1 The Best of

Alberta’s fame—and international tourist reputation—is built on three pillars: mountains, cowboys, and more mountains. All right, that’s two, but you get the point. `This is an extravagantly gorgeous outdoor wonderland, and the are the main attraction. This is not to say all that is worthwhile is to be found at high altitude. Calgary’s growing, urbane charms are drawing more visitors every year, and in Edmonton, the second-largest Fringe Theatre Festival in the world has long been a magnet for international travelers. In the badlands, the strong pull of paleontology, anchored by the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, draws more than half a million visitors every year. But the mountains still receive top billing, and with good reason. A practiced mix of otherworldly natural beauty and creature comforts—the Alberta Rockies have within their midst some of the finest resorts, inns, and restaurants to be found anywhere in the world— there are few places on earth where enjoying rugged wilderness can be so relaxing. And if relaxing is not your idea of a good time, then take to the hills for world-class ski resorts, endless hiking trails, fly-fishing, rock and ice climbing, to name but a few pastimes. Because out here, the sky truly is the limit.

1 THE BEST TRAVEL EXPERIENCES

• Cruising the length of Waterton Lake: down the other side. Even if you’ve As the historic ferry boat chugs out of skied here, you might be surprised at the harbor in Waterton Township, what awaits you: an alpine meadow you can feel the chill rising off the well above the tree line, with endless glacial waters just a dozen feet below vistas west and south of formations so deck. In minutes, the township van- massive and untouched that they seem ishes, and you’re chugging through more an artificial backdrop than real nature as it must have been thousands life. But real it is: Alpine lakes glisten in of years ago. This is truly a preternatural the sun, so cold your fingers ache on experience: Ancient peaks rise up all contact. To the west lies the trail to around you; to the south, millennia-old , where a posh lodge glaciers loom in their rocky bowls. awaits those willing to make the five- Round trip takes about an hour and a hour trek. Watch out for bears if you half, butCOPYRIGHTED it seems a moment unstuck in go; makeMATERIAL lots of noise so they can hear time. See p. 129. you coming and get out of the way. See • Hiking Sunshine Meadows: When the p. 164. ski season ends and Sunshine Village’s • Sitting ringside at the Calgary Stam- lifts finally close down—as late as the pede: These are the most coveted tickets end of May, often—the hill goes silent. at the annual rodeo, if you can get them, But there’s still the opportunity for and they’re not for the meek. Directly guided hikes, up the ski hill’s face and 2 behind the holding pen where two tons finger sandwiches, clotted cream—all of bull is waiting to be released and buck of it great, and none of it cheap. If off his rider are a small collection of seats the price tag troubles you, try to think for the aficionado. You can smell the of it as rent: You’d pay that and more bull’s rage as surely as you can smell the just to sit here and stare, guaranteed. cowboy’s fear. This is as close as—or See p. 186. closer than—you’d ever want to get, and • Trail riding at Mountain Meadows: it’s a bonafide thrill. See p. 100. Saddle up at the Nelson Ranch (& 866/ • Helicopter tours above the Columbia 653-2413), a 2,000-acre spread tucked Icefields: From the ground, they’re jaw- into the province’s southwest corner, and droppingly awesome: A sheet of ice you’ll be riding through history. Four settled on top of the Rockies, and generations of the same family have been stretching for miles. The ice seeps over ranching here since 1898, and the ter- the mountain peaks and into bowls in rain could hardly be more spectacular: the form of glaciers that hang precari- Bordering Waterton National Park to ously at high altitude. But from above, the west, the ranch nestles up against the they’re mind-bending: in mid-summer, Montana border to the south. The ice and snow, as far as the eye can see, mountains feel almost close enough to mountain peaks reduced to tiny hills touch, and as you ride up to the base THE BEST OF ALBERTA OF BEST THE poking up through the ice sheet. As camp, with its cozy cabins—and a 1 your chopper hovers low in the bowls great big hot tub, for those saddle-weary above the ice, the wind off the peaks backsides—you’d swear you were in swirling and licking at it in an uneasy another era. Until dinner, that is, when jitter, you can almost feel the earth you’ll get a chance to eat some of the turning. See p. 194. best beef broiled outdoors anywhere. See • Kayaking the North Saskatchewan in p. 128. Edmonton: The deep river valley of • Soaking up the sunshine at Prince’s Alberta’s capital provides it with a pic- Island Park: Calgary’s all hustle and turesque urban setting, but then there’s bustle, but this island is an oasis of the river itself. Deep, wide, and fast, it urban calm. A patch of lush green cleaves a path right through the city serenity in the middle of the Bow River, center. On a perfect summer evening as just south of downtown, Prince’s Island the sun is setting, the stillness on the is a favorite site for outdoor concerts and an array of other activities, but one

