Another fun - filled day of travel from Banff to Jasper with picturesque mountains, lakes and even a canoe trip through glacier waters.
We started our morning with our usual breakfast at 7am for an 8am departure from Banff to Jasper. We loaded the coach and started out of town and got a great treat early in the morning - a grizzly bear munching on some dandelions on the side of the road. Our first stops were at Moraine Lake and Lake Louise. Both amazing lakes with pure water as crystal as ice and rich jewel-tone colors. We stopped for a short photo and washroom visit at Moraine Lake. We had great light and the photos turned out great.
We had a bit more time at Lake Louise - enough to take out a canoe and travel the length of the lake circle back and head back to the dock. This was by far the best way to view this lake. Once you got about 40 yards off of the waters' edge, the water was the most amazing and unrealistic color of blue - just like a swimming pool. Uncle Lenox, Aunt Dottie and I were in one canoe and Zeke, Cailyn and Jeremy were in the other. We completely smoked them to the other end of the lake and then again going back. They even admitted that they couldn't quite figure out how to catch us. We managed to have better paddling skills which gave us the edge of their strength advantage. If they could figure out how to not be zig zagging all over the lake they might have had a shot. I sat in the middle of the canoe and got splashed from either side so that when I got out of the canoe I was sitting in a puddle of glacier water. I can fully attest to how cold the water is coming off the glaciers! We had the best views and took in the unique experience of floating out in the glass waters surrounded by mountains, tall pines and glaciers.
After canoeing, we stopped for lunch at the Chateau of Lake Louise and I had a nice meat lasagna and delicious sweet pepper and sour cream chips. Delicious.
We boarded the coach and headed up the Icefields Parkway that connects Lake Louise and Jasper. This stretch of road is known for wildlife and amazing sites along the way and we took in both. Our first stop was at Crowfoot Mountain and Crowfoot Glacier and then over to the Bow Lake and Bow River. Just stopped for some photos, but again, great scenery. We continued north on the Icefields Parkway and took in the Weeping Wall, Big Hill, Bridal Falls and even some Rocky Mountain Goats.
After making a few quick photo stops, we make a long stop with the Athabasca Falls that tumble down the Athabasca River from the Athabasca Glacier. The most amazing mist blows off of the Falls and a bridge stands right over the falls so I could stand right in front of the falls and feel the power and wind off the glacier water. We took a few trails around the area and enjoyed the trails and rocks cut into the land.
We rolled into Jasper after the falls and checked into our hotel - the Jasper Springs Bungalows, which are adorable wood cabins with a fantastic view of the river. The area is tremendous and the wood cabins fit perfectly in the pines. I must admit though, the bathroom doors are tricky and I managed to lock myself in and thought for a while I was going to be in there through dinner. Luckily my aunts managed to free me, but it was still amusing.
We had dinner as a group at the hotel restaurant, where we learned all sorts of fun family stories. Dana told the story of Zeke, Christopher, Jeremy and Joe's firework battle, where as you image, the teamed up and shot fireworks at each other. Zeke and Jeremy were putting bottle rockets in pipes and shooting them at Christopher and Joe from a tree house, so they retaliated by lighting the trees under the tree house on fire to smoke them out. They attempted to put the fire out by peeing on the fire, but they just made it bigger, so they had to leap out of the treehouse and tuck and roll. Zeke says this was the best time they'd ever had. This story triggered Uncle Lenox's memory when he and some of my other uncles held a bee-bee gun fight where they had a similar battle, but with bee-bee guns. He also reminisced about how they used to put cherry bombs down in the pipes and put C-batteries in and shoot them off like canons. I'm glad I'm not a boy.
After dinner we played a few rounds of Scrabble from the hotel and I caught the end of the Stanley Cup Finals - yay Pens!
Showing posts with label Banff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Banff. Show all posts
Friday, June 12, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Day 5 - Banff
Day 5, code name Awesome!
