Introduction
Welcome to Vegan Banff!
Every year, my family and I go on an extended family vacation. In 2024, we went to Banff National Park, located in Alberta, Canada. We got an Airbnb for 15 people.
I tend to get excited about going on vacation because it is healthy to get time away from work. Yet again, it is kind of overwhelming to be around a bunch of people nonstop without much of a break when you're an introvert and live alone with cats.
Here is my vegan Banff travel guide, filled with tips and tricks for eating plant-based meals while sightseeing in the Canadian Rockies.
Packing Tips
I'm not going to pretend I'm some Banff expert. I did my research, as most prepared travelers do, for a place that I wish to visit successfully.
Here are a few unusual items I packed that are worth saving room in your suitcase.
1. Hiking Poles
Many of my siblings believe hiking poles are for old people. The truth is, they are not. In fact, hiking poles have many benefits for people of all ages, like knee protection, increased exercise, and better balance.
I'm not sure how much my dad will use the hiking poles instead of me, but they will be useful because I would like to do more hiking and recreation in the future.
2. Biking Gloves
Last year, I bought biking gloves when I had my bike fixed at the local bike repair shop. I originally bought them to keep my hands warm, but they have a few other benefits, from hand protection to a better handlebar grip.
Even though hiking gloves are a thing, if you do not have any hiking gloves, it would be more affordable to use biking gloves because they provide similar benefits. Plus, since biking gloves are used to hold handlebars, they would provide similar benefits to using hiking poles.
3. Reflective Vest
This year, one of my goals was to get back into shape because when Covid started, the gyms closed for over a year, and I struggled to maintain a gym routine at home. By the time the gyms opened, I was about to move. Then, I bought a gym membership, but I started having issues with asthma, and it took over a year to get diagnosed.
Now that those issues are under control, one initiative I had to get back into shape was joining the local cycling group. To prepare to start, I made a few Amazon purchases. One of them was a reflective vest, which is great for biking in the dark and for sunrise and sunset walks.
Even though I ended up getting too intimidated to go to any of the biking rides because I was too slow, I can wear the reflective vest on some early morning and evening walks to stay safe as it gets darker outside.
4. Raincoat
I'm used to getting more rain in the spring. In Banff, it rains a decent amount in the summer as well.
During our trip in the first week of August, it rained almost every day. Sometimes, it was not that much. Other times, the thunderstorms had heavy rain followed by large hail. Attractions, like the gondola, had some weather delays because of lightning, and there was a decent amount of hail.
If you are traveling during the summer, make sure you bring your raincoat. You will use it at least once, and you will be grateful for not getting soaked.
5. Soft Cooler
When you are traveling to national parks, you should always be prepared in case something messes up your plans, from your car breaking down to heavy traffic to being hungry in the middle of a national park without any food options. One way to do this is to bring a soft cooler with you on vacation because it keeps a backup plan in your car in case you need to eat sandwiches at the last minute.
Hard coolers do not travel well on a plane unless they are checked as luggage. It is a lot easier to use some extra room in a checked bag to bring a soft cooler.
In my case, I traveled to Banff with 15 people, 14 adults plus a baby. My dad wanted me to bring three soft coolers in case each car needed to bring one with them. He ended up bringing a hard cooler because of driving there.
The Drive to Banff
August 2-4, 2024
Our first driving day was a short one since my mom and my brother were supposed to have a full day of work, but they both finished work early.
On the other hand, Fridays were my half day, except I worked later than usual on our first day of vacation, so I got home right before everyone was ready to leave.
My parents and brother came to pick me up from my house around 3:30pm, but since it took me a few extra minutes to put Sabrina and Edward in the basement and load my luggage in the car, we left town around 3:40pm.
The plan was to drive approximately 4 ½ hours to the Best Western Plus Kelly Inn in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
We had a quick potty break and a bite to eat at Kwik Star in Cedar Lake, Iowa. I got a berry pack with blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries, plus a veggie pack with cauliflower, carrots, and broccoli. The veggies originally came with ranch dressing, but I threw it away because I am vegan. I also packed some pistachios and Silk Almond Milk to make this a tasty meal.
Nothing too eventful happened on the way there besides watching the scenery outside, which looked much like what I was used to in Iowa.
We arrived at the hotel around 7:20pm, which was three hours earlier than I expected us to get there. (Our original departure time was between 5:00-6:00pm.)
Best Western provides complimentary vegan bath and shower products. 😄
One thing that made me happy on our first night in St. Cloud was Best Western's complimentary line of vegan bath and shower products. Even though you cannot buy the exact formulation for their products online, the closest equivalent to their products is their Citrus Collection.
My family and I went to many Best Western Hotels on vacations growing up because they have a great and consistent reputation for having comfortable beds, affordable prices, and delicious breakfasts.
