OT........Special Family Night...ahhhh Banff!

[drag n' fly]

Yes this is OT......Well three more sleeps until Special Family night...away..................... We have family night every Friday night......... So we decided to try out the dog kennel we are using for our upcoming trip to wdw for one night just to make sure we are comfortable with it. I took advantage...ok I took majorly advantage of our little evening and booked a surprise( this was really hard to pull off) for my dh and three kids we are going to go to Banff for the night and stay here

http://www.douglasfir.com/home.html

We are having supper at the Greek Restaurant( dh is half greek) and then off for a little soaky in the
http://www.hotsprings.ca/ Banff Hot springs...nothing beats a soak in the winter and then back to our crib for smores and hot chocolate and then after brekkie in the morn its off on the:

http://www.banffgondola.com/

I love this part because it is so beautiful and you can see all the valleys!


I always enjoy reading about DIS weekend escapades on the east end of Canada so I thought I would share what us prairie canuckies do when we have a little time off. Some day I would love to see Niagara Falls...costs more to fly there than LAX tho!

 

[deany]

Banff is beautiful. I must drive along the ice fields next summer also. How about coming west to BC soon? Our scenery is fantastic. Tofino in the Aug is wonderful.

 

[jemiaule]

Ok, I am jealous. I spent a week there last December doing a program at the Banff Centre. I SO wanted to go this year but sadly the event is not being held.

Here's a lil something to get you ready to go:

I love visiting the cemetary there (yes, I am weird), some of the old headstones are very cool...and some a bit creepy. Like this one:

 

[Cass]

I love Banff & Jasper, have a great time! it sounds like a wonderful evening. Hey, is it winter there already?

 

[jtdl]

Have a great time. We're heading that way in July. It's been about 12 years since I've been there and I can't wait

 

[maryliz]

Sounds like a fabulous little get-away! My DNephew is in Calgary right now, for an interview for the International Exchange program at WDW. He's actually at the presentation at the university as I type this. He rented a car and drove to Banff on Sunday, and he said it was just gorgeous. I can't wait to see his pics when he gets back. I guess he especially loved driving through Canmore.

Have a fun weekend, Drag'n'Fly.


MaryLiz

 

[drag n' fly]

Banff is beautiful. I must drive along the ice fields next summer also. How about coming west to BC soon? Our scenery is fantastic. Tofino in the Aug is wonderful.

Actually we go to B.C. every summer for holidays. This coming up summer we are renting a house on Kootney Lake by Nelson so we can do Ainsworth Hot springs etc..Pacific Rim is on the summer holiday plan for 2008...I have spent many wonderful family summer holidays on Vancouver Island....hope to do the same with my kids....gotta get all these Disney trips out of the way!
Mile high lemon pie at the goats on the roof place is my favourite memory LOL....of course it had to be food!

 

[drag n' fly]

Ok, I am jealous. I spent a week there last December doing a program at the Banff Centre. I SO wanted to go this year but sadly the event is not being held.

Here's a lil something to get you ready to go:

I love visiting the cemetary there (yes, I am weird), some of the old headstones are very cool...and some a bit creepy. Like this one:

Ooooh I love the Banff Centre. My dh had his company Christmas party there last year......a beautiful place with lots of cool artsy intellects!

 

[drag n' fly]

I love Banff & Jasper, have a great time! it sounds like a wonderful evening. Hey, is it winter there already?

Yup...it has been dam* cold here for 3 weeks.......today oh happy day though.....one of our famous chinooks have arrived and it is a glorious warm day here today!

 

[BitsnBearsMom]

Have a great time!!

We visited Lake Louise and Banff in May - dh had a buisness trip and his boss told him to bring the family for the long weekend all expenses paid - don't think he ever dreamed I would spend so much on one weekend but hey.... he was the one who offered to pay for airfare and accomodations - we left the Friday morning, stayed Friday night at the Chateau in LL - I really did feel like a princess there!! Sat night at the Rimrock in Banff and wow was it ever gorgeous. We did the gondola and hiked around LL - the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen. Since I was still on Toronto time I was even up to see the sun rise over the mountains. Can't wait to go back again - dh was talking about doing a trip out there in summer of 2008. drive from Calgary to BC - wonder if I can get most of that one paid for too

It really is a beautiful part of Canada!!

 

[drag n' fly]

Have a great time!!

We visited Lake Louise and Banff in May - dh had a buisness trip and his boss told him to bring the family for the long weekend all expenses paid - don't think he ever dreamed I would spend so much on one weekend but hey.... he was the one who offered to pay for airfare and accomodations - we left the Friday morning, stayed Friday night at the Chateau in LL - I really did feel like a princess there!! Sat night at the Rimrock in Banff and wow was it ever gorgeous. We did the gondola and hiked around LL - the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen. Since I was still on Toronto time I was even up to see the sun rise over the mountains. Can't wait to go back again - dh was talking about doing a trip out there in summer of 2008. drive from Calgary to BC - wonder if I can get most of that one paid for too

It really is a beautiful part of Canada!!

