May 7-12, 2028
Banff, Alberta, Canada
We have received an incredible number of booking requests for the Moments & Memories Banff Retreat, and booking is temporarily paused while we process the registrations already received.
Requests will be reviewed in the order they were submitted. Once we have confirmed how many of our 100 scrapbooker spots have been filled, we'll provide an update here.
Thank you for your patience — and for your amazing response to Banff!
Banff has been in my backyard for my entire life, and I sometimes have to remind myself just how extraordinary that is. People travel from all over the world to experience the Canadian Rockies, while I’ve been lucky enough to grow up with these mountains practically on my doorstep, so I can't wait to welcome you here and share a place that means so much to me!
Tasha and I have been very intentional about when we’re inviting you to come. During the peak summer months, Banff can welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors each month. By choosing the quieter shoulder season, we’ll experience a different side of Banff — fewer crowds, better value and a little more room to simply enjoy being here.
Will it be warm and sunny? Maybe! Will we wake up to snow-covered mountains? Also maybe! Mountain weather always keeps us guessing, but the one thing we can count on is the spectacular beauty of Banff and the surrounding Canadian Rockies, no matter what the weather decides to do.
We’ve chosen Banff Park Lodge as our home base, right in the heart of the Banff townsite and within easy walking distance of shops, restaurants, trails and the Bow River. Its large, newly renovated conference space also gives us a beautiful place to gather and create, with sweeping mountain views outside the windows.
And because we definitely don’t expect you to come all this way and spend the entire retreat inside scrapbooking, we’re designing our days with that in mind. Classes and creative time will be scheduled in the mornings and later in the day, leaving your afternoons open to explore Banff on your own or join one of the optional excursions we’re curating for you. We’ll be sharing more about those experiences as plans are finalized, but you can expect opportunities to venture beyond the townsite and experience some of the places that make Banff National Park - the oldest National Park in Canada! - so extraordinary.
This retreat is our chance to slow things down a little — to create, explore, connect and enjoy one of the most beautiful places in the world together. And Tasha and I can’t wait to show you around.
Set in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, the town of Banff sits within Banff National Park - Canada’s first national park and part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, mountain peaks rise in every direction, the mighty Bow River winds right through town, and some of Canada’s most spectacular scenery is quite literally just outside your door.
But one of the things I love most about Banff is that you don’t need to be an avid hiker or outdoor adventurer to experience it.
Spend an afternoon wandering along Banff Avenue, stopping in at shops, galleries and cafés. Grab a coffee and follow the pathway beside the Bow River, cross the pedestrian bridge for one of those "I can't believe this is real" mountain views, or wander over to beautiful Bow Falls. Find a bench and watch the world - and perhaps an elk or two! - go by, or simply enjoy having nowhere in particular you need to be.
And when you’re ready to venture a little farther, there’s so much more to discover. Ride the Banff Gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain for sweeping views across the Rockies, soak in the mineral-rich waters of the Banff Upper Hot Springs, or visit the iconic Fairmont Banff Springs - the grand “Castle in the Rockies” that has been part of Banff’s story for well over a century. Outside the townsite, glacial lakes, waterfalls, forests and mountain passes are all part of the extraordinary landscape of Banff National Park.
You can get to know the history of the park as well. The thermal springs at Cave and Basin helped lead to the creation of Canada’s first national park in 1885, beginning a national park system that now stretches from coast to coast to coast.
Perhaps that’s part of Banff’s magic. You can fill your afternoon with sightseeing and adventure, or you can do very little at all. Either way, you never really stop experiencing the mountains.
For five days, this gets to be our neighbourhood.
Finding the right home for our Banff Retreat was about much more than finding a hotel with a pretty mountain view. We wanted a place where we could comfortably stay, gather and create together — while also making it incredibly easy for you to step outside and experience Banff.
We found all of that at Banff Park Lodge.
Our home base for the creative side of the retreat will be the Summit, Assiniboine and Castle rooms on the lodge’s mezzanine level — almost 6,000 square feet of dedicated space just for our group.
We’ve deliberately limited the retreat to 100 scrapbookers so everyone has plenty of table space to spread out, settle in and create without having to continually pack everything away. Large windows bring the mountains right into our retreat space, and the conference level is currently undergoing an extensive renovation that will be completed well before we arrive in 2028.
And we’ll be well looked after while we’re there! Our retreat package includes breakfast and lunch on our scheduled creative days, along with coffee and nutritional breaks throughout the day.
That’s how Banff Park Lodge describes its newly renovated guestrooms, and we think it fits perfectly.
All of the lodge’s guestrooms have recently been refreshed with a warm, modern mountain feel, with plenty of two-queen rooms available — perfect for sharing your mountain getaway with a scrapbooking friend.