We were a bit disappointed when we figured out that the hotel's restaurant did not start breakfast until 8:00am. Then, we got a bit excited about the grab-and-go option that would have worked perfectly with us leaving around 6:15am, but since they did not have that meal option anymore, we stopped at a nearby gas station in St. Joseph called Kwik Trip.
We stopped for one bathroom break at the Hansel Lake Rest Area in Dalton, Minnesota, before heading to North Dakota and having lunch at Pizza Ranch.
Day 2 Lunch (Pizza Ranch in Carrington, North Dakota)
Note that my family and I have been to many Pizza Ranch franchises across Iowa and a few out of state. This was the best salad bar I've ever been to at Pizza Ranch, and this was the first time that I got three plates at Pizza Ranch since I became vegan. I could not resist all of the delicious produce.
I got a small, cheeseless, thin-crusted pizza topped with broccoli, tomato slices, pineapple chunks, and mushrooms. They originally did not have any broccoli ready to serve, and they went out of my way to steam it and cook it on this pizza. That is the definition of great service.
Between lunch and supper, we encountered a few delays due to construction, a couple of potty breaks, rushing to the last American gas station before it closed at 4:00pm, and border patrol. Fortunately, we gained an hour of time because Saskatchewan does not observe Daylight Savings Time.
We ate supper at Boston Pizza in Weyburn, Saskatchewan. I felt so silly taking forever to find a vegan-friendly option. I planned on getting a cheeseless pizza, similar to what I had for lunch until my mother pointed out that the Cali Burger had a vegan option for the bun. I got that without the sauce and onions with a side of sweet potato fries.
I was confused at first because I expected to get something like an Impossible or Beyond Meat burger. Instead, it was made out of actual veggies, like peas, which was good but not what I was expecting.
We reached the Best Western in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, a little after 7:00pm. I had some Lay's for a snack from the hotel vending machine. We watched the Olympics in the hotel lobby that evening before getting ready for bed.
We had breakfast at the hotel. I had hashbrowns with salsa, an apple, a banana, and a glass of water. The hashbrowns were not as crispy as I was used to eating, but they were still good.
We drove from Moose Jaw to Calgary and then headed to Canmore after picking up one of my brothers from the airport. The goal was to celebrate Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral in Calgary and then head to the Airbnb afterwards. We did succeed at getting to Mass on time, but we ended up being the last ones to the rentals, so we got the last rooms available.
On the way to Calgary, we stopped at a couple of weird record holders. The first was the world's tallest moose, Mac the Moose, in Moose Jaw. The second one was the world's largest tepee in Medicine Hat, Alberta. Those sites were neat, but I cannot share the moose pictures because my family was in them.
On the way there, I learned that Kikit, which was connected to Petro Canada, has some vegan candy options, like YumEarth Giggles and Chewys. That was the first time I saw that brand of candy at a gas station.
Day 3 Lunch (Moxies in Medicine Hat, Alberta)
After seeing the World's Largest Tepee, we stopped at Moxies in Medicine Hat. There were several vegan meal options to choose from, but I picked the vegan tofu cashew lettuce wraps without the spicy vegan mayo. They were delicious. I was not used to having mint as a topping option, but I should have this more often in the future because it enhanced the wraps.
We saw wheat fields throughout our drive through Canada. I'm used to corn and soybean fields in Iowa, so it was a lot yellower outside than I was used to.
I don't usually have snacks at home, but I had a squeeze snack because I was not sure how long it would take us to eat after going to church and picking up one of my brothers from the airport.
After Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral and picking up my brother late from the airport, we stopped at Tim Hortons near the airport. Even though it did not have that many vegan options, I wanted to eat at one because it is one of the most popular fast food chains in Canada.
I had a toasted plain bagel with nothing on it and a side of sea salt wedges (their equivalent of French fries). I also had a Silk Almond Milk and a Mamma Chia Blueberry Acai Squeeze Snack.
The bagel was tasty. It would have been even better if I had it straight from the oven, instead of waiting for my order of sea salt wedges to arrive. The sea salt wedges were delicious and had some sort of herb seasoning on them, which gave them a homemade taste to them.
After we got to the Airbnb, I learned that I was sharing a room with one of my sisters, but I had to share a shower with seven other people, which was expected. At least I did not have to sleep on an air mattress, unlike two of my younger brothers.
I tried to write some of my blog before bed, but that was useless because of the spotty internet. It is probably too small an internet plan for 15 people to use multiple devices on the internet at the same time.
Highlights from our drive
Lake Louise
August 5, 2024
On our first full day in Banff, we headed to the most visited site in Banff: Lake Louise. It is known for its gorgeous lake and hiking paths.
I had some multigrain toast for breakfast with some chocolate almond milk, watermelon, a Clif bar, and sliced bananas.
We split us up into two groups: one rode horses to Lake Agnes Tea House and to the Beehive and the other hiked to and from the Lake Agnes Tea House. I was a part of the hiking group since I am against horseback riding with being vegan.
