We arrived to beautiful Banff around 2:00 after spending the morning driving The Icefield Parkway and making many stops to view the highlights along the way. Since we already had a reservation at the campsite, we were not in a hurry to arrive early and we certainly enjoyed the leisure pace. We hooked up the RV at Tunnel Mountain Campsite and unloaded the bikes and made our way downtown. Banff is a quaint little town surrounded by the Canadian Rockies and the streets are lined with gift shops and restaurants to quench the thirst of the tourists.
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For lunch we dined fresh salmon at an ecclectic shop and I had the opportunity to catch up on some of my pictures and blogging. I try not to go more than a couple of days updating or else it all starts to blend together. We are constantly on the go and exploring and taking in as much as possible. After lunch we rode our bikes around the town and outskirts to get a sense of the area. Golf course, river, gondolas,hot springs, horseback trails....so much to do! As evening approached, we found ourselves a bit chilled as the temperature dropped a bit, so we decided to do some souvenier shopping for our friends and family back home. As dusk approached, we decided to hop on the public transit which accomodates bicycles and took a ride back up to our campsite. The majority of this trip we have lucked out with wonderful campsites. However this time, although we did have electric and water hook up, was nothing more than a parking lot. But, the close vicinity to town made it worth it. Early the next morning, we hopped back on our bikes and rode into town. I enjoyed Starbucks coffee while Guy did his daily 5-7 mile run. Meeting back up, we jumped on the bus and headed to the Sulphur Mountain Hot Springs for some R&R. The blue skies we have experienced the entire trip thus far, made way to clouds and a lite sprinkle. What better way to get wet than the hot springs!
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The water was 104 degrees and very soothing. We spent about an hour relaxing and enjoying ourselves before having lunch at the restaurant with a couple we met during our stay. This trip we have met so many friendly people and have gained the sense of "connectedness" while away from home. With a break in the clouds, we decided to once again, board a gondola and head to the mountain peak for some panoramic views of the town.
The eight minute ride was a bit challenging for me as the winds had started to pick up from the approaching storm causing the gondola to sway back and forth. But, it was a quick ride and the views made up for any concern I had along the way.
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Cosmic Ray Weather Station on the summit of Sulpher Mountain. A historic landmark which tells the story of a man who for 32 years climbed the summit 3 times a week to record temperatures and weather conditions which he would relay to the Canadian government department of meterology. His last ascent was at 90 years of age!
Satisfied with our days activities, we boarded the bus with bikes in tow and headed back to the RV to tend to the dogs and shower. We decided to have a nice dinner and plans were made to "dress up" but with the weather turning worse, it was all we could do to stay dry. We picked up the bus once again at the campsite this time and rode to Fairmont Banff Springs Inn.
A nostalgic hotel dating back 100 years. It seems everyone else had the same plans for the evening and all restaurants were on a waiting list. We did find a quaint corner of the lounge with great views overlooking the mountains. Guy had previously been here on one of his work incentive trips and was happy to show me around although his memories are distant. We shared a lovely evening and our last evening in Banff as we were heading back north to Lake Louise in the morning.
We were off early to Lake Louise via the wildlife drive in hopes to see some of the animals who frequent the area. We saw several Big Horn Sheep grazing along the roadside and fresh scat of moose and a black bear grazing on Huckleberries.
We arrived to Lake Louise with the sun just starting to peak over the mountain and we boarded a canoe for a ride around the lake. Serenity at its finest!
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We paddled around the lake for about an hour and then had a nice breakfast at the lakeside hotel. The air was brisk and it felt good to warm up with hot chocolate. Who would know...hot chocolate in August? With our bones warmed, we decided to take a hike around the lake despite the frequent bear warnings where we got beautiful views of the lake. The water of Lake Louise is a pale green with little to no clarity because of the silt that the glaciers bring down the mountain side.
After a morning well spent, we travelled down the road to Lake Moraine which is a little less touristy. We both liked this lake better as it was bigger and a beautiful clear aqua blue. We had hoped to do a moderate hike but bear warnings were in strict affect and you could only hike with a group of four. We waited at the trailhead for awhile and no one was hiking. So, we took a trail around the lake that was more populated and took in the beautiful scenery.
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The mountain peaks were covered in glaciers and we heard calving, which sounded like loud thunder as pieces of the glacier broke off and fell down the mountain side. Last week a chunk of a glacier the size of a cruise ship fell to a lake in Jasper, emptying the lake and flooding the parking lot with 10 feet of water! Fortunately, this occurred in the early hours of the morning before visitors had arrived. Feeling disappointed that we couldn't get a good hike in, we craved for some exercise and decided to bike the road and trails of Lake Louise. Again, having a reservation takes the pressure off of us to have to search for a campsite and allows more time for us to enjoy our surroundings. We checked in to our campsite late afternoon. There are two campsites in Lake Louise. One for RV's and one for pop up campers and tents. The later is secured by an electric fence to keep the bears out!
On the other hand, our campsite was right along the river and the huckleberry bushes where the bears frequent. Never the less, the site was beautiful and trails along the river made for a wonderful bike ride. We rode along the trail into town where we had the tastiest pizza and then shopped a bit as we digested our meal. Guy suprised me with a beautiful necklace and earrings made of Ammolite set in silver. It is a rare precious gem that is mined only in Alberta and will always remind me of our time spent in this beautiful special place. Tomorrow we head back to the U.S. to Montana and Glacier National Park. Another gem for sure!
This is the view from our campsite!
Very exiting pics! Banff in Alberta Canada is the great place where we can get unforgettable experience of our life. I read wholly blog experience and I do feel that is my adventure travel. I also much like the Alberta Hotels.
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