Some things in the world are always changing. Banff, Alberta has encountered many changes in the years since either of us has been here last but the one fact that still remains is that this great park is AWESOME! It's been well over 20 years since Lorraine brought high school students to ski at Banff or even longer since Trevor studied at the Banff School of Fine Arts with the Canadian Brass during his high school years but we've had a great time this week exploring some of our old "stomping grounds".We've re-explored, Lake Louise and as we walked along the shore from one end of the lake to the other, we were reminded that this is, indeed, one of those treasured spots on the planet. No wonder that most everyone we met at this spot was from almost everywhere else but Canada. We've encountered that phenomenon several times; most notably at Niagara Falls, Ontario and at the 12 Apostles on the Great Ocean Route in Australia. Strangely, we also ran into many Americans at Lake Louise. One would have thought that their lower dollar would be keeping them away but this did not seem to be the case.
One exciting new venture was our travels into Yoho National Park in British Columbia where we watched a train going through its motions at the Spiral Tunnels in the Kicking Horse Pass; one of the world's major engineering marvels. This reduces the grade the trains have to climb in order to negotiate the steep mountain. Then, speaking of Niagara Falls, we were totally awestruck by the Takakkaw Falls which are regarded as the second highest waterfalls in Canada.
As we end this incredible trip to Western Canada and pack our bags in preparation for flying back to Ontario tomorrow, we are reminded that we still have many more exciting adventures ahead of us this summer.
Photos:
1. Trevor & Lorraine From Mt. Norquay (overlooking Banff town site)
2. Lorraine with Mt. Rundle, Banff townsite and Sulphur Mtn in background
3. Banff Springs Hotel in Background
4. Trevor fits right into the Banff Springs Hotel scene
5. Lorraine @ Banff Springs Hotel patio
6. T & L @ Lake Louise
7. T & L @ Takakkaw Falls, Yoho National Park, BC
8. Takakkaw Falls (Trevor @ base)
9. Trevor in field of snow @ Yoho National Park
10. Groundhog on Mt. Norquay, Banff
The fascinating thing about this boat tour is that half of the route is in the United States. In fact, the boat takes its passengers to Goat Haunt, which is in Glacier National Park in the United States of America. Passengers disembark for about a half an hour at Goat Haunt and have an opportunity to walk on the shores of the American side without clearing customs. Then, they board the boat again to return to the dock at the Waterton town site. Our only regrets on this day were that the day couldn't have been longer.
