We would be fine with our kids joining if they hey are available, or just the two of us if not. H is leaning toward Banff and Lake Louise at this moment, as we’ve never been and have only heard great things about it.
^^ I think you will LOVE it!
Banff would be a nice choice, either summer or winter!
Our 35th will be next year, getting ideas, although D & her BF may be living abroad and we’d like to go visit, especially if it is Japan, as H has always been very interested.
We never had a honeymoon, and I have been thinking about a commitment ceremony and party, for all the friends and relatives that we’ve acquired over the last 35 yrs!
You can’t go wrong w Banff & Lake Lousie.
My only regret about visiting Banff was being there on business. Our conference was in the Banff Springs Hotel. It’s a majestic Scottish castle. Our meeting was in a ballroom w breathtaking panoramic views of the mountains. Then some sadist drew all the drapes and made us watch Powerpoint slides all day until it got dark and the view was gone.
That is the worst! I hate when that happens!! I often go to meetings in conference rooms with the most beautiful stunning views and every single time – same thing! Blinds drawn! View blocked!
We already had a huge wedding and reception in 1986, so we have that WELL covered. It would be difficult to watch slides with a fabulous view in the background, or competing. I have heard Banff is like Yellowstone, only lovelier in some ways. I have always wanted to visit it.
I guess, for US, seeing lovely mountains and outdoors is beckoning whereas for folks that are far from an ocean or body of water, islands and water is beckoning. Sadly, neither H nor I do much in the ocean or water and we don’t particularly enjoy being in the sun. We NEVER sunbathe.
Nowadays, when I schedule trips, I always try to include at least some time for leisure. I hate going to lovely places and only seeing the inside of conference rooms, so I always make a point of scheduling a bit of extra time so we can see SOMETHING that I like and want to see. It has worked nicely, especially now that H is retired and not fretting about the work piling on his desk in his absence (now, it’s just all the incomplete projects around the house beckoning).
I snuck out early from the Banff meeting one afternoon to go skiing, and ended up falling and whacking my leg w a flailing ski. Nasty bruise. I tried hard not to limp when I returned to the meeting the next morning. :-"
I try to schedule some time before the meeting to get used to the time zones–usually 3 to 6 hours different. I also try to schedule some time after the meeting to decompress. It makes me feel MUCH happier and less like the meetings are CHORES. H & I have enjoyed many meetings since we started adding in fun time.
YMMV.
There are many great places to stay near Banff and Lake Louise. If you are looking for a little smaller than the big name place, check out Morraine Lake Lodge and Emerald Lake Lodge. Plus in downtown Banff there are several places. We stayed at the Rimrock once and had amazing views. Hiking there is spectacular, you can visit a glacier if you are interested, and You could consider doing a train trip or a visit to Jasper also.
Yes, the Rimrock in Banff was fabulous! Be sure to Stay at the Hotel Lake Louise on the next leg of your journey, and take the long hike around the lake. Then onward to Jasper!
I’m jealous! I wanna go back!
One of SisIL’s SisILs LOVES Banff and Lake Louise, & has been there many, many times. I may have to figure out when and how to chat with her (maybe over lunch) to find out more about the area. My SisIL has a sister who also loves Japan and has been there many, many times. I may have lunch with her and SIL to find out more, as we will get to Japan one of these days.
Fantastic choice. Plan to stay at least a couple of nights at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. The lake view rooms are to die for.
For our 30th anniversary I wanted to do something that I would remember, so that in years forward I could say, “This is what we did for 30.” A fancy dinner out probably wouldn’t cut it, but I wasn’t up for a big trip at that moment. Friends seemed to prefer trips to the wine country, either in Napa (we are on the east coast) or in France or Italy, and as I said, I just wasn’t up for a big trip. My brilliant compromise was a road-trip just over 1 hour north to one of North Carolina’s best vineyards! We had dinner at their very fine onsite restaurant and spent one night at their luxurious winery hotel, aka Hampton Inn ! It was a truly great and memorable 30th anniversary weekend! (For anniversary #31 we had dinner at “131 Main.” I will remember that one too! I have no idea what we did for #25.)
For #25, we ate a nice dinner at the Brown Hotel in Denver, when we were there for a conference. The waiters serenaded us and gave us a complimentary dessert and long-stemmed rose. We were there for a conference and I spoke briefly as a panel member. We also had a nice dinner at a great restaurant in Honolulu as well (on the actual date). We will be in Denver again this month and may have another dinner at that lovely restaurant.
New Zealand or Ireland. May or September are wonderful times for both. NZ airfare would probably somewhat cheaper for you.
We tend to do our own itinerary and book a one- or two-day tour to get to a hard-to-reach location or some place that would really benefit from having a local guide.
I would like to get to both places but am not sure --what year. For 2016, H wants Banff and Lake Louise, so we will likely go there.
So how far is Banff from Lake Louise. The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise looks amazing, is the snow in the pictures taken in the summer?
I thought/think they’re in the same “general” region, but will have to check. Both are supposed to be near the Calgary airport.
Another Canadian option would be to visit Montreal and Quebec City… gives you a little taste of Europe in North America.
@HImom, u probably know this already, but make sure to inform hotel it’s your 30th. Likely, they’ll “take care” of u. 