August 31st - Our first real vacation day in Canada, we were determined to see as much as we could! After breakfast, we headed for Banff. The scenery along the way was beautiful, and we were amazed at the color of the streams we caught glimpses of from time to time.
Just outside of Banff, we found a gondola up the mountain and took a ride to see what we might find there.
We were greeted by an awesome building at the top with restaurant, gift shops, all kinds of information about the mountains around us, and some options for hiking. There is actually a trail from the bottom of the mountain up to this lodge. We met one woman who'd come up that way. I think she said it had taken her 6 hours. The more popular trail was one to a lookout point (you can see it here in the distance).
This wasn't like any trail I've ever hiked on, but it got the job done and kept the throngs of people from getting off the "trail" and trampling the plants that were growing at this elevation.
There were lots of wide landings to check out the grand views, and we lucked out with a beautiful, clear day.
Then, we continued to the lookout point. It was a locked up stone hut with lots of people wanting their turn to peek in the windows.
We spent the next couple of hours exploring the shops in Banff...
...and wondering how many car/bear accidents there really have been here!
Back to the highway to find Lake Louise - passing through lots of cool tunnels on the way.
Found it! This lake is also a very unique blue color, but it was hard to capture with the sun shining so bright today! We were told there are some good-sized glaciers on the mountain beyond, but the sun was blinding us from that direction and we couldn't make them out.