Oooh the Chateau and the Rimrock are serious high end hotels you are very lucky to stay there. We have stayed at Douglas Fir before. We love the huge waterslide for the kids and the awesome playground...yes I know if it was just dh and me we would be at the chateau. We always go to Lake Louise for day trips. Last December we went out there to see the Chateau decorated for Christmas....it was absolutely breathtaking. There was this woman in a beautiful velvet ballgown playing Christmas music on the harp.....my dd and just stood there absolutley stunned....I can totally relate to the princess thing! They have wood burning fireplaces in the loft suites at Douglas Fir so it is so awesome because you can roast marshmallows in your room in your jammies! The drive from Calgary to B.C. is incredible. It is approx 13 hrs from Calgary to Vancouver but we usually take a couple days to do it. One thing my dh and I really want to do is take via rail from Jasper to B.C. through the mountains...no kids of couse and sit in the glass dome rail cars and sip fine spirits!.....some day

 

[BitsnBearsMom]

That would be incredible to see at Christmas - they had that lady there in May too and I sat and watched for a long time - in the evening they also had a pianist there playing which we enjoyed listening to. Was so nice to take my cup of tea out at the gastly 5am that I got up and sit and watch the sun rise.

We figure we'll take 2 weeks and fly into Calgary and out of Vancouver - I've read about the drive along the ice fields parkway and I think we'll try that - my boys also saw the big 'machine' in front of the gondola that does the ice field tours and we'd like to try that too plus dh has family in BC that he would like to stop in to see. Next year is a cruise and Disney but the plan is to do that for the year after!

Always planning the next vacation!!

I hope you have a great weekend!! I have to spend mine getting my Christmas shopping started - only 3 weeks left for me to get it done - I try and avoid all forms of a mall or shopping once December hits!

 

[hockey mom]

OHHHH! I love Banff.

I stayed at Douglas fir 2 years in a row many years ago so please let me know how you enjoyed it.

I would love to have a family vacation but airfare for 5 is a huge chunk so I am saving up my airmiles for flights. We will get there someday.

 

[cdndislvr]

drag n' fly I hope you have a lovely weekend.....such a nice surprise for the family!

 

[drag n' fly]

OHHHH! I love Banff.

I stayed at Douglas fir 2 years in a row many years ago so please let me know how you enjoyed it.

I would love to have a family vacation but airfare for 5 is a huge chunk so I am saving up my airmiles for flights. We will get there someday.

Tell me about it...it is costing us 2200 just for airfare to Orlando in February and that is a really good seat sale!

 

[riu girl]

WOW, have a fabulous weekend.
I loved in Calgary 1989-1990 and visited Banff as much as I could.

I would love to take DD (nature girl) to Banff and also Drumheller, but as hockeymom mentioned, the airfare is Sooooooo pricey.

If you have a chance, please post some pics when you return. I haven't been to Banff since 1994 and would love to see a few pics.

 

[drag n' fly]

WOW, have a fabulous weekend.
I loved in Calgary 1989-1990 and visited Banff as much as I could.

I would love to take DD (nature girl) to Banff and also Drumheller, but as hockeymom mentioned, the airfare is Sooooooo pricey.

If you have a chance, please post some pics when you return. I haven't been to Banff since 1994 and would love to see a few pics.

Oh my gosh what a great idea I never even thought of that..I will do that...it is really snowing here today!

 

[drag n' fly]

Ok so we had a schwak of snow here yesterday. I uploaded my pics on my computer found by memory card and good to go....If anyone wants a pic of anything specifically let me know...I am sure y'all dont want to see us roasting marshmallows in our flannel jammies so I will keep it short as I am sure DIS does not appreciate offsite and OT trip reports and I dont want to put you all to sleep But if you want to see some mountain pics or hotspring pics just HOLLAH!

 

[riu girl]

Do you happen to get any wildlife or nature/scenery shots? If so, would you mind posting a few. DD and I would love to see them.

Good luck with the snow you are having. I spoke to my boss earlier (I work out a home office in Ontario for an NT company in Calgary) and it sounds like a huge amount!!!

Have a great evening.

 

[deany]

Actually we go to B.C. every summer for holidays. This coming up summer we are renting a house on Kootney Lake by Nelson so we can do Ainsworth Hot springs etc..Pacific Rim is on the summer holiday plan for 2008...I have spent many wonderful family summer holidays on Vancouver Island....hope to do the same with my kids....gotta get all these Disney trips out of the way!
Mile high lemon pie at the goats on the roof place is my favourite memory LOL....of course it had to be food!

OMG, I love that place too. I must try the lemon pie, though!