Day 5 started with one of my favorite things - sleeping in! We got an extra hour to sleep this morning and started at 9am instead of the usual 8am. We had breakfast at Tony Romas and boarded the coach for a tour of Banff and a raft ride down the Bow River.
We quickly passed over Lake Minnewauka (not sure about the spelling), and just checked it out from the coach on our way to Two Jack Lake. We saw some young elk just sprouting their antlers and some mountain goats with the big horns curling around. We stopped for a picture opportunity at Two Jack Lake and I climbed down the hill to base of the lake for a few shots. Uncle Lenox climbed down on the ground and layed out for some pictures and Zeke caught some nice shots of him laying in the grass on his stomach.
On our way to our raft float ride, we stopped to learn about the Hoodoos - deposits from the glacier movements that are essentially concrete. They leave funny little shapes like when you hold really wet sand at the beach and drip it back onto the beach. They First Nations believed these statue like columns had spiritual basis and were to blame when things went wrong - the Hoodoos are messing everything up! We also made a quick stop at the Celestial Gardens that stand at the end of Banff Avenue that look down to the whole town. They are just starting to plant the flowers, but there were a few blooms that I was able to take a few photos.
After Two Jack Lake we headed to Bow River Falls and the Bow River for a raft right down the glacier water. Our whole group managed to all get into one boat with a few extra passengers and enjoyed the 8-mile journey down the river, searching for animals, taking in the sights and learning the history of how this river has carved a mountain into two. Our tour guide showed us where trees along the river are falling in as the river continues to cut and push east. The river is fed by the Bow Glacier and the water is just slightly above freezing - I checked. We had a nice relaxing trip down the river, that is only a few feet deep in places and crystal clear. Since it's formed from a glacier it has a nice aqua-green sheen.
We continued our tour of Banff by riding back around past the Banff Springs Hotel - the first hotel built in Banff as a result of the Canadian-Pacific railway. This is a huge facility with rather pricey rooms. We didn't stop, but we got to take a peek at what they call the Castle in the Rockies.
When we got back into Banff, we had the afternoon to ourselves, so we all split up. Uncle Lenox and I had by far the best time (even though I'm sure Aunt Dottie will say she had a better time collecting her bargins) - but then again I'm partial. We stopped in Brunos for a nice $5 burger and some sodas and had a great lunch before we took off on our excursion. We rented bikes and rode out of town and along a nice freshly paved path to Vermillion Lake #1, 2 & 3. We had a few short hills (one that worse than others that I am remembering in my legs as I type), but it was otherwise flat. The perfect vacation ride. We figured it out to be about 11 kilometers. Nice bit of sun too, so the weather couldn't have been better for a nice ride.
After our ride, we popped into a few shops. My big bargain for the day is a hat and glove set - wool, lined with fleece for $8. I'm not set for next winter, for sure! Aunt Dottie did a little better, but come on, she's a professional for goodness sake :) We also grabbed some ice cream from Cows on our way back to our hotel. All (most) of the flavors have cow related names. I had Moople Walnut and Uncle Lenox had Wowie Cowie - so basically I had maple walnut and he had a toffee/pecan/chocolate type thing. I also scored some nice hockey pucks with some vintage logos - only in Canada! I also popped in a grocery store to buy maple syrup (big surprise) and i saw where all their tabloids were the same mostly - all Jon & Kate! I found that very interesting - there is a lot of American entertainment in Canada. Although, we did get You Can't Do That On Television from Canada, so I guess it can go either way.
We grabbed dinner at you guessed it, Brunos - my new favorite little place. I think all the employees know me know. I just met the manager, Gary - who place music and I have a new sticker to add to my water bottle from him. Everyone has been super nice and the food is great. I think my family enjoyed their dinners too. They have trivia cards on each table so we had a good time asking qustions and then before leaving my family jumped on the band set up by the door and we have some great shots of them playing various instruments. Uncle Lenox and I split the wings and they were amazing, much better than last night's wings. It seems I'm having my own little wing-off taste testing the wings of Banff. Brunos gets my vote.
