Tag: Alberta

Day 27       

Although the views are amazing, the mountains put you in awe every time you look at them (and you are always looking at them because they are everywhere), Todd and I are ready (okay, not sure if ready is the right word) to come home.

Today was a low-key day. We toured around Banff taking in the sights, went for lunch, did some browsing at the stores, then back to the B&B to plan our route home.

We drove up Mt. Norquay which is a ski area in the winter. From the lookout, you can see the town of Banff below and many of the glacial waters. Today was a bit hazy, but still the view is breathtaking.

Next we went to the Cascade Gardens and walked around. It is 12 acres of land with walking paths through numerous flowers of varying heights and stunning colours.

The morning was a little chilly after the rain last evening, but we decided to check out Banff Upper Hot Springs – what a disappointment. Hot spring water flows naturally from Sulphur Mountain (the mountain we visited yesterday); you can smell the sulphur. We expected a natural-looking pond/pool in which to soak in the 39° C  spring water, but it was just a plain old swimming pool…..just didn’t have appeal.

Last stop was the Bow River Falls viewpoint. The 623 km river is comprised of numerous rapids and mini falls. It flows through Banff National Park making its way towards Calgary and beyond. The Bow River is part of the South Saskatchewan River system.

Lunch was at the Bear Street Tavern – well known for their pizzas. We shared a Home Garden Salad with a Cucumber Vinaigrette Dressing, and The Big Bird Pizza (chicken, bacon, spinach, onions, goat cheese, mozzarella, and pesto on a thin crust). Delicious!

The remainder of the afternoon was spent looking around in the various shops. While I really wanted a pair of yellow gold Ammolite earrings, I just couldn’t justify the price (to Todd’s relief….).

For our last “real” night of vacation (10 hr. days driving, doesn’t count), we went to The Terrace Restaurant, rated #1 on TA. Todd and I shared the Smoked Duck appetizer (thinly sliced duck breast on artesian salad with raspberry vinaigrette and candied walnuts), then Todd had the Alberta 6 oz. Tenderloin with Marsala jus, foie gras mashed potatoes, beets, and snap peas.

I had the Elk Medallions served on a rhubarb chutney with brandy jus, asparagus and summer squash, and coffee infused mashed potatoes.

For dessert, instead of coffee to go with the Maple Crème Brulee, we ordered Martinis (traditional for Todd and Chocolate for me).

This meal was a delicious ending to our Western Adventure.

After dinner, Todd bought a Cuban cigar for our walk around the downtown before going back to the B&B. I continued my quest to find a pair of Ammolite earrings – and I was successful! – plus I got them to throw in bear bells for Todd when he bikes……

We know we have said this before, but the mountains are truly an amazing sight! At times they look surreal, like a painted backdrop. We don’t think you could ever take the view for granted…..

Day 26

We are staying at the Banff House B&B in Banff. We slept really well last night, and had to force ourselves to get up and join everyone for breakfast – Connie, the B&B owner, served fresh cut fruit, scrambled eggs, bacon, and English muffin. Two other couples are staying here, all retired teachers from Wisconsin.

After easing into the morning, we drove the Lake Minnewanka. First we circled Minnewanka Loop, next we parked and walked a portion of one of the pathways at Lake Minnewaka. This lake is the only one in the National Park that allows motorized boats to access its water. The glacial lake is also the longest lake in the National Park at 28 km.

As we left for Johnson Lake, we saw some deer off the side of the road. At Johnson Lake, numerous people were picnicking and swimming – enjoying the weather. There is a path around the lake that we began to hike on, but apparently Todd has great blood, because the mosquitoes would not leave him alone, so we cut the hike short.

After returning to town to pick up some lunch food at Safeway (a wrap and broccoli salad), we drove to the Gondola at Sulphur Mountain. We ate lunch before purchasing a ticket for the 8 minute ride up the mountain.

Once at the top, it was still a hike to the summit of the mountain (on the positive side, the walkway was a boardwalk (versus rock, gravel, or dirt –all of which we have experienced). The views from the top, Sanson Peak – elevation: 2,256m – were AMAZING! This was the site of a meteorological observatory built in 1903. The small old building still exists with its rustic interior furnishings viewable through windows.

On our travels today, we spotted a few Big Horn Sheep, loons, and some deer, but the highlight occurred when we went to back into our parking spot at the B&B – across the road, munching on the grass was AN ELK! Delhi, India has their cows roaming the streets, Banff, Alberta has their elk! Great photo-op!

After the excitement, Todd went for a bike ride and I went for a walk to the downtown area (no purchases); the elk went across the road to the hotel gardens to munch on their flowers. Prior to dinner, we chatted with the other guests at the B&B over wine and cheese and crackers. Tomorrow they leave for Jasper, so we gave them some recommendations.

