The Taylor’s Summer 2025 Adventure

This blog has been kindly shared by one of our customers, the Taylor family, who travelled across Canada in Summer 2025. From the thundering power of Niagara Falls to the breathtaking beauty of the Rockies, Whistler and Vancouver, they’ve captured their unforgettable journey and family highlights along the way.

We began our trip in Toronto, checking into the Hilton in a Fallsview room with incredible views of the Rainbow Bridge, Horseshoe Falls, American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. After settling in, we enjoyed dinner at a nearby sports bar before taking a stroll along the front of the falls and finishing the evening with fireworks over a beautifully lit Niagara Falls.

Breakfast the next morning was at IHOP Skyview overlooking the falls — a stunning way to start the day. Next came our boat ride into the falls, which was thrilling and much wetter than expected despite the ponchos! We laughed the whole way through as we got absolutely soaked. Afterwards, we explored Journey Behind the Falls, an unforgettable experience where we saw Horseshoe Falls up close and even walked through tunnels behind them, hearing the roar of the thundering water.

Back at the hotel we watched the England Women’s Team win the 2025 Euros Final, then enjoyed a swim in the infinity pool overlooking the falls. Dinner was at Brasa Brazil, a fantastic all-you-can-eat experience with plenty of choice for both adults and children.

From Toronto we took a four-hour flight to Calgary, collected our hire car, and drove an hour to Banff. Along the way storm clouds over the mountains made for dramatic views. We checked into Buffalo Mountain Resort, a cosy wooden lodge with an open fire and patio. After a picnic tea and a film, we had an early night to catch up on sleep.

The Banff Gondola was our first stop the following morning — a seven-minute ride to the summit with breathtaking views of the Rockies. At the top we admired the scenery and watched the friendly mountain squirrels come right up to us. Back in Banff town we did some souvenir shopping and sampled Canadian treats — Beaver Tails and poutine for dinner. Later, we visited the turquoise waters of Emerald Lake, perfect for kayaking, before moving on to Takakkaw Falls and then Lake Louise. The girls even swam in the icy waters of Lake Louise! We ended the day with pizza and a relaxed evening at the lodge.

Next was Moraine Lake, where a short hike led us to an elevated viewpoint with breathtaking views and family photo opportunities. On the way back, we were lucky enough to spot a black bear by the roadside. After lunch at the hotel, we spent a relaxed afternoon in the hot tub before fajitas in Banff and a film back at the lodge.

Driving north to Jasper, we stopped at the Columbia Icefield. After lunch at the visitor centre, we boarded a specially designed truck to reach Athabasca Glacier — walking on the ice was slippy but great fun. Our ticket also included the Skywalk, a glass-floored bridge over a deep valley. We also stopped at Athabasca Falls before checking into our hotel in Jasper and enjoying dinner at the restaurant.

A more relaxing day followed at Jasper Hot Springs with pools fed by 57°C natural springs (cooled to 40°C for bathing). On the way back, we stopped at the Meeting of the Waters, where two rivers merge in different colours — that day a light blue-white with light brown. Back at the hotel, we enjoyed a swim, hot tub, and another delicious dinner.

We spent another day exploring Jasper town, visiting Jasper Park’s indigenous exhibits, and of course treating ourselves to more Beaver Tails before returning to the hotel for some gym, swimming, and hot tub time.

Our journey continued to Sun Peaks, where we checked in at Nancy Greene’s Cahilty Lodge. Drinks at 5Forty Bar were followed by table tennis, giant chess, and a stroll through the ski village. Dinner at a steakhouse rounded off the day, before watching School of Rock at an outdoor movie screening — perfect for families.

In Whistler, we explored the lively village with its shops, Olympic rings, and local ice cream. After dinner, we swam in the outdoor pool and hot tub while watching mountain bikers on the slopes. A bear was even spotted near the ski lift in the distance.

One of the highlights of the trip was an ATV buggy adventure in Callaghan Forest — dusty but enormous fun for both adults and kids. Later, we joined a bear-watching excursion. Although we didn’t see any bears, we spotted deer, Alexander Falls, and learned a lot from our guide about the area and its wildlife.

From Whistler we drove on to Vancouver, stopping at an outlet mall before returning the hire car. A guided tour took us to Grouse Mountain and Capilano Suspension Bridge. Highlights included Capilano Salmon Hatchery, a cable car to Grouse Mountain’s summit, two resident grizzly bears, and a hilarious lumberjack show. Capilano Suspension Bridge and treetop walkways offered thrills, while the surrounding rainforest and giant redwoods were awe-inspiring. In the evening we strolled along the harbourfront, viewed the Olympic torch, and watched seaplanes taking off.

Another day took us to Granville Island, with its bustling markets and kids’ area. We then set off on a sunset whale-watching cruise, which became one of the highlights of the trip. We saw groups of humpback whales, some lunge-feeding (a rare sight), along with seals, sea lions, and even a bald eagle. An unforgettable evening.

On our final day we enjoyed one last gym session, lunch at the hotel, and watched the seaplanes before our evening flight home.

Family Highlights

• Our 12 year old said her favourite activities were the whale watching, swimming in Lake Louise, Whistler as there was so much to do, walking on the glacier and ATV buggy driving. She then added that it was hard to pick out her favourite things as everything was good!
• Our 11 year old said her favourite things were the ATV buggy driving, seeing the bears on Grouse mountain, watching the lumberjack show, the hot springs as well as everything!