To-do list: Banff & Canmore

1. Hike up Ha-Ling Peak and hang your feet off a mountain while looking over all of Canmore. Warning, this hike has a thigh-burn intensity of 8/10.
2. Go to Lake Louise like everyone else and go canoeing in the summer or skating in the winter (extra points if you go at sunset).
3. Eat authentic ramen and udon at Chaya on Banff Ave.
4. Visit Spray Lakes in the summer and have a picnic by the water.
5. Do the Plain of Six Glaciers hike and grab a bite at the low-impact teahouse near the glaciers.
6. Grab some delicious Montreal-style poutine at La Belle Patate in Canmore.
7. Support local and purchase sustainable and all-natural bath and body products from Rocky Mountain Soap Co.
8. Ogle some wildlife (but don’t get too close and NEVER feed them).
9. Take a walk through Grotto Canyon and have lunch in a cave.
10. Take a photo at Peyto Lake. Bring some crazy carpets with you in the winter and go sledding on your way down.
11. Go to Moraine Lake and take some more photos.
12. Walk around Banff Ave, snack on beaver tails (not literal beaver tails), take a photo with the iconic cows in the COWS ice cream stores, buy fudge from The Fudgery, and visit local shops.
13. Watch a movie at the Lux cinema in Banff.
14. Go for a soak at the naturally occurring Banff Upper Hot Springs.
15. Drive 5 minutes outside of Banff’s town center to the Vermillion lakes for more scenic photo opportunities.
16. Pay a visit to Bow Falls even though chances are that everyone else in Banff has also decided to visit Bow Falls when you do.
17. Go white water rafting.
18. In the winter, drive to the Canmore Nordic Center and rent some cross country skis for the afternoon. Just make sure you don’t get lost.
19. For some fun indoors, head to the Canmore Elevation Place. There’s a library, a climbing wall (and gear too rent), and plenty of gym equipment.
20. Go camping at the Two Jacks Lakeside Campground and don’t forget to bring marshmallows, sausages, flashlights, and card games.
21. Bring a tripod with you and take beautiful night-time shots of the mountains and the sky so you can make other people envious of your travels.