| My husband and I try to go skiing for a week at least | | | | outstanding attractions are the historic Fairmont Banff |
| once a year and so far we've been to about 15 | | | | Springs Hotel and the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise |
| different ski resorts on the east coast, anywhere from | | | | and I had an opportunity to explore both these |
| Ontario to Quebec, New Hampshire, Vermont and | | | | magnificent structures in detail. Canada's history is |
| Maine. But we had never been out west in the | | | | inextricably intertwined with the history of the railroads. |
| Rockies. Well, it was time to change that..... | | | | The Canadian Pacific Railroad played a key role in |
| So we planned a trip to the Canadian Rockies, and | | | | opening up the west and these castle-like railway |
| for both of us it was the first time for us to see this | | | | hotels figured prominently in Canada's development of |
| majestic mountain range. Just after we landed on | | | | the West Coast. |
| March 4, 2006 we started off with a whirlwind | | | | Last Friday a wonderful adventure provided the |
| four-hour tour of Calgary to get a sneak peak at | | | | highlight of my trip: I went dogsledding with Snowy Owl |
| Canada's Heart of the New West. Our extremely | | | | Adventures on a crisp crystal-blue winter day, high in |
| knowledgeable tour guide took us to the Calgary | | | | the mountains above the town of Canmore.Our |
| Tower, Fort Calgary and past the Stampede Grounds | | | | adventure was almost over, but I had one more |
| and Calgary's Saddledome. Of course Canada | | | | chance for exploration: on Saturday I took the gondola |
| Olympic Park was one of the main attractions on this | | | | up to Sulphur Mountain from where I got a perfect 360 |
| tour. | | | | degree panoramic view of Banff and the surrounding |
| The same evening we enjoyed a wonderful Italian | | | | mountain ranges. I checked out the Cosmic Ray |
| feast at Il Giardino on 4th Street and we had a chance | | | | Station and after a brief forest hike past the Banff |
| to get to know one of Calgary's most successful | | | | Springs Hotel, I visited the Banff Park Museum, one of |
| entrepreneurs. We enjoyed the wonderful hospitality of | | | | Canada's oldest natural history museums. |
| Deirdre and Henry Brost at the historic Twin Gables | | | | Our Alberta explorations were rapidly coming to an |
| Bed & Breakfast and got a huge surprise at breakfast | | | | end, and just before we headed to the airport we |
| when we realized we were enjoying our morning meal | | | | went on one final walk through Calgary and explored |
| with two big celebrities (you'll have to read the article | | | | the famous +15 walkway system that keeps Calgary |
| to find out which famous people shared the B&B with | | | | visitors sheltered from the harsh winter air. We also |
| us....).After breakfast we walked all the way from the | | | | explored a beautiful tropical hideaway called Devonian |
| Twin Gables to downtown from where I took the | | | | Gardens....Along the way we got to explore some |
| C-Train to get to the Kensington area, one of | | | | great skiing, magnificent mountain scenery and historic |
| Calgary's main restaurant and shopping areas. I had a | | | | buildings, the exuberance of a dog-sledding team raring |
| brief lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant called Indochine | | | | to go and the outstanding hospitality of the people of |
| Bistro where I found out that the young owner had | | | | Alberta. We'll be back.....Susanne Pacher is the publisher |
| originally come to Canada as a refugee from Vietnam. | | | | of a website called Travel and Transitions ( Travel and |
| What an amazing success story: from Vietnamese | | | | Transitions deals with unconventional travel and is |
| boat person to successful Calgary restauranteur.... | | | | chock full of advice, tips, real life travel experiences, |
| Then it was time to head west on the Transcanada | | | | interviews with travellers and travel experts, insights |
| Highway to our destination for the next week: Banff, a | | | | and reflections, cross-cultural issues, contests and |
| picturesque town nestled inside the famous Banff | | | | many other features. You will also find stories about |
| National Park, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Of | | | | life and the transitions that we face as we go through |
| course we went skiing and we had a chance to | | | | our own personal life-long journeys.Submit your own |
| check out 3 major ski resorts: perfectly groomed | | | | travel stories in our first travel story contest ( and |
| Norquay, high altitude Sunshine Village - located on the | | | | have a chance to win an amazing adventure cruise on |
| Continental Divide, and the unbelievably huge and | | | | the Amazon River."Life is a Journey Explore New |
| scenic ski area of Lake Louise. Well, there is definitely | | | | Horizons". |
| something to be said for West Coast skiing.....Two | | | | |