THE BEST TRAVEL EXPERIENCES TRAVEL BEST THE water almost belies the fact you’re in a city at all—except for the skyscrapers of its best is simply nothing at all: Lean glowing sentinel-like just up the bank. up against a shade tree, tune your ears See p. 235. to the burbling river, and let the world • Afternoon tea at the Chateau Lake slip by. See p. 105. Louise: On a sunny day, the view • Hiking to the Ink Pots in Banff from the Lakeview Lounge at Chateau National Park: This hike into Johnson Lake Louise (& 800/441-1414) is Canyon is one of the busiest, and is well-nigh incomparable: The emerald sometimes overrun with kids, but the waters of the lake just in front of you, higher you get, past the upper falls, the and the reflection of the Victoria crowd thins as quickly as the air as you Glacier at its southern end bouncing climb up, up, up, past stunning moun- off it. Then there is the food: scones, tain vistas to eventually reach the Ink Pots, deep pools of icy-cold water fed fills is a haven for wildlife, especially 3 from underground springs. It’s all set birds, and the best way to see it is on two amid a broad mountain meadow, sur- wheels. A well-maintained cycling path rounded by close-by peaks; there’s even encircles the entire reservoir, providing a mountain stream bubbling through lovely views, not to mention a hearty the middle. It helps define the term workout: The ups and downs in the val- “picturesque.” See p. 161. ley are a challenge for all but the most • Urban cycling around Glenmore Res- seasoned pedal-pushers. Still, no rush— ervoir: Much of Calgary’s drinking water walk, ride, and rest at your leisure. It’s comes from this reservoir, so it’s mostly like a mini-vacation in-city. See p. 108. look-don’t-touch, but the river valley it THE BEST OF ALBERTA

2 THE BEST HISTORIC SITES

• Surveying the damage at the Frank outlasted virtually everyone, but it Slide: On April 29, 1903, the town of couldn’t outlast time: As ranches mod- Frank, Alberta, disappeared. That morn- ernized and herds grew, Bar U owner ing, 82 million tons of mountainside Patrick Burns sold off parts of the vast came hurtling downward from its perch ranch in 1950, bringing its dominance high above on Turtle Mountain, crush- to a close. But the original Bar U site, 1 ing everything in its path. The debris with its horse barns, bunkhouses,

field, a historic site, remains a sight to mess hall, and office, remains intact. THE BEST HISTORIC SITES behold: Boulders the size of suburban Thirty-five buildings all told—a slice of houses are strewn 150m (500 ft.) deep, Alberta history, perfectly preserved. See 425m (1,400 ft.) high, and 1km (3,280 p. 150. ft.) wide. These days, Highway 3 • Searching for David Thompson in into British Columbia runs overtop the Rocky Mountain House: David rubble field, and trees poke out from Thompson, the celebrated cartogra- between the rocks. And the excellent pher, explorer, and fur trader, is credited Interpretive Centre with mapping as much as 20% of (& 403/562-7388) offers you a chance North America. Rocky Mountain to learn more about this massive cata- House was his base for charting a pass clysm that happened in the blink of an through the . But eye. See p. 149. that’s not the only history here, in this • The origins of the cowboy trade at small, high plains town. The rival Hud- Bar U Ranch: Bar U Ranch (& 888/ son’s Bay Company and North West 773-8888), a national historic site, rests Company operated out of Rocky for 76 in the gently rolling Porcupine Hills years, making it a center point of com- along the Cowboy Trail, just east of merce and trade. See p. 152. the Rockies. Some say this is where • Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump: A corporate ranching was born: The Bar high bluff facing east over the endless U ran a big operation, employing thou- plains made this site the perfect bison sands of cowboys and running hun- killing field. Long before European con- dreds of thousands of cattle while in tact, Native Canadians would stampede operation from 1882 to 1950. Bar U vast herds of bison over these bluffs, 4 using the impact, and the crushing provides a glimpse of the massive forces weight of the herd, to kill enough meat that shaped the planet long ago. It’s a to last the winter. These days, a brilliant favorite of novice rock climbers too, interpretive center (& 403/553-2731) with nothing but bald prairie below the steps up the bluff in harmony with its rock faces. surroundings; inside, an array of excel- • The first oil well in Western : lent exhibits explains the significance of Everyone knows that Alberta equals oil, this site to Native culture and history. but few would know that the first com- See p. 120. mercially productive oil well here was • Surveying the past at Lougheed found in what is now Waterton Lakes House: When Calgary was young, National Park. A pristine wilderness area, much of the city was built of sandstone Waterton bears none of the scars of oil from nearby quarries. But the material exploration—owing, perhaps, to its dis- was high maintenance, and only a few covery in 1902, before demand began to buildings survive. One of the best is skyrocket in the automotive age. The well Lougheed House (& 403/244-6333), seemed to run dry a few years later, and a family mansion built for the promi- was shut down in 1907, but it’s believed nent Lougheed family (Peter Lougheed there’s a good amount of oil deeper than was premier of the province from 1971 old drills could reach; with more modern THE BEST OF ALBERTA OF BEST THE to 1985). Built in 1907, Lougheed technology, Waterton could be a very dif- 1 House represents a perfectly preserved ferent place today than it is. See p. 129. piece of the city’s architectural history. • The Leduc Gusher: This was the big • Glaciers in motion: Locally known as one: oil spraying high in the sky, signal- the “Big Rock,” the Okotoks Erratic ing the beginning of Alberta’s oil era. It is the world’s largest-known glacial was discovered February 13, 1947, and erratic—rock dragged far from its place the rush was on, as local and foreign of origin by the shifting of the glaciers companies raced to capitalize. The field 10,000 years ago. It weighs in at a mas- produced 200 million barrels of oil, but sive 16,500 tons, 9m (30 ft.) high, 41m more importantly it signaled the begin-

