Banff National Park--Unbelievable Jewel of the Canadian Rockies

What kid doesn't want to sleep in an authentic Blackfoot Tipi?

The carful of kids stir as the light falls in from the top of our tipi in Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, we have lots of plans for today but I can't think about that right now. All I'm thinking about is the deflated air mattress that I'm laying on right now.

We all have those nights when the sleeping is interrupted and shallow, those nights that sunrise can't happen fast enough. The best thing you can do is get up, shake it off and have a cup of coffee.

The view from my sleeping bag, the sleeping could have been better but it's definitely something we'll remember for a while.

My best friend and traveling companion and I climb out of our sleeping bags and start on breakfast. The smell of food lures the carful of kids from their sleeping bags and we look up to find them poking their heads out of the tipi.

After we have the camping gear loaded back in the SUV we decide to venture around the camp ground to explore a mountain brook that runs next to it. The carful of kids hike through the cover of fir trees, traipse down the embankment, across the banks full of tumbled river rocks to the shallow, pristine mountain brook.

At the Crandell Mountain Campground, close to town but feels miles away.

The girls decide the water looks too inviting so we stick our feet in, good thing we wore our water shoes. The boys stay on the bank skipping rocks since they didn't put on their water shoes this morning like I asked.

The mountain water in Canada is refreshing and after a bit it really starts to tingle the feet. So revitalizing, it wakes us up more than the coffee. We squeal happily and splash through the brook until Melissa blurts out, "I see movement."

Well you don't have to tell me twice--I grab a couple of boys by the backs of their shirts, who have more mouth than sense, drag them across the tumbled river rock, push them up the embankment and through the cover of fir trees. When we reach safety, I turn around hoping to see my daughter and best friend behind me and not a man-eating wolverine.

The boys are ready to defend us with rocks and pebbles and have a hard time walking back to the safety of the campsite--I guess it goes against the boy code of honor. When we reach the safety of the picnic table, my best friend and daughter tell us they saw momma bear sticking her snout through the brush on the opposite side of the bank to investigate all the noise.

At this point I have to throw the boys in the SUV because they want to go bear tracking. I might be a fierce Mamma on occasion to defend my carful of kids but I am no match to a mamma bear defending her cubs. A close encounter for sure and the carful of kids talk about it for the rest of the day.

I take this as our cue to load up and drive north to Banff National Park, 230 miles away, which takes us about four hours to drive. Once we get on Alberta Highway 2, we take the opportunity to refuel with a quick stop for gas, groceries and Tim Horton's, Canadian's Dunkin' Donuts. Refueled we head through Calgary and make it to our destination for the next couple of days, Banff National Park.

Banff is the town that lies within the boundaries of Parks Canada's Banff National Park; it has hotels, restaurants, museums and tons of shopping. I find it a bit touristy and it's always crowded, especially the main road, Banff Avenue.

The Carful of Kids sit for a moment after climbing all over Cascade Gardens in Banff.

We find a place to park right over the Bow River Bridge along Birch Avenue, the carful of kids will be walking around town for the next few hours so I find a central location. Our first stop is Cascade Gardens ( 101 Mountain Avenue behind the Parks Canada Administration Building, open from dawn to dusk, Free ) to admire all the plants we can't grow in Central Texas.

Since my best friend and I love flowers and gardens they live in, we have to walk through this one. Public gardens are great for kids as long as you let them run around and the big girls talk flowers among ourselves.

While walking down Banff Avenue, we find the UNESCO's World Heritage Plague for the Canadian National Parks of Banff, Jasper, Kootenay and Yoho.

We walk over Bow River Bridge to the Banff Park Museum, a National Historic Site ( 91 Banff Avenue, open 10 a.m to 5 p.m., Admission $ 3.90 CAN/Adults, $ 1.90 CAN/Youth ) Built in 1903, it's an great example of decorative cross-log construction and it's full of mounted specimens from Banff National Park so kids can see the animals that are hard to spot in the wild.

We need some crepes!

We walk down Banff Avenue souvenir shopping when we stumble upon Skoki's for crepes and frozen yogurt ( 109 Banff Avenue, open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.). YUM, a couple of my favorites; after refueling, we wander down to the Banff Visitors Center ( 224 Banff Avenue, open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.) for more local information.

Time to change gears and experience some nature, I find the Bow Falls Trail across from Bow River Bridge that takes the carful of kids to Bow Falls. It's a paved path that is .75 miles long with a 32-foot elevation gain, a great way for the kids to let loose and run.

At the Bow Falls, the carful of kids run along the path to use up some energy.

The carful of kids marvel at the power of Bow Falls before finding the path that leads to the Banff Springs Hotel. No trip through Banff is complete without walking through its elegant lobby.

The Banff Springs Hotel is the jewel of Banff; it was built by the Canadian-Pacific Railway in 1888 and part of the grand railway hotels of Canada like the Prince of Wales Hotel and Chateau Frontenac. It is an example of the Scottish Baronial Style with 764 rooms on 15 floors, it's a beautiful property.

The Banff Springs Hotel, this is where I like to stay without a carful of kids.

After we walk through the public areas of the Banff Springs Hotel, the carful of kids are ready to check out the campsite. I have reserved one of Parks Canada oTENTiks, a cross between a rustic cabin and a tent.

The carful of kids first stayed at Parks Canada oTENTiks last summer at La Mauricie National Park in Quebec. The carful of kids love them so I reserved them for our entire tour of the Canadian Rockies.

Each oTENTik can sleep six but only one can sleep on top.

The Two Jack Lakeside Campground is a quick seven mile drive from the center of Banff but it's a world away from the tour buses and crowds. The Two Jack Lakeside Campground is on the shore of Two Jack Lake which is attached to Lake Minnewanka.

Each oTENTik is structurally the same and is equipped with an outdoor picnic table. Inside, you will find a table with four chairs and platform sleeping area equipped with foam mattresses--you can sleep six and the carful of kids throw their sleeping bags and pillows on top. There are some differences from park to park, like some have electricity and some don't, so check the Parks Canada website.

We are camping in Bear Country so everything has to be stored in the bear box on-site.

The oTENTiks ( $120/CAN per night, no minimum stay required, no cleaning deposit) are in high demand and can be reserved starting in January through the Parks Canada website.

The oTENTiks of Two Jack Lakeside Campground are mixed in with the regular tent sites and this campground is tight. The restrooms have showers with hot water and there is a utility sink with hot water outside that you can do dishes.

Does it get more beautiful than this?

Since there's plenty of daylight after dinner, the carful of kids walk down to Two Jack Lake that is steps away from our site. We spend the rest of the evening skipping rocks and enjoying the majestic beauty of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

Know before you go: Crandell Mountain Campground has flush toilets with sinks but no showers. You can take a shower at the Parks Canada Townsite Campground in Waterton Park.

The sites at Crandell Mountain are well equipped with a picnic table, a bear box and fire ring. There's evening ranger activities during the summer that are great for kids. There isn't a dishwashing station, you have to wash your cooking gear in cold water at a spigot.

The tipi was great for the kids but you need to pack a tent liner to ensure that your air mattresses doesn't get punctured during the night. This campground is more secluded than the campground in town yet still close to the conveniences of town.

Up Next: Another Day in Banff National Park