Top 10 National Park Lodges

In the early 1900s, railroad companies built the first lodge hotels to lure well-off easterners westward, promising easy living against a stunning backdrop. A century later, the clientele has changed but the appeal has not. Here are some lodges that are urban and remote, refined and rustic, classic and contemporary. Some are creaky-old and rife with history; others have gone modern with yoga classes and spa treatments. All say “summer escape". I say, they say 'heaven'.

2 of the Top 10 are waiting for you in Canada:

There are more accessible places to play golf, but few are set among such rugged beauty, where clear lakes border wildflower meadows and elk, caribou, and moose roam freely. The 83-year-old course at Jasper Park Lodge, which was designed by the legendary Stanley Thompson and ranks among the best in North America, is 224 miles away from the Edmonton airport, but it’s worth the trek. This lakeside Fairmont property is a sprawling compound of cedar chalets and log cabins, with Signature Cabins like the eight-bedroom Milligan Manor, perched right on the fairway. From $499/night; fairmont.com/jasper. My Father's very first job was at this lodge. He was the printer and every day he would design and make copies of the menus and other hotel information! Dad, here's an image that is perfect for your desktop wallpaper. (another one here)xo

Built under the auspices of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1887, the four-diamond Banff Springs Hotel has the look of a Scottish baronial castle and the feel of an indulgent weekend retreat. A Fairmont property, all rooms are appointed with de rigeur comforts and most offer views of the Bow River or Tunnel Mountain. There’s golf, tennis, and mountain biking, but the primo activity takes place at the Willow Stream spa, a 38,000-squarefoot operation fresh from a multimillion-dollar makeover. Many of the treatments involve native plants and minerals (making the wildflower meadow come to you for a change). Yet even an Alpine Aromatherapy Massage can’t compete with the miles of unadulterated Rocky Mountain beauty just outside the door. From $469/night; fairmont.com/banffsprings