Day 5 started with one of my favorite things - sleeping in! We got an extra hour to sleep this morning and started at 9am instead of the usual 8am. We had breakfast at Tony Romas and boarded the coach for a tour of Banff and a raft ride down the Bow River.
We quickly passed over Lake Minnewauka (not sure about the spelling), and just checked it out from the coach on our way to Two Jack Lake. We saw some young elk just sprouting their antlers and some mountain goats with the big horns curling around. We stopped for a picture opportunity at Two Jack Lake and I climbed down the hill to base of the lake for a few shots. Uncle Lenox climbed down on the ground and layed out for some pictures and Zeke caught some nice shots of him laying in the grass on his stomach.
On our way to our raft float ride, we stopped to learn about the Hoodoos - deposits from the glacier movements that are essentially concrete. They leave funny little shapes like when you hold really wet sand at the beach and drip it back onto the beach. They First Nations believed these statue like columns had spiritual basis and were to blame when things went wrong - the Hoodoos are messing everything up! We also made a quick stop at the Celestial Gardens that stand at the end of Banff Avenue that look down to the whole town. They are just starting to plant the flowers, but there were a few blooms that I was able to take a few photos.
After Two Jack Lake we headed to Bow River Falls and the Bow River for a raft right down the glacier water. Our whole group managed to all get into one boat with a few extra passengers and enjoyed the 8-mile journey down the river, searching for animals, taking in the sights and learning the history of how this river has carved a mountain into two. Our tour guide showed us where trees along the river are falling in as the river continues to cut and push east. The river is fed by the Bow Glacier and the water is just slightly above freezing - I checked. We had a nice relaxing trip down the river, that is only a few feet deep in places and crystal clear. Since it's formed from a glacier it has a nice aqua-green sheen.
We continued our tour of Banff by riding back around past the Banff Springs Hotel - the first hotel built in Banff as a result of the Canadian-Pacific railway. This is a huge facility with rather pricey rooms. We didn't stop, but we got to take a peek at what they call the Castle in the Rockies.
When we got back into Banff, we had the afternoon to ourselves, so we all split up. Uncle Lenox and I had by far the best time (even though I'm sure Aunt Dottie will say she had a better time collecting her bargins) - but then again I'm partial. We stopped in Brunos for a nice $5 burger and some sodas and had a great lunch before we took off on our excursion. We rented bikes and rode out of town and along a nice freshly paved path to Vermillion Lake #1, 2 & 3. We had a few short hills (one that worse than others that I am remembering in my legs as I type), but it was otherwise flat. The perfect vacation ride. We figured it out to be about 11 kilometers. Nice bit of sun too, so the weather couldn't have been better for a nice ride.
After our ride, we popped into a few shops. My big bargain for the day is a hat and glove set - wool, lined with fleece for $8. I'm not set for next winter, for sure! Aunt Dottie did a little better, but come on, she's a professional for goodness sake :) We also grabbed some ice cream from Cows on our way back to our hotel. All (most) of the flavors have cow related names. I had Moople Walnut and Uncle Lenox had Wowie Cowie - so basically I had maple walnut and he had a toffee/pecan/chocolate type thing. I also scored some nice hockey pucks with some vintage logos - only in Canada! I also popped in a grocery store to buy maple syrup (big surprise) and i saw where all their tabloids were the same mostly - all Jon & Kate! I found that very interesting - there is a lot of American entertainment in Canada. Although, we did get You Can't Do That On Television from Canada, so I guess it can go either way.
We grabbed dinner at you guessed it, Brunos - my new favorite little place. I think all the employees know me know. I just met the manager, Gary - who place music and I have a new sticker to add to my water bottle from him. Everyone has been super nice and the food is great. I think my family enjoyed their dinners too. They have trivia cards on each table so we had a good time asking qustions and then before leaving my family jumped on the band set up by the door and we have some great shots of them playing various instruments. Uncle Lenox and I split the wings and they were amazing, much better than last night's wings. It seems I'm having my own little wing-off taste testing the wings of Banff. Brunos gets my vote.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Day 4 - Banff & Canmore
I'm starting this post from a little bar in Banff, Alberta named Brunos where I am the only person in the place that doesn't work here. This will be my last stop for the day before I retire to my hotel next door, the Mount Royal Hotel. So, how did I arrive at Brunos? Well, the Mount Royal charges $11 a day for Internet access and Brunos is free -- well, I did purchase a glass of red wine, but that's a nominal fee compared to being ripped off by my hotel.
