Banff was probably the stop on our cross-Canada Contiki trip that I was most looking forward to visiting.

It was somewhere I’ve always wanted to visit, but never got around to it. Now I’d be driving through National Parks and seeing iconic Canadian landscapes with other solo travellers.

We left Jasper and the Athabasca Glacier behind, and were scheduled to stop at a few beautiful lakes before driving to our cabins in Banff.

A quick stop to see the turquoise water of Peyto lake from a lookout point, we headed to Lake Louise.

Lake Louise is probably the lake you imagine when you think of Banff. Super blue waters, the Rocky Mountains in the distance.

We had the chance to get off the bus, walk along the lake and take some gorgeous photos.

Summer is peak Lake Louise visiting time, so mid-July meant the lake was super busy. But I still found a quiet-ish spot to sit and enjoy the view.

I really appreciate those moments of solitary peace.

Just me and my thoughts and a beautiful landscape, even if you can hear a lot of chatter in the background. (As long as I don’t feel like I’m in anyone’s way, in these busy tourist situations).

One more stop brought us to a short hike up a hill to this amazing view of another iconic Canadian spot: Moraine Lake.

It was raining when we made this walk, so we took our photos and hiked back down to the bus pretty quickly.

I wish we had more time to sit and enjoy the scenery, but when you’re travelling, sometimes things don’t work out the way you want. Oftentimes the weather won’t cooperate. I’m just glad we got to see Moraine Lake, even if only for a moment.

By the time our bus pulled into Banff, the rain had pretty much stopped. Instead of hotel rooms, the Banff stay was a series of cabins that grouped us into five instead of two – and we got to pick our roommates.

At this point in the trip, I was grateful to have a group of close friends. That group of five fell into place very naturally. No terrifying feelings of being left out of something, like in school when your teacher would say “get into a group of two” when your friend group had three.

*Pizza tower at Bear Street Tavern (July 2022)*

So our five went in the little cabin to pick rooms, and then started our walk back into town for dinner.

We took our tour manager’s suggestion for Bear Street Tavern – he had me at “pizza” — and this was supposed to be good pizza.

I got the Godfather pizza: prosciutto, garlic, arugula… and the table was fitted with sweet and spicy sauces for dipping. It was incredible and really hit the spot after a long day of travelling.

The next day was looking to be long as well, so we got back and called it a night.

Our full day in Banff wasn’t what I expected at all.

Very last minute, we were offered the opportunity to take a bus to Canmore (just outside of Banff) to learn a bit about hockey and then get the equipment on and try to take some shots on the net.

I’m Canadian. Of course I wanted the chance to put on all the hockey gear and skate around a rink. It was so much fun to get those skates on and putter my way around the ice rink.

I am by no means a great skater. I’m not even a good or decent skater. But it was immediately clear that no one else had been raised in Canada, going skating as a kid or watching hockey on Saturday nights. Because at least I was puttering around the rink without holding onto supports.

*Ramen and cider at Shoku Izakaya (July 2022)*

The plan for the afternoon was to get on a Banff bus and go to the hot springs we were told about.

But things change. The bus barely moved down the street. The heat was unbearable. It was getting hard to stand on the packed bus. So at the next stop, I had to get off. The friends I was with followed close behind, and we decided to go grab a bite to eat.

That’s when I started to feel it: I missed home. I missed alone time. I missed just sitting with my thoughts and scrolling on my phone. I craved some normalcy.

So I left my friends behind and found a ramen spot: Shoku Izakaya. I sat at the bar with a bowl of ramen and a cider, and enjoyed the summer air breezing through the restaurant's open windows.

My time alone that afternoon left me feeling recharged and ready for a night with the Contiki group. So I followed Sophie and our pals to the Hotel’s Storm Cellar bar, where they had set up karaoke.

It was nice to have a fun night with the group. We sat and chatted with some new friends for a while, and watched our Contiki mates sing their drunken hearts out, before heading back to our rooms.

*Views from the top of the Banff Gondola (July 2022)*

Waking up the next morning, we knew it would be a long, long drive to our next destination. We’d be driving all day until we hit a stop in Vernon, BC. Then have a sleep there before continuing the drive to Vancouver – our final stop.