Kendel Summer Road Trip

I, like most of us, have had the itch to travel lately. It obviously comes from being stuck at home for the past year and a half. I had one week of holidays booked off work and convinced my workaholic husband to do the same. We decided to ease back into excursions with a road trip to Alberta. Now that our kids are 5 and 2.5, we figured 7 hours in the car would be doable and more budget friendly than paying for 4 flights.

Besides taking time off from work, I find the biggest barrier to going on vacation is just finding the time to actually plan a getaway- coordinating schedules, looking into hotels, activities, and excursions, and then booking everything. It just never seems to happen. I took to surveying my Instagram friends and asked for recommendations on things to do and where to stay while we were away and found it super helpful. So, thank you for your suggestions!

I wanted to be prepared for the car ride so I made sure to do a grocery store run the night before we left. I stocked up on a variety of snacks such as granola bars, animal crackers, fruit snacks, blueberries, carrots, chips, and juice boxes. More importantly than the food was bringing a few different containers for the kids to hold their snacks in. This was helpful in alleviating fighting over holding the snacks, as well as helpful in keeping the snacks contained and reducing the spills. Of course, when there are kids and snacks involved, there is bound to be a mess so baby wipes are key. We had a few wipes pouches on the go and they were a lifesaver for messy hands, faces, coffee spills, and blowing noses. The snacking and wiping then leads to garbage and for the first time ever, I was ready with a car garbage can and extra garbage bags. It was a game changer and totally made me feel like I was killing it as a mom as I tossed my empty Starbucks cup in it’s designated place. ;) Besides keeping the littles fed and watered, we also had to keep them entertained. Although I absolutely allow some screen time, I wasn’t about to let them watch their iPads/tablets the whole time. I picked B + L each a Mess Free colouring kit , which they were both very excited about and surprisingly kept them occupied for a good amount of time. I also grabbed some stickers from Walmart- Mario for Luca and LOL for Bella. These travel trays are also super useful in storing all of their activities, games, and toys and keeping them accessible, as well as providing a hard surface for them to colour on or placing their snacks down on. Overall, the driving portion of the trip went much better than expected and I’m glad we went for it! If you’re on the fence about whether or not to brave a road trip with littles, I say, go for it!

Calgary would be our first stop. This trip was all about Bella and Luca, and we knew they would love all of the kid-friendly spots that YYC has to offer. A friend recommended the Calgary Marriott Downtown Hotel, for it’s convenient location (it’s right across from the Calgary Tower), new, clean and modern rooms, and the fact that it has a Starbucks in the lobby (sold). We decided to book adjoining rooms and it was brilliant. The kids and parents were both equally excited to have their own space and it made a world of difference in our sleep. I highly recommend booking adjoining rooms if you are traveling with your kiddos! Thank me later ;)

After settling into our rooms, we hit Calaway Park the next day. The was our first time at the amusement park and I was honestly very impressed. There were enough rides, games, and fair foods to keep us entertained all day long. There were also lots of ride options for little one’s around Luca’s size, as well as a big rollercoaster (Vortex) for thrill seekers like me. We stopped at Calgary Co-Op (food store not gas station) to pick up discounted tickets ($35 vs $48) because ya girl loves a good deal. I felt things were safe and clean at the park. The staff were wearing masks and about 1/3 of the guests were as well. I noticed markers reminding people to socially distance while in line and saw the rides being wiped down and cleaned frequently. Line ups were pretty long for the popular rides (up to 30-45 minutes for some) and virtually non-existent for the smaller, preschooler rides. Our top picks for rides were Sky Wynder, Dream Machine, Bumper Boats and Bumble Blast. We wanted to get on Timber Falls but the line was too long for our patience at that point. Even though we did a ton of fun and stimulating activities on our trip, the kids both chose Calaway Park as their number one favourite!