The rain delayed our plans. The horseback ride started an hour later due to the lightning. The hiking started 1 ½ hour later due to the heavy rain.
Even though it said it would take us one to two hours there on the tea house's website and the same amount back, it took us five hours to hike that trail. We spent three hours hiking up the trail, one hour eating lunch at the tea house, and one hour hiking back down.
Granted, we sped up on the way back because it was a lot easier to go down than go up the trail. With the elevation, steepness, and rocks, we were exhausted by the time we were on the top of the mountain.
Day 4 Lunch (Lake Agnes Tea House in Lake Louise, Alberta)
As I mentioned earlier, we had lunch at Lake Agnes Tea House. I got a vegetable soup with fresh bread plus peach slices and leftover gas station veggies (carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli). I liked the soup, but the bread was cold by the time I ate it. My new food storage containers worked very well at keeping the produce I packed cold.
With the weather delays and later return times with both groups, we were short on time to get to the Lake Louise Gondola. We didn't use the bus shuttle to and from Lake Louise because all of the cars were able to park at the horse place.
While my dad was figuring out the Lake Louise Gondola tickets, I stopped by Slopeside Coffee in Lake Louise Ski Resort and got a fruit cup and a vegan brownie. I was not sure how late we would have supper with the gondola ride, and I was pretty hungry after our long hike.
Unfortunately, by the time we got to the gondola line and were close to the front, the gondola closed because of a lightning sighting. One car went back to the Airbnb because of my baby niece. The rest of us went to a nearby restaurant called Bill Peyto's Cafe.
They had a few vegan choices, like a Gardein veggie burger and vegan buffalo wings. It's nice to have some vegan options because not all vegans like the same dishes. I ordered the vegetable coconut Thai curry, which was advertised as vegan and gluten-free. It had a lot of veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, pepper, bok choy, mushrooms, onion, carrot, and celery), a homemade coconut red curry sauce, basmati rice, and cilantro on top.
I personally don't like cilantro because it tastes like soap, so it was nice that they left the cilantro intact, rather than diced, to make it easier for people to remove if that was their personal preference. I liked how it wasn't that spicy like I expected. Rather, it was creamy because of the coconut milk in the curry sauce with a hit of heat from the pepper.
Vegan finds at Safeway in Canmore, Alberta
On the way home, we stopped at Safeway in Canmore for some goodies. I wanted some vegan deli sandwich ingredients for future sack lunches and found a couple of brands that I'm not that familiar with: Vitalite and Yves. Earlier in the trip, my siblings got me some Earth's Own Chocolate Almond Milk.
- I once found Vitalite dairy-free shredded mozzarella in my local Aldi. I don't shop at Aldi that much because they have a lot fewer vegan options where I'm from than Target, Hy-Vee, and Fareway (the regular places I like to purchase groceries). That mozzarella melted and tasted pretty good. I mostly had their Plant-Based Cheddar Style Slices on sandwiches, so I don't know the melting quality. However, it tasted great.
- This is the second time I recall seeing Yves in the store. I found their kale and quinoa bites in a store in Michigan in 2018. We were traveling because of my brother's master's graduation ceremony. It was pretty good. I enjoyed having it on my sandwiches. It would be nice if they had it more available in Iowa, so I can try more of their products.
- Earth's Own is a plant-based milk brand based in Canada. It is similar to Silk and Almond Breeze in the United States. It was pretty scrumptious. It had a rich taste like a milkshake. It was hard to drink it quickly because the taste is meant to be savored, in my opinion. Unfortunately, we were not at the Airbnb enough for me to finish the entire thing, so I had to discard a bit of it at the end of the trip.
After we got back to the Airbnb, I packed and prepared my sack lunch and backpack for the next day. Before heading to bed, I had some watermelon for a snack. It is a great food to keep you hydrated, but I recommend not having any water or watery foods less than two hours before bed, or else you're more likely to wake up in the middle of the night because of needing to go to the bathroom.
Lake Louise, Alberta
Town of Banff
August 6, 2024
The main highlight of this trip is Banff National Park. We headed to the town of Banff, Alberta, which was the largest town in Banff National Park.
I enjoyed having avocado toast with tomatoes for breakfast, with a side of sliced bananas, a chocolate chip Clif bar, and chocolate almond milk. A lot of the time throughout this trip, I had to eat breakfast in the dark because two of my brothers were sleeping in the living room, which was adjacent to the kitchen.
My brother still recalls me looking at him and hoping they would get up earlier, so I could eat breakfast sooner.
A while later, we headed to the town of Banff. We headed to the Banff Gondola and went on the Sulphur Mountain Boardwalk. I expected it to be longer, but it was pretty. At the gondola's coffee shop (Castle Mountain Coffee), I got a vegan dark chocolate palmier and a Naked Green Machine Smoothie. The palmier ended up being very messy, but it was worth it because it was tasty.
At one of the gift shops, I bought a Banff fleece sweatshirt, and it was the perfect outerwear for a 40-50°F day.
