Can't do any hiking, so taking the gondola to the top of a mountain seemed a great way to see the overall area. I made a reservation the night before and was able to drive to a free parking area near the train station, park my motorhome, and then take a shuttle to the gondola area, which is slightly outside of town.
I had been told that there was "lots" of parking near the train station, especially for RVs, however, as I drove past the RV parking lot, I noticed only one spot was available, the one in the very front. So, I circled around the block and pulled in. It was a bit tricky to parallel park my 32' long rig, especially since my backup camera monitor is broken, but I did get a bit of help from a passerby who let me know how close i was to the vehicle behind me.
Here are photos of my parked vehicle and the entire RV lot. I was happy to have lots of room in front and in back of me to make getting out easier. Grabbed my purse, water, and other necessities and ran to the bus, which I almost missed. Luckily the kindly driver saw me trying to run and waited for me!
There was a Disney-like line, but I eventually made it on the gondola.
Some of the views from the top. There were four levels at the top with a cafe, fine dining restaurant, and gift shop, among other things. I enjoyed about two hours up there, relaxing in some chairs, and watching the scenery.
There are several big, luxury hotels in and near Banff. Here is one of them--the Rimrock Resort Hotel.
This is the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, one of the oldest and certainly the finest in this town. It includes a golf course and skiing in winter.
It is a bit confusing to learn to think in meters, so I was glad this sign also listed the elevation in feet.
This looks like an interesting hike, but too much up and down for me. Nice to see the crowds coming up and down, however.
One problem taking photos today was the haze. Not sure what it was from because there were no fires nearby.
Overall, taking the gondola was a good decision, but I was glad to head back to the campground after getting my motorhome out of the parking lot.
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