# Worldmark Canmore and Canadian Rockies



## LisaH (Jul 8, 2018)

I asked a question about Worldmark Canmore on the other thread but don’t want to hijack it further, so decide to start a separate thread here .
We will visit Banff area in Mid to late Sep and have three nights reserved at WorldMark Canmore. I am on a wait list to add additional nights at WM to extend out visit to a week, but will look for alternatives such as AirBnBs or hotels if the wait list doesn’t come through. Since this will be our first visit to this region, I would love to have suggestions on do-not-miss places to go and eat. Would we be able to go to Yoho National Park if we base ourselves in Canmore? How about Jasper?


----------



## djyamyam (Jul 8, 2018)

There's a number of threads of places to go see in the Banff area so I won't repeat all those here.

However, there are definitely some good restaurants in Canmore I would recommend.  The Rocky Mountain Flatbread restaurant (https://www.rockymountainflatbread.ca/canmore/) is awesome for their fire oven pizza.  They are a location in both Canmore and Banff.  If you like Mexican food, Aroma Mexican Restaurant (http://www.aromamexicanrestaurant.co/) serves authentic Mexican food.  The Grizzly Paw (www.thegrizzlypaw.com) is the local brewery and worth having a pint at.  The Blake/PD3 (www.blakecanmore.com) is pretty cool as it's a converted bus and has open area.  It's always busy as we've wandered by.  I'm sure others have their local favourites too but those are ours.

You can explore Yoho National park from Canmore, although it is about an hour and half drive each way.  I definitely recommend going to see Takakaw Falls there.  You'll pass by Lake Louise to get there.  Louise is about 50 minutes west of Canmore.  Get on the road early and go see Lake Louise, walk around the lake to look back at the Fairmont hotel, stop off to see Morraine Lake - arguably more scenic than Lake Louise (in my mind).  That'll take you a few hours and then head on to Yoho and wander there and then go home to Canmore.  It'll be a long day but a good use of a day.  It be tough to get to Jasper and back in a day - lots of driving and you wouldn't get to see everything worth seeing.  Go to the Columbia ice fields and take the tour there and then come back.  If you do go to Jasper, spend a night there in a BB to make it more leisurely.


----------



## LisaH (Jul 9, 2018)

Thank you so much! I think I’ll add a couple days at Jasper. I’ll also go back and check the other Banff threads.


----------



## LisaH (Jul 16, 2018)

My waitlist on WM has come through! Now we have 6 nights at WM Canmore and 2 nights in Jasper. Thinking about driving to Lake Louis/Yoho as day trips from our base in Canmore a couple times, then explore Banff area the rest of time. Do you think this is doable, or shall we also book a couple nights near Lake Louis?


----------



## nomadio (Jul 17, 2018)

Easily doable.

Sent from my SM-G955W using Tapatalk


----------



## dmiller1 (Jul 19, 2018)

LisaH said:


> My waitlist on WM has come through! Now we have 6 nights at WM Canmore and 2 nights in Jasper. Thinking about driving to Lake Louis/Yoho as day trips from our base in Canmore a couple times, then explore Banff area the rest of time. Do you think this is doable, or shall we also book a couple nights near Lake Louis?


That is definitely doable.  We stay in Canmore and go out every day to the parks in the area.  Emerald Lake is also a really nice area.  If you like to hike the hike to the plain of the six glaciers at Lake Louise is amazing.


----------



## RIMike (Jul 19, 2018)

LisaH said:


> I asked a question about Worldmark Canmore on the other thread but don’t want to hijack it further, so decide to start a separate thread here .
> We will visit Banff area in Mid to late Sep and have three nights reserved at WorldMark Canmore. I am on a wait list to add additional nights at WM to extend out visit to a week, but will look for alternatives such as AirBnBs or hotels if the wait list doesn’t come through. Since this will be our first visit to this region, I would love to have suggestions on do-not-miss places to go and eat. Would we be able to go to Yoho National Park if we base ourselves in Canmore? How about Jasper?