THE BEST MUSEUMS BEST THE (135 ft.) long, and 18m (60 ft.) wide. ning of an era for the province that still Looming out of the prairie not far from dominates today. Leduc is about a half- the town of Okotoks, the Big Rock hour south of Edmonton. See p. 215.

3 THE BEST MUSEUMS

• The Royal Tyrrell Museum: No offense world’s most accomplished scientists to any of the province’s other excellent and exhibit designers in the field. No institutions, but this one holds the trip to Alberta would be complete with- trump card. A world leader in paleon- out it. See p. 121. tology, the Royal Tyrrell (& 888/440- • The : Long on 2240), in the rich dinosaur fossil beds Aboriginal history in the province, of Alberta’s badlands, near Drumheller, Edmonton’s Royal Alberta (& 780/453- is truly a world-class facility, capitaliz- 9100) includes the Syncrude Gallery of ing on location to draw some of the Aboriginal Culture, which showcases 11,000 years of Aboriginal history. and soon its environment will match its 5 There also are extensive displays on the ambition: In late 2009, a brand-new, geological forces that shaped the prov- C$88-million facility will double the ince’s spectacular, varied terrain, and, of gallery’s space to nearly 30,000 square course, a nod to the dinosaurs that are feet. (& 780/422-6223) See p. 231. such a star attraction here. See p. 234. • The Whyte Museum: A little gem of a • The Glenbow Museum: Calgary’s Glen- regional museum, the Whyte (& 403/ bow Museum (& 403/268-4100) is a 762-2291), in Banff, chronicles the multipurpose institution, and it handles adventuresome town’s founders (none of its multitasking role as the largest them among my relations, alas) and the museum in the city with aplomb. It’s a indefatigable pioneer spirit that built it. must for anyone with an interest in the The Whyte isn’t limited to history; inter- THE BEST OF ALBERTA history and culture of Western Canada. esting touring exhibitions, like a recent Especially notable is the third floor, with show of contemporary landscape paint- its vivid evocation of Native cultures— ing interpreting the varied Alberta land- particularly of the local Blackfoot—and scape, keep a foot planted firmly in the compelling descriptions of Western Can- present. See p. 171. ada’s exploration and settlement. Other • Remington Carriage Museum: Special floors contain displays of West African interest, to be sure, but this private carvings, gems and minerals, and a cross- museum in tiny Cardston has been cultural look at arms and warfare. See voted the “best indoor attraction in 1 p. 98. Canada” by Attractions Canada, and it’s

• The Art Gallery of Alberta: Temporar- a thorough survey of transportation THE BEST SMALL TOWNS ily set on the main floor of a downtown before the combustion engine ruled the tower, this public gallery is rightly roads. Every manner of carriage is pres- placed among the most innovative and ent in the collection, along with a daring contemporary art institutions in healthy dose of history. The museum the country. It is a champion of First also has one of the only carriage restora- Nations contemporary art (think artists tion shops in North America. (& 403/ like Jane Ash Poitras and Carl Beam), 653-5139) See p. 128.

