ALBERTA
BRITISH COLUMBIA
MONTANA
Ah! I can almost smell the freshly cut grass of the golf course already. I have always loved playing golf even when it was with a pitching wedge with no grip and with views of council houses and motorways to admire. It almost seems unfair that the Canadian Rockies is blessed with golf courses that have beautifully manicured fairways and greens as well as literally the best views in the world. It is almost like a dream sequence as you watch your ball fly towards snow capped mountains and a deer leaps from the lake. When you rest in your hotel later, it feels surreal. No-where is this scene more poignant and the atmosphere more relaxed than Kananaskis Golf Course.
Golfing the Rockies' is an unforgettable experience.
Located deceivingly close to Banff, the drive itself gives a hint of what’s to come. Situated in the Kananaskis Valley among flourishing forests and a breath taking backdrop, the golf course is perfectly maintained. Even in winter, everything shines with the sun. The clubhouse itself is a lovely little building with big windows to take advantage of the sunlight. Playing a round here is more than just playing a round. It is a real experience. Getting a hole in one would only be the icing on the cake.
Online individual Tee Time reservations will begin at 12pm MST on Monday Feb 22nd. It is a measure of this course that there is a steady flow of people all through the year enquiring about rates and tee times. If you are organising a corporate tour, a stag do or simple a family vacation – Kananaskis Golf Course is a great choice. It has the feel of being in the middle of no-where but it is still a relatively short drive to either Calgary or Banff. The only thing you will have to worry about is your game!
It is always exhausting arriving in an unfamiliar airport. You feel like you have already done the hard part by flying through the air for several hours and you forget that the airport is not your final destination. (Unless you are Tom Hanks in a bad movie). All airports are filled with teary-eyed people greeting or saying goodbye to loved and hated ones. Calgary airport is no exception. The only difference is that the loved one you are saying goodbye to happens to be Banff and its protective Rocky mountains. How could you not be a bit upset leaving after visiting some of the most stunning towns in the world, let alone Canada? Banff, Canmore and delightful Jasper are a few of the more popular towns but the choices will leave you with lots of great decisions to make. But how does one get from the airport to some of the best skiing, hiking and biking around? Airport Shuttle or Car?
The sights of Banff National Park are only a short drive away from Calgary Airport.
If you are used to independence when it comes to your transport, renting a car is a good option. This goes doubly if you have a big family or group of friends. Limousines are also a fun option if you fancy kicking the vacation off in style. Just like any other big airport, there is a host of companies to choose from in the arrivals lounge but have a look at each company’s sites beforehand to see if they have a partnership with the airline you are flying with. As well as saving money, if you are going to be travelling around the Rockies’ towns a bit, then you can go at your own time and pace.
Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise and Jasper are all excellently serviced by shuttles from Calgary airport. Between all the companies, you are never going to be waiting too long for a ride. One option is the Banff Airporter shuttle which leaves at a few different times during the day, dropping you right to the door of your hotel. Sundog Tours have a fantastic reputation in the Rockies with extremely friendly and experienced staff. As well as providing a shuttle between the airport and the Rockies, Sundog does tailor-made tourist tours so you can get the most out of your time by putting the experts in charge of transportation.
In busier times, it is good forward thinking to book in advance as the beauty of Banff calls to everyone around the world. There are desks in the airport that can hook you up with a seat before you can say “wow I can see the Rockies!” In Calgary, once you leave the arrivals lounge, you should see each companies’ desks. You will also notice a bunch of very friendly people wearing white hats who are there to welcome you and help you find your feet as soon as you land in Calgary. They are the definition of Canadian hospitality and only too willing to help. The journey to Banff from Calgary Airport is only about 90 minutes and if you are setting up base in Canmore, 20 minutes less again. After sitting on a plane watching the latest Jim Carey “romp” for several hours, it is a pleasure to sit back in the comfortable Sundog seats as you are shuttled past dominant mountains, sparkling lakes and grazing animals. Welcome to the Canadian Rockies!
So, like most Canadians, every once in a great while the Mountain Man crosses the border and heads south for a little winter retreat to Whitefish, Montana. Here you’ll find excellent lodging, among attractions such as Whitefish Mountain Resort, Glacier National Park and Flathead Lake.
Winter in Whitefish, Montana.
