We came here for an easy rainy day activity…read more You can hike here from Surprise Corner, but there's also a view point you can drive to. There's several viewpoints where you can see the hoodoos a short walk from the parking lot. The second and third ones have the best views. I thought there would be a bunch of the hoodoos, but there's only one small group of them. If you're in the area, is worth stopping at, but I don't think it's worth going out of your way for.

Hoodoo is a column or pinnacle of weathered rock. Tens of thousands of hoodoos in Bryce Canyon…read moreversus 6 hoodoos in Banff. You can see the hoodoos from the across the river at the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel, if you know where to look. Face the river and look well to your right up at the top of Tunnel Mountain. For you people who want some exercise, you can walk to the hoodoo viewpoint. Walk or drive to the Banff Surprise Corner at the tip of the peninsula facing the Bow River and Bow Falls. From here it is a 2.7 mile straight up the mountain, on the Hoodoo trail. This will take you over an hour according to google maps, although others who have tried it say it can take much of the day. So bring food and water in a daypack, along with hiking boots. For you lazy slobs like myself and the wife, we took the tour bus up Tunnel Mountain road, or a curvy mountain road called Tunnel Mountain drive to the Hoodoos Viewpoint. The Hoodoos Viewpoint is actually about 100 yards away from the 4 hoodoos closer to the river. The hoodoos are not that spectacular themselves, but the view of the Bow River and Mount Rundle in the background can be spectacular. Unfortunately for us, the smoke from the forest fires made the place look like the LA basin on a smoggy day. There is a paved pathway going in a circuitous route up the mountain, with about 3 different viewpoints. I took so long to get to the top, that they were about to send someone to fetch me -last on the bus again! Signs say no going off the pathway. Canadian park rangers can give citations to trespassers. We saw some people, probably teenagers, trying to get down to the hoodoos to take a selfie, while leaning on the fragile limestone. Too many people do this, and the hoodoo will come tumbling down. Another historical natural monument destroyed by people trying to get a selfie! We watched our step the rest of the day, as hoodoo also means something that brings bad luck! To paraphrase Candice, "Who do? You do!"

Another must-see stop in Yoho National Park! It's crazy how the Kicking Horse River has created…read morethis natural bridge through the abrasion of limestone, sand and gravel. It's absolutely stunning! There are multiple photo ops here. You can get down on the rocks and get up close, or walk across the pedestrian bridge and up on the viewpoint platform. So many angles to choose from. The parking lot is decent sized, but fills up fast. Since the nature bridge is right of the parking lot, tourists don't stay too long, so the parking lot is busy with people coming in and out. There's also restrooms available at the parking area. Overall a fulfilling stop. Would highly recommend!

One of my highlights on the two day tour we took. Each day is different but so beautiful. This…read morekicking horse river is another magical stop and I could stay here and listen to the water for hours!

Nice visiting this very warm and inviting Building: with Children, Teen and Adult sections within…read morethe Library and very friendly Staff. Nice photos, art and history displayed too. They have items for sale, a great noticeboard and tons of what's happening information to read. Banff without a library - just isn't Banff.

I have been working and living in Banff for a year and a half. This is the place I come to just…read morechill and get warm on my shopping trips downtown. I have library cards from both Calgary and Banff. I must say that althrough the collection is small, interlibrary loans make getting certain books faster compared to getting the same books in Calgary. I looked up the same title in both libraries and Calgary has 60 holds for half as many copies. Banff and its system of small town libraries have 14 copies available to borrow. The only downside is that all holds are interlibrary loans, as there is only one location in Banff and therefore loans take longer to arrive. My only suggestion would to open an hour earlier , i.e 9 am instead of 10am. This way I have ample time to pick up holds and head up back to work . My schedule doesn't allow me to visit the library at all on the days that I work. Their hours are pretty much my hours. On my days off I go back to Calgary and have to catch 10:30am bus so I just have enough time to pick up a hold before I head to the bus station. But that's not on the library, that's on the crappy bus schedule we have in the winter. In the summer I would have enough time to go pick up a hold before heading back to work. It sucks that on Saturday they open even later at 11am so I can't even go pick up a book because my bus leaves before that. Aside from hours I think this library is pretty good.

When British Columbia joined Confederation in 1871, it was on the condition that Prime Minister…read moreJohn A. Macdonald would build a railway to link the province to the rest of the country. Building a railway across such a large continent was a major undertaking and one of the most serious obstacles was the Rocky Mountains. Several passes were considered for the route and despite its rugged terrain, Kicking Horse Pass was chosen because of its proximity to the US border and its shorter distance to the Pacific Coast. This choice was so significant to the history of Canada that Kicking Horse Pass was designated as a National Historic Site in 1971. The steep grade in Kicking Horse Pass posed a serious challenge. The first decent allowed for a 4.5% grade and the first attempt in 1984 resulted in a derailment and the tragic death of 3 workers. Various spurs and extra engines were then tried, but more incident occurred anyway. Although the mountains were a complication for CP, they were an inspiration to the many tourists who started to arrive by train. In an effort to preserve the landscape and encourage tourism, CP prompted the creation of Mount Stephen Dominion Reserve in 1886. The park was renamed Yoho in 1901. The solution for a more gradual grade came from J.E.Schwitzer, one of the railway's Assistant Chief Engineers. He modelled the Spiral Tunnels after a system used in Switzerland. In 1909 the Spiral Tunnels were completed and after 25 years of use, the Big Hill grade was abandoned. With a gentler grade, descents became safer and slower, spur lines and rear pushers were no longer necessary, and scheduling delays and operating costs were reduced. An eastbound train leaving Field climbs a moderate hill, goes through two short, straight tunnels on Mt. Stephen, under the Trans-Canada Highway, across the Kicking Horse River and into the Lower Spiral Tunnel in Mt. Ogden. It spirals to the left up inside the mountain for 891-m and emerges 15-m higher. The train then crosses back over the Kicking Horse River, under the highway a second time and into the 991-m tunnel in Cathedral Mountain. The train spirals to the right, emerging 17-m higher and continues to the top of Kicking Horse Pass. As a Railroad buff, I make it a point to see this engineering marvel whenever I'm in the area. They truly are an engineering marvel and the trains going through them are a sight to behold. There are two viewpoints where you can safely watch the trains: - From the viewpoint 7.4-km east of Field on the Trans-Canada Highway, you can see the Lower Spiral Tunnel in Mt. Ogden. - The Upper Spiral Tunnel in Cathedral Mountain can be seen from the pull-off 2.3-km up the Yoho Valley Road.

View of upper and lower spiral tunnels are located in Yoho National Park, BC. Look carefully and…read morezoom in. We did not see trains pass through. Difference in upper and lower elevation.

This is the busy downtown shopping area. Cars can't drive through this district, on the corners…read moreoutside are bus stops. There are lots of unique and charming galleries, gift, shops, and boutiques that stay opened late until at least 10 PM. There are benches to sit on and they're great for people watching. Many restaurants were busy with filled outdoor tables and rooftop views with spectacular mountains, looming above us. Cows, ice cream shop the fudge shop and the popcorn shop had crowds out the door. There were many outdoor adventure, shops with ski, skate, racket, climbing, canoeing, camping ... equipment and clothing.

Thank You for Greeting Every Guest Visiting the Majestic Canadian Rockies,…read moreAt Sunwampta Falls on the Icefield Parkway Between Jasper & Banff..... Some Years, One could Not See the Mountains - But You Were Always There, Dressed In the Traditional Red Uniform - Making Everyone Smile - Thank You!!