After we rode down the Banff Gondola, we ate at Banff Ave Brewing Company, which I found on HappyCow. I got the buffalo cauliflower wings dipped in mango chipotle sauce with a side of fries and a few celery sticks. It was a nice combo of flavors. I did expect it to be spicier. My family enjoyed the regular burgers.
Cauliflower wings are overrated. This is a general comment, not about the restaurant itself. When I think of plant-based wings, I expect them to taste more like a vegan version of chicken. Instead, they taste like fried veggies because cauliflower wings are a type of fried veggie dish. They are still good, but I wish more wings are made with portobello mushrooms or unripe jackfruit, as they would have tasted better and more like chicken, but made vegan.
After we ate, we spent some time shopping at the local gift shops and then headed to the Cave and Basin National Historic Site. I ended up buying the card game Taco Puck Maple Syrup Canoe from one of the stores, which is a Canadian version of Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza. If you enjoy either of those games, I really enjoyed playing another variation of the same game called Moose Match Mayhem that I found at Target shortly before our vacation.
The Cave and Basin National Historic Site looked small on the inside, but it was so gorgeous. The outside part had a pretty trail. We ended up eating a sack lunch there. I ate a vegan deli turkey and cheese sandwich and a salad (just plain spinach).
On the way back, my family was still a bit hungry, so we "had" to stop at Dairy Queen for some ice cream. I got a vegan Dilly Bar, which was a nice treat.
Pro Tip
When you order a vegan Dilly Bar, make sure you ask for the Non-Dairy Dilly Bar, not the vegan one. Most of the time, they have no idea what you are talking about if you request one.
We watched the movie Firestarter on Netflix. Since the internet wasn't that great at the Airbnb, the movie frequently froze, which made the moviegoing experience a little inconvenient. Overall, the movie was good, but a lot of the scenes didn't completely make sense to me.
Town of Banff, Alberta
Lake Minnewanka
August 7, 2024
We went on a cruise around Lake Minnewanka. It was one of the optional choices in our Banff trip package, and I recommended going there because of the breathtaking views, which was a great decision.
Before heading out, I tried to have breakfast because I was the first one awake quietly. It's hard to do that when everything in the kitchen is loud to open. I had avocado toast with sliced tomatoes, a chocolate brownie Clif bar, watermelon, and banana slices. It was a very filling meal.
I tend to have a decent-sized breakfast because it keeps me full until lunchtime. I can't imagine not having breakfast in the morning because I get super hungry if I wait to eat until after 7:00am, let alone lunchtime.
One of the frustrations I tend to have with being on a family vacation is how late we leave for the day. If I were in charge, everyone would be prepared to go by 7:00am and start waking up around 5:00am. The reality is that it's 9:30 or 10:00am, a decent chunk of the time, before we leave, which messes up lunchtime being at 11:00am because we either eat right away or wait longer to eat because we went later in the morning.
Fortunately, my dad was more of a morning person, so we ended up going to places in the morning with my mom and my sister-in-law's parents. Not everyone went, except my dad, who was the driver. On this day in particular, some of us drove around in Canmore. We ended up stopping at JK Bakery because my dad was getting hungry.
I tried a candamom cookie for the first time, which was their only vegan cookie option, and it was a bit of an acquired taste. My sister-in-law and her parents are used to having candamom cookies. It grew on me while eating the cookie, but it would have been a lot better with a plant-based milk, like the chocolate almond milk that was at the Airbnb.
Day 6 Lunch: Sack Lunch (Lake Minnewanka, Alberta)
We left the Airbnb around lunchtime to go on our Lake Minnewanka Cruise. We all had a sack lunch right before the boat ride.
Since my car arrived at the Airbnb last, some of my family members tried to buy food for me with the grocery list I provided in our travel itinerary Google Doc. I was impressed that they did buy vegan versions of the food I wanted, but they accidentally got a Daiya cheddar cheese block instead of vegan cheese slices. I cubed some of it into my sack lunches, but I ended up discarding some of it because it was way too much dairy-free cheese to eat by myself in one week.
I took some vegan cheese cubes and added some pistachios and cherry tomatoes. I also had a vegan deli sandwich and peach slices for lunch that day.
That cruise was beautiful, but I recommend staying inside the boat most of the time because it was cold. If not, bring more layers than you think you will need. Afterwards, we drove around Lake Minnewanka and stopped to take some family photos and look at the scenery.
On the way home, we got some to-go pizza from Boston Pizza in Canmore. I got a personal pizza with vegan cheese, pineapple, mushrooms, and tomato slices. It was pretty decent. That was a variation of my regular custom pizza at Pizza Ranch: one small cheeseless pizza with broccoli, pineapple, and tomato slices. I also ate some watermelon, a plain spinach salad, and chocolate almond milk with my pizza.