Whitefish restaurants are well known in the region, as is the night life in this spectacular town, and the great Whitefish hotels and lodges available. It’s a good place for relaxing, or, as I’ve seen a couple Canadians do, going completely wild on the main downtown strip. It happens to the best of us. After all, there’s a brewery right down town, and several interesting places to sample their beers.
Of course, there’s also terrific activities. During the winter, the skiing at Whitefish Mountain Resort (formerly Big Mountain) is probably one of the most popular things to do in this area. This is probably one of the most popular Montana ski resorts, and for good reason. It’s got excellent terrain for skiing and snowboarding, and gets lots of great powder. Whitefish Mountain Resort also has a great terrain park for the more daring riders.
If skiing and snowboarding aren’t your thing, you may be interested in snowshoeing, cross country skiing, hiking up Going-to-the-sun Road, which is accessible at the Lake McDonald lodge during the winter, and offers easily accessible, and awesome winter terrain.
If you’re feeling too snowed-in right now to make it, come back during the summer. There’s two spectacular Montana lakes in Whitefish, including Whitefish Lake, which is only a 10 minute walk from downtown, and Flathead Lake, only about 15 minutes drive. The fishing in both of these lakes is great, as is the boating. And of course, if you’re back during the summer you’ll want to visit Glacier National Park’s fantastic trails.
Anyway folks, I’m off to Whitefish.
Ever since I was a little mountian boy, I’ve dreamed of being a cowboy. I ended up being a mountain man, of course, which ain’t half bad, but still, the cowboy dream has always been there. Now just recently, the guys in the newsroom here have been talking about dude ranch vacations.
The cowboy dream is finally possible for Mountain Man.
Particularly, they’ve been going crazy about Three Bars Ranch over in Canmore, British Columbia. The place sounds really amazing to me in general. They do rafting, hunting, fishing trips and all types of other activities with their guests. But the horses are what really interested me.
The Three Bars Ranch has been around for a long time, run as a dude ranch by three consecutive generations now, and two members of the family are professional horse trainers, so you know that they’re up to speed on horses.
What especially got me was their specialty week ranch vacations, particularly the one where you get to help them out on a real cattle round up. That’s what did it for me. I can finally realize my life long dream of being a cowboy this year with a dude ranch vacation. Yee haw!
Canadian Rockies dude ranches offer tons of opportunities for your cowboy adventure vacation. But Three Bars Ranch takes things a step further with specialty weeks, focused on themes that create special vacations. Find them below.
Woman’s Only Week, May 30 – June 5
The Three Bars Ranch main lodge.
Ladies, find your “inner cowgirl” at Three Bars Ranch this summer! Great for friends, your mothers and daughters, sisters, or for individual travelers that want to come out and make some new friends. The women at the Three Bars Ranch have put together an amazing week designed just for our cowgirls. Naturally, you’ll have all the horse time you want, with some special time just to help you connect with your horse with lessons. When you’re not riding, there’ll be local wine tasting, a cooking class and a fun shopping trip.
Cattle Drive Weeks, June 13- 19 and September 5 – 11
Just about every adult was once a kid who dreamed of life on the ranch. Twice a year Three Bars Ranch invites guests to join Three Bars cow boss Terry Knudson and the rest of the Three Bars wranglers on a real western cattle drive. Three Bars is home to 150 cows on a summer range with pastures from 20,000 acres to 40,000 acres in size. This, ladies and gents, is a real ranch. Summers, the cattle are out on the open range. In order to keep the cattle on fresh grass, every six weeks they’re rounded up and moved to a new pasture. This is where you come in. Come along on a Three Bars cattle drive and get ranch experience you’ve always dreamed of.
Calgary Stampede, July 9 – 18
Every July, Calgary hosts the biggest, best rodeo in the world, the Calgary Stampede. The Stampede is 10 exciting days of rodeo, music, chuck wagon racing, and carnivals. Three Bars Ranch is just 4.5 hours from the spectacle, and along the way you’ll see beautiful Banff National Park. The Calgary Stampede is an exciting way to open or close your Canadian Rockies dude ranch vacation, and Three Bars can help set up your tour of it.
Cranbook Pro Rodeo, August 13, 14, 15
In August Cranbrook, British Columbia hosts the Pro Rodeo Circuit on Friday and Saturday night, with a Sunday afternoon show. Three Bars especially recommends the Friday night rodeo to wrap up your Rockies dude ranch vacation. Guests arriving August 15 can get to town a little early and spend Sunday afternoon taking in a rodeo before checking in at Three Bars Ranch, which is only 10 minutes away.
