You don't have to go far from the town of Banff to see classic scenes of the Canadian Rockies. In fact, you don't have to leave town to do so. There was a reason that the town was formed by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1883 to serve as a stopover on the transcontinental railway on the route to the Pacific Ocean. One of the hotels that was built at that time to house visitors to the town is Banff Springs Hotel, pictured in this photo on the other side of the Bow River. Want to stay there? Better open your wallet, as the daily rate is around $799 Canadian a night. Even with a favorable exchange rate, it is still extremely pricey. For me, staying on the outskirts of the town and visiting all of the stops in town and the park is the way to go. This particular photo was taken from Tunnel Mountain Road, which rises above the Bow River with scenes like this.