I am a lot closer to my parents than my siblings, since I live close to them, and it showed with this trip. Three of my siblings live near each other in the same city metropolitan, two of them are in the same city, and one of them lives with their spouse and child in another city. They all seemed to do their things together, and I felt excluded sometimes.
That night, I asked if anyone wanted to hang out in the hot tub, but no one was interested because they went for a walk. Then, after I got a towel before I went to bed for the next morning's shower, a few of them were hanging out in the hot tub without me.
Many travel blogs and family and friend vacation social media updates have the mirage that their vacations went perfectly, and there were no bumps on the road. The truth is that's far from the truth, and I'm tired of people only highlighting all of the good parts of their trips. I want to hear about what went wrong to learn from other people's experiences and to see if I can prevent that from happening on my future trips to those places.
On this trip alone, nearby Jasper National Park was on fire, half of us got sick with a cold, several of us had canceled flights, and I didn't really connect with my family, which was one of the main reasons we were on a family vacation. Even though that wasn't what my parents' 2024 family Christmas card and 2025 calendar reflect, that was what happened on our vacation to Banff in August 2024.
What I'm trying to say is don't worry about having the perfect trip to Banff. It's not going to happen, no matter how much preparation happens, so learn to go with the flow. I'm far from perfect, but I'm happy to admit that I'm learning how to do it as I go. Hopefully, you will too.
Lake Minnewanka and Canadian Rockies, Alberta
Lake Louise Gondola
August 8, 2024
3 days ago, we were supposed to be on the Lake Louise Gondola, but that was postponed because of a lightning sighting. We ended riding the gondola, and it was worth the wait.
Unfortunately, I was not feeling that well for the rest of the trip. I started getting a cold. I was having a lot more asthma symptoms than usual with the higher elevation and having a cold. It was so bad that I couldn't go up one steep path without getting an asthma attack.
The next time I travel to any mountains, I need to take a couple of puffs of my Albuterol inhaler before going on very elevated hikes, and I need to be better prepared for the altitude before going there by training for altitude hiking months in advance.
Pro Tip
An excellent place for sunrise pictures is Johnson Lake. It's not only an awesome angle for sunrises, but it is also a great place to view wildlife, especially elk. That morning, before most of my family started waking up, we headed to Johnson Lake, which we had been to previously, on our way back from Lake Minnewanka.
Two elk were super close to us. One of them was 10 feet away from us, and our natural tendency was to hide behind the signs that were shorter than them. That wasn't the most brilliant idea, but I wouldn't have gotten this picture without making the silly decision to stay put. I thought it would be better not to make any sudden movements. My dad was excited for the great pictures for his morning text and wasn't as concerned as I was about our proximity to a creature with huge antlers and significantly faster speed.
Everything ended up being fine, but situations like that are one of the reasons why people get hurt in natural parks. Please keep your distance from the creatures that inhabit it. You're on their terf, not vice versa.
After our sunrise and elk pictures, we had breakfast at the Airbnb. I had some avocado toast with halved cherry tomatoes, banana slices, Nature's Path Love Crunch Dark Chocolate and Red Berries Granola, and chocolate almond milk.
After everyone got ready for the day, we headed to Lake Louise Ski Lodge. We ate at their Lodge of Ten Peaks Cafeteria before riding the gondola. I got their Impossible burger without onion or vegan mayo (veggie patty, lettuce, and tomato on a toasted potato scallion bun) with a side of veggies and hummus.
It was pretty tasty. That was my first time trying a potato scallion bun, so it was an interesting burger experience. I wasn't a fan of the hummus because I prefer thicker hummus over creamy. The fresh veggies had a lot of variety. My main comment was that they shouldn't have added tomatoes to the mix. Tomatoes aren't meant to be in the fridge, and it showed by not tasting good. The rest of them were tasty, though.
Before the gondola ride, I bought an orange Lake Louise winter hat from the gift shop. If you're heading up a gondola, it is still chilly even in the summer. I was grateful I wore one because I would have been super cold without one.
After seeing some bears, having issues with the elevation, and trying to enjoy the scenery despite not feeling well, we headed back down the gondola. Since we weren't sure when we were going to have supper, I got one more vegan brownie and some popcorn.
We stopped on the way home for some family pictures, like at Vermillion Lakes Wetlands, Mount Rundle (only the beginning), and Bow Valley. I'm not much of a picture person besides taking images of my travels, food, and cats. That is one positive to not sharing any family photos on here. My family doesn't want me to mention their names or have them in any photos on my blog. That is fine, but that gives me the excuse not to share these photos here.
When my siblings and I were kids, my parents had custom shirts made for our vacation, like a map with our route from Iowa to San Diego, as well as matching outfits. Nowadays, we wear matching outfits, which is a little better, but it is obvious that we are all traveling together when we are in a crowd.
