By Jill Browne
The small Rocky Mountain town of Banff, about 100 miles west of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, offers any kind of Exile you want, from quiet and contemplative through to exhilarating and extreme. Feel like engaging with the world again? Stay close to the centre of town to enjoy the nightlife – people come here from everywhere and there's always company if you want it. The SaltLik Restaurant is just one of the popular steak places you'll be in the land of excellent beef, so take advantage of it. For the best lounges and bars, follow your ears. This website Tunnel Mountain Resort and wake up to a stunning mountain view.
For sheer indulgence, it has to be the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel http://www.fairmont.com/banffsprings/. Built to impress wealthy visitors in the nineteenth century, she's still the grande dame of the Rockies, a Scottish-style castle of stone and heavy carved wood, staff in Scottish kilts (some of the men, too!), and always an air of glamour.
Even if you can't afford to stay there, Exorcise any stress away with a day at the hotel's spa. Start with a massage and then a flat-out sprawl beside the indoor and outdoor hot pools. Nothing beats floating on your back in the peaceful warm water as the snow falls gently outside. The "cheap and cheerful" alternative is the pool up on Sulphur Mountain at the Upper Hot Springs, naturally heated by mineral springs and open to the public. Totally relaxing and self-indulgent without budgetary guilt. http://www.hotsprings.ca/
You will be inspired to Express yourself at Banff, guaranteed. Head over to the Banff Book and Art Den http://www.banffbooks.com/ for great reading and pick up a new journal for your fresh start. The Banff Centre http://www.banffcentre.ca/ hosts artists, writers, musicians and dancers from near and far throughout the year. Check out their calendar for performances and classes.
Exploring and Exhaling go together here. Not exhaling hard enough? Find a steeper mountain to climb! Parks Canada has a visitor centre on Banff Avenue where you will find all the information you need for summer hiking and winter cross-country skiing, whether it's for an hour or a week. http://www.parkscanada.ca/ White water rafting on the Kicking Horse River will take your breath away if nothing else works! http://www.wildwater.com/
Armchair explorers will love a bus tour up the Icefields Parkway to see glaciers up close and personal, in any season. Or stay warm and cosy in one of Banff's unique museums. Because Banff is in Canada's first national park, there's lots of history right here.
