|
|
There are a few options, mostly in Lake Louise’s hotels,
for unwinding after a day on the slopes. The Caribou Lounge features
dark timbers, hardwood floors, and stained glass pendants. A semi-circular
oak bar, well stocked to dispense your favorite cocktail, dominates
one end of the room. The extensive wine library offers red, white,
and sparkling vintages from around the world (France, Canada, Australia,
Spain, Chile, New Zealand, Germany, Italy, and the States). The
lounge handles lunch traffic and light fare and makes an ideal spot
for soothing, après-ski beverages. Connected to the bar area,
there's also a fireplace lounge that crackles with warmth.
For a more upscale experience, stop at the Chateau Lake Louise.
A small lounge, adorned with tapestries and graceful palms, is situated
just down the hall from the hotel's main lobby. Lolling in comfortable
upholstered chairs set around low tables, patrons take in the stunning
view of Lake Louise through a grand, arched window. Day and night,
the lounge is a magnet for relaxation, constantly full of guests
nursing drinks as they watch the hotel's foot traffic pass by. The
full bar can accommodate any request, and a light menu provides
options to sate the appetite.
^ Top
Like après-ski, most of the dining-out options are in Lake
Louise’s hotels.
In the Chateau Lake Louise, there is the Fairview Dining Room,
multi-tiered and looking out over the turquoise waters of the lake.
Romantic and elegant, it is widely considered to deliver the Chateau's
premiere culinary experience. The menu has a decidedly Canadian
flair, offering such dishes as beef tenderloin, Alberta rack of
lamb, venison, and Rocky Mountain pot au feu. Sea bass, Arctic char,
chicken breast, and a vegetarian entrée are the non-viande
selections.
The Post Hotel’s dining room offers a culinary experience
that is hard to top in North America. The ever-changing menu offers
such delicacies as Brome Lake duck consommé, braised lamb
shank ravioli and roasted Manitoba rabbit loin.
The Emerald Lake Lodge Dining Room at Emerald Lake Lodge (25 miles
from Lake Louise) is rustically beautiful and serves up delicious
Rocky Mountain cuisine. The chef fuses Victorian and alpine culinary
traditions with local game and produce. It also affords breathtaking
views of the surrounding landscape.
Every Tuesday & Friday evening at the mid-mountain Whitehorn
Lodge at the Lake Louise Ski Area the Torchlight Dinner takes place.
The event includes hot apres-ski appetizers, a full buffet, live
entertainment and a guided torchlight ski down the mountain. The
fun starts right after skiing and runs through until 8 p.m.
^ Top
Constantly busy due to its extensive hours and efficient staff,
the Chateau Deli in the Chateau Lake Louise offers counter service
to speed hungry diners along. A grouping of tables accommodates
ambitious patrons, while other folks munch in the hallway or take
their spoils outside. Gourmet sandwiches, soups, salads, and snacks
comprise the bulk of the menu, along with chicken pies, steak pies,
and an assortment of muffins, danishes, and sweets.
Laggan’s Mountain Bakery and Deli has been serving visitors
since 1987 and has become a favorite meeting spot for hikers, climbers,
skiers, mountain bikers, road cyclists, travelers and locals. Open
seven days a week, Laggan’s specialty is homemade bread. If
you want good 100% whole wheat, chewy rye bread, nutty flavored
multi-grain or sunflower seed studded frontier bread, then Laggan’s
will send you away happy. Since capacity is only 30 people, many
take their treats to go rather than linger as they would at a European
Café. But Laggan’s backs onto the Pipestone River,
so visitors can take their cappuccino and sandwich and sit on the
river bank and wonder at the beauty of Banff National Park.
^ Top
While the nightlife is hardly “raging,” there are a
few options for nightlife in the Lake Louise area.
The Explorer’s Lounge in the Lake Louise Inn is a comfortable,
stylish lounge boasting a stone fireplace and collections of camping
and mountaineering memorabilia. Expansive and warm, it offers upholstered
furniture, along with lots of table and bar seating. Music from
the '70s plays in the background, and TVs are tuned to whatever's
most interesting. The bartenders mix and serve drinks of all sorts,
and a menu of salads, appetizers, burgers, and sandwiches is available
until 9:30pm. After that, you can get desserts and appetizers until
midnight. On Tuesdays, locals come out for karaoke, and drink specials
make an appearance every night. A popular venue summer and winter.
The Glacier Saloon is the Chateau Lake Louise's watering hole.
Dim and atmospheric, this establishment surrounds you with paisley
walls and dark, nubby fabrics. Carved wood balustrades divide the
space, which also features brass accents and an enormous bar. Patrons
often come here to warm up after a furious day of skiing or to wind
down with a cocktail before heading off to bed. Light food is available,
and there are smoking and non-smoking sections. Depending on your
mood and the lounge's, there's also opportunity for pool-playing,
dancing, and live music.
For a more down-to-earth bar with local flavor, stop by the Lake
Louise Bar and Grill. If you're the kind of person who prefers things
simple and enjoys character more than creature comforts, this bar
is for you. Simple furnishings and a view of the mall parking lot
distinguish the place, which is populated primarily by locals. The
large bar provides a focal point for the space, and TVs play constantly
to the patrons. Video games and pool tables are also available for
free moments or friendly wagers. News in the little village spreads
quickly, so this is also a good source for insider information -
that and a cold beer.
^ Top
There are no movie theatres in Lake Louise, but in Banff, Lux Cinema
has four movie theatres showing the latest first-run features.
^ Top
There are no performing arts groups specific to the Lake Louise
area. The cultural heart of Banff and the Canadian Rockies is the
"Banff Centre". The Centre presents year-round performances
and exhibitions, concerts, and events in the visual and performing
arts. For over 60 years the Banff Centre for the Arts has been a
major training centre for musicians, artists and writers.
^ Top
Visitors can take guided Air Tours of the Columbia Icefield and
Canadian Rockies. Sightseeing companies provide headsets for an
informative commentary during your flight and an unobstructed window
seat for each passenger. Visit the Purcell and Sellkirk Mountains,
which run parallel to the Canadian Rockies, but are farther west.
They are part of the larger Columbia Mountain group. Tours offer
tremendous variety from the jagged granite spires to the large glaciated
mountains and ancient rainforest of Glacier National Park. Numerous
alpine lakes and waterfalls can also be viewed. From the highways
you typically only see the edge of the icefield, often as little
as five percent of its total area. Ski-plane can place you on the
surface in the middle of the icefield where you can appreciate its
immense size.
Speaking of roads, one shouldn’t visit Lake Louise without
taking a spin on the Icefields Parkway. A sign at the beginning
of the road calls it “The Most Beautiful Road in the World.”
After a few minutes of taking in the massive peaks covered with
impressive glaciers, it’s difficult to argue with that claim.
^ Top
|
|
Races Coming Soon! Book NOW!
|