If you are looking at staying additional nights in the area and want to do Yoho National Park, have you considered Golden and Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. It is not a time share but it is a beautiful place to stay. Also, we love Banff Gate Mountain Resort, just outside of Canmore...in fact better than Worldmark Canmore. It is not as fancy but it is located in a very peaceful, beautiful location 10 minutes from Canmore.  Both are worth considering.  WE go to the Canadian Rockies nearly every year from Florida.


----------



## barto (Aug 3, 2018)

You're also VERY close to Kananaskis Country, which has lots to offer as well and would have far fewer people around.  Highway 40 south from the main highway from Calgary is just a gorgeous drive, and you can choose to make it loop back to Canmore by taking the gravel Smith-Dorrien Road.  Stunning views as you come back to Canmore from above.  

Would love to hear your thoughts on the Worldmark there...we were close to taking a rental there this summer but were scared off by some of the recent reviews.

We love Gaucho, the Brazilian restaurant in Canmore - this is the kind where the servers come around with skewers of different kinds of meat.  Lunch (Sat/Sun only) is a cheaper way to experience it, but highly recommended.

Enjoy!

Bart


----------



## Icc5 (Aug 3, 2018)

We also enjoyed the Brazillion Restaurant on a Saturday.  Price was very reasonable and food/service was very good.  Compared to where we live you save about $150 for same food.
We enjoyed Worldmark and would stay again.  We also spent a week at the other end of the parks at a ski resort (went in summer) and got to see a baby bear on the road to our timeshare.
Bart


----------



## LisaH (Aug 4, 2018)

Thanks Bart! Do you know there is a new Brazilian restaurant Galpão Gaucho in our neighborhood? Dinner is $58+ per person. Very good but a bit pricy. Hope Gaucho is cheaper in Banff. The exchange rate certainly is in our favor


----------



## geist1223 (Aug 4, 2018)

Great thread. Patti  and I were today planning a trip there (first time) for September 2019. We were thinking of taking our Bikes and Kayaks. Good idea or bad? We plan on driving from Salem Oregon to WM Arrow Point and then onto Canmore.


----------



## Icc5 (Aug 4, 2018)

Yes Lisa I know about it but haven't tried it.  If I remember correctly after figuring the exchange rate it turned out to be $19 per person when going on a Saturday for lunch.  A great way to try it if you've never tried before.
Bart


----------



## nomadio (Aug 4, 2018)

geist1223 said:


> Great thread. Patti  and I were today planning a trip there (first time) for September 2019. We were thinking of taking our Bikes and Kayaks. Good idea or bad? We plan on driving from Salem Oregon to WM Arrow Point and then onto Canmore.


Bikes for sure.  For mountain biking,  Canmore is good, Banff is OK and Bragg Creek (google West Bragg) just west of Calgary is the mecca of Alberta mountain biking.  Road biking around Canmore is also good as is Bragg Creek; Banff perhaps less so.  For simple cruising around, Canmore is nice, and there is a beautiful, more or less flat paved trail between Canmore and Banff, which is about 20 km one way.  Calgary itself has recently developed a wonderful bike path network centered around downtown, but extending outward from downtown for a good distance. 

As for kayaking, the Bow River flows eastward past Banff and through Canmore then onto Calgary.  Not much for rapids, except for an artificial section just east of downtown Calgary. I believe there are some rapids on the Kananaskis River east of Canmore but likely dependent on time of year.  Peak runoff/high water in late May and June.  Excellent lake kayaking in Banff National Park.  I would double check my kayaking advice as it's not something I've done a lot of.

Good mountain biking and road biking right from Worldmark Canmore.  Happy to answer any other questions. 

Sent from my SM-G955W using Tapatalk


----------



## geist1223 (Aug 5, 2018)

As for Kayaks we mainly go on lakes and on rivers no more than a class 1 rapid. The smoother the river the better.


----------



## nomadio (Aug 6, 2018)

Kayak trip Banff to Canmore would be perfect then.  See section 3 in this link:  Bow Falls to Canmore.

https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/ab/banff/activ/canotage-canoeing/bow


Sent from my SM-G955W using Tapatalk


----------

