | one more chance for exploration: on Saturday I took |
| and Calgary's Saddledome. Of course Canada Olympic | | | | the gondola up to Sulphur Mountain from where I got |
| Park was one of the main attractions on this tour. | | | | a perfect 360 degree panoramic view of Banff and |
| The same evening we enjoyed a wonderful Italian | | | | the surrounding mountain ranges. I checked out the |
| feast at Il Giardino on 4th Street and we had a | | | | Cosmic Ray Station and after a brief forest hike past |
| chance to get to know one of Calgary's most | | | | the Banff Springs Hotel, I visited the Banff Park |
| successful entrepreneurs. We enjoyed the wonderful | | | | Museum, one of Canada's oldest natural history |
| hospitality of Deirdre and Henry Brost at the historic | | | | museums. |
| Twin Gables Bed & Breakfast and got a huge | | | | Our Alberta explorations were rapidly coming to an |
| surprise at breakfast when we realized we were | | | | end, and just before we headed to the airport we |
| enjoying our morning meal with two big celebrities | | | | went on one final walk through Calgary and explored |
| (you'll have to read the article to find out which | | | | the famous +15 walkway system that keeps Calgary |
| famous people shared the B&B with us....).After | | | | visitors sheltered from the harsh winter air. We also |
| breakfast we walked all the way from the Twin | | | | explored a beautiful tropical hideaway called Devonian |
| Gables to downtown from where I took the C-Train | | | | Gardens....Along the way we got to explore some |
| to get to the Kensington area, one of Calgary's main | | | | great skiing, magnificent mountain scenery and |
| restaurant and shopping areas. I had a brief lunch at a | | | | historic buildings, the exuberance of a dog-sledding |
| Vietnamese restaurant called Indochine Bistro where | | | | team raring to go and the outstanding hospitality of |
| I found out that the young owner had originally come | | | | the people of Alberta. We'll be back.....Susanne Pacher |
| to Canada as a refugee from Vietnam. What an | | | | is the publisher of a website called Travel and |
| amazing success story: from Vietnamese boat person | | | | Transitions ( Travel and Transitions deals with |
| to successful Calgary restauranteur.... | | | | unconventional travel and is chock full of advice, tips, |
| Then it was time to head west on the Transcanada | | | | real life travel experiences, interviews with travellers |
| Highway to our destination for the next week: Banff, | | | | and travel experts, insights and reflections, |
| a picturesque town nestled inside the famous Banff | | | | cross-cultural issues, contests and many other |
| National Park, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Of | | | | features. You will also find stories about life and the |
| course we went skiing and we had a chance to | | | | transitions that we face as we go through our own |
| check out 3 major ski resorts: perfectly groomed | | | | personal life-long journeys.Submit your own travel |
| Norquay, high altitude Sunshine Village - located on | | | | stories in our first travel story contest ( and have a |
| the Continental Divide, and the unbelievably huge and | | | | chance to win an amazing adventure cruise on the |
| scenic ski area of Lake Louise. Well, there is definitely | | | | Amazon River."Life is a Journey Explore New |
| something to be said for West Coast skiing.....Two | | | | Horizons". |
| outstanding attractions are the historic Fairmont | | | | |