Blogging from A to Z Challenge 2013 – Road Trip! {Letter “B”}

I am so excited to be taking part in the Blogging A to Z Challenge 2013.  This is actually my third challenge; the first year I featured a recipe for each letter and last year I drew on  my nursing background and uses “parts of the human body” as my inspiration!

This year I have decided to change things up a bit.  I live in Canada and believe it is one of the most beautiful countries on the planet; so I have decided to feature a different Canadian “place”, for each letter of the challenge.

I am very much looking forward to seeing how everyone interprets the Challenge and I would love to have you join me, as I crisscross this vast country on my Blogging from A to Z Challenge 2013 – Road Trip!

So, without further ado,   “B” is for Banff, Alberta

I have not yet been to Banff, but it is certainly one of the beautiful places I hope to visit in the near future.  From everything I have seen and read, it’s charm and breathtaking vistas make it pretty close to perfect!

Banff is a town located within Banff National Park in Alberta’s Rockies..  It is approximately 126 km (78 mi) west of Calgary and 58 km (36 mi) east of Lake Louise. At an elevation of 1,463 m (4,800 ft), Banff is the community with the second highest elevation in Canada after Lake Louise.

Population:  7,584 (2011 census)

Notable Residents:  

• Karen Percy, who won 2 bronze medals in skiing at the 1988 Winter Olympics
• J. Jill Robinson, award-winning author of fiction and creative nonfiction.
• Kevin Smyth, former NHL player
• Ryan Smyth, NHL player

History:  Banff was first settled in the 1880s, after the transcontinental railway was built through the Bow Valley. In 1883, three Canadian Pacific Railway workers stumbled upon a series of natural hot springs on the side of Sulphur Mountain.  In 1885, Canada established a federal reserve of 26 km² (10 sq mi) around the Cave and Basin hot springs, and began promoting the area as an international resort and spa as a way to support the new railway.

The area was named Banff in 1884 by George Stephen, president of the Canadian Pacific Railway, recalling his birthplace in Banffshire, Scotland, now simply Banff.

In 1985, the United Nations declared Banff National Park, as one of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, a World Heritage Site. Banff remains one of the most popular tourist destinations in Canada.

Reflecting Pool – Banff, Alberta  {Photo Attribution, Catherine White – Oak Lawn Images}

Two Jacks Lake – Banff, Alberta  {Photo Attribution, Catherine White – Oak Lawn Images}

Bow Falls – Banff National Park {Photo Attribution, Catherine White – Oak Lawn Images}

Cascade Mountain – Banff National Park {Photo Attribution, Catherine White – Oak Lawn Images}

Well, it’s been a very long cross country trip and it’s time to check into our luxurious room at The Fairmont Banff Springs. {Hey, it’s my blog, I can dream…and since it’s my dream I have also included a photo of my hotel and my dream room…lol}  Maybe a little soak in a hot spring and a delicious dinner before settling into our comfy beds for a blissful sleep.

 My dream hotel – The Fairmont Banff Springs {Photo Attribution – The Fairmount Banff Springs website}

 My dream room in my dream hotel – The Fairmont Banff Springs {Photo Attribution – The Fairmount Banff Springs website}

The next stop on the Blogging from A to Z Challenge – Road Trip  is a somewhere that starts with the letter “C”.

Have you visited Banff?

Where did you stay?

Please tell me about you visit to Banff, I want all the details!

Past visits on the A to Z Challenge 2013 – Road Trip:

A is for Alma, New Brunswick

Complete listing of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge 2013 participants.

CREDITS – Map source –File:Canada Southern Ontario location map 2.png  (Wikimedia Commons) (altered to add place name).  Information contained in this post was obtained from the Town of Banff website and Wikipedia.