Don’t be shy. Pull up a stool, order a beer, and socialize. Locals usually don’t bite, and often have lots of good travel tips. Ask a local, and in this case, a rather drunk one!

In this Bar Tip, a local guy explains to me how to do Poutine right, and where to get it hot and delicious in Banff, Canada. If you think what I just wrote is dirty, you need to let this pleasantly buzzed local enlighten you–then go on out and get ya’self some Poutine, eh!

Start Point: Banff, Alberta, Canada

End Point: Jasper, Alberta, Canada

THE DETOUR: Icefields Parkway/Route 93

This is more of a day trip than a detour, and also a friendly reminder that when in Banff, remember to explore.

Who Recommended this Route to Me? The friendly lady at the Banff Travel/Tourism Center

Why the trip? Because the drive is the whole reason for the trip.  Not that I wouldn’t recommend visiting the lovely town of Jasper, but it sure must help tourism having one of the most scenic routes I’ve ever experienced running straight to the city.

Icefields Parkway connects Lake Louise and the town of Jasper. It runs through the snow topped Canadian Rockies and boasts Louise Lake, Moraine Lake, and Athabasca Glacier among many more.  Go with a full gas tank, because as far as I can remember, roadside conveniences have no place here (I recall peeing in the woods once).  As much as I’d love to shower my readers with a slew of favorite travel writer adjectives exalting the beauty of this scenic route- tranquil, vibrant, rugged, transcendent, substantial, and very blue all come to mind-I’ll humble myself by stating that it’s just hard to put into words.  Make sure the camera battery is charged, pack a nice lunch, and keep a look out for wildlife.