4 THE BEST SMALL TOWNS

• Cochrane: Get there before it’s gone! the Cochrane RancheHouse (& 403/ Cochrane, just a half-hour from down- 851-2561), which was built in 2004 to town Calgary in good traffic, is rapidly recognize ranching and rodeo as twin expanding beyond small-town status, pillars of rural Albertan culture. See and it’s easy to see why: The spectacular p. 151. location in the foothills along the Cow- • Rosebud: A tiny prairie gem cradled in boy Trail is drawing city slickers with a a river valley on a provincial byway, taste for country living in droves. Cal- Rosebud is a thriving arts center just off gary’s boom has the city limits pushing the map. An art school, theater, and ever-closer to Cochrane’s boundaries as opera house are among the tiny hamlet’s well, but the town retains its commit- hidden pleasures, as are the meals to be ment to western heritage, with sites like had at the historic Mercantile Dining 6 Room (& 403/267-7553). Art galler- Days/GalaxyFest each June, and brings ies and crafts by local artisans are for in whatever tangentially Trek-related sale here as well, most of them so good celebrity it can get (in 2008, it was Rod you’d swear you were in a town 100 Roddenberry Jr., son of Star Trek creator times its size (Rosebud has a little over Gene Roddenberry and Majel Barrett 100 permanent residents). See p. 123. Roddenberry). See p. 127. • Rowley: North and west of Drumheller • Bragg Creek: Not much more than a sits Rowley, one of Alberta’s almost– shopping plaza and a gas station, Bragg ghost towns. A semi-famous Canadian Creek, a short 45-minute hop west of movie, Bye Bye Blues, was shot here in Calgary, remains a draw as much for its 1989, increasing the town’s popula- excellent ice cream shop as for its perch tion—albeit briefly—by a factor of 50. on the edge of . This is because Rowley has four perma- Increasingly becoming known as a nent residents, who share maintenance weekend getaway for moneyed Calgari- duties and fund the town’s up-keep ans, Bragg is starting to show its urbane with a monthly pizza night—one of the side: contemporary fusion restaurants, biggest draws in the region. See p. 122. for one, and a day spa. But really, the • Vulcan: The folks in Vulcan, Alberta, attraction is the location: Bragg sits in have a motto you’ve probably heard the curl where the Rockies begin— THE BEST OF ALBERTA OF BEST THE before: “Live long and prosper.” Granted, picturesque, to say the least. See p. 151. 1 the town was named well before Leonard • Lake Louise: Just a half-hour west of Nimoy’s pointed-eared alter-ego, Mr. Banff seems to make all the difference. Spock, became a cult legend. But never Where Banff is crowded, noisy, and over- let it be said that an Albertan would let touristed at times, Lake Louise is peace- an opportunity to make a few bucks go ful and serene. An excellent, hippie-ish to waste. The tourist bureau (& 403/ bakery and laid-back atmosphere make 485-2994) features a miniature Starship it all the more appealing. In Banff, you Enterprise as a welcoming sign, and the feel urged to do everything; in Louise, as building itself looks lifted from the set of the locals call it, you can be content to the late-60s Star Trek. Vulcan, a small do nothing at all. See p. 186. farming community, celebrates Spock

5 THE BEST LUXURY ACCOMMODATIONS

• Jasper Park Lodge (& 780/540- ranging from a hotel room to a full THE BEST LUXURY ACCOMMODATIONS LUXURY BEST THE 4454): Amid the grand old railway suite. Canoeing and tennis, horseback hotels of the bygone era, it is the most riding and swimming, fine dining and modest of them that remains the most cocktails, give the lodge a feeling of alluring. The Jasper Park Lodge, set on bygone-era privilege. The room service 700 acres of mountain meadow just delivered on bicycle along the gentle outside the town of Jasper, with its path that runs alongside the lake doesn’t bend-over-backward service, is the ulti- hurt, either. See p. 204. mate in civilized wilderness refuges. • The Kensington Riverside Inn (& 403/ Guests stay in an array of out-buildings 313-3733): It’s a little slice of Malibu around the Lodge’s private lake, in units along the riverbank in Calgary. The Riverside, with its less than two dozen its sister property, the Banff Springs, 7 rooms, is private, intimate, modern, and teems with tourists almost every day of sleek. Cocktails are served in the inn’s the year. Different from the Springs, comfortable, expansive lobby lounge— though, is that here it doesn’t seem to when weather permits, fireside. Warm matter. Understated where the Springs is grays and marble, dark leather and wood overstated, the Chateau has an old-world define the aesthetic. There is nowhere charm that’s at ease in its rugged sur- else in the province where you’re likely to roundings. Of course, the view doesn’t feel as much like a Hollywood star on hurt. On the shores of Lake Louise, the hideaway. See p. 84. glacier that feeds it suspended high • Mount Engadine Lodge (& 403/678- above, is one of the greatest vistas to be 4080): This is roughing it in the best seen anywhere. See p. 188. THE BEST OF ALBERTA possible way. Tiny Mount Engadine • Banff Springs Hotel (& 800/540- Lodge is about a half-hour north of Can- 4406): The grande dame of the Rocky more on a rough gravel road. Off the Mountain hotels, the Springs has been proverbial beaten track, there are few plenty touristed and tarted up over the travelers here; as you pass a network of years, most notably when its grand pristine mountain lakes, you’ll surely entrance was built over to provide a wonder why. At the lodge, perched on a more efficient guest-processing experi- bluff above moose meadows (well-named, ence. But the views of the Bow Valley as they meander along the mossy ooze from the Rundle Room are still near 1 through the valley below, oblivious to unmatchable, and the service, among