The next day was spent at the Calgary Zoo. This was Garrett and I’s second time and the kid’s first visit to the zoo. Since our first time visiting the zoo, they have introduced new exhibits including Dinosaurs Awakened. If your minis are dino obsessed, they’ll love this one! I was very impressed with the realistic creatures, complete with sounds and movement- which may have freaked out Bella and Luca a little bit. Garrett, on the other hand, was heard complaining about wasting time seeing fake animals at the zoo LOL. Our favourite animals included the giraffes, penguins, gorillas (although they were sleeping), lemurs, and hippos. If you plan on checking out the Calgary Zoo, I would recommend planning to spend the majority of the morning and afternoon there. We had a later start to the day and opted to skip the Canadian Wilds destination as we were starting to run out of steam and felt like most of those animals could be seen at the Forestry Farm in Saskatoon.

The remainder of our time in Calgary was spent shopping- something our whole family enjoys doing. We decided to hit up CF Chinook Center since they have all the major stores we wanted to check out including Zara, Nordstrom, H&M, Anthropologie, Free People, and more. We didn’t do too much damage and of course, mostly bought stuff for the kids #parentlife. We also made a quick stop at Ikea to grab some organizational bins and few other small items for our house but didn’t have a ton of room for anything too big. If we had made more time to shop, we would have also loved to head to 17th Ave.

Since our days in Calgary were relatively packed, by the time it came time for dinner, we were spent. The first night, Garrett headed out to meet a friend at Major Tom bar- which recently opened and is on the 40th floor of a downtown high rise. I had quite a few people message me and recommend trying it out, so it comes highly recommended and Garrett was definitely impressed. The next night, it was mama’s turn. I met my girl Heydy at The Rooftop for some appys and drinks. It’s another new spot located on an enclosed rooftop patio and had good vibes all around. Otherwise, we picked up one of our go-to’s: Una Pizza while we were in YYC, as well as Blanco Cantina for tacos. There is no shortage of options for good eats in Calgary!

Before we move on to the Banff portion of our road trip, I wanted to mention a few other places that came highly recommended in Calgary. There were lots of suggestions to go to Granary Road Park which is at the top of my list for next time- there is a farmers market, dining options, park and playground, and more. Heritage Park, Inglewood and Big Box were also listed as family-friendly destinations and there were a ton more recommendations for food and drink including Village Ice-cream, Peter’s Drive-In for milkshakes, Made by Marcus Ice-Cream, and Pie Junkie.

Once we conquered YYC, we made our way to Banff. This was my second visit to Banff, but first summer time visit. As well, our kids had never been! We had three days to spend in Banff but definitely could have spent much longer (we had to get back because Garrett had wedding booked to film). When looking into hotels and activities, I booked through Pursuit Banff Jasper, which offers bookings for hotels, tours, attractions, dining, and packages. This made it easy to plan and coordinate everything. We chose the Mount Royal Hotel because of it’s location, right in the middle of all the action on Banff Avenue. It’s surrounded by restaurants and shops which is super convenient. Perhaps the best part is the rooftop lounge and hot tubs with amazing views! We didn’t have adjoining rooms here but would likely book two rooms next time for a better sleep, although we did not spend a ton of time in the room.

We wanted to do a bit of touring in Banff to see the sites, so opted to book Open Top Touring. It’s a vintage-inspired tour with a fully open roof, that travels around to some of Banff’s historic and photo-worthy spots. The coach was new, clean, and lot’s of fun for the whole family to drive around in; however, I recommend wearing a hat that won’t fly off OR a ponytail. I had my hair down and it was like a hurricane (see photo). You may also want to bring your car seats if your kids are really little (we didn’t). We visited and learned about the cemetery, some of the first homes and businesses in Banff, as well as The Fairmont (would love to stay there on another visit), and Vermillion Lakes. It was a fun way to start exploring Banff!

