Category Archives: Alberta
Jasper, AB (Canada)
Jasper is one of my ‘soul’ towns. Actually, any place in the mountains will remain in my mind as a place of peace, comfort, happiness and simplicity. Although I haven’t been to Banff and I can’t compare (some people say Banff is way more developed), Jasper is still very much a tourist town with lots of restaurants, souvenir shops and tourist attractions.
The town of Jasper is located inside of the National Park bearing the same name, which means that we had to pay a fee for entering and staying overnight ($9.80 per adult, per day). From the BC entry point, we still about 45 min. drive to the town itself, just to give you an idea of how big the park actually is.
On the way to Jasper, we saw cars pulled over, which usually means that people have spotted an animal. We stopped too, and immediately spotted an elk that was happily eating by the side of the road. I immediately wanted to get out of the car to take better photos, but my better half quickly pointed out the potentially dangerous situation I could get myself into. I wasn’t too happy but I knew he was right. Later on, on our way up the mountain by cable car, I overheard a woman saying that she and her husband had a similar incident, where he wanted to get out of the car to take photos of a wolf…haha.
Once we got into town, we spotted the Information Centre, right across from the train station. it’s a really cute building where on one side they have information agents, and the other a souvenir shop. In the hallway, they have a small display of stuffed wild animals.
Afterwards, we checked into our hotel. The hotels/ inns in Jasper are overpriced, although it is expected for a tourist town. Rates per night begin at around $180, so staying a few nights can really put a dent in your wallet. We were a bit worried that it was located at the north end of the town, but getting around ended up being really easy, either by walking or driving (you will always find a parking space).
The restaurants are decently priced compared to Toronto prices. We mostly did our own grocery shopping and ate in our room, except for one night when we tried a Greek restaurant close to the train station, called L&W. The food was really good, and they offered a variety of meal options, not just Greek food. the town offers a variety of other restaurant options, including steakhouses, Japanese, Italian and pub food. Since Alberta is ‘steak’ country, I would suggest you try the steak wherever you go in town.
Anyone who has spent some time in the mountains knows that the weather can be fairly unpredictable. One of the days we were there it was raining on and off. There were periods of time where the clouds were so low that you could barely see the mountains anymore.
During one of the clear periods, we took a chance and embarked on the Tram (cable car) which takes you up the mountain to the Whistlers ($30.95 per adult). The view from up there was spectacular! There is a souvenir shop and a little café at the top where you can sit down and enjoy the view -although be warned that the whole place shakes as the cable cars come and go.
Even though it was the beginning of June, it was snowing up there. Take this as a word of caution to take a jacket when you decide to go up that high, regardless of the time of year.
Next we decided to go to the Hot (Thermal) Springs. this is perhaps one of the best activities to do when it is raining. If you’re going to get wet being outside, might as well make the best of it. We drove about 45 min. to get there from Jasper. Follow the highway towards Edmonton for about 20 min. and then the rest of the way you are climbing up the mountain on a narrow road.
For us, getting there was quite the adventure. The rain and melting snow was coming down quickly off the mountains, and we got to certain parts of the road that were starting to flood and others where stones were falling on the road from the side of the mountain. The whole time I was thinking ‘ well at the least the end point will make this all worth it’. Well, no luck for us! When we got there, the Springs were closed because the power had shut down.
So we made our way back into town, rushing through the mountain passes hoping that rocks would not fall on our car. We decided to visit the Fairmont hotel’s grounds (Fairmont Park Lodge). It is not located in town, but about 10 minutes away by car. It’s quite far to walk into town, although I saw some people biking there from the hotel. The layout of the grounds is quite interesting. Aside from the main building, there are little cottages scattered throughout the resort. They are a little rustic, although most people find this to be a charming factor. Guests have access to boats, bikes, horseback riding, swimming pool, golfing and more (extra cost of course).
The lake behind the hotel is just breathtaking when the sun shines. Since the bottom is rocky and there is no sand, the water is clear, albeit very cold as well since it comes straight from the mountain.I could go on and on, about the things to see and do in Jasper.