If you want to do something different on your family vacation, check out a Canadian Rockies dude Ranch. They offer all the activities you would want out of family vacation, organized and available in one cozy location, keeping your family together and happy on your dude ranch vacation.
Canadian Rockies dude ranches are excellent for families.
A great dude ranch for families looking to vacation in the Canadian Rockies is the Three Bars Guest & Cattle Ranch in Cranbrook, British Columbia. Let your kids be kids in the wide open space of the ranch, where they can go horseback riding, catch critters and enjoy a classic s’more roasted on a campfire.
But Three Bars doesn’t just cater to the kids, but to the whole family.
“What’s unique about our program is that we allow people to do everything as a family,” says Tyler Beckly whose family has run the Three Bars Ranch for three generations. “You can go on family rides, hike together and river raft together. Or the kids are welcome to join a riding program while the adults choose another activity, or an adult-only ride. We are small so that we can allow for custom vacations.”
In place of specific kids programs, kids on Three Bars usually tend to build their own program, as Tyler explains.
“Usually on Monday the families ride together, and the kids stick with their parents,” he says. “By Tuesday the kids have ditched their parents and are off doing things together.”
Because there are typically several families staying at Three Bars at any given time, Beckly says there’s usually several kids around the same age, and because guests staying in the Three Bars cabins can take advantage of their activities programs, the families, and the kids, tend to mingle and become friends.
And Three Bars offers a wide range of activities, ensuring that everyone will be able to vacation together, and do some of the activities that they enjoy as individuals. That includes parents, of course.
“There’s not many places where you can ride together as a family in the morning, all have lunch together, dad plays a round of golf in the afternoon, mom goes riding, and the kids go on a raft trip, and everybody’s back together for dinner, and then maybe they get together for an evening activity,” says Beckly.
Kids must be at least 6 to participate in riding and activities programs, but they’re are welcome at the ranch. There’s an outside play area and petting zoo for them to enjoy feeding sheep and goats and gathering eggs. Three Bars wranglers can lead them around the arena on horseback, with a parent beside to make them comfortable.
Visit the Three Bars site, or call them at (877)-426-5230 and be sure to check out their specialty weeks.
If you’re interested in an adventure vacation with a cowboy twist, you should definitely consider a Canadian Rockies dude ranch vacation. Dude ranches are great places to experience a wide range of activities, and are excellent for families, groups or individuals.
Adventure is charging your way at Canadian Rockies dude ranches.
Vacationers tend to imagine dude ranches as being a place to go strictly for horseback riding. They are, naturally, good for this, but some dude ranches in the Canadian Rockies offer more. The Three Bars Guest & Cattle Ranch in Cranbrook, British Columbia is a good example. Guests here can enjoy hiking, mountain biking, fly fishing, tennis, river rafting and lots more. Now that’s the way to see the Canadian Rockies.
Tyler Beckly, whose family has been running the ranch for three generations notes that, “One-third of our visitors have never ridden a horse in their life.” So they may not want to spend a whole vacation riding horses. But Tyler’s trained guides, or “wranglers,” guide almost any Canadian Rockies activity you’re interested in.
Tyler notes Canmore happens to be a golfers paradise.
“We’ve got five courses with 15 minutes of the ranch,” he says. “There’s great golf right here.”
And whether you’ve been doing Canadian Rockies adventure activities your whole life, or are new to the experience, Three Bars Guest & Cattle Ranch is dedicated to helping you get comfortable, have fun, and learn a little bit too. The Three Bars Ranch wranglers are all Dude Ranchers Association certified when it comes to horse activities, so you know you’re in good hands.
Beyond activities, you’l get a chance to mellow out in front of a campfire, in a hot tub or in the heated pool. At the main lodge you can participate in group activities. Guests stay in private cabins.
Three Bars Guest Ranch is perfectly located between Banff National Park and Glacier Park. This part of the Canadian Rockies offers quiet nature, pristine water, idyllic meadows and unbeatable mountain views.
Visit the Three Bars site, or call them at (877)-426-5230, and check out their specialty weeks.
The only place with more restaurants than Canmore in the Canadian Rockies has to be Banff. Newcomers will be baffled by the extensive offer of food. Whether you’re vegetarian, herbivore or just want to eat eggs of giant birds, there’s something for you in Banff.
After painstaking research, and some kilos later, I’ve come up with my three favorite spots. I tried to pick a variety of options, everything from elegance to shabby sheik. Many of the restaurants in Banff have been dubbed mountain casual. That basically means you have to wear boots and a raccoon tailed hat.
First off, having lived in the Canadian Rockies for so long has dulled my senses. I have to give some love to El Toro Mexican cuisine. When you just need a taco or a burrito, El Toro is the place to go. Burritos are meaty bundles of joy while the enchiladas come out spicy hot! This restaurant has been around since 1979 and been reminding locals that on the other side of the USA, there’s a country, there’s a food, and there’s a real beach! Great margaritas.
When mountain casual is too much for the head, try smart casual. The Evergreen Restaurant might be the only restaurant in town where you feel like the food is competing for some kind of international cuisine contest. The chef is known throughout town- the Hacker! That’s right, Hans Hacker, born and raised in Germany, has worked the fine dining circuit throughout Alberta. It could be your only chance to get a piece of the Hacker!
Now, if you still haven’t had enough meat on your trip through the Rockies, try the Keg Steakhouse and Bar. Here, you’ll find a friendly atmosphere in that Canadian way. You are a guest in the Keghouse and will be treated thus. Even when they saw my mangy beard, I had a warm stool and a pint of beer in front of my eyes before I could say Minnewanka!
Make sure to stick around after dinner and enjoy the bar’s festivities.
The mountain man loves food. There’s no way around it, whether it’s French, Chinese or Peruvian, I love food. That’s why here in the Canadian Rockies it’s a good idea to have a guy like me around to show you to the best restaurants in the area. My next blog entries will reveal the culinary delights in Banff, Canmore and beyond.
In Canmore there are literally dozens of restaurants vying for you palette. you can have tapas, tacos and big juicy steaks, sometimes even on the same menu. Every chef, waiter and barman needs your patronage, if not merely to justify his existence, to assure himself that he is contributing to another happy tourists in the Rockies. So pat him on the back and walk away with a satisfied stomach.
The first door you go through ought to be the Copper Door. Yes my friends, the red metal has arrived in Canmore. In this upscale eatery, order your exotic meats to your healthy heart’s desire. Chow down on caribou, venison and buffalo like it were the 19th century.
If the red meat does not satisfy your soul, go for their many seafood dishes and taste the hot, homemade bread. Watch you behavior at this place!
Shifting gears and filling your pot with a local brew, head on over to the Grizzly Paw, Canmore’s unique microbrew pub. The menu is the usual pub fare, including well done fish & chips, steaks, and handmade burgers. Make sure to cover every edible morsel on your plate with their infamous Grumpy Bear hot sauce or Rutting Elk BBQ sauce. Here you can get drunk and boast about your mountain man exploits.
Finally, try the Crazyweed Kitchen for lunch. Here, a packed joint is a great sign that none of the food is every poisonous. Find your way through the pack and pick some of Crazyweed’s more unique dishes, mixing Asian, Indian, Mediterranean and French flavors.
Every time I putt on a green in the Canadian Rockies, my shots all have one thing in common: a break towards the valley. All around Banff, golf abounds during the short five-month season. In the colder months, Canadians can’t imagine walking up and down a grassy runway, which is why I figure they love hockey.
Between May and October, Alberta’s Rocky Mountains make a spectacular backdrop for driving balls into the rugged horizon. From Banff to Canmore to Kananaskis, golfers can find numerous courses on all levels. Here’s a few courses that have met the Mountain Man’s criteria.
Watch those greens!
Silvertip golf resort is located in Canmore in the majestic Bow Valley at the entrance to Banff National Park. The course is considered one of the area’s premier 18-hole course. Green fees are over $100.
On the flanks of Mount Lady MacDonald, the par-72 course has 600 feet of elevation change and mind-boggling championship tees with a slope rating of 153. It’s a course that allows both scratch golfers and recreational players to enjoy the course and hone their skills.
Stewart Creek Golf Club: 18-hole up to 7200 yards with spectacular panoramas dominated by the Three Sisters Mountain. Green fees with cart: $125-$195.
Kananaskis Country Golf Course: 36-hole course with water on 20 holes and 142 sand traps. The course is situated in the Kananaskis Valley below 10,000ft peaks Mount Lorette and Mount Kidd. Green fees: $70-$90.
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