R O A D T R I P
was drivingwas a deceptively powerful car,
withall theprerequisitesofagreat road-trip
vehicle (speed, legroom, comfortable seats,
andaboomingsoundsystem), thereseemed
tobenopoint inhurrying.
From the airport, we drove just 40
miles that first day, spending the night at
Falkridge, a wondrous corporate retreat.
The purposewas todecompress after a day
of air travel so that we could start fresh in
the morning. Falkridge perches on a for-
estedhilltop, facingwest, toward theRock-
ies.Ourbedroom featuredpicturewindows
that let in the setting sun, and dinner was
served in a small gazebo. Atop the gazebo
was a lookout tower that offered a 360-de-
gree view of the spectacular and undevel-
oped countryside and fromwhichwe gazed
outacross the longwildernessvalley leading
to themountains. The setting sun rendered
the granite peaks a slowly changing palette
of purpleandpinkandmauve.
Thingsdidn’tgetawhole lotmoreaggres-
sive thenextmorning,whenwedrovealong
theTrans-Canada toBanff. Again themile-
age was short, just 120miles. We stopped
at theCochraneRancheProvincialHistoric
Site, whichmarks the location of Alberta’s
first ranch, established in 1881. Normally, I
wouldneverhave taken the time to seekout
aplace likeFalkridgeor toveeroff thehigh-
way and wander through the ruins of an
ill-fated ranch. But those two simple expe-
riences added inestimably to the trip. They
sparked conversation. That all-important
road-trip bond between those in the car
was strengthened. Calene and I were not
just powering across Canada, gazing out
thewindow andpulling over now and then
to ogle something spectacular — we were
investing ourselves in the landscape and
the culture.Wewere investing ourselves in
the journey, in away thatmerely opening a
map and aiming the car down the highway
could never accomplish. All it took was a
personalmandate tomake the journey, not
the destination, the road trip’s focal point
—as it shouldbe.
PLANOUTDOORTIME
My idea of outdoor time during a road trip
normally revolvesaroundgas stopsand rest
stops. Preferably, they are the same thing.
But on the most mythic road trips, you
need to build time into each drive for play.
(Think, for instance,of
OntheRoad
.)Which
iswhy, over lunch, we perused a list of out-
door activities inBanff. Banff is a ski town
in the winter and a tourist attraction all
year, thanks to its artsyandwelcoming feel.
Its annual film festival is world renowned.
The BowRiver, which is a deep blue color
due toapreponderanceofglacialflour, runs
through town, adding the tranquil vibe that
accompanies runningwater.
When Calene and I visited Banff on our
honeymoon, itseemedthattheonlyoutdoor
activity was hiking. But this time, we soon
discoveredamountaintopgondola ride, hot
springs,white-water rafting,mountainbik-
ing, a national historic site, shopping, and
just plain people-watching. We opted to
rent mountain bikes, and we spent a few
hours bumping through the forest single
file, keeping a sharp eye out for grizzly
bears. Hey, the journey thus far had been
one surprise after the other, so we wanted
to be prepared. By the time we got back in
the car andwereheadeddown thehighway,
I foundmyself wondering and anticipating
what lay ahead rather than staring at the
map and dreading the miles between our
current location and our hotel. All these
years, I’d thought I knewhow to road-trip,
only to learn I’dbeendoing it allwrong.
AVOIDTHEKNOWN
Thehotel for our secondnightwas the rug-
ged Simpson’s Num-Ti-Jah Lodge, on the
shores of mighty Bow Lake. It is an hour
andahalfnorthwest ofBanff and 100years
back in time.WhenJimmySimpson, a red-
hairedmountainman, first camped at this
location in 1898, he thought it the most
beautiful spot in the world and vowed to
“builda shack” there someday. Simpsondid
better than that. By the time it was com-
pleted in 1950, his lodge featured a stone-
and-logconstructionand25veryutilitarian
guest rooms.Caleneand I slept ina spartan
room that offered a view of the glimmering
lake. Lookingoutside thewindow,we could
see thepawofanenormousglacierdangling
from thecliffs ringing the frigidwaters.The
food in the Elkhorn Dining Room, where
moose and elk heads weremounted on the
walls,wasnothingbutgourmet.Entrées in-
cluded fine Alberta beef and local venison,
and the broad wine list featured vintages
fromaround theworld.
But the lodge’s greatest allurewas its iso-
lation.Therewasnot aphoneoraTV in the
CelebratedWeekends
, byMark
Seal, takes readers to thebest
cities in theworldwith the top
celebrities ofmovies, television,
andmusic as their guides.
Over 60 celebrities, including
OrlandoBloom, JodieFoster,
AnthonyHopkins, and Jackie
Chan, share their favoritehome-
town restaurants, hot spots,
shopping,hotels, cultural events,
entertainment, and attractions.
MarkSeal is an
AmericanWay
contributing editor.Hiswork
has also appeared in
VanityFair,
Rolling Stone
, and
Time
.
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