banff national park

Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada had been on our travel list since we saw pictures of the glacial blue waters. The mountains (and award flights) were calling...

Canada is a sweet spot award redemption for using Delta miles, affectionately termed Sky Pesos in the points and miles world because it typically takes a lot of miles to redeem award flights. When our friend Adam noticed that DL award flights were extremely reasonable last spring, we decided to make a long August weekend of it, baby in tow and all. 

Airfare Breakdown: Delta MSP-YYC 

↟ 19,000 Skymiles + $55.36 for taxes per adult

↟ flights at this time of year cost at least $500, so this was a two cents/mile redemption which is good for DL

↟ $19.60 for lap infant taxes 

We would have loved to backpack or camp, but with a seven month old, we needed to keep things simple, sleep and budget friendly this time around. Points hotel options were a little interesting, but we made it work. We flew in late Friday evening and flew out early Monday morning, so it was convenient to stay right at the airport for those two nights and for the car rental pick up and drop off. For the other night, we stayed in Golden (about an hour outside of Banff NP and west of YoHo NP).

Hotel Breakdown: three nights

↟ Delta Calgary Airport In-Terminal Hotel for 20,000 Marriott points

↟ Holiday Inn Express and Suites Golden Kicking Horse for 20,000 IHG points 

↟ Delta Airport In-Terminal Hotel for 20,000 Marriott points

Car Rental Breakdown: Saturday morning-Sunday evening

↟ $144.33 for an intermediate car booked through Costco

↟ Offset using Barclays Arrival travel credit. Free is always a good price.

This was one of those trips that will be forever in our minds. Our little glory babe was due on this exact weekend a year prior, so it was a special weekend as we recounted sweet memories from our first pregnancy. Not only that, but Matt had just started walking about two weeks prior (since his Achilles rupture in May), and we had such fun exploring and making memories together as a family. 

On Instagram, I wrote... oh globetrotto, your first trip to the mountains, and it was a good one. you absolutely loved being in the airport and on the plane - literally the biggest smiles we have ever seen, happy shrieks, bouncing up and down, yet you still somehow managed to sleep most of the actual flights. we love seeing you explore new places, watch and learn from watching intently, and go with the flow. there were times in the car that it was so quiet, we thought you must be sleeping. but much to our surprise, you were wide awake, looking out the window and taking it all in. you were full of sweet snuggles, loved being cozied up with your sherpa blanket and Albert the donkey, and now have a second passport stamp. 

The only downside to visiting in August were the crowds (and lack of cribs...ha!). It was much too busy for our liking, but we tried to avoid all the people (unsuccessfully I might add) by doing as much as we could in the morning or late afternoon. Along with that, all (two) of the cribs were checked out (first come, first serve) at one of the hotels, so globetrotto had to sleep between us one night. He was quite pleased with the arrangement, but we sure didn't sleep well. 

We would love to return to Banff at some point, either in the winter to cross country ski or in late September when the larch trees are on full display. If Banff isn't already on your travel list, we highly recommend adding it. And if you are by chance planning a trip in 2017, Canada is currently waiving all national park fees this year in celebration of their 150th birthday. Who doesn't love free park entrance?!

Other area recommendations: 

↟ Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters + Sidewalk Citizens Bakery located in the east village at the Simmons Building: 618 Confluence Way SE in Calgary (there are six locations, but this is where the roasterie is located)

↟ Mount Norquay

↟ Lake Louise

↟ Moraine Lake

↟ Johnston Canyon

↟ the town of Banff

↟ Emerald Lake in YoHo National Park

↟ the Icefields Parkway

↟ Peyto Lake