The Appeal of Banff

 

I've been to Banff four times this year. It's beginning to feel like I live there. But why do I keep going back? What exactly is the appeal of Banff? Well, I think it starts with the location. The town is situated on the most easterly side of the Rocky Mountains in Canada. In fact it only takes about half an hour to get to Banff once you enter the Rocky Mountains, and it's about an hour from Calgary. So I guess it's pretty convenient, but I live in Edmonton. So why would I go to Banff instead of Jasper?

They both have great hiking, and they both have great skiing. There's no question that both of these places are great if you love being outdoors. But I think when it comes down to it and you want to retreat back to the townsite, that's when you begin to notice some subtle differences. For example the fine dining experience is much broader in Banff. It has many more restaurants and Jasper and the quality of the restaurants seem to be a little bit higher as well. The other great thing it has of course is the shopping. Now I am no big shopper, but my fiancé does like to shop when we go, therefore it becomes a priority for me as well. The shopping in Jasper does not compare to what you can find in Banff.

It's also common that I find people believe the Jasper is closer to Edmonton than Banff is. Technically, this is true. Jasper is 376 km from Edmonton. Banff is 412 km. And what does that equate to in time? Well, according to a popular mapping service it turns out to be a difference of about nine minutes. I think I can drive another nine minutes.

Inevitably, if someone actually reads this, I will get flak from the Jasper fans. And by no means am I knocking Jasper in any way. I do think it's a great place to visit and Jasper national Park is a beautiful and amazing piece of Canada. But there must be some reason why Jasper National Park gets 1.8 million annual visitors, and Banff gets about double.

Since I seem to like Banff so much, here's some things to do:

Hike up to the Lake Agnes Tea House

Take a Bout Tour at Lake Minnewanka

Enjoy some brews and some live tunes at Wild Bill's Saloon

Dance the night away at the Dancing Sasquatch