BY JANET STEINBERG
Welcome
to Jasper in the Canadian Province of Alberta.
This picturesque town is nestled within Jasper National Park, one of the
largest wilderness areas in North America.
Jasper National Park, the largest of Canada’s mountain parks, has been
designated an United Nations World
Heritage site.
In
the early 1800s, the explorer and mapmaker David Thompson created a way station
for fur traders. This was Jasper’s first
permanent habitation. The 4200-square
mile Jasper National Park was formed in 1907 and, with the arrival of the Grand
Trunk Pacific Railway in 1911, the town of Jasper was formally established.
The
Jasper Park Lodge, a true “Grand Canadian Lodge Experience” was built on 903
acres of pristine forest in Jasper National Park. This village of cozy cedar chalets and
heritage log cabins is situated along the emerald shores of Lac (Lake) Beauvert.
 |
| JASPER PARK LODGE |
The
Jasper Park Lodge had its humble beginnings in 1915 with a few tents on the
shores of Lac Beauvert. Then the new Canadian
National Railway took over the tent camp and opened Jasper Park Lodge in
1922. The Lodge is now an alpine village
comprised of 446 rooms, suites, cabins, and chalets, all connected by
picturesque paths. The rooms are
decorated in casually elegant styles and the main lodge, with its blazing
fireplace, stained-glass lamps, and wood furniture, has a distinct Frank Lloyd
Wright flavor.
The
Lodge is an unforgettable setting for special events. Milligan Manor, named for a golf
superintendent of local renown, is the largest luxury cabin on the property,
Milligan
Manor’s wildlife-themed great room, with its wood-burning fireplace and full
kitchen with private catering entrance, is perfect for special event. The cabin’s eight-bedroom, 9-bath, wing can accommodate
at least 16 family members or guests.
The
Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course, rated the #1 resort golf course in
Canada, is an un-FORE!-gettable golf experience. This 18-hole beauty is marked by wide
fairways carved from abundant forests and holes aligned with spectacular
mountain vistas.
Equally
spectacular is the wide range of dining venues available in the hotel. And, if you just want to laze around in your
cabin and enjoy food or drink with your own private view, you can ring up
Fitzhugh’s Express, a Jasper Park Lodge Deli that delivers food service on a
bike.
Living
close to nature, amid the stunning beauty of the wilderness, it is easy to see
why this superb alpine lodge casts its spell over all who experience its warm
hospitality and distinctive surroundings.
This luxurious retreat, crafted from materials provided by Mother
Nature, blends harmoniously with the towering trees and vividly hued lakes of
this mountain haven. It is a world apart
from the everyday hustle and bustle of city life.
 |
LIVING
CLOSE TO NATURE IN JASPER
|
In
this rugged land, where mountains are cloaked in verdant forests, and each
season is a palette of vivid colors, there are activities and attractions
year-round. Summer fun includes hiking,
rafting, horseback riding, mountain biking, fishing, helicopter sightseeing,
golf, canoeing, swimming and spa-ing.
There
is much more to Jasper’s winter wonderland than skiing. While it is true that the area offers some of
the driest powder, emptiest lift lines, and most spectacular scenery of any ski
resort in the Canadian Rockies, there is much more to do off-slope than on.
Romancing
the snow can be fun snuggled under a Hudson Bay blanket on a horse-drawn sleigh
ride, or holding hands as you ice-skate on Lac Beauvert. Add to this downhill or cross-country skiing
, snowshoeing, ice fishing, heli-skiing, dog sledding, or ice climbing with a
licensed mountaineering guide, and you’ve got yourself quite a winter adventure.
From
Spring through Fall, hop a shuttle from the Jasper Park Lodge for the 29-mile
ride to Maligne Lake. At Maligne Lake
(pronounced Maw-lean), a heated, glass-enclosed tour boat will glide you around
the lake and take you to the world famous Spirit Island.
 |
| MALIGNE LAKE |
Located
in the majestic Maligne Valley, this exquisite lake, that stretches for
14-miles, is the second largest glacier-fed lake in the world. As you pass glacier-studded mountain peaks,
your captain and crew will engage you with their informative narrative about
the history, glaciology, geology, and wildlife of this magnificent valley.
Time
is allowed for passengers to disembark at Spirit Island, a small island formed
by a promontory of land near Samson Narrows.
Since the water level of the lake varies during the year, Spirit “Island”
often becomes a peninsula. A short walk
to the viewpoint allows you to capture this surreal setting for yourself.
 |
| SPIRIT ISLAND |
Approximately
seven-miles Southeast of Jasper is Maligne Canyon, reputed to be one of the
most spectacular gorges in the Canadian Rockies. Sheer limestone walls plunge to depths of
over 165-feet. In the summer you can
hike a trail that winds its way from a picnic area across six bridges where you
can catch the spray from the thundering Maligne River. In winter, hardy adventurers can take a
guided Canyon tour across the floor of the frozen canyon.
Only
ten-minutes from the town of Jasper is the Jasper Tramway that will whisk you
up Whistler’s Mountain to an elevation of 7496-feet. Riding Canada’s longest and highest aerial
tramway into Jasper National Park’s alpine tundra is a captivating
experience. From over 12,970-feet above
sea level, you can gaze over six mountain ranges, glacial-fed lakes, meandering
rivers and the scenic town of Jasper.
The
enchanting hours of early evening shed a magical light on the mountains. It is said to be the most peaceful time to
take the Tramway up Whistler’s mountain where you can dine, in a true alpine
setting, in The Treeline Restaurant.
Miette
Hotsprings, 36-miles east of Jasper are the hottest springs in the Canadian
Rockies. Located in the scenic Fiddle
Valley, these natural springs are cooled from 129-degrees Fahrenheit to a
soothing 102-degrees. The facility
includes two hot pools (one pool is wheelchair accessible), a cool pool, and a
poolside café. Swimsuits, towels, and
lockers are available to rent.
In
the bustling little town of Jasper, Mount Edith Cavell majestically rises
behind the historic train station, where we disembarked from the Rocky
Mountaineer train. The Queen Charlotte
Totem Pole, next to the train station, is one of the tallest totem poles still
in existence.
 |
QUEEN
CHARLOTTE TOTEM POLE
|
Jasper,
and the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, is world class destination. And I must say that getting there…on the
Rocky Mountaineer Railroad…was more than half the fun.
JANET STEINBERG is an award-winning Travel
Writer and a Travel Consultant with THE TRAVEL AUTHORITY in Mariemont, Ohio.
No comments:
Post a Comment