For dinner, we opted to go to St. James Irish Pub. Well (well rated on Trip Advisor) – did we get “entertained” – and not in a good way. We were sat at a table across form the bar. At the bar was a very loud, obnoxious, young woman and her woman friend who were chatting with one of the local male patrons. Todd and I, and the table of four beside of us were sending “looks” their way, and when the F-bombs began, one of the men next to us made a comment to keep it down. All of a sudden, the male patron at the bar turns to the table beside us and accuses them of being Brits and killing people, and who did they think they were. They were from Michigan and were just as appalled at the display at the bar as we are. The guy was eventually escorted out, but the loud, obnoxious woman and her woman friend just turned their attention to other men at the bar. We continued chatting with the people next to us as none of us could believe the display. Todd and I shared a salad and an order of fish and chip…s, and we couldn’t wait to finish our meal and drinks and exit. Out on the street, even with all the traffic, we couldn’t believe how “quiet” it was….

Day 25

What a day! After a leisurely start to the day (even missed breakfast…, taking advantage of our suite at the Fairmont in Lake Louise), our day consisted of four (actually five) highlights –- Lake Moraine, Lake Louise, a bear sighting (yes!), Johnson Canyon, and another bear sighting.

Our first stop was Lake Moraine   – the colour is breathtaking – so blue, so clear.

It is also a highly visited tourist site – cars were parked a kilometre or so back from the main parking lot. We headed to the parking lot (figuring someone has to be leaving), and after 3 circles, we got a spot. Lake Moraine is a .5 sq/km glacial fed lake in the Valley of the Ten Peaks. We are just in awe of the clarity of these glacial-fed waters. There are five trails around the area; we chose the Moraine Lake Lakeshore Trail (one of the shorter trails) because we had so much to still see in the day.

We headed back to the Fairmont to wander about Lake Louise and then pack up – good thing we could still park underground at the hotel, as both huge parking lots were filled with vehicles, and the street leading to the parking lots was bumper to bumper vehicles. Lake Louise is a beautiful sight, –pristine emerald coloured waters with glaciers overlooking the lake. Six glaciers fill the 70m deep lake. Breathtaking!

Both Lake Moraine and Lake Louise get their colour from the glaciers that grind the rock beneath them into a fine powder, called rock flour. Meltwaters wash the powder into the lake, and the resultant silty water absorbs all the colours of incoming light – except the striking turquoise and vivid blue that reflect back to our eyes.

We decided to take the Bow Valley Parkway on route to Banff – much more scenic than the Trans-Canada Highway. We stopped along the Parkway at a few lookout spots, and planned on stopping at Johnson Canyon. A few kilometres before Johnson Canyon, Todd excitedly exclaims, “A bear… !! get the camera!”

Just ahead of us a black bear is sauntering across the road into the woods! I get the camera out, and go to lean forward for a pic from the front window, but get stuck by the seatbelt. As the bear headed into the woods, I rolled down the side window, and started snapping away (had my sunglasses on, and wasn’’t even sure I was seeing it in the viewfinder….). Yeah! – we saw a bear… so exciting! He was just a young bear we figure because of size, but we were satisfied.

We knew we were coming upon Johnson Canyon because of all the vehicles parked along the roadside. Johnson Canyon has a number of small falls and two major falls, a lower and a higher. The hike to the 20 m high Lower Falls is about 1 km and the hike to the 40 m Higher falls is another 3 km. We decided to hike to the Higher Falls first, along a trail that snakes along the rugged terrain of the canyon. It was worth the mostly uphill climb to see the majestic cascade of water falling to the mossy gorge below.

On our hike back towards the Lower Falls, we looked down into the gorge below and were shocked to see a photo-shoot. A bride and groom were having wedding photos taken at the water’s edge with the canyon in the background…..no idea how they got down there!

The Lower Falls was interesting. We climbed through a small tunnel of rock that leads to a close up view of the Lower Falls where a refreshing mist gently falls. It was a great view.

Just after Johnson Canyon, we spotted another bear in the woods, but he didn’’t stay for his photo-op. Two bears in one day!!

We arrived in Banff around 5:30 pm. We are staying at a B&B just outside of the downtown area – great location. We decided on Saltlik for dinner – good thing Todd made a reservation, as there was a long wait if you didn’’t. The meal was delicious. We each had a Caesar Salad, the shared the New York Steak (blue cheese sauce and crumble on the side… for Todd), a baked potato, and grilled asparagus. We were not disappointed, but we were very full.

After dinner, we took a leisurely walk around the downtown area enjoying the night air and people-watching – a great end to a great day….