Banff resident here! Do you have Banff questions?

[bcscot]

It's actually the law that the pedestrian has the right of way when the street light is green, or at a stop sign. No flaming necessary.

 

I cannot find any reference to the fact that pedestrians in Canada have the right of way over cars, at any time, except on a cross-walk. I think that this is an urban legend! If I am wrong, please direct me to an authoritative site so I can be educated.

 

The important thing however, is to alert tourists that pedestrians here will react differently to cars than they may do at home. Knocking down pedestrians is not conducive to a good holiday!;)

 

Graham.

[grannybee]

Hi CowPrincess

 

We are travelling from UK and in Canada/Alaska for 4 weeks so I want to buy all toiletries as soon as possible on way up to Banff. Can you advise? Thank you

[CowPrincess]

Hi Grannybee.

 

I'm presuming you are renting a car and picking it up at the airport and you want as little traffic and "difficulty" as possible.

 

So.... ask the person at the car rental how to Go North on Barlow Trail (I have NO idea about getting around at the Calgary air terminal/car rental) :) Once you are headed north on Barlow Trail, watch for the sign that says "Country Hills Blvd". There will be traffic lights there. Turn left onto Country Hills Blvd and drive "a ways". After you cross Shaganappi Trail, on the right hand side is a "Co-op" store in a small plaza. They will have a reasonable selection of toiletries. However, if you want a BETTER selection, don't go to Co-op, keep driving and start watching on the LEFT hand side of the road for "Superstore"... they have most brands available in Canada. At the best prices usually.

 

If you are driving to Banff that day, once you've shopped, go back onto Country Hills Blvd and head west. Take CHB to Stoney Trail, go south on Stoney Trail, and watch for the sign that says "To Banff" -- you go to the right and then you are on Highway 1. It's just "follow the road" after that till you see the signs for Banff.

 

Where are you staying in Banff?

 

 

Here's a google map (I hope this works)

 

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=5251+Country+Hills+Blvd+NW+calgary&sll=49.891235,-97.15369&sspn=29.82454,57.128906&ie=UTF8&ll=51.138823,-114.161768&spn=0.007068,0.013947&z=16&iwloc=addr&om=1

[grannybee]

Thanks CowPrincess.

 

I have copied those directions. We are staying at the Delta Banff Royal Canadian Lodge. We have upgraded the room as we are there two nights and this is a BIG holiday for us. We are stopping at Whistlers Inn in Jasper. Trip advisorwas a little scary on hotels in Jasper so I hope we have chosen wisely. It is hard reading the reports and making a decision from so far away. We have never been to this part of the world as we tend to do East coast of USA as we have family that live just off Cape Cod.We just have to do the Carolinas then we have done all East side. Looking to expand our vacations

[CowPrincess]

Jasper hotels are really hard to judge. I stayed at one, once, the room was SO SMALL (how small was it? you ask) that only one of us could stand up at one time. Our inside standard cruise cabin was ENORMOUS compared to the hotel room in Jasper. We paid over $200 for one night for 2 of us. We'd have slept in the car before staying another night. (This is NOT the Whistlers Inn, by the way!!!) Oh, and no elevator or escalator, and a bunch of people on crutches on a tour.

 

But the other side of that is we stayed one time in a "budget" room in Jasper (not the Whistlers) and had everything we could possibly want.

 

Hope you have a great vacation -- the Delta Royal Cdn is a nice property, and you are going to see SO MUCH that you've never seen before! The mountains are fabulous, the wildlife is awe-inspiring (though not always visible), and the open spaces/undeveloped areas are vast. And then Alaska.... sigh :)