For all their wild and rugged grandeur--this is grizzly country, after all--Canada's Rockies are in some ways surprisingly tamed. Like Europe's very civilized Alps, tourist-swamped Banff is dotted with shops, inns and even an occasional Victorian "tearoom" along its scenic walks. American visitors, accustomed to sharply restricted development in U.S. parks, may be surprised by the extensive commercial development here. I can think of no U.S. national park with the equivalent of the sprawling Banff townsite.

Nevertheless, the village, sitting as it does at the foot of several prominent peaks, is an attractive and fun place to spend a day. The Bow River rushes through its heart, dashing onward down a canyon and over a wide falls. Colorful flags line Banff Avenue, the main street, giving the whole community a festive air.

My favorite spot, especially after the long drive getting to Banff, is the Upper Hot Springs, a giant outdoor hot tub pool perched on a mountain ledge overlooking Bow Valley. At 93 degrees, the steaming water keeps away the chill any season of the year. The springs, operated by Parks Canada, is open until 11 p.m. nightly ($5.75 U.S./$7.50 C). Sandy and I soaked under the stars.

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Spend a second night in Banff. Dine this evening at the Barbary Coast Bar & Grille, a lively pub featuring English-style fish and chips with a salad for $6.90 U.S./$8.95 C.

Day four: Banff to Jasper, 175 miles

I don't think I'm in any danger of raising your expectations too high when I say that you are about to experience one of the world's most beautiful mountain drives. From Banff, take the Bow River Parkway north to Lake Louise, stopping en route for the short, moderately steep--and thrilling--hike into Johnston Canyon, where the creek splashes down a series of spectacular waterfalls. At Lake Louise, pause for a romantic stroll around this small alpine lake that sets the standard for beauty by which all mountain lakes must be compared. You surely will agree that it is graced both with an ideal setting--a fairytale land of mountain peaks, green forests and snow-covered glacier--and its exquisite turquoise color.

The Icefields Parkway begins just to the north, and your head may swivel antically trying to capture all the views along its route. To the left, a sliver thread of a waterfall plunges over a cliff, its wisp of a stream caught in a breeze and tossed right back up the mountainside. To the right, a jagged mountain ridge soars above, its sawtooth edges outlined in snow. Ahead looms Athabasca Glacier, one of the largest and most accessible of the region's many ice flows. More than a half mile wide and four miles long, it slides at (ahem) glacial pace down the mountainside to near the parkway. A short trail leads up the ice for first-hand glacier trekking, or you can join a snow coach tour ($20 U.S./$27 C adults) departing from the Icefields Visitor Center.For information: Columbia Icefields Snowcoach Tours, 877/423-7433.

From the Icefields, the parkway descends into the quiet little resort town of Jasper, where you will find one more natural spectacle not to be missed. About 12 miles north of town at slender Maligne Canyon--"The Valley of the Wicked River"--the Maligne spins and churns through a deep, rock-lined channel that seems in places barely an arm's width wide. A trail follows its progress, crossing the chasm by bridge at especially good viewing spots. You can't beat this show as a rousing climax to a magnificent mountain drive.

Details

Stay in Jasper. Here again the budget choice is the 84-bed, chalet-style Jasper International Hostel (877/852-0781), $17.70 U.S./$23 C per bunk for non-members; private rooms, $37 U.S./$56 C for two. Four more rustic (and cheaper) hostels in the Jasper area can be booked though the same number. Other lodgings: the 61-room Athabasca Hotel (780/852-3386), $68 U.S./$89 C with shared bath; 56-room Jasper House Bungalows (780/852-4535), $108 U.S./$140 C; and the 100-room Maligne Lodge (800/661-1315), $140 U.S./$189 C. Dine on the ribs and chicken combo ($11.55 U.S./$14.99 C) at Earl's in the Rockies or the curried pork chop plate ($13.80 U.S./$18 C) at Fiddle River Seafood Company.

Day five and six: Homeward bound

If you're flying home from Calgary, retrace your path south on the Icefields Parkway and east on Highway 1 to the Calgary airport, 210 miles. If you are returning to Vancouver (or Seattle), take Highway 16 west through scenic Mount Robson Provincial Park to Highway 5 south to Kamloops for a sixth night, 300 miles. Connect next morning to the Coquihalla Highway, a high-speed toll road ($7.70 U.S./$10 C), to Hope and continue on Highway 1 into Vancouver, 215 miles.

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