6/22/22

I'm conflicted on towns like Banff. Whether it's mountain towns, beach towns, or artsy towns hidden out in the country, they stir a lot of conflicting feelings in me. They're certainly beautiful and if given an opportunity, I would love to live in one of these towns for the summer or winter or even a year. But because they so cater to tourists, there's something very commercialized about these towns. They're almost like a part of Disney World or a theme park. All the tourists (myself included) go to this famous spot for their special food or drink or whatever, making that spot super crowded and their prices exuberant. It seems so inflated and manufactured. You can tell that some of the storekeepers don't care much for the tourists but that's also how they make their living. Perhaps I'm not the only one that is conflicted. But given my quibbles, I would still live there for a short period.

Ken had earlier told me that I can find a Canadian food called the Beaver Tail here in town. I did find the shop and the Beaver Tail was delicious. I sent him this photo:

He asked, "What the hell did you put on your beaver tail???" I replied, "Apple pie! I Americanized that shit!"

I also rode down to Canmore, a town just 25 mins south of Banff for a fancy dinner at a golf resort. I walked in with my motorcycle gear and got a table by myself. The other patrons must have thought I was some weird dot com millionaire. I splurged on an elk tomahawk steak with local B.C. morel mushrooms and a glass of wine.

Elk was also delicious. After dinner, I rode two hours back to Radium Hot Springs on BC-93 where I saw four bears. It was a great day. Next day is Jasper on the Icefields Parkway.

PS - I forgot to add that the Lake Minnewanka Scenic Road in Banff is absolutely amazing! Just a short 20 min loop but the view of Lake Minnewanka is gorgeous and hardly any traffic unlike Lake Louise or Moraine Lake. An absolute must if you're in Banff!