A must-do activity while visiting is the Banff Gondola. The views are unparalleled and the kids felt like we were on a ride at an amusement park. It was definitely a highlight of our trip and the fun didn’t stop once the gondola did. At the top of the mountain there is a discovery center, sharing facts about Banff which the kids enjoyed checking out, as well as a boardwalk to Sulphur mountain and the Cosmic Ray station. One tip is to come prepared in comfortable walking shoes. I was wearing open back mules with a heel and since the kids wanted to walk up the mountain, we did! We were lucky enough to catch the Sunset Festival while we were there, complete with live music and entertainment, as well as a rooftop bar and drinks. Such a fun way to spend an evening, dancing the night away with the kids, on top of a mountain.

We also spent an afternoon at Moraine Lake, which is the iconic blue lake you see all over Instagram. Let me tell you, it’s just as stunning in person. There are a number of hikes you can do around the lake, which we did not brave this time but will once Luca is a little older. He’s at an in between age right now where we can’t keep him in a carrier anymore but is slow and clumsy walking. Instead, we opted to rent a canoe for an hour and tour around the lake. Yes, it was extremely pricey ($120/ hour), but I’m always like “YOLO” when I’m on vacation and I do feel like it was money well spent. The kids “helped” with paddling, and we checked out a waterfall, and the mountain views. I heard that the parking lot fills up so you need to arrive early, otherwise they block access and don’t allow vehicles in. We are not early risers, especially on holidays, so we decided to hit it up later in the day (after lunch), and were able to get in right away, so maybe that is the trick (don’t tell anyone ;).

When it comes to dining in Banff, we found that most places don’t offer reservations ahead of time. So you need to go and add your name to the wait list, which is not convenient with hungry kids. The first night we ended up at Coyotes and had a subpar experience. I would not return, the service, food, and atmosphere were all a letdown. We had great experiences at two local cafes for coffee and breakfast-Wild Flour Bakery and Whitebark Cafe. Both made a mean oat milk latte, had yummy baking, and breakfast options. We had to get BeaverTails which are always a favourite dessert. We dined at Sky Bistro at the top of the Banff Gondola. I had tried to make an online reservation a week or two ahead of time but there wasn’t any availability; however, we were able to get a walk-in spot without any wait at all! It is definitely a beautiful view, good service, and nice vibes/ atmosphere. The wine and cocktail menu was well done, although I wasn’t a fan of the Saskatoon Margarita as the smoke taste was extremely overpowering; however, our server noticed I was not drinking it and replaced it with another drink that was much more my speed. I had the salmon and Garret had short ribs, both were good but not mind blowing. I was pleased with the kids menu as well. Overall, we had a good dining experience at the Sky Bistro.

We had received a bunch more restaurant recommendations including Bear Street Tavern- a family-friendly pizza spot that looked delicious but had a long wait time by the time we stopped by. Saltlik Steakhouse is another recommendation from my friends that we would love to check out. The Grizzly House for fondue which I think the kids would have enjoyed was on the list as well. COWS ice-cream was also suggested but had a long lineup. The Fudgery came in as a fan favourite but I actually don’t like fudge so we didn’t check it out this time. We will aim to hit more of these spots on our next visit!

Besides eats, you all are always so helpful in sharing recommendations with me. I compiled a list of popular recommendations I received for things to do and check out in the Banff area, which includes checking out Johnson Canyon, Lake Louise, Emerald Lake, Barrier Lake hikes, Trolls Falls hike, Quarry Lake and Grassy Lakes hikes in Canmore, the Hot Springs, the Ice Fields, the Knordic Spa, going bowling at Highrollers, Fairmont High Tea, horse back riding in Canmore, Rim Rock Hotel, and a rafting tour. There certainly isn’t a shortage of things to do in the Banff area!

Before I sign off, I wanted to note that our trip took place during the last week of July/ beginning of August and it was quite smoky while we were there due to forest fires. I would say, I definitely wouldn’t avoid visiting the area because of the smoke; however, it did limit and take away from the views. I am hoping it clears up soon!

Any questions? Anything to add to my lists? Drop them in the comments!

Xo KK