your presence), you can enjoy some of the the best you’ll find anywhere, keeps the THE BEST LUXURY ACCOMMODATIONS finest home cooking in the Rockies while Springs an experience worth having. sipping wine on the patio. On any given See p. 173. day you can hear a pin drop—or a moose • The Matrix Hotel (& 800/465-8150): bleat. See p. 140. A brand-new, of-the-moment boutique • The Post Hotel (& 800/661-1586): hotel, the Matrix is the urbanite’s choice Tucked away in a grove of trees in in downtown Edmonton. Sleek design secluded Lake Louise, the Post is a won- and a soothing palette of browns and derful antidote to Banff fatigue. Voted grays provide a perfect minimalist back- the best hotel in Canada by Travel & drop for whatever urban adventure you Leisure magazine in 2007, it’s not hard care to infuse it with. See p. 222. to see why: Private, peaceful, and ele- • Moraine Lake Lodge (& 800/522- gant while remaining homey, the Post 2777): Not far from Lake Louise, has garnered an international reputa- Moraine Lake Lodge defines “romantic tion for impeccable service (it’s part of getaway.” Rustic, charming rooms and the prestigious Relais & Chateau net- cabins cluster along Moraine Lake, work) and easygoing comfort. Its award- which is walled in by mountains along winning restaurant doesn’t hurt, either: its shore. Take a canoe ride, stroll along Gourmet magazine recognized it as one the shore, have dinner in the arched, of its top-three rustic retreats in the glass-roofed dining room and take in world. See p. 189. the surrounding splendor, or sit by your • Chateau Lake Louise (& 800/540- private fireplace in your room. This is 4413): Dramatic grandeur in the shadow about as romantic as romantic gets. See of the Victoria glacier, the Chateau, like p. 189. 8 • Hotel MacDonald (& 866/540-4468): the expansive patio overlooking the Perched high on the banks of the Sas- river—or choose to view it from the katchewan River in Edmonton, the stately rooms that recall an old-world MacDonald surveys the valley with elegance. See p. 222. commanding grace. You can, too, from

6 THE BEST FESTIVALS

• The Calgary Stampede: Whether you • Banff Television Festival: It’s more an want to call it a festival or not is your industry shindig than a public event, choice, but there’s no denying that this but a lot of big names descend on Banff is the biggest party Alberta has every each year for this annual meet-and- year, bar none. Forget the thousands of greet marketplace. Public events are tourists for a moment—it’s Calgarians scant, but if you’re ever going to see pulling on their boots, donning their Michelle Pfeiffer (on the arm of TV Stetsons, and leaving work at noon impresario hubby David E. Kelly) trot- every day (if they show up at all) that ting her Manolos in the midst of the sets things alight. Oh, and there’s that Rockies, then this is where you should THE BEST OF ALBERTA OF BEST THE biggest-rodeo-on-earth aspect as well, be. The Banff Centre (& 800/565- 1 but it’s only part of the fun. This is the 9989), a cultural hub, hosts talks by TV one event where an entire city goes to big wheels (past guests have been Sex the same party. See p. 100. and the City creator Darren Star and • The Edmonton Fringe Festival: After West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin) that a Edinburgh, the world’s first and largest, well-planned visitor might see. And if Edmonton’s Fringe Theatre Festival not that, the throngs of aspiring TV has no equal. This is a theater town, and creators, pitching madly to whomever it’s never more apparent than during will listen, provide amusement enough. the 10 days in June when theater compa- See p. 168.

THE BEST FESTIVALS BEST THE nies from all over the world descend on • Beethoven in the Badlands: Set in a the Alberta capital with their finest, natural amphitheater that seats 2,500 freshest work. This is truly a cross-sec- just outside Drumheller, Beethoven in tion of the best contemporary theater the Badlands is an annual event that the world has to offer—a can’t-miss takes the Calgary Philharmonic Orches- event for those in love with live perfor- tra into the open air. The setting is truly mance. See p. 241. spectacular: A stone bowl curves around • Wordfest: Calgary’s answer to Toronto’s and back from a flat plane of rock, and International Festival of Authors (one the acoustic effect is astonishing and of the world’s biggest), Wordfest (aka crystal clear. The site of Drumheller’s the Banff–Calgary International Writ- annual Passion Play, about the death er’s Festival) has become an increasingly and resurrection of Jesus Christ, you’d popular draw for an A-list of writers. almost think this natural formation was Readings are open to the public, and planned by Somebody. See p. 120. have included such luminaries as Rich- • The Calgary Folk Music Festival: ard Ford and David Adams Richards. It There are bigger music festivals, and takes place each October. See p. 36. there may even be better ones (because music depends on your point of view, Rodeo, Ani DiFranco, Kris Kristoffer- 9 doesn’t it?), but on a sunny afternoon, son, Calexico, Bedouin Soundclash, the setting, on Prince’s Island Park, can and Charlie Musselwhite, the music hardly be matched. And with a list of ain’t bad, either. See p. 35. past headliners that includes Blue