There’s plenty to enjoy without ever leaving the hotel, too. You'll find restaurants and lounges, places to grab a coffee, onsite shops and services, and an inviting indoor pool area complete with hot tub, plunge pool and eucalyptus steam room. If the mountains happen to give us one of those snowy spring days, staying in might not be such a hardship after all!
But perhaps one of the things we love most about Banff Park Lodge is its location.
Step outside in one direction and you’re moments from the walking paths along the Bow River. Head the other way and you’re right in downtown Banff, with Banff Avenue, restaurants, cafés, galleries and shops all within easy walking distance.
That means when your afternoon is yours to explore, you don’t need a car or a complicated plan. Wander into town for a coffee, browse the shops, walk beside the river, find somewhere for dinner or simply head back to the lodge and put your feet up.
We wanted a hotel that could be our retreat space, our gathering place and our home base for exploring Banff — and Banff Park Lodge gives us all three.
***This AI-generated image is intended to help you picture the creative experience we’re planning for our Banff Retreat. Banff Park Lodge’s conference space is currently being renovated, so while the mountain views are real, the finished room and furnishings may look different when we arrive in 2028.
Just like every Moments & Memories experience, the creative side of our Banff Retreat is being designed around the memories you'll be making while you're there. We'll provide the projects, supplies and instruction you need to turn the photos and stories of your time in Banff into pages you'll treasure long after you head home.
But Banff gives us something our cruise experiences don't — space. Lots of it!
The dedicated creative space at Banff Park Lodge will be ours throughout the retreat, giving you a place to settle in, spread out and leave your creative setup waiting for you between sessions. We've deliberately limited the retreat to 100 scrapbookers so everyone can enjoy plenty of table space, whether you're working on one of our Banff projects or something you've brought along from home.
And that's where Banff is a little different.
We'll provide everything you need for the projects we've designed for the retreat, so you absolutely do not need to travel with a suitcase full of scrapbooking supplies. If you're flying in, bring your basic toolkit and leave the rest to us.
But if you're driving or you're simply someone who likes having a few more of your favorite tools nearby, you're welcome to bring a few additional supplies and projects of your own. Between scheduled classes, there will be open creative time to finish your Banff pages, work on pages you've brought from home and simply enjoy creating alongside everyone else.
And because no two Banff adventures will look exactly alike, we'll be designing our retreat projects with flexibility in mind. Some of us might spend an afternoon exploring Lake Louise, while others wander Banff Avenue, walk along the Bow River or simply enjoy some downtime at the lodge. We'll give you plenty of ideas and options for documenting the experiences we share, while leaving room to make your pages reflect your own Banff story.
We also expect to have additional products and project kits available during the retreat if a little extra creative inspiration happens to follow you home from the mountains. 😉
Pack light or bring a little more — either way, you'll have everything you need to create with us.
Your Banff Retreat is made up of two parts: your Banff Park Lodge Retreat Package and your Moments & Memories Creative Experience.
Booking your Banff Park Lodge Retreat Package secures your place among our 100 retreat participants. You’ll then register separately for the $325 CAD Creative Experience with Noreen.
$1,950 CAD per person
Perfect for two scrapbookers travelling together and sharing a room with two queen beds.
Your package includes 5 nights at Banff Park Lodge, 5 breakfasts, 5 lunches and daily coffee breaks for each retreat attendee.
Both guests sharing the room must be registered retreat participants and will each also pay the separate $325 CAD Creative Experience fee.
Total retreat cost per person: $2,225 CAD
Includes the $1,950 Banff Park Lodge Retreat Package + $325 Creative Experience.
$2,800 CAD per room
Prefer a room of your own? Your single-occupancy package includes 5 nights at Banff Park Lodge, 5 breakfasts, 5 lunches and daily coffee breaks for one retreat attendee.
Rooms may have one or two beds depending on availability.
The attending scrapbooker will also pay the separate $325 CAD Creative Experience fee.
Total retreat cost: $3,125 CAD
Includes the $2,800 Banff Park Lodge Retreat Package + $325 Creative Experience.
Not quite ready to leave Banff? Or perhaps you’d like to arrive early and settle in before the retreat begins?
Banff Park Lodge is pleased to extend our special group room rates for up to two nights before and two nights after the retreat, subject to availability.
Come early, stay a little longer — or do both! It’s an easy way to give yourself more time to explore Banff and the surrounding Canadian Rockies at your own pace.
Additional nights are not included in your five-night Retreat Package and will be charged separately at the applicable group room rate.
Absolutely! If you’d like to bring a spouse, partner or other non-scrapbooking companion, simply book the single-occupancy Retreat Package.
Your companion may share your room with you, but because breakfasts, lunches and coffee breaks are part of the retreat attendee package, meals and coffee breaks are included only for the registered scrapbooker.
Your companion does not participate in the Creative Experience or our dedicated crop space, but they’re welcome to enjoy Banff while you’re creating with us. If space permits, companions may also have the opportunity to join some of our optional excursions for the applicable per-person fee.