On the way home, my family bought some chicken wings from a local restaurant. Since wings aren't vegan because they contain chicken, I decided to try a place I haven't tried before called Panago in Canmore, which is a Canadian pizza chain. I got the plant-based cheesy bread with an Italian tomato dip, which was delicious. They reminded me of Toppers' vegan cheesy bread. I also had some watermelon, celery and carrot sticks, and chocolate almond milk.
Our main evening family activity, which we did a couple of nights at the Airbnb, was a very nerdy game called PowerPoint Karaoke, where people present their presentation or someone else's. Despite being valedictorian in high school and summa cum laude in college, I hardly put much effort into it.
My logic was that I wanted to prioritize looking at the scenery and blogging on my way to Banff over making a presentation. I found a premade template on Canva on fun facts and edited it from there. One of my sisters did that presentation and did an okay job presenting it.
I ended up presenting my youngest brother's slideshow. I was the wrong person to present it because I sped through it while being sick, and I didn't understand all of the jokes and sarcasm due to my autism. At least I got through the entire presentation without choking up, so I call that a win.
Lake Louise Gondola and nearby sites
Kananaskis
August 9, 2024
Some of my siblings wanted to go whitewater rafting, so I convinced our parents to book the easy and fun whitewater rafting course with Chinook Rafting in Kananaskis, which was about 25 minutes away from our Airbnb. Some of my siblings got upset with me because they wanted to do something more challenging.
My perspective was that most of us hardly knew how to swim beyond the basics. Those who had enough swimming skills to swim back and forth in a swimming pool wouldn't do well treading water in the deep end of the pool, let alone a river with a decent current.
They were happy that we booked the easy course because the other areas were reserved because Netflix was using them for one of their TV series or movies.
Early in the morning, my mom and my sister-in-law's parents were impressed with the elk that my dad and I had found the day before, so they ventured with us for sunrise pictures. We saw some elk and ravens and got some great sunrise pictures.
For breakfast, since I ran out of avocado, I had some plain toast, tomatoes, banana slices, watermelon, a chocolate brownie Clif bar, Nature's Path Love Crunch Dark Chocolate and Red Berries Granola, and chocolate almond milk. I got the pleasure of eating breakfast with my infant niece, which was nice, but I can't say that to my brother's face or else he'll think I'm a softy.
After everyone was ready for the day, we did a short hike around Mount John Laurie, also known as Îyâ Mnathka and Yamnuska. Note, we hardly did a lot of the trail. I had to turn around because I had a hard time breathing with my cold, elevation, and asthma.
After everyone was finished hiking, we had a sack lunch at the picnic tables by the parking lot. I had some Silk chocolate almond milk, a vegan deli turkey and cheese sandwich, cucumber slices, a Honecrisp apple, and Lay's Classic Potato Chips.
After lunch, we drove to the whitewater rafting place and got there an hour early. That gave us plenty of time to explore the woods and the Kananaskis River. We had a great time on the whitewater rafting. It was also a kayaking and canoeing course that people trained on for the Olympics. It was cool to see people speed through their courses while whitewater rafting.
After we returned from whitewater rafting, we ordered some food from a couple of places, and my dad picked it up. I decided to go with OPA! of Greece, aka the largest Mediterranean franchise in Canada. I got falafel snack bites, Greek roasted potatoes (made with olive oil), lettuce, watermelon, cucumber slices, and chocolate almond milk. I found it tasty.
After supper, I volunteered to help get the last remaining groceries that we needed from Safeway in Canmore. I convinced them to buy some popcorn, and I have some of it for an evening snack. Afterward, we had our final night of our PowerPoint Karaoke. Then, I went to bed shortly after that.
Johnson Lake and Kananaskis River
Athabasca Glacier
August 10, 2024
Funny story, we attempted to get tickets to the Athabasca Glacier, but they closed it down temporarily because of the fires in nearby Jasper National Park. Fortunately, my dad noticed the neighboring Airbnb family heading out early during sunrise pictures. They told him that they were heading to the Athabasca Glacier because the road to the glacier had just opened. My parents bought tickets, so off we went to the Athabasca Glacier.
That morning, my parents told me to try to rest in bed instead of going out for sunrise pictures. Did I do that, you might ask? Nope, I was wide awake and unsuccessfully trying to write my blog, but the poor internet and I had a bit of a disagreement. It was not a productive writing session. That's all I have to say about that.
After I got permission to eat breakfast, aka my brothers woke up from their slumber, I made a yummy breakfast of plain toast, sliced peaches and bananas, a peeled Mandarin orange, one chocolate chip Clif bar, and chocolate almond milk.
After we were ready to go, off we drove on Icefields Parkway (Highway 93 North). One problem we ran into is that we ended up separating. The road diverged, and we didn't notice that in time. Even though we got diverted, our car still made it to the Athabasca Glacier first.
On the way there, some of us ate sack lunches in the car. I was concerned that we would not make it to our 12:00pm ride, so I ate in the car just in case. I had a vegan deli turkey and cheese sandwich with sliced cucumber and a Mandarin orange.