7 THE BEST DINING

• The Blue Pear (& 780/482-7178): Set fine dining. And fine it is: Multiple in an unassuming strip mall in Edmon- courses served by a battalion of servers, THE BEST OF ALBERTA ton’s 124th Street district, the Blue Pear all with focused roles (appetizer, salad, might just be one of the best restaurants cocktail, wine, de-crumber). Meanwhile, in the country. Run by a husband-and- in all of Alberta, its beef tenderloin is wife team with a stout devotion to perhaps the most perfectly grilled piece of local, organic ingredients, the culinary beef to be found anywhere. And that’s results are no less than symphonic: saying something. See p. 211. lamb ravioli in a yoghurt brown butter • Towa (& 403/245-8585): It doesn’t sauce; roast pork belly, crab cake, soya- cost an arm and a leg and its environ- pea puree with pancetta-wrapped enoki ment is decidedly casual—cartoony, mushrooms—the list goes on. Each even—but Calgary’s Towa sushi earns 1 plate—there are four courses for C$85, huge marks for sheer inventiveness. no exceptions—arrives like a carefully Maki rolls the size of your wrist and THE BEST DINING constructed piece of art. But the real art sashimi that seem to require an entire is the flavor. See p. 229. side of fish are the hallmarks of this • The Bison Mountain Bistro (& 403/ creative Japanese restaurant. Size isn’t all 762-5550): New in 2008, the Bison, that matters: its combinations, like an on the second floor of a new “green” unagi roll made with sweet omelete, building in Banff, offers an array of avocado, and freshwater eel, are inge- local ingredients simply prepared with nious flavor combinations. Add in the flavor in mind. The name tells the tale: lively young crowd, and this is a winner. bison—burgers, steaks, or smoked—or See p. 95. venison pepperoni, all worked in to • Mercato (& 403/263-5535): One of meals as thoughtful and flavorful as Calgary’s true see-and-be-seens, Mer- they are simple. A general store, with cato deserves the hype: fresh, traditional house-made breads and ingredients or Italian with a contemporary twist that is whole sandwiches to go, is the busiest as consistent as it is delicious. Sublime place in town—and deserves to be. See pastas, fresher-than-fresh salads and p. 182. cheeses, a deep respect for the simplest • The Edith Cavell Dining Room ingredients like olive oil and balsamic (& 780/852-6052): The main level of vinegar—all earn Mercato high marks. the Jasper Park Lodge offers the refined The food’s not the only thing that’s mountaineer the white-glove treatment: fresh here, though. If you can cast a The Edith Cavell, named for the majestic glance away from the brilliance on your peak that rises above the lake just outside plate, you’ll understand quickly enough. the dining room window, is old-world See p. 94. 10 • Baker Creek Bistro (& 403/522-2182): running breakfast in town, if not the An unassuming spot on a secondary whole country. The hash browns are road that hooks through the mountains piled high, the bacon and sausages are just a few minutes east of Lake Louise, fresh and perfectly cooked, the flapjacks you’d be forgiven for driving by the come in towers, and the array of egg Baker Creek Chalets if looking for fine dishes is dizzying. Choose the fresh dining. The chalets are lovely, set along- fruit over the potatoes—it’s worth it. side a burbling creek, but the dining See p. 92. room, in an unassuming log cabin, • Fleur du Sel (& 403/228-9764): Locals should be the main attraction. Fresh don’t get more local than this. With its local food served with grace and con- rich, red walls and black-and-white tile, temporary panache by chef Shelley everything about Calgary’s Fleur de Sel Robinson is a delight and surprise, and screams “French!”—including its bois- well worth a step off the beaten track. terous owner and chef, Patrice. Like See p. 191. most of his staff, he knows most of the • Jack’s Grill (& 403/434-1113): An customers by name, and greets them Edmonton institution for those in the with the enthusiasm of a favorite uncle. know, Jack’s, tucked in a quiet residen- Traditional French bistro fare, served in tial area, has a lovely courtyard and an a homey environment, make this a great THE BEST OF ALBERTA OF BEST THE even lovelier simple, creative menu. The stop to take the pulse of the town. See 1 emphasis is on the carnivorous here— p. 95. try the simply grilled beef tenderloin, • Evil Dave’s (& 780/852-3323): The infused with interest by the addition of loyal following of locals should be your Stilton, or the New Zealand venison first clue that this Jasper resto, with its rack—but it’s always simple, and always devotion to theme—“Malevolent” creative. See p. 231. home-style Alberta beef meatloaf, or • The 1886 Buffalo Café (& 403/269- “Ex-Wife” spicy tomato penne, with 9255): The name means what it says: chicken and shrimp—is a keeper. Chef Founded in 1886 (the “Buffalo” was David Hussereau, who also runs the added in recent years) and made mod- considerably more haute local Tekarra erately famous by a Visa ad made for Restaurant, is looking to unwind, but THE BEST SCENIC DRIVES SCENIC BEST THE the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, his cooking here is just as razor-sharp. Calgary’s 1886 is probably the longest- See p. 212.