So, since I'm starting at the end of my day, I'm going to keep this going and write through my day in reverse.
Prior to coming into Brunos, I hit up the dozens of shops that line the main drag of Banff on Banff Avenue. Alot of touristy souvenir items, but I still haven't found my Mom a maganet for her collection. I was strong and didn't make any purchases even though I found a couple of cute items, but nothing I couldn't live without. Even though the Roots store did tempt me - but dropping that kind of cash on clothes didn't seem all that fiscally responsible.
A 2nd patron (but I think he might be an off duty employee) has entered Brunos and is also enjoying the live music by the rest of the employees. This must be a fun place to work if you are a talented musician, as they all seem to be rather skilled.
Before shopping, we had dinner at the St. James Irish Pub. I had a whole pound of BBQ chicken wings - in fact my fingers still smell like BBQ sauce. Somehow, most of our group managed to stay together for dinner yet again - which is kind of surpising given our size. Aunt Dottie almost opted to shop rather than eat, but we convinced her to have a bite.
We ducked in a few shops on our pursuit to find something to eat, but I restrained making any purchases. Shortly before dinner we arrived at our hotel, the forementioned Mount Royal Hotel and checked out our rooms. Very nice, a little small, but it's a cute and very conveniently placed along the main stretch of Banff. Banff is one of those amazing mountain towns that is big enough for all the amentities - like a mall and great eateries. This town comes alive in the summer, but our tour guide lived here for quite a few number of years (his daughters graduated from Banff High School). The sites our beautiful and I'm looking forward to renting a bike tomorrow and hitting the trails, but that's for a post tomorrow. Banff is also the 3rd National Park in the world - first was Yellowstone, second in Austrailia.
Prior to checking into our hotel, we had the highlight of the day - a Gondola ride to the top of Mt. Sulpher. I rode with Uncle Lenox, Aunt Dottie and Aunt Edwina. Poor Christopher was not so much a fan of the heights and threathened his fellow passengers anytime they made any kind of movements. It was a bit scary going up - I must say. I kept looking down and thinking, well we aren't that far from the mountain as compared to the bottom. Getting to the top was worth it - amazing view of the Rockie Mountains. I also was able to purchase and send some postcards from the top that receive a special stamp. I hope they make it to Cincinnati and Columbus!
Before arriving in Banff, we stopped for lunch and shopping in Canmore. It's like a little Banff, just as cute and delicious food. We all ate outside at the Wood and enjoyed the weather. We got to see a lot of dogs, including a huskey and for some reason babies were everywhere. I picked up some bath salts and sample pack of soaps at the Rockie Mountain Soap shop.
Before arriving in Canmore we had a long journey with a stop at the Bar U Ranch on the way. I wish I could remember more, but I just had a piece of blueberry pie there rather than looking through the historic ranch. Pie sounded soo good, I couldn't help it. Plus I feel asleep on the bus ride up there and missed the educational DVD explaining where we were going. I did learn about the branding and how to read a brand (left to right, top to bottom, inside out). I took a few pictures and felt it was appropriate stop for our drive through Cowboy Country.
The morning started out with a nap - and it was wonderful. I slept pretty much the entire way from Waterton National Park to the Bar U Ranch - a good 2 hours. Before we departed Waterton, we did stop at the Prince of Wales hotel for some photos. Really beautiful morning and the sun was out and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Perfect photo opportunity to catch Waterton National Park in it's glory.
Waterton National Park was beautiful, but there wasn't much going on in the town as compared to Banff, so I can't say I was sad to leave, but I think I might be when we head to Jasper in two days.
