Canadian Rockies
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The Canadian Rockies had never truly been on our radar, not for lack of awareness, but simply because we never imagined we’d have the opportunity to visit Canada. That changed entirely when I was invited to the prestigious Women in Numbers workshop at the Banff International Research Station. Seizing the moment, we decided to turn this milestone trip into a grand adventure, arriving a few days early to explore not just Banff, but a stunning circuit of five neighboring national parks, including, Jasper, Yoho, Glacier, Mount Revelstoke, and Kootenay.
June 10, 2026
We kicked off our journey with a three-and-a-half-hour flight from Chicago to Calgary, which felt relatively short compared to some domestic flights across the US. For Thai citizens holding a valid US visa (like our J-1, though a B-1/B-2 works too), there is no need to apply for a traditional Canadian visitor visa if you are flying in. You only need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), which costs just $7 CAD and is easily approved online. Because we took an evening flight, we touched down around midnight; fortunately, customs and immigration were a breeze. From there, we caught a hotel shuttle straight to our first stop, the Comfort Inn & Suites near the airport.
June 11, 2026
The next morning, we took the shuttle back to the airport to pick up our rental car. We planned our logistics this way so we could maximize our rental for a full, exact number of days!
By 10:00 AM, our road trip was officially underway. Our very first mission was to stock up on food and unique cultural snacks, starting at Calgary Farmers’ Market South. Whenever we travel, we rarely spend time in major cities, but since this was our first international trip in quite a while, we were eager to see what Canada had to offer that the US didn’t. We grabbed a London Fog and a macchiato at Analog Coffee, paired with a decadent chocolate mousse cake from Yum Bakery. Both were absolutely delicious! We were tempted to buy even more desserts, but we reminded ourselves that we still had a long itinerary ahead.
Driven by curiosity, we researched grocery chains unique to Canada. Our first stop was T&T Supermarket, the country’s largest Asian supermarket chain—it felt a bit like the 99 Ranch of Canada. There, we stocked up on cup noodles and fresh food for our dinners. Next, simply because it sounded quintessentially Canadian, we stopped at the Real Canadian Superstore. While there were little Canadian flags practically everywhere, the layout wasn’t too different from a major US grocery store. Still, we scored some fun local treats like maple cookies, poutine-flavored Lay’s chips, and a much-needed USB-to-USB-C cable because we couldn’t connect our phones to the car’s navigation (classic road trip oversight!).
All that shopping worked up an appetite, so we stopped for our first proper meal at Monsoon Izakaya in Calgary. The hospitality blew us away; the staff was incredibly warm and welcoming, even treating us to welcome drinks and a complimentary pack of Pocky with our bill. We ordered a 10-piece nigiri set and a grilled saba (mackerel) set, which came out to an amazing value of just around $35 USD total.
With our city detour complete, we set out for Jasper National Park, a six-hour drive from Calgary. Along the way, we had one crucial errand: buying bear spray. We made a quick pit stop at Banff Convenience right in downtown Banff to grab a canister.
Pro Tip: Bear spray is an absolute necessity here, but it isn’t cheap ($57 CAD). Fortunately, at the end of our trip, we were able to return our unused canister to the shop and get a $20 CAD refund!
While in downtown Banff, we stretched our legs and walked around. The streets were buzzing with crowds. We popped into the visitor center hoping to score some official park gear, but they mostly just had informational materials, so we grabbed a trail map and kept moving.
Before officially leaving town (don’t worry, we’ll be back to explore Banff properly later!), we decided to soothe our driving muscles with a quick dip at the Banff Upper Hot Springs. To this day, the parking rules there still mystify us–some signs and people said parking required an extra fee, while others said it was included in our National Park Pass. Still riding the wave of great Canadian hospitality, we decided to play it safe and pay the $17 USD parking fee. Entry to the hot springs was an additional $19 CAD per person. While the sweeping mountain views were gorgeous and the water was perfectly piping hot on a drizzly day, the pool itself was a bit too crowded to be truly relaxing.
Refreshed from the soak, we continued our long drive toward Jasper. Along the way, we pulled over near the Columbia Icefield to marvel at the massive glacier glowing from the other side of the highway. It was absolutely stunning, and it got us incredibly hyped to return the next day to hike it.
We finally rolled into downtown Jasper around 9:00 PM. For dinner, we stopped at A&W, having heard rumors that the Canadian franchise is entirely different–and much higher quality–than its US counterpart. The rumors were right! We each had a Teen Burger, and they tasted remarkably fresh and satisfying.
By 11:00 PM, we finally reached our home base for the next few nights, the Timberland Hotel in Hinton. Exhausted but happy, we turned in for the night, ready for the mountains tomorrow.
June 12, 2026
On the morning of June 12, we rolled out of bed early and hit the road by 6:30 AM. We had heard that the parking lot at Maligne Lake fills up fast, so we wanted to beat the rush. Before making the drive, we fueled up with coffee and donuts at Tim Hortons. They were as reliable and delicious as ever, and the best part? The total bill for two of us was under $10!