We arrived on time for our 12:00pm tickets, but the other cars were running late. We rescheduled our time to 2:30pm instead. While we waited, we walked around the visitor center and outside the center. We walked on pathways on piles of rock called moraines, also known as rock and debris formations from the retreating glaciers.
Some Banff packing lists recommend bringing snow pants and a winter coat to see the Athabasca Glacier. A couple of light long-sleeved layers are enough in the summertime, and I am even oversensitive to the cold. I had a fleece sweatshirt over an SPF 50 hoodie, and that worked great.
The Ice Explorer buses were cool. They're super rare, and most of them reside at the Columbia Icefield for tourists to get closer to the glacier. It's debatable if people should go onto the glacier, mainly because it's receding.
At the end of the day, this tour is an educational experience that hopefully inspires current and future environmentalists, conservationalists, and other professionals to find ways to preserve the Athabasca Glacier and other great wonders of the world.
Day 9 Supper (Columbia Icefield Chalet in Columbia Icefield, Alberta)
After we headed back from the Columbia Icefield Adventure and Skywalk, some of us ate supper at the cafeteria before we headed back towards the Airbnb. I got vegan "chicken fingers" (actually nuggets), fries, and a vegan banana muffin. They were pretty good.
On the way home, we made some pit stops in the Icefields Parkway. We stopped at Saskatchewan River Crossing Gas Station in the middle of our drive, and I found a decent amount of vegan flavored nuts and chapsticks. We didn't make many stops, and it took us almost 4 hours to do this. After we got back to the Airbnb, we packed our breakfasts for the early morning departure and then went to bed.
Pro Tip
I encourage you to break your vacation up into multiple mini-trips, instead of staying at the same lodging. Yes, it is a little less convenient to split the trip up into different places, but it would be worthwhile. Then, you can break up your journey on the Icefields Parkway throughout your trip, instead of trying to rush the sightseeing because of a long car ride ahead.
Below are some suggestions on some places you can visit.
- 2-4 days at Jasper National Park, Alberta
- 1-2 days at Columbia Icefield, Alberta
- 2-4 days at Banff National Park, Alberta
- 1-3 days in Calgary, Alberta
- Nearby Canadian parks: Kootenay, Yoho, Hamber, Purcell, Kokanee, Kianuko, Goat Range, Waterton Lakes, and Glacier (Canada)
- Nearby American parks and forests: Glacier (USA), Colville, Idaho Panhandle, Kaniksu, Flathead, Saint Joe, and Lolo
Athabasca Glacier, Columbia Icefield, Alberta
Calgary
August 11, 2024
In 2001, thousands died in 9/11, but a decent number of people were spared for various reasons, from taking their kids to school to changing their outfit due to having a coffee stain on it.
I'm not fully aware of the repercussions because of the numerous flight delays and cancellations from WestJet across Canada on August 11, 2024. Still, hopefully, they were for the better and not for the worse. For example, my sister missed her first day of work on Monday, August 12, because her connecting flight in Toronto was canceled, but maybe in another timeline, she would have died in a car accident on her way home if her flight had been on time on Sunday, August 11.
That particular day, 6 of us, including me, did not make it home as planned because we were stuck in Canada due to flight delays and cancellations.
Day 10 Breakfast (Airbnb in Canmore, Alberta)
We woke up pretty early for our flights. I had to throw away the remainder of my chocolate almond milk after breakfast because I didn't finish it during the trip. I also had a chocolate brownie Clif bar, a Mandarin orange, toast, and a banana for breakfast that morning.
Our car started loading the cars around 6:30am and left shortly after that to attend the 8:00am Mass at Ascension Catholic Church in Calgary. We originally planned on going to a Saturday evening Mass, but our Athabasca Glacier tour was done after the local Saturday night Masses were over.
By the time we got to the airport, we realized that our flight was delayed. I ended up flying on the same flight as 2 of my siblings and one of their significant others. It was nice that I did not have to navigate the process myself. We ended up wasting 4 hours at the airport because of the delay, as we arrived around 9:00am and left shortly after 1:00pm.
The problem was that our first flight from Calgary to Manitoba was delayed so much that we missed our connecting flight from Manitoba to Minneapolis. We spent most of that time navigating from one desk to another, seeking help with our flight issue. Eventually, a Delta personnel was a huge lifesaver because they gave us 4 free flights from Calgary to Minneapolis, which was a huge blessing for us.
Day 10 Bought some snacks to hold me over and ate my final sandwich
Foodwise, I did not go hungry. I ate my last vegan turkey and cheese sandwich that I had frozen the night before. I found a decent amount of nuts and MadeGood granola at one of the gift shops. I ended up buying some cashews, MadeGood chocolate banana granola minis, and Lay's chips. I didn't purposely get 3 different yellow bags of snacks, but I ate my sandwich and granola while we waited.
