Weekend Getaway to the Mountains (and Canmore)

Well, we did it.  We finally got away from the house!

It's been almost 12 full months since we went on any type of vacation.  Our wedding last October was our last excursion out of the city.  We've both had time off work for various reasons since then, but nothing longer than a week, nothing at the same time, and nothing that allowed us to clear our heads.

We visited Canmore a couple of years ago and had such a good time that we decided to do it again.  This time, though, we brought this zoo!

The condo we rented at the Solara Resort and Spa was perfect for Bryan, me, and the 3 pets.  We had a one bedroom unit on the ground floor that allowed us to easily let Tia (our dog) out at all hours of the day and night.  She had to be on her leash as the area behind the condo is not fenced (and there are small bunnies everywhere) so getting dressed at 2:30 AM was an adventure...

The kittens fought in their carrier the entire way to Canmore.  Luckily it was only a little over an hour from home.  I felt bad for Walker as he was taking the brunt of Zeta's anger at being in a moving vehicle, away from her home.  I fully expected him to come out of the carrier all scratched up like on the cartoons!  He was fine.  Not happy about being stuck in there with her, but fine.

We hauled all our stuff into the condo and let the cats out.  Walker shot out of the carrier and proceeded to quickly explore every inch of the place for about 30 minutes.  Zeta sat in the back of the carrier looking petrified.  I finally took her out to look around and she zipped into a closet and wouldn't come out.  Eventually I felt sorry for her because she'd curled up in the litter box...I carried her around, showed her it was okay, and then let her loose.  

About 30 hours later, she mostly had settled in.  Another 24 and she was pretty happy.  Then, of course, 5 hours before we were scheduled to leave, she was running, exploring and playing with Walker like she does at home.  So, she adapts too.

Walker, well, he found his bed and made himself right at home within hours.  That little guy is definitely going to enjoy moving to the beach one day!

Thursday evening was cold and wet.  We didn't want to venture too far from the pets, especially when Zeta was so scared.  But, we had to eat.  You probably know I like food so, of course, I did a bit of research before we left for Canmore.  I made a list of the places I wanted to try - we did well and hit all but one of them.

Anyway, for a yucky night, we thought we'd try pizza.  We found a little (and I mean little) place called Red Rock Pizza on the north side of Canmore.  We pulled up in the Jeep and both instantly thought we must only be able to get take out.  

When we walked in the door, the place smelled heavenly and there was one table (out of 3) available, so we sat.  They serve a limited menu of beer and wine, too, perfect for a pizza night out.  The food menu isn't extensive but they have salads, pizza, pastas and desserts.  And, of course, there is a create-your-own option for the pizza, as well.  Oh, and wings - there are wings, but we didn't try them.  

Bryan and I shared a large pizza for the first time in ages!  Maybe we shared one on Valentine's Day at BP, but I can't recall.  It was sweet and romantic to share a pizza with my husband.  The crust was beautiful - a little crunchy where it should be and soft in the middle.  Very delicious pizza!  

Friday, after a late start (my fault, I got caught up in work), we hit Craig's Way Station for breakfast.  Trip Advisor had great reviews for this place, too, so, even though it's not quite my style of eating anymore, we had to try it for ourselves.  Bryan had a stack of blueberry pancakes to his utter joy.  My eggs, sausages and hash browns were very tasty, too.  No complaints!

We discovered a small off-leash dog park about a 10 minute walk from our condo, so we took Tia there to run.  It's quite rocky but fenced in, so it's a nice place to take your dog to burn off some extra energy.

Later that day, we attended one of the Grizzly Paw brewery tours.  If you've got an hour to kill and you like beer, this is one fun, short, informative little tour.  Our guide was educated and entertaining and he basically let us sample all the beer we wanted.  Bryan and I bought unlimited samples (about 6 each) and 1 pint for $44 each.  All in, a good deal for the afternoon.

After the tour, we headed to the Towne Center.  There is this lovely little homemade soap shop called O Canada Soapworks.  Two years ago, it felt like I bought out the store of their wonderful soaps, shower steamers, bath bombs and other fantastic stuff.  I wanted to restock (even though I visit Rocky Mountain Soap Company regularly...).  Well, 11 soaps and $90 later, I had my loot!  

A quick stroll up and down the main street, another pint (or two) of Grizzly Paw beer, and we headed to our dinner reservation at Table.

Another top-rated establishment, Table Food + Drink is located in the Coast Hotel approximately 2 blocks from the Solara Resort.  Very convenient!  Again, absolutely not disappointed with our meal.  They have a gluten-free gnocchi that's made with beets so I had to try that!  It was awesome, wish I had the recipe!  Bryan had a steak and really enjoyed his dish, too.  We shared a bottle of wine, had a great server, and took our time at this lovely place.

We may have drank too much, though, because we both felt a little ill on Saturday morning.  But, we got up and I dragged Bryan to a place called Communitea for breakfast.  It's off the main street and very hipster.  Lots of fresh ingredients and veggies like beets, kale, spinach, avocado and sweet potato on the menu!  I had a tofu scramble breakfast bowl that was delightful.  Not an egg, strip of bacon or deep-friend potato in sight!  Bryan enjoyed the breakfast burrito but found it a bit too small (I thought the portion size was just right).

Every fall, I allow myself 2 flavored lattes to ring in the new season.  I had planned on getting my annual Starbucks Pumpkin Spiced Latte but instead I tried the Maple Latte with almond milk at Communitea.  It was delicious, if a bit too sweet (it can't be helped).  

Bryan was all about Tia on this trip to Canmore.

Every where he went, he'd make some comment about how Tia would enjoy it too.  So, to keep her happy, we picked her up and went up the Nordic Center to explore.  I'll be honest, it wasn't really my cup of tea - I would have rather done an actual hike than wander around gravel roads - but there were some beautiful views of the mountains, their lakes, and the beginnings of the fall colors.  

On our way back to town, we stopped at a park where dogs were running around.  It turns out we'd stumbled upon another off-leash park, this time a more open, grassy area.  Lots of dogs were out, people were milling and Tia had a blast!  She was finally able to chase her Frisbee a few times!

Back in town, Bryan was hungry, so we stopped at another lovely, rustic restaurant called Sage Bistro.  They were serving breakfast all day so I had another breakfast bowl, this time with eggs, but it also had a lot of veggies and fresh ingredients.  I'd highly recommend Sage, too, if anyone is looking for a nice restaurant.

We spent Saturday afternoon lounging around the condo.  Bryan napped.  I worked.  It was great to just relax.  Tia got another walk around the complex, and we just hit the Vietnamese joint across the street for supper.

I'd hoped to go to Crazyweed for dinner but they didn't have room.  As it turns out, that was for the best - neither of us felt like dressing up and heading out somewhere that night anyway.  However, I WILL get to Crazyweed next time - I know now to make reservations well in advance!

We opted to stay in Saturday night, watch a couple of movies on TV and go to bed early!

Sunday morning came.  By then, both cats had settled right in.  They were up at 5:30 am to watch rabbits and birds and then decided to chase each other around the condo.  We cleaned up, packed the Jeep and headed out.  

Another great weekend in Canmore - I really like visiting that town!  It's not as busy as Banff but still offers many of the same awesome amenities.  I love the selection of condos available for rent so that you're not stuck in a hotel.  And, bonus - I actually felt refreshed and ready to get back to life!

And, in less than 4 weeks we'll be off to Nicaragua!!!