In order to maximize our time away, we booked an early flight out of Toronto, arriving in Calgary at 9:10 AM.  In retrospect, this was probably not such a good idea, since it meant we were fairly tired by the end of the day, but at least we made it a full day!  At least by flying business class, we arrived as refreshed as possible at the end of our flight.

We took a taxi to the car rental office, picked up our car, and headed west toward the mountains.

About an hour outside of Calgary, we stopped for a rest along the Trans-Canada Highway.

Continuing toward Banff National Park, we stopped at a tourist information centre in Canmore for some literature and advice on the local attractions, and got back on the road for the last few miles into Banff.

Before checking into the hotel, we drove around the area a bit so we could get a feel for the layout.

Below is a photo of Nadine looking out over Lake Minnewanka.

We then took a drive through the Banff town site and grabbed a bite to eat for lunch.

After lunch we headed across the river and over to our hotel, the Fairmont Banff Springs.  Upon arrival in our room, we were greeted with the following display.  Apparently Fairmont Presidents Club knows my birthday, and they must have known I like cheesecake!

We had a wonderful room with stunning views overlooking the Bow Valley, with the river and golf course below.  The photos below were taken from our bedroom window.

After a bit of rest, it was time to head out to dinner.  We had reservations at the Castello restaurant, and the food was fabulous.  We had received many glowing recommendations for this place, and they were not exaggerated.

Below is a photo taken along the walk around the front of the hotel on our way to dinner.

Here are some photos of the main hotel lobby.

After dinner, the hotel had a nice fire going on one of the outside patios.  It was a nice way to finish a very tiring first day of our vacation.