For the most part, the laws are common sense.  But not all of them.

Let’s look at Jasper Bylaw #068 6.1:

• “No Pedestrian shall crowd or jostle other Pedestrians in such a manner as to create or cause discomfort, disturbance or confusion.”

Translated:  No pushing and shoving to be done in ways the people near you would dislike.

Strange.  Why was this law created?  Was there an epidemic of pushing and shoving, of crazy jostlers jostling in every free moment, menacing the people of Jasper?

Was this pushing and shoving causing rampant discomfort and confusion amongst townsfolk?  Was an emergency town meeting called to put an end to the Jasper crowding and jostling crisis?

I can only guess.

Another Jasper law leads me to believe that keeping everyone walking and driving in an orderly manner has been a topic of great concern.  Maybe the jostling situation got out of hand and poured from the sidewalks into the streets.

• “No person shall so conduct himself or otherwise position himself on a Roadway in such a manner as to obstruct vehicular or Pedestrian traffic or as to inconvenience any other Person upon the Roadway.

Translated:  No horseplay.  And if you are in the way of traffic, hustle it up a little and get out of the way.

All this talk of law is making me tired.  You?

Don’t even think about sleeping in your car on streets of Jasper because you forgot about Jasper Journal’s advice on booking hotels early.

• “No Person shall park a Vehicle or a Trailer on a Roadway for the purpose of overnight accommodation.”

While the point of visiting Jasper National Park is getting out and experiencing nature, the village has a lot to do between outings or in the evenings – and many of the hotels are in this area of the park.

1. Jasper Information Center – This is the place to get oriented. Ask the park staff about the best places to hike based on current trail conditions and your hiking level. There’s a ton of brochures and maps here for all of the park’s attractions.

2. Jasper Yellowhead Museum – Get a sense of the human history of Jasper National Park. This small museum is the only one in Jasper townsite. An assortment of displays show a pictorial history of the park as well as historical artifacts. To get the most out of it, spend some time reading the stories at each display. You’ll really come away with a better understanding of the park and its unique history.

3. Rent a bike – Check out Freewheel Cycle on Patricia Street. Ride around Jasper and plan a ride on some of the bike trails connected to the townsite area.

4. Get some chow – Jasper townsite has a wide selection of dining. There are several independent restaurants as well as hotel restaurants. Choose from home-style dining to pizza to seafood.

5. Train Station – See an old train. Watch the occasional CN freight train or one of the tourist trains pass by. Browse inside the train station.

6. Shopping – Now is a good time to stock up on hiking snacks and water. The townsite has some clothing stores and specialty shops. The tourist shops seem to all be selling the exact same stuff though.

7. Ice cream – Who can resist a little ice cream while on vacation? Jasper has a few places to get ice cream.

8. Plan an adventure – Booking in advance is better, but if you’re in Jasper and have some time, stop into a few of the tour planning offices in town. There are many types of tour and adventure packages available including: canoe, white water rafting, wilderness nature tours, hiking, backpacking, helicopter tours, and trips to all the major sights in Jasper National Park.

9. Swimming – Yes, the Jasper Aquatic Centre has an indoor pool, whirlpool and wading pool. Many of the hotels have swimming too.

10. Take in the scenery – If you walk to any of the above, it’s hard not to notice the mountains surrounding the townsite.

Bonus: While walking around town, you may stumble upon Jasper the Bear. He stands near the Jasper Information Center and makes for a nice photo opportunity.

Jasper Pizza Place is on 402 Connaught Drive near the train station. We sat by the window and had a good view of the distant mountains, something that never seems to grow old.

This is the place to go for a good old-fashioned pizza. The topics pizza toppings are what you’d expect at a North American pizza joint. There’s pepperoni, mushroom, ham, veggies, etc. There’s even a ham & pineapple combo and a barbequed chicken combo. It’s a nice bite to eat, nothing spectacular, but not bad either.

The two other good pizza choices are North Face Pizza (618 Connaught Drive) and Lulu’s Pizzerea (610 Patricia St), both in the vicinity in Jasper townsite.

Both North Face Pizza and Lulu’s Pizza get high marks from others, though I have yet to try them. And at some point or another, someone was dissatisfied with all three. That’s the fun of eating out. You never know what you’re going to get.

Follow some conversations about Jasper pizza and other dining on Chowhound here and here and most recently here.

This map shows the pizza places and some of the other dining options in Jasper National Park’s main village.