8 THE BEST SCENIC DRIVES

• The Columbia Icefields Parkway: Pre- next bend it’ll just land there again. dictable, sure, but with good reason. Easily and without a doubt the most You couldn’t do this drive often enough dramatic stretch of highway in the to be anything but awed by it. As you province, if not the entire country. See drift past the silent majesty of millen- p. 193. nia-old glaciers, millions of tons of age- • The Bow Valley Parkway: On the short old ice draped over the looming, ancient stretch of Trans-Canada that links Banff peaks, you may as well leave your jaw to Lake Louise, there’s a little-traveled on the dashboard, because around the side route called the Bow Valley Parkway (or Highway 1A). It’s little-traveled with As it transports you from bald prairie 11 good reason, perhaps: Its two lanes wind expanses to the towering peaks of the through rock and forest and probably Rocky Mountains on the way to High- double the travel time between the two wood Pass, you’ll have reached an eleva- points. But getting there, in this case, is tion of 2,228m (7,310 ft.)—the highest half the fun. Little 1A wends off along elevation of any highway in the coun- the base of , one of the try. As you cruise close to the tree line true massives of the local peaks, and get- you’ll find mounds of snow, even in ting underneath it offers the truest sense high summer. But save your gawking of its majesty. It’s also along 1A where for the wildlife, as elk, moose, moun- you’re most likely to see wildlife—a giant tain goats, and the occasional bear elk grazing by the roadside, or maybe pause to watch you rumble by. See THE BEST OF ALBERTA even a black bear (don’t even mention p. 135. the bighorn sheep, which are as plentiful • The David Thompson Parkway: Con- as squirrels). Sometimes the road less necting Rocky Mountain House to the traveled does, in fact, make all the differ- east with the Icefields Parkway, the ence. See p. 161. David Thompson Highway is a direct • The Dinosaur Trail: It’s a short loop route into the heart of the Rockies’ high from the town of Drumheller around scenic drama. The foothills west of the Dinosaur Trail, but inside it is some Rocky give way quickly to the hard- of the most spectacularly barren scenery rock mountains, which rise quickly in 1 to be found anywhere. As you circle the the west. The road is swallowed along

route around Horse Thief and Horse- the way, until you realize there are THE BEST SCENIC DRIVES shoe canyons, carved by the Red Deer mountains ahead, behind, and all River, picture yourself sailing through a around you. The sense is of a massive, massive, shallow inland sea, swarming natural fortress that you’ve slipped with marine dinosaurs twice the size of inside. See p. 153. your car. Then look down into the dark, • The Cowboy Trail between Cardston desiccated canyons, and think how long and Rocky Mountain House: Alberta’s it took the river to carve deep and famed Cowboy Trail skirts the eastern wide enough to reveal this ancient his- edge of the Rockies, through rolling tory. It can make you feel tiny, indeed. foothills and nothing much more at all, See p. 119. and that’s its charm: hills upon hills, • Highway 40 through Kananaskis: rolling gently toward mountains that It’s only open less than half the year, seem close enough to touch. Passing from June 15 to December 1, and with through the occasional small towns good reason: This is among the more along the way offers a clue to the road’s rugged drives along the fringe of a name: These are true west places, with major mountain range you’ll ever take. pickup trucks and honky-tonk spirit to The turn-off at Longview from High- spare. North of Rocky Mountain way 22 warns you that the road is House, the trail spills out into high fraught with hazards, but on a beautiful plains, which are less picturesque than summer day with the sunroof open, the mountain vistas to be found south. none of this seems to even be possible. See p. 148. 12 9 THE BEST EXPERIENCES FOR KIDS

• Heritage Park: With a petting zoo, courts, and four sand volleyball courts, steam engine train, paddle-wheel boat, Calgary’s Shaw Millennium park is one and more cowboy and frontier fun of the largest skateboard parks in North than you can twirl a rope at, Calgary’s America and draws skaters of all ages Heritage Park offers a plethora of from all over the continent. A good bet off-the-main experiences for the little for bigger kids; helmets and pads can be ones. Easily a full day of distractions for rented or purchased from the pro shop. the kiddos. And the grownups might See p. 101. learn a thing or two as well. See p. 101. • World Waterpark, West Edmonton • The Royal Tyrrell Museum: We know Mall: Five acres of waterslides and wave it’s already been listed, but a special men- pool in the massive West Edmonton tion of the Tyrrell is deserved here, for its Mall promise hours of wet and wild fun amazing array of dinosaur diversions, for kids. With the water kept at a such as interactive displays, films, anima- bathtub-like 86°F (30°C), it’s a little tions, and hands-on experiences, like a trip to the tropic in Northern Alberta. bucket full of T-Rex tooth fossils ripe for See p. 240. THE BEST OF ALBERTA OF BEST THE the handling. Slightly bigger kids (9 • Calaway Park: Western Canada’s largest years+) can camp out overnight in the amusement park boasts roller coasters, a 1 badlands and pick up real fossils from log ride, and gentle diversions, too, like the dinos’ final resting place. See p. 121. bumper cars and mini-golf. See p. 102. • Telus World of Science, Calgary and • : One of the best zoos Edmonton: Facilities with a distinct to be found in Western Canada is in kid-friendly focus, both venues offer a Calgary—it recently placed in the top romp through the world of science from 10 in North America—with generous outer space to the microscopic. The enclosures for big-thrill animals like Lego Mindstorms, in which kids can Siberian tigers, and a baby elephant build a functioning robot out of Lego, born in 2007. The Zoo’s prehistoric as well as multiple programs, should park, with no fewer than a dozen life- easily provide an afternoon’s diversion size dinosaur replicas, provides an excit- for the little ones. See p. 101 and 234. ing meander through Alberta’s • Shaw Millennium Park: With 75,000 prehistoric past. See p. 101. square feet of skateable surface, basketball

