Canadian Thanksgiving falls on the 2nd Monday of October, giving us ample time to digest the Turkey before Christmas. As mentioned in my Christmas Post we often celebrate the big food holidays at restaurants in Banff. You can't say you don't know the Banff Food scene if you've never dined in the Fairmont, so we had to try it out.
The Vermillion Room isn't the most pricey restaurant in town but the Banff Springs Hotel is the most expensive place to stay. It's sort of strange I don't have a photo of this grand hotel to share with you but as you know we prefer taking photos of nature. We ordered the Three Course Thanksgiving Special, it was around 65 per person and did not come with the wine.
The first course was a squash soup, very traditional and great as far as squash soups are concerned. We were watching people gather for a wedding celebration on the hotel terrace, which has an amazing view of the golf course and Bow Valley. It's above the Waldhaus I posted about the other day. This hotel would be one of the most sought after wedding locations in Alberta, with the Chateau Lake Louise, another Fairmont Hotel coming in second.
The main was roasted turkey breast with a cube of stuffing and some brussel sprouts. It was cooked well, but we weren't very impressed. It's just not worth paying this, plus tax, plus tip when you can cook a massive turkey, with all the fixings for far less. They tried making it fancy and did an alright job but Thanksgiving is all about stuffing your face and having to undo a few notches on the belt. We will go somewhere less classy for that next time.
I don't even remember what dessert was, they may have provided a choice but it wasn't particularly memorable. While we will try dinner at the Fairmont again, it won't be for Thanksgiving. The drive out to Banff during the fall season is still well worth it and you don't have to order the Thanksgiving special.
This is Two Jack Lake which is across the highway from Banff just out of town. It's always worth driving around the loop past Lake Minnewanka when you go to Banff. The colours are particularly beautiful in Autumn and we often see animals.
Below is a photo of the waterfall and rapids between the Fairmont Hotel and Banff. We decided to walk up an appetite before our Thanksgivings feast and this short trail along the river was perfect for that.
The town of Banff is hidden behind those cliffs to the left. There aren't any tall buildings in Banff, with the tallest probably being the Banff Springs hotel. There are restrictions in Banff to keep its charm, this is almost in the middle of the town.
Hope you enjoyed your holiday feasts- we had fondue during New Year's Eve and avoided Banff last night. Now it's time to shed a few calories for the 2024 hiking season. Thanks for reading.
