The Icefields Parkway drive in Banff National Park is hands-down the most beautiful drive of our year on the road. Not only is it a beautifully scenic drive but there are loads of "must-see" spots along the way that you could spend a WEEK just exploring this stretch of the park.

Feeling better after a day soaking in the Banff Upper Hot Springs, Fin takes you under her wing this week with the latest and best tips on effective Instagramming of Banff-such as making sure the camera is turned on…and also to use a puppy in your shot- because people like puppies.

As we continued our trek Northwards in Banff, we had the opportunity to visit both Peyto Lake and Bow Lake.

Peyto Lake

Peyto Lake was just as ridiculous as we’d seen in photographs. Yes- the water really is that color of turquoise. Since photo ops at the lake have gotten so popular, you’re best off visiting early in the morning before the crowds show up and while the sun is shining the “correct” way. Later in the day the sun is on the other side of the mountains and the lake appears a bit more dull.

Bow Lake

Bow Lake was just a few minutes up the Icefields Parkway from Peyto Lake. This was another example of lucking out with our inflatable kayak. While you wouldn’t want to try to go on expedition with an inflatable kayak, it was a perfect way to spend the afternoon flopping around on the water when everyone else was stuck on shore.

We end up using our inflatable kayak quite a few times on our trip- more than enough for it to “pay” for itself by skipping out on rentals. It has the advantage of packing down quite small and being easy to transport.Of course, this is compensated by a couple of negatives:

It’s not nearly as easy to glide through the water as a real kayak

• Inflating it takes time
• Deflating it takes time

But it's still a great packable option to get us on the water from the RV! Would totally recommend. You can find it on Amazon here.