Sunday, August 22, 2010

Oh Canada!

Baff might just have to be my new favorite place in Canada! Set in the heart of the Canadian Rockies in the province of Alberta, Banff is not only a perfect place for outdoor adventures, it also has an irresistible historic small town charm.

We were lucky to be able to spend a long weekend in Banff celebrating the wedding of our good friends, Andy and Jessica. We stayed at the famous Fairmont Banff Springs, and it was one of a kind experience. The majestic hotel was styled after a Scottish Baronial Castle and was first built in 1887. Actually, some of the interior actually reminds us of the hotel in the movie, "The Shinning"!

We arrived on Thursday with a group of friends. Thursday night was a fun get-together at the St. James Gate Irish Pub hosted by the bride and groom's families. Friday was the white water rafting trip! It was my first time white water rafting, and I was mortified at the beginning! I'm so glad that I did it though. We did a 2-hour upper canyon rafting through up to class 4+ rapids, finishing 20km downstream. Jeff was in heaven, as he really enjoyed rafting! He actually did class 5 in California several years ago.

The outdoor wedding ceremony on Saturday was beautiful. Andy got everyone teary-eyed when he choked up seeing his bride, Jessica, walking down the isle! It was an intimate wedding with about 60 family and close friends. The reception was at a smaller ball room in the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. The dance floor got crowded from the very beginning till the very last song! We had an unbelievable time, and it was one of the best trips we've taken this year so far.

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