THE BEST HIKING AND WALKING TOURS WALKING AND HIKING BEST THE 10 THE BEST HIKING AND WALKING TOURS

• Grassi Lakes: The Canmore/Kananaskis rine, towering peaks all around them. area is overrun with great day hikes, but People have been climbing to take in this one’s a real winner. Short (5km/ the view from Grassi Lakes for millen- 3 miles) but spectacular, the trail starts nia; keep an eye out for Native Cana- as a wide, rough road at the Canmore dian pictographs just above the lakes Nordic Centre but quickly narrows and themselves. See p. 146. climbs, past a towering waterfall and • Crypt Lake: A water taxi across icy-blue up, up, up to the lakes themselves, Waterton Lake in Waterton National which are an intense hue of aquama- Park takes you to the Crypt Lake trail head, a full-day hike that takes you up along the lake’s south shore about 500m 13 700m (2,297 ft.) to the shores of the and you’ll be at the trail head for Lake even-icier aquamarine Crypt Lake. There’s Agnes, a short, popular, and utterly much to take in along the way, too, spectacular 11km (7-mile) loop that including a 182m (600-ft.) waterfall and gradually climbs about 500m (1,640 a natural tunnel. Agoraphobes beware: ft.) over its span. First you’ll pass Mirror There’s also a dramatic cliff traverse. See Lake, and above it, the Big Beehive, an p. 131. aptly named rock formation that looms • Urban Safari: For those who like their over the lake and offers gorgeous views hiking not too far from a well-stocked of the Chateau and the lake below. This bar, Calgary’s Urban Safari tour (& 403/ is civilized wilderness; a little higher up 283-3158) won’t disappoint. Hike one offers respite at the Lake Agnes Tea- THE BEST OF ALBERTA of Calgary’s central neighborhoods, for- house, a log cabin coveted for tourism. aging for culinary delights at some of Keep going; the farther you go, the the city’s best restaurants, all included thinner the crowd gets (many turn back in the package. See p. 111. at the teahouse) along with the air, and • Lake Agnes and the Big Beehive: Set the better to absorb the spectacular out from the Chateau Lake Louise scenery surrounding you. See p. 187.

11 THE BEST OUTDOOR ADVENTURES 1

• Visiting grizzlies in Banff: Fortunately, (8-mile) paddle along the Athabasca THE BEST OUTDOOR ADVENTURES few in bear country (that’s the Rockies in River ends up at the foot of Morro general, folks) ever come nose-to-nose Peak, where you’ll climb 700m (2,100 with a grizzly, which is a good thing; one ft.) to the rocky—and somewhat fright- ton of hungry bear can be hard to reason eningly narrow—ridge that is the with. But some tours offer the occasion mountaintop. Only one thing beats to view the magnificent beasts in their looking at the mountains here: Stand- natural habitat in relative safety. Dis- ing on top of one. Here’s your chance. cover Banff Tours (& 877/565-9372) See p. 197. takes you bear watching through Lake • Dog-sledding in Kananaskis: For those Louise and on to the Grizzly Bear Refuge for whom skiing is too mundane. Mad near Kicking Horse. See p. 160. Dogs and Englishmen (& 403/609- • Heli-hiking in Banff: It’s one thing to 3670) is happy to take you on a true-life take a helicopter over the Rockies; the Arctic-esque adventure across the frozen wind whipping off the peaks makes it an mountainscapes, pulled behind a game unsettling, exhilarating experience. But team of huskies. See p. 145. touching down way up high, where no • Riding range on a cattle drive: Sure, truck, train, or hiker could ever get to, is you can get all your cowboy experience an otherworldly experience. This is an at Cowboys, the rowdy, always-game untouched as the earth gets. See p. 194. bar in Calgary, but if you want to go all • Paddling the Athabasca River and the way, driving cattle is about as climbing Morro Peak: The Jasper authentic as it gets. If you’ve seen City Adventure Centre (& 800/565-7547) Slickers, where Billy Crystal and friends calls it their “ultimate adventure,” and play, well, city slickers driving in the it’s hard to argue, really. A 12km herd alongside real-life ranch hands, 14 you’ve got the idea. Home on the of it is, you could white-water raft on Range Adventure Tours (& 866/760- any number of mountain rivers all over 8334) provides a link with real, live Alberta and get a taste of the experi- ranches in the Rocky Mountain foot- ence. But Horseshoe Canyon, in hills along the Cowboy Trail to ride Kananaskis Country, offers the iconic range on the herd for a night or three. mountain landscapes, a crisp, icy river, This is the real deal—right down to the a plethora of water ledges to tumble smell. See p. 148. over—and, most importantly, plenty of • White-water rafting Horseshoe Can- white water. See p. 148. yon in Kananaskis Country: The truth THE BEST OF ALBERTA OF BEST THE

1 THE BEST OUTDOOR ADVENTURES OUTDOOR BEST THE