Swoosh. Chilled air turns cheeks pink. Swoosh. Your skis cut into glistening snow. Swoosh. You have changed realities from slope to spa. The water free-falls warmly onto your shoulders and across your back. It’s time for a cooler cascade, then a plunge into the circular mineral pool. Tranquil music plays beneath the water’s surface. Your mind registers the exhilarating luxury of this sensory experience at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel’s Willow Stream Spa in Banff, Alberta.
Thermal hot springs first drew visitors to Banff; water is still central to this spa’s experience with its signature mineral pool and surrounding waterfalls. Each evokes a distinctive sensation. Exhilarating. Pulsing. Soothing. Soon, it’s time for the Wildflower Body Polish, which leaves your skin buffed, moisturized and feeling fresh.
Afterward, take a seat in the spa’s lounge, an ideal spot for gazing at the spectacular beauty of Banff with its sky-high mountains and evergreen forests that edge green-blue glacial lakes. No wonder this is one of the world’s great mountain destinations and a UNESCO-protected wilderness.
Swoosh. The dogsled slides effortlessly through the trail. Mush-eeeee, and the huskies swing right. Mush-ooooo and it’s a sharp left. Now you’re snowshoeing along the Great Divide, in awe of this magnificent landscape. But your mind wanders. Memories of your wildflower experience still linger. Soon it will be spring, and this same terrain will give way to alpine hikes, trail rides and golf. You plan to return.
