Looking for something to do during the holiday season? Banff is always a great place to spend some time. Whether you are going just for a day or have longer to spend, there is always lots to see and do. My kids used to love stopping to see the hoodoos, riding up the gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain and, of course, spending time on Banff Avenue visiting the candy store.

We all think of Banff for downhill skiing, but do we also think of dog-sledding and horse-drawn sleigh rides? The Hot Springs are open year round as is the Sulphur Mountain Gondola. Just imagine the snowy vistas you can see from the top of the mountain!!

If you prefer indoor activities, you can visit some of the museums such as the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, the Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum or the Banff Park Museum National Historic Site of Canada.

There are lots of activities both indoor and outdoor that are free of charge. Think of ice skating outdoors in the middle of the mountains, tobogganing and sledding or cross-country skiing. One of my favorite activities is a stroll through the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.

You can make the most of your visit by checking out some of these great books at Calgary Public Libray before you go. Find some hidden corners that you haven't discovered before.

My Favourite Restaurants: Calgary, Banff and Beyond (2009) by John Gilchrist. Calgary’s very own John Gilchrist has again shared his opinions on the best places to dine.

The Town of Banff has a comprehensive website with information on things to see and do.

As well, Banff National Park has a website with information on activities, natural wonders and public safety.

There is also a Banff Lake Louise website with more information on things to see and do.

Happy Holidays!!

Looking for some locally made Christmas gifts, something a little different? Perhaps you would like to get out of the city for the day and miss the craziness at the malls. Calgary has several great places located north of the city which feature lovely woolen products. Travel north towards Carstairs and follow the signs.

The Rockies from Carstairs

PaSu Farm ia a working sheep farm and has a great boutique and restaurant. Shop in their boutique which sells a range of moccasins, fine wool fashions, sheepskin coats, hides, blankets and other products, made locally and from around the world. You can then enjoy a meal in their restaurant, with a view of the Rockies on a sunny day. The farm is located north of Calgary a short distance west of Queen Elizabeth Highway, off Secondary Highway 580, with lots of signs to lead you there.

As Joyce Donaldson-Yarmey suggests in her book, Back Roads of Southern Alberta, think about alternatives to Highway #2 and take Highway 2A or some of the other back routes. This is a great way to see more interesting countryside. Check out titles such as these at Calgary Public Library to find out about the roads less travelled in southern Alberta:

Day Trips From Calgary by Bill Corbett

Country Roads of Alberta by Liz Bryan

Of course, you can also borrow maps from the library as well, such as the Calgary and Southern Alberta Street Guide (2009).

Custom Woolen Mills is another great place to visit and shop. They produce woolen and exotic fiber products, such as carded wools, rovings, spinning balls, batts, wool yarns, knitting kits, socks, comforters, mattress pads and hand-woven blankets. Not only are the products produced on-site, but this is a working museum, using industrial revolution machinery. Take time to do the self-guided tour. According to their web site, they are only open 9:00 - 3:00, Monday to Friday. Go north on Highway 2, turn east at Highway 582 and follow the signs.

Looking for a great winter staycation. Why not visit Jasper in all its snowy glory?

I visited Jasper on the long weekend in September for the first time in many years and was blown away by the beautiful drive up the Icefields Parkway. It must be that much more beautiul now with the snow on the mountains.

Think about downhill skiing at the Marmot Ski Resort, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, ice skating on a frozen lake, winter hiking and even dog sledding. There's lots to see and do, including Maligne Canyon, beautiful in summer and winter.

To find out about visiting Jasper in the winter, visit Calgary Public Library and check out some of our great guidebook.

Frommer's British Columibia and the Canadian Rockies is also available as an eBook.

We also have a DVD, Jasper National Park: 360 Degrees of Inspiration which has beautiful footage of the park, its people and its spectacular landscapes.

The Maligne Canyon ice walk offers a chance to see frozen waterfalls and fanciful ice formations. The Jasper tourism site lists the tour companies which will guide you through this frozen wonderland.

Jasper in January is the annual winter festival, taking place from January 14 - 30, 2011. There are many fun activities, including the Annual Polar Bear Dip at Lake Edith.

Jasper, a winter paradise!!

Are you suffering from the listless limbo that comes at this time of year, when your summer vacation is a fading memory and your winter getaway a distant dream? Then I have just the cure for you. It’s time to become an extreme armchair traveller at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival.

Now in its 35th year, the Banff Centre hosts an annual nine-day-long celebration of the world’s best films and books on mountain culture, adventure, exploration, environment, climbing and other sports. This huge array of topics ensures there will be something to suit everyone’s tastes.

Films range from five minute shorts to feature length epics. Some showcase the most extreme examples of skiing, boarding, climbing, biking and kayaking you will ever see, while others focus more closely on the passionate characters who pursue these adventures. There are films that document scientific research, environmental issues, and disappearing cultures in remote corners of the world, films on plants and animals in wild places, and films about the survivors and victims of mountain calamities. You’ll be amazed by the jaw-dropping scenery, cinematography, and creativity as you are whisked around the world.

If the vicarious adrenaline rush hasn’t left you lying exhausted in your armchair, you can stagger through the mountain photography exhibits and the art and craft sale, or try out the climbing wall. You could take in a Parks Canada presentation about the reintroduction of caribou and bison in Banff National Park, or listen to a panel discussion about travellers who return to help reform the places they’ve visited. If you have aspirations to be featured yourself someday at the Banff Mountain Festival, you could attend a workshop on how to become a star in the extreme sport film industry, or how to use social media or satellite dispatches to tell your own adventure story to the world.

You also have the opportunity to schmooze and sip wine with the writers while you get your books signed, and to hear award-winning authors from around the world speak at the festival. One of the highlights this year is former climber and humanitarian Greg Mortenson of “Three Cups of Tea” and “Stones into Schools” fame. Good luck getting tickets for that event!

If you feel like splurging while you’re there, I recommend dinner or drinks at the Three Ravens Restaurant & Wine Bar. Perched atop the Sally Borden Building on the Banff Centre campus, the floor to ceiling windows offer almost 360 degree panoramic views of the mountains. A great place to dream about your next trip!

Hopefully, all these extreme armchair travel adventures will inspire you to choose new destinations or activities for your next vacation, embolden you to take your adventures up a notch, or at least encourage you to get off the couch and go for walk!

This years’ festival runs until Sunday November 7.

Visit www.banffcentre.ca/mountainfestival/ for more information.

Check out these library DVDs of previous Banff Mountain Film Festival entries:

Asiemut

Finding Farley

Return2sender

Touching the Void

Atanarjuat

The Sharp End

First Ascent

Some of the 2010 Banff Mountain Book Festival finalists:

Previous Banff Mountain Book Festival Grand Prize winners: