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My fiancee and I plan to marry in Canada in April/May next year. We have decided on the Canadian Rockies area and seek a picturesque and natural setting. We haven't travelled to Canada previously, so could you recommend any scenic and unique areas for our special day? Michael
Hall
Banff and Lake Louise jostle for billing as the Canadian Rockies' most picturesque location in what is an incredibly beautiful part of the world.
Canmore is a less resort-style option on the edge of Banff National Park but with equally dramatic mountain scenery.
Of course, the Rockies are largely renowned for their exhilarating outdoor activities, including horse riding, hiking, canoeing and skiing.
Say the word Banff and the multi-turreted Fairmont Banff Springs (www.fairmont.com/banffsprings) comes instantly to mind. Splashing out on a honeymoon night at this famous hotel wouldn't go amiss, with packages from $375; wedding arrangements start from $460.
For spectacular views over the mountains, a trip up the town's sightseeing gondola to the top of Mt Sulphur (www.banffgondola.com; $33) is a must.
For Lake Louise, 57km north of Banff, its main claim to fame is the opaquely turquoise Moraine Lake and its extraordinary reflections of the snow-covered peaks that surround it. This might clinch the stakes for the most scenic spot to provide a backdrop to your wedding.
The town has an oversized Fairmont hotel, the Chateau Lake Louise (www.fairmont.com/lakelouise), but being more modern it lacks the charm of Banff Springs. A better bet could be the more relaxed Moraine Lake Lodge (www.morainelake.com; doubles from $388), with lake and mountain views from every room.
Canmore's most romantic hotel is the alpine-style Bear and Bison (www.bearandbisoninn.com; doubles from $235), which caters for intimate elopement weddings (packages from $2290).
You'll need to organise the marriage paperwork through the Banff Bureau of Licensing and Registrations (www.banffbureau.com/bureau/marriage.htm), which will help arrange an Alberta marriage licence. To obtain the licence, you'll need to provide identification (drivers licence or passport), the full name and birthplace of your parents, plus your mother's maiden names, a decree absolute if either of you are divorced and a death certificate if either of you are widowed.
Taste of San Francisco
We're an older couple who have to spend about 11 hours at San Francisco Airport (11am to 10pm) in early December. The airport seems to be quite far from the city. Have you any ideas of how to spend the time without spending a fortune? Also, on our way back, we are spending two days in San Francisco in mid-January. Can you perhaps recommend a three-star hotel close to the winter attractions? James & Eliz Hawkins
San Francisco is one of the truly great and beautiful cities of the world, and you should certainly make the most of your 11-hour stopover. From the sparkling blue bay to the stunning Golden Gate Bridge, from the acres of forested parks to the rows of pretty Victorian terrace houses, San Francisco is a city you can easily fall in love with.
Getting into town from the airport is quite easy and cheap on the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit; www.bart.gov). The trip takes about 20 minutes and costs $7. Alternatively, a taxi costs about $52.
Getting around by BART and Muni (a network of buses, streetcars and cable cars; www.sfmuni.com) is probably your best bet, but you might need to throw in the odd cab ride to squeeze more into your day here. For automated Bay Area transit information call 511.
If you are art lovers, then you'll want to make a beeline for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (151 Third St; www.sfmoma.org; Montgomery St BART and Muni station). For an admission price of $16/$10 (adults/seniors) you'll see one of the best museums dedicated to modern art in the United States.
The building itself is a striking landmark in the city and the permanent collection includes work by Jackson Pollock, Henri Matisse, Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Willem de Kooning, Robert Rauschenberg, Rene Magritte and so on.
If you want to relive the Summer of Love, then head for the Haight-Ashbury (bus 6, 7 or 21 from Market St). Although somewhat of a gentrified hippy theme park now, there's still a lot of colour and quirkiness and it's a great area for people-watching.
Nearby is Alamo Square, the park famous for its "painted ladies", an unbroken row of elegant Victorian houses making for a picture-postcard view with the city skyline in the background.
If you find yourselves in the Upper Haight, then the gorgeous Golden Gate Park is just a stone's throw away. This is where you'll find the spectacular Conservatory of Flowers (33 Muni), the Japanese Tea Garden (44 Muni), the MH de Young Museum (44 Muni) and bison (5 Muni).
For a terrific meal with a great view over the bay, you need go no further than the Ferry Building (www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com) down on the city's waterfront (Embarcadero BART, 7 Muni). It's the perfect introduction to San Francisco's culinary culture and the food is fresh and exciting and great value for money. Afterwards, why not catch a ferry for a trip across the bay - an inexpensive way to see the city.
Where you stay on your return should depend on what part of town you want to be in and what you intend to do while you're here. In the downtown area, we can recommend the Beresford Arms (www.beresford.com), well-kept with antiquated charm and spacious rooms. The Cartwright Hotel (www.cartwrighthotel.com) has attractive rooms and excellent service. Double rooms in both places cost around $180. The Golden Gate Hotel (www.goldengatehotel.com) is a friendly family-run place. Doubles with bathrooms cost around $160.
