May 7 - Banff, Alberta
We woke up at 4:00 so our bodies must be on Ontario time! Breakfast started at 7:00 so we had time to repack our suitcases, moving stuff around as the weather changes. High is forecast to be 8° with some chance of precip in the afternoon.
Today made us so happy and proud to be Canadian as we took in many breathtaking scenes!
The plan for the day was to drive from Calgary to Banff, so we started with a drive through the city, the financial centre of Alberta. From there the driver took us along the Trans-Canada highway first coming upon the prairies of Alberta, to the foothills of the Rockies, and finally to the Rocky Mountains. The vastness of this mountain range became more and more apparent as we got closer.
Our first photo stop was at Two Jack Lake, a small, picturesque lake with a view of Mt Rundle.
From there we moved on to Lake Minnewanka where we were met by a guide who first served us pine tea (made with pine needles) and told us Indigenous lore about the lake. Minnewanka means Water Spirit or Lake Spirit, and there was a spiritual feeling looking at the spectacular scenery. It reminded us of our trip last September when we went to Maligne Lake and Spirit Island.
We came into the town of Banff where the guide has samples of different plants that were used for medicinal purposes. He showed how the Natives figured out how to heat water before the days of pots and pans and kettles! They would make a fire, take a piece of limestone and put it in the fire then dig a hole in the ground and line it with an animal skin. When the limestone was hot they would put it in the skin and pour water over it, immediately heating the water to the boiling point! Then they would make their tea using the plants they gathered for that purpose! Genius!!
We had lunch in Banff and then got back on the bus for more sightseeing.
Our next stop was on the other side of the Bow River, looking across at the Banff Springs Hotel. We then moved on to another spot of the Bow River to see The Hoodoos, rocky spikes that seem to grow up out of the earth! Moving right along, we came to Bow Falls, another picturesque spot where we saw the water rushing over the rocks.
Our last sightseeing stop for the day was a ride up Sulphur Mountain on the Banff Gondola. The boardwalk overlooks the town of Banff, the Banff Springs Hotel, and the RimRock Hotel. The view was stunning! Photos cannot do it justice.
One of us ( you can guess which one!?!) decided to take the Banff Skywalk - a km of stairs!!! to the summit of Sulphur Mountain. An unbelievable challenge! The Skywalk is constructed of a series of stairs and platforms
Here is the one who made it to the top!
Look WAAAYY UP! That is where she was!!!
After a day of awesome scenery we were taken back to our hotel for the next two nights, the Elk+Avenue Hotel . We were so tired, we only had a quick supper at the hotel and came back to our room!
What a memorable day!
Day off tomorrow!
The HappyWanderers!
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