$325 CAD per retreat attendee
Your Creative Experience is registered and paid separately through Noreen and includes the projects, supplies and instruction designed especially for our Banff Retreat.
Your Banff Park Lodge Retreat Package must be booked first, as booking your hotel package is what secures your place in the retreat and reserves your Creative Experience space.
Airfare to and from Calgary International Airport (YYC), transportation between the airport and Banff, dinners, optional excursions, additional hotel nights, hotel parking fees and Banff National Park pass (if driving) are not included in your retreat price.
You won’t need a car to enjoy our Banff Retreat! Banff Park Lodge’s central location puts downtown Banff, restaurants, shops and the Bow River pathways within easy walking distance.
If you’re flying into Calgary International Airport (YYC), scheduled shuttle service makes getting to Banff easy, with transportation available directly from the airport to Banff Park Lodge.
Planning to arrive early or stay a little longer and explore farther into the Rockies? You may want to rent a car for those additional days — but there’s little reason to pay for a rental car and daily hotel parking while you’re with us.
Learn more about the Banff Airporter
*If you ARE driving, please note that there is a nightly parking fee at the hotel, and you will have to purchase a Banff National Park Pass and display it on your vehicle for the duration of your time in Banff. Those additional expenses are not included in the package price.
We’ll also be curating optional excursions and experiences for some of our free afternoons. These will be completely optional and priced separately per person, with details shared as plans are confirmed closer to our retreat.
If your idea of a wonderful getaway includes beautiful scenery, time to create, new experiences and good company — with enough breathing room to enjoy all four — we think you’ll feel right at home in Banff.
This retreat may be especially right for you if...
You’ve always wanted to experience the Canadian Rockies. Banff is one of those places that really does live up to the photographs — and we’ll be staying right in the heart of it.
You love the idea of a scrapbook retreat, but you don’t necessarily want to scrapbook all day, every day. We’re deliberately building our schedule around both creativity and exploration, with classes primarily in the mornings and later in the day so your afternoons can be spent experiencing Banff.
You want to create with the memories you’re making. We’ll provide projects, supplies and inspiration designed especially for your Banff experiences, with enough flexibility to make the finished pages truly yours.
You enjoy having choices. Join an optional excursion, wander downtown with a new friend, walk beside the Bow River, linger over coffee, head back to the crop room or give yourself an afternoon to do absolutely nothing. There’s no single “right” way to experience the retreat.
You like the idea of travelling light, but appreciate having a choice. Flying in? Bring your basic creative toolkit and we’ll take care of the rest. Driving? Feel free to bring a few favorite tools or projects of your own to enjoy during open creative time.
You love creating alongside other scrapbookers. There’s something pretty wonderful about having your own workspace while being surrounded by people who completely understand why choosing the perfect piece of patterned paper can require a second opinion!
You want more than a traditional scrapbook retreat. The creating matters, but so do the conversations over breakfast, the afternoon adventures, the mountain views, the new friendships and all those little moments in between.
This isn’t a retreat where you have to choose between seeing Banff and having time to scrapbook. We’re designing it so you can do both.
Moments & Memories retreats are a little different from traditional scrapbook retreats, and we know that won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.
If your perfect retreat means settling into a crop room for five straight days and rarely venturing outside, you may find our schedule has a little too much Banff in it! And on the other hand, if you’d prefer every hour of your getaway to be planned for you, our intentionally open afternoons may not be what you’re looking for.
We’re creating this retreat for scrapbookers who want both sides of the experience - time inside for personal creativity + time outside those doors making memories that we will scrapbook together!
If that sounds like your kind of retreat, we think you’re going to love Banff.
If you’ve made it this far and you’re already imagining yourself waking up in the mountains, spending your mornings creating with us and your afternoons exploring Banff, we’d love to have you join us.
Our Banff Retreat is intentionally limited to 100 scrapbookers, giving everyone plenty of room to create while keeping the experience personal and connected.
Remember that your reservation will begin with your Banff Park Lodge Retreat Package. Booking your hotel package secures your place at the retreat and reserves one of our 100 Creative Experience spaces.
You’ll then receive the information you need to register separately for your Moments & Memories Creative Experience with Noreen.
Questions about the Hotel Package? Contact Tasha at tasha@destinationsawait.ca
Questions about the Creative Experience? Contact Noreen at noreen@scrapbookwithnoreen.com
I can’t wait to welcome you to our little corner of the Canadian Rockies!
***NOTE: We have received an incredible number of booking requests for the Moments & Memories Banff Retreat, and booking is temporarily paused while we process the registrations already received.
Requests will be reviewed in the order they were submitted. Once we have confirmed how many of our 100 scrapbooker spots have been filled, we'll provide an update here.
Thank you for your patience — and for your amazing response to Banff!