When we arrived at Maligne Lake, we were pleasantly surprised to find it wasn’t crowded at all. We instantly fell in love with the serene vibe of the lake and the nearby rushing river. Aside from a rather pricey boat cruise, there weren’t many activities available, so we spent our time walking along the shore and soaking in the tranquil views.
Our second stop of the day was Pyramid Lake, another spot notorious for morning crowds. We found it incredibly calm and photogenic. Unfortunately, a thick layer of fog completely obscured the ice-capped mountains in the distance, but the brilliant green hue of the water was still a sight to behold!
By lunchtime, we were ready to head into downtown Jasper with a very specific mission. We had heard that Alberta beef is legendary—known for having a richer, more robust flavor and a natural hint of saltiness compared to USDA beef—so we decided to splurge on a proper steak lunch. We dined at Something Else Steakhouse, and it did not disappoint. The high-quality beef paired beautifully with a perfectly executed Greek seasoning. We highly recommend stopping here if you’re in town! Before leaving the downtown area, we couldn’t resist grabbing dessert at BeaverTails, the famous Canadian pastry chain. We ordered the classic Cinnamon & Sugar pastry and topped it with a scoop of chocolate fudge ice cream. It was unbelievably tasty, unashamedly decadent, and worth every single calorie.
In the afternoon, we continued our trek through Jasper to visit Athabasca Falls and Sunwapta Falls, which are located relatively close to one another. The waterfalls in western Canada are incredibly powerful, carrying a striking, milky-turquoise color because they are fed directly by melting glaciers. We walked along the paved canyon pathways, enjoying the cool, breezy wind and the refreshing mist spraying off the rocks.
If you are driving south toward the Columbia Icefield, there are two spectacular roadside turnouts you shouldn’t skip:
Athabasca Pass Lookout: A quick pull-off that opens up to a sweeping view of wide river valleys framed by massive mountain backdrops.
Goat and Glacier Lookout: A slightly higher vantage point up the road that offers a dramatic view of rugged cliffs and hanging glaciers.
As a wonderful bonus on our drive, we luckily spotted a herd of bighorn sheep grazing right by the side of the road. They looked so majestic in their natural element!
By late afternoon, we reached our main destination: The Toe of the Athabasca Glacier. We set out on a short, one-hour hike that leads you right to the base of this massive, living sheet of ice. This was our very first time seeing a glacier up close! Even though it was mid-June, the trail was incredibly cold and slippery, as a thick layer of winter ice and snow still hadn’t melted away. Standing that close to ancient ice was an unforgettable experience.
That night, we stayed at the David Thompson Resort in the remote Cline River area. Because the location is deep in the wilderness with limited food options, we broke out the Taiwanese self-heating rice bowls we brought along for a cozy, camp-style dinner. To cap off an already perfect day, we spent our final hour of daylight hiking down to the shores of Abraham Lake, located right in the backyard of our resort.
June 13, 2026
June 14, 2026
One of the most popular National Park routes that Poy and I hadn’t tackled yet was the Utah ‘Mighty Five.’ We’d heard nothing but non-stop hype from friends, and after checking off several harder-to-reach destinations, we decided it was finally time to go for it! We initially tried to squeeze in Great Basin National Park in Nevada, but a car shortage at the Las Vegas airport left us with an electric vehicle. As it turns out, there are no non-Tesla charging stations near Great Basin (aside from one incredibly slow charger), so we pivoted. We ended up focusing solely on the five Utah gems, which actually made for a much more relaxing, less rushed experience.
There are not many national parks that are ideal to visit in winter, except for those in the desert. For this Christmas trip, we chose three desert national parks, namely, Petrified Forest, Saguaro, and Joshua Tree. In addition to these, we also stopped by some of the most iconic landmarks in Arizona’s desert landscape, including Horseshoe Bend and Monument Valley. It was a dry, sandy, and breathtaking Christmas. One that turned out to be truly memorable for both of us.
Despite the polar vortex that swept through Illinois, we decided to visit Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio, driving from our home in Champaign. Along the way, we got to meet some friends in Cincinnati and Akron. In fact, we didn’t stop only at Cuyahoga Valley; we also continued on to see a much bigger set of falls in upstate New York—Niagara Falls. Everything was freezing cold, but the fresh snow somehow gave the entire trip a magical atmosphere.
Foliage season feels so fleeting to me, so Poy and I never really planned to chase fall colors anywhere beyond our university campus. But there are a few national parks that are especially beautiful in autumn, and we wanted to try visiting them at their peak. We followed the fall–color predictions closely and booked our flights well in advance to keep costs down. On this trip, we were lucky enough to catch vibrant red and yellow leaves in Shenandoah, New River Gorge, and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks. We also had the chance to explore the beautiful wetlands of Congaree National Park before flying back home!