By Shane Flug
Nestled in Alberta’s breathtaking Bow Valley, the former mining town of Canmore, Alberta has been thriving in recent decades with its other valuable commodity: Rocky Mountain country, making it a prime tourist destination year-round for outdoor adventurers. Just an hour’s drive west of Calgary on the Trans-Canada highway, this town of 13,000 makes for a great destination for a day trip. [Photo credit: istockphoto.com/wwing]
Of course, it would be unwise to start the day’s venture without the most important meal of the day. Fortunately, the townsite has plenty of great restaurants and cafes to go for breakfast.
Take in the stunning mountain views at a window seat at the Wood Restaurant & Lounge and fill up with their Woodman’s Breakfast or the honey-baked granola for something healthier. For those looking for a vegan option, try the hemp smoothie bowl with almond or soy milk at Communitea Café. Forgot to pack lunch? Ask your server at The Summit Café to wrap a Valbella ham sandwich to go while filling up on all-day breakfast.
For an easy hike for beginners or those with mobility challenges, check out Quarry Lake Park. Taryn Hajnrych, travel writer and former Bow Valley resident, says the park features an off-leash dog park for your furry friend with “a great network of trails behind that loop around through the trees and around some small ponds.” In this popular area, “there is also a little lake/beachy day use area to wrap up the day at for a picnic lunch and quick dip in the water,” Hajnrych adds. Check this link for full area details.
For those up for a challenge, test your endurance with Ha Ling Peak – formerly known as Chinaman’s Peak—a trail with some recent backstory of its own. Hajnrych said a local group of seniors and former mountaineers known as the Trailminders built this trail based on the belief that one needn’t be a pro mountaineer to access breathtaking views from a summit. For a sunrise summit view of a lifetime with “big bang-for-your-buck views of the whole Bow Valley,” Hajnrych recommends a dark start for this trail and to brace for all weather with its 700-metre elevation gain. This hike spans eight kilometres and will take about four hours.
Check Tourism Canmore’s website for more hiking trails – and other outdoor adventure ideas – that suit your abilities and interests and grab a map from the town’s municipal website. Just bear in mind that the Bow Valley is grizzly country, so don’t forget the bear spray along with your sunscreen, water, lunch and emergency supplies.
For some locally-made mementos to take home, try the gemstones to add to your jewelry collection at the Ammonite Factory, natural soaps to wash off the sweat from your next hike at Rocky Mountain Soap Co., a case of local craft beer or soda from The Grizzly Paw Brewing Company or a bottle of spirits from the new Wild Life Distillery.
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The hiking exertion will surely make the stomach rumble, and thankfully there are plenty of dinner options in town. A few include the Buddha Bowl or halibut at Crazyweed Kitchen with its eclectic atmosphere, Alberta BBQ baby back ribs at Sage Bistro and Wine Lounge with its charming log cabin setting or – pending your arrival time back – dining with the locals for an early-evening wrap at Harvest Café.
Up for some live entertainment? Creekside Villa features roots music acts in a house concert-like venue setting. Also eat like a pirate with the Euro-Caribbean menu at the villa’s newly opened Devil’s Table restaurant. With the Cougar Creek hiking trails just across from the villa, you may be tempted to just stay overnight and save the drive home for tomorrow!
Calgarians are fortunate to have such a great backyard so close to go and be one with nature. At nearby Canmore, a lot of great hiking and dining can be had in a day.