Brunos is starting to get hoppin. I'm the only nerd on a computer, but I refuse to be ripped off by my hotel and I'm enjoying chatting with Paul on gmail chat. It's open mic night, so this could be interesting!
So, since I'm starting at the end of my day, I'm going to keep this going and write through my day in reverse.
Prior to coming into Brunos, I hit up the dozens of shops that line the main drag of Banff on Banff Avenue. Alot of touristy souvenir items, but I still haven't found my Mom a maganet for her collection. I was strong and didn't make any purchases even though I found a couple of cute items, but nothing I couldn't live without. Even though the Roots store did tempt me - but dropping that kind of cash on clothes didn't seem all that fiscally responsible.
A 2nd patron (but I think he might be an off duty employee) has entered Brunos and is also enjoying the live music by the rest of the employees. This must be a fun place to work if you are a talented musician, as they all seem to be rather skilled.
Before shopping, we had dinner at the St. James Irish Pub. I had a whole pound of BBQ chicken wings - in fact my fingers still smell like BBQ sauce. Somehow, most of our group managed to stay together for dinner yet again - which is kind of surpising given our size. Aunt Dottie almost opted to shop rather than eat, but we convinced her to have a bite.
We ducked in a few shops on our pursuit to find something to eat, but I restrained making any purchases. Shortly before dinner we arrived at our hotel, the forementioned Mount Royal Hotel and checked out our rooms. Very nice, a little small, but it's a cute and very conveniently placed along the main stretch of Banff. Banff is one of those amazing mountain towns that is big enough for all the amentities - like a mall and great eateries. This town comes alive in the summer, but our tour guide lived here for quite a few number of years (his daughters graduated from Banff High School). The sites our beautiful and I'm looking forward to renting a bike tomorrow and hitting the trails, but that's for a post tomorrow. Banff is also the 3rd National Park in the world - first was Yellowstone, second in Austrailia.
Prior to checking into our hotel, we had the highlight of the day - a Gondola ride to the top of Mt. Sulpher. I rode with Uncle Lenox, Aunt Dottie and Aunt Edwina. Poor Christopher was not so much a fan of the heights and threathened his fellow passengers anytime they made any kind of movements. It was a bit scary going up - I must say. I kept looking down and thinking, well we aren't that far from the mountain as compared to the bottom. Getting to the top was worth it - amazing view of the Rockie Mountains. I also was able to purchase and send some postcards from the top that receive a special stamp. I hope they make it to Cincinnati and Columbus!
Before arriving in Banff, we stopped for lunch and shopping in Canmore. It's like a little Banff, just as cute and delicious food. We all ate outside at the Wood and enjoyed the weather. We got to see a lot of dogs, including a huskey and for some reason babies were everywhere. I picked up some bath salts and sample pack of soaps at the Rockie Mountain Soap shop.
Before arriving in Canmore we had a long journey with a stop at the Bar U Ranch on the way. I wish I could remember more, but I just had a piece of blueberry pie there rather than looking through the historic ranch. Pie sounded soo good, I couldn't help it. Plus I feel asleep on the bus ride up there and missed the educational DVD explaining where we were going. I did learn about the branding and how to read a brand (left to right, top to bottom, inside out). I took a few pictures and felt it was appropriate stop for our drive through Cowboy Country.
The morning started out with a nap - and it was wonderful. I slept pretty much the entire way from Waterton National Park to the Bar U Ranch - a good 2 hours. Before we departed Waterton, we did stop at the Prince of Wales hotel for some photos. Really beautiful morning and the sun was out and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Perfect photo opportunity to catch Waterton National Park in it's glory.
Waterton National Park was beautiful, but there wasn't much going on in the town as compared to Banff, so I can't say I was sad to leave, but I think I might be when we head to Jasper in two days.
Brunos is starting to get hoppin. I'm the only nerd on a computer, but I refuse to be ripped off by my hotel and I'm enjoying chatting with Paul on gmail chat. It's open mic night, so this could be interesting!
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