We also went to the Pyramid and Patricia Lakes which are close to town and where you can take some really beautiful photos while walking along the lake with the mountains in the background.
We also saw the Athabasca Falls, a short trip from Jasper where we spent about an hour. Although the Falls are not necessarily impressive if we were to judge it by the height of its fall, the power of the rushing water squeezing through a narrow gorge does the trick. Several walls and potholes were created for years by the sheer force of the water. Really interesting.
Overall, Jasper was a really nice, calm place to visit. If you have a bit more time than we had (we only stayed 3 days), I recommend that you do the drive between Jasper and Banff for some of the most amazing views. There are also several places where you can stop and enjoy the scenery so plan on driving for more than the 4 hours that Google gives you.
Next time, we also plan on doing the Glacier Adventure. Located 60 min. south of Jasper on the way to Banff, the Columbia Icefield Centre offers tours that take you up all the way up the mountain, offering adventures like us a chance to walk on a real glacier 🙂
Gallery: https://cris2travel.wordpress.com/canada/alberta/jasper/
Edmonton, AB (Canada)
My partner and I traveled to Edmonton at the beginning of June 2012. Although he had to go for a business trip, I tagged along for the fun of it. Edmonton was our first stop before doing a stop-over in Grande Prairie AB, Prince George BC, and then spending 3 days in Jasper, surrounded by the Rocky Mountains (see our adventures in Jasper here).
When I tell people that I went to Edmonton, they look at me and say ‘why?’ with a raised eyebrow. Indeed, Edmonton is perhaps not worth visiting for more than 2 days, but it does have its own charm. The North Saskatchewan River passes right through the downtown core, proving spectacular views especially when crossing the bridges high above the valley.
Edmonton also houses North America’s (some say the world’s) biggest mall – West Edmonton Mall – which has lots of shopping, rock climbing, an amusement park for all ages, a water park, a shooting range, an ice skating rink, mini-golfing, and more! One of my favourite spots was the mini-lake and pirate boat, where you can from time to time catch a sealion show 🙂 Close to the sealion aquarium, there is an area with bumper boats for kids; it’s always fun to watch them get upset that someone bumped into them and squirted them with water.
One of the days, I went to see the Legislative Building (yes, Edmonton is Alberta’s capital city). It is definitely worth visiting and taking a one hour free tour of the building. The guide explains to you not only the history of the building, but also of the city and province, and provides all sorts of funny and interesting anecdotes. The edifice was built between 1907 and 1912 in a ‘beaux arts’ style. The two massive marble pillars that form the beginning of the main stairs weigh 16 tonnes each (2000 tonnes of marble in the building).
There is also a beautiful fountain in the main lobby which lights up. You will notice that the fountain is not really loud when you reach the higher floor. Once you get to the 4th floor however, make sure to go to a spot which the guide will point you to. In that place only, you will be able to hear the fountain like it was right beside you!
Although I haven’t visited any of the museums, there are a few that were recommended to me including the Royal Alberta Museum (natural and human history), Art Gallery of Alberta (original exhibitions of contemporary and historical art from Alberta, Canada and around the world) and the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village (open-air museum a bit outside of Edmonton depicting the history of Ukrainian immigrants who settled in east central Alberta between 1892-1930. Over thirty historic structures have been relocated to the museum, restored and furnished to a pre-1930 period. The staff are dressed in traditional costumes and re-enact the historic routines and activities associated with that household, institution or business.)
For those that might consider moving to Edmonton (Alberta is still a prospering province that offers many jobs), it is important to consider all the pros and cons. On a positive note, the city has good job opportunities, lots of shopping, and is home to the University of Alberta for those with children or those wanting to advance their studies. It also has good urban planning which means that the 5pm traffic is almost a joke for someone coming from Toronto.
Oh and just as important, the beautiful Rocky Mountains are only 3 hrs away. One of the negative aspects which I found about Edmonton is the night life. Most restaurants close at 10pm and the night-life is virtually dead by 1pm (expect for very, very few places that stay open a bit later) . Overall, I found Edmonton to be a nice city to visit for 2-3 days max.; as for living there, I would consider moving there if I had a really, really good job, otherwise I would probably be much happier in a different place.
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