Wegan Travels Alberta, Canada: A Guide To The Mountains (Canmore & Banff)

LGBT Travel Blog: Wegan Travel Guide To Alberta, Canmore and Banff

For our Valentines 2019, we decided to do something different and headed out to snowy Alberta, Canada. We had the most wonderful time and will be bringing you a couple of travel guides: 'What to do in the Mountains' and 'What to do in the Cities'.

This trip is in partnership with Travel Alberta, and we were lucky to have a wonderful guide / driver/ amazing guy called Daniel with us.

A Guide To The Mountains (Canmore & Banff )

This was our first time escaping to the mountains for a few days and we can't even begin to tell you (so we are going to show you!) how incredible it was. It was truly the most picturesque setting we've ever seen and we kept saying how it literally looks like the scene of a Hallmark movie around the holidays. We were fortunate enough to travel to Banff, Canmore and Jasper. We got up to so many amazing activities such as dog sledding and skiing. We ate some of the most amazing local food, stayed in some spectacular hotels and even celebrated Valentine's Day in a cozy cabin. Keep on reading to see what we got up to and our recommendations for Canmore and Banff (along with lots of photo's). Stay tuned for our Jasper Guide.

C A N M O R E

Our first stop was the adorable town of Canmore, in Alberta's Rocky mountain's, west of Calgary.

Where to Brunch:

Communitea:

We departed Calgary (more about that in one of our next posts) and arrived at a very cool cafe for brunch called Communitea before we headed up into the Rocky Mountains to go Dog Sledding. The decor was stylish and inviting with a laid back feel and friendly staff.

They specialize in an array of delicious teas, hence the name! We opted for coffee, because we can't function without it.

Their vegetarian breakfast bowl was out of this world!

If you love breakfast wraps, then this vegan breakfast wrap (with scrambled tofu) will knock your socks off!

If you're a pescetarian like Whitney, then this lox bagel sandwich was incredible with a homemade dill cream cheese!

What to do:

Have a stroll around the scenic town

As this town is so beautiful, having a nice crips walk around the town is a must. We walked along the frozen lake and made a circle around the town, stopping by local shops. We bought an adorable mountain decor for our bedroom from Alberta's Own Marketplace.

Warning: prepare for many gorgeous photos, we just couldn't stop snapping away on our camera.

Dog Sledding with Snowy Owl Sled Dog Tours:

This was a real bucket list moment for both of us and the experience was literally amazing thanks to Snowy Owl Sled Dog Tours. The scenery was unreal as we were nestled up high in the Rocky Mountains. If you have visions of just sitting there as the scenery passes you by, then think again. This is very hands on as you will help guide your sled!

We had a guide (called, Meg) on our sled and Whitney & the guide steered the sled whilst Megan sat in the sled, obviously (to take photo's and film, I mean, someone has to do it!) It was also so cool to see how well the dogs work in harmony and together in order to guide the sled. We also went across a frozen river and took a small break on the lake to take in the scenery and give the dogs a rest. Megan didn't even realize we were standing on frozen water.

Funny story: at the beginning of our sledding journey, Whitney and Meg were running the sled up a hill and Whitney wasn't used to the altitude and nearly passed out, meanwhile holding up every sled behind us (we were the first one). Embarrassing much. She then squeezed in the sled with Megan whilst Meg took full control. It wasn't until we reached the river, Whitney was okay to hop back on and guide with Meg, ha!

Incase you're wondering if dog sledding is ethical: Snowy Owl put the welfare of their dogs first and are strong advocates for the humane and ethical treatment of sled dogs. They are also proud supporters of the Canadian Coalition for Sled Dogs- a non-profit organization dedicated to improving sled dog welfare across Canada!

Mush! Mush! Let's Go!

After a quick pit stop on a frozen lake, we're ready to go again! (The dogs couldn't wait!)

Our journey has come to an end, so it's time to say thank you and goodbye to the doggies, and head over to the fire pit for some hot apple cider.

Time to hit the road for our next adventure...

B A N F F

Our second stop was the picturesque town of Banff, located within the National Park.

What To Do:

Just like Canmore, Banff is incredibly scenic with so many local restaurants, craft breweries, coffee shops, you name it, if it's local, they've got it. We loved it. We recommend a scenic walk around Banff as it will not disappoint, especially with back drops of the Rockies every which way you turn. They still had lights up and it definitely felt like you had stepped into a winter paradise.

Ski at Sunshine Village:

Both of us had never skied before, so we were very excited (and a tad nervous) for our first ever skiing lesson. First thing to note - just walking in ski boots should be a sport in itself, especially going down stairs, haha! As soon as we got to Sunshine Village Ski Resort in Banff, we were excited to get started and even the views from the gondola were amazing as we headed to over 7000 feet elevation. Thank you to SkiBig3 for our experience.

We had a lovely instructor Tom, from England, who was very patient with this being our first try. As Megan has a disability to her left hand, she only had one ski pole (but they were to help us get around mainly). Whitney took to the snow like a pro, whereas Megan fell.. not once.. but FOUR times. Luckily, it was more screams and laughs than anything hurting as the snow cushions your fall. Yes, it was captured on camera and yes you'll get to see it in our vlogs, haha!

After a couple of hours of skiing, it was time for a break and we definitely had worked up an appetite to eat at their Chimney Corner Lounge.

But first - hot maple apple cider to warm us up.

There were great veggie options to refuel us. Megan had their vegetarian beyond meat burger and Whitney had their roasted beet sandwich (bit like a reuben). Both very tasty!

Back down we go!

Banff Gondola:

Thanks to Pursuit, we took a ride up Banff Gondola. There was heavy snow so apparently we couldn't see the view you normally get, but we were still blown away by the stunning scenery from their observation desk!

Daniel - the man himself! Helping us get everywhere, and even heating up the car for us. How will we survive without him?!

Where to Eat:

Coffee / Bite To Eat

We grabbed a coffee and delicious banana cake for breakfast from White Bark Cafe before we headed to go skiing.

The Bison:

For our first night, we dined at The Bison where they were serving up some delicious regional eats and local craft beers and wines. The ambiance was amazing, with such a cozy and mountain chic vibes and views. Even with a name like 'The Bison' they still excellently catered to vegetarians.

Their farm to table approach means that their menu changes often, but if you can then you must try their squash fritti (pictured below) that has mint, toasted walnuts, honey and ricotta.

This tomato pappardelle pasta was so simple but oh so fresh and tasty!

The Beat Street Tavern:

We were craving pizza one night and luckily Banff answered our pizza dreams with The Bear Street Tavern. Yes, it really is located on a street next to Bear Street, and next door to The Bison.

Again we tried some more tasty local beers but the best part about this dinner was the accompaniment to the pizza - chilli oil and rosemary that you mix with honey. It may sound strange but it was DIVINE and we're obsessed!