After what seemed like an infinite wait (actually 4 hours), we got our new plane tickets and a rental car for the day. We ended up eating at Railyard Brewing right by the airport because my family hadn't eaten yet. I just had some pretzel bites made with a vegetable-based oil. It was pretty good.
That afternoon, we attended the annual Marda Gras Street Festival in the Marda Loop, Calgary. Honestly, I was a bit peopled out by the time I got there, so I was not up for standing in a crowded place checking out street vendors. I only bought a water bottle, and I wasn't paying attention to the vegan options there because I wasn't in the best mood. My brother and his significant other got a few trinkets.
Shortly before we left Marda Loop, we stopped at the local pharmacy called Shoppers Drug Mart. I bought a hairbrush, deodorant, chapstick, and a toothbrush because I let my parents bring my checked bag home in their car, instead of bringing it with me. I did bring a spare change of clothes in case there were flight issues.
While we were there, I was surprised by all of the dairy alternative milk that was there, which was neat. We checked into the Coast Calgary Downtown Hotel and Suites before checking out Downtown Calgary for ourselves.
Day 11 Supper (Happy Veggie House, 100% vegan Chinese restaurant in Calgary)
Each of us picked a restaurant in Calgary's Chinatown. Being vegan, the instinct was to pick a vegan-friendly restaurant, but fortunately, I found a completely vegan restaurant called Happy Veggie House. I was overwhelmed by all of the choices, so they asked if I wanted vegetarian meat with veggies. I told them yes, and it was good.
Note that many of their menu items are labeled vegetarian, but everything is vegan, not just vegetarian.
Day 11 Snack (Moo's Country Ice Cream in Calgary, Alberta)
That evening, we walked around Rotary Park in Calgary. Some highlights from our outdoor walking adventure include, but are not limited to: seeing actors performing a scene in a movie, walking past homeless camps, watching the sun set, encountering black squirrels, and eating treats in the park. I ended up getting a chocolate-covered banana from Moo's Country Ice Cream.
After we got back to the hotel, we watched part of Saving Private Ryan before going to bed.
Calgary, Alberta
The Flight Home
August 12, 2024
This day was an unexpected addition to our trip. I was supposed to go back to work, and honestly, I wasn't that excited to do so.
A lot of changes were in the works at my current place of employment, so many that I seriously thought I wouldn't be able to go at the last minute. That would have been a shame because that was the only vacation time I got all year. Luckily, I was still able to go on this trip with my family, which was a huge blessing.
Since the hotel didn't have a complimentary breakfast, I decided to be the nice sister because I bought my family members some fruit from the hotel lobby. We all had our remaining Clif bars plus some snacks and fruit for breakfast. I had a chocolate brownie Clif bar, some cashews, a banana, and an apple.
We checked out of the hotel at the last minute because some of my family had some work meetings to attend virtually. At least that allowed the rest of us to watch the rest of Saving Private Ryan while having some of my Lay's chips that I purchased at the airport during our first attempt to leave Canada.
Day 12 Lunch (Calgary Airport in Calgary, Alberta)
We eventually made our way to the airport for our afternoon flight. I ordered a #6 veggie stir-fry with lemongrass sauce from Thai Express. I also grabbed some fruits and veggies from one of the fancy schmancy airport lounges that my brother was a part of because of his credit card perks for a limited time.
Fortunately, my family and I flew back to Minneapolis okay. I ended up having the last apple and some airplane almonds as a snack on the way home. They were pretty good.
Before my brother and I headed out of town, the four of us ate at my other brother's place with his significant other. I got some vegan chili with a side of potato chips, a vegan brownie, and a Naked Green Machine juice from Peoples Organic in the airport. Everyone else got some subs at the airport.
After a gas station stop at Pilot, my brother dropped me off at my place shortly before midnight. Then, he headed over 1 ½ hours to his place and got home around 1:30am. I let my cat sitters release my cats upstairs before I knew I would be delayed a day with the plane delay.
Usually, my cats know my schedule every day and come and wait at the window when I'm about to go home. When everyone's waiting at the window, I'm either running late or in trouble. In this case, I was running late, and they were super thrilled to see me.
Final Thoughts on Banff
Banff is a beautiful place to vacation by yourself, as well as with family and friends. I highly encourage you to give this place a try for your next vacation, whether you are vegan or not. If you are plant-based, vegetarian, or vegan, there are a lot of vegan-friendly restaurants that you can try, from Panago to Bill Peyto's Cafe.
I will come back again sometime in the winter because there are a lot of things to do then, from snowshoeing to skiing. Plus, I need an excuse to take a ski vacation sometime.
Now, you’re ready to leave nothing behind. Banff is yours to explore, vegan style. Good luck on your next veganventure!
More Vegan Travel Guides
Megan McFadden
Megan McFadden
Megan McFadden
More Newsletters
Megan McFadden
Megan McFadden
Megan McFadden
Megan McFadden
Megan McFadden
Megan McFadden
Megan McFadden
Megan McFadden