Leg 14—Calgary to Banff: May 13, 2006

I have several alternative times to catch the Greyhound Canada bus to Banff. I catch Bus 5, which takes me from Calgary to Banff with stops in Canmore—each city is in Alberta.

The bus travels on the Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) for fifty miles or 83 kilometers through Banff National Park, Canada's flagship park. The highway runs through the heart of the Bow Valley, an ecologically rich and important part of the Park. On the TCH to Banff, we see the Canadian Rockies in the distance. At one point the driver says we have reached the highway’s highest point—1,470 meters above sea level. The countryside is glistening with glaciers and snow-capped mountains.

On this route, wild life can be seen from the road, including grizzly bears, deer, caribou, and wolves. Bears are just coming out of hibernation, so very few can be seen during May. No one on our bus spots any bears. Occasionally, deer and caribou are seen.

I break the pattern of staying at B&Bs because of the cost involved. I choose Red Carpet Inn, which has an AAA discount. The Red Carpet Inn in Banff is located near downtown. It is a two-block or three-block walk to most restaurants and stores. Some of the hotel amenities include: continental breakfast, balconies, parking, hot tub and wireless Internet. I use the hot tub for about ten minutes and feel very relaxed.

After the relaxing dip in the hot tub, I walk downtown for dinner at Earl’s. Beef, chicken, fish and vegetable dishes are moderately priced. Earl's satisfies many pallets: Recipes reflect Thai, North American and oriental influences (e.g. Caesar and chicken salads, finger foods, burgers and sandwiches, pastas, fresh BC salmon, prawns, and baked-on-site desserts). Prices for lunch and dinner range from $7 to $17. It is customary in Canada to add a 15% gratuity to your bill. I usually give 20%.

After dinner, I walk around town to window shop and stop at Safeway for trail mix to take with me on my tour bus tomorrow.

As is my custom, I arrive a couple of hours early so that I don’t miss my bus. The bus line is Brewster, a Canadian company that specializes in tours. I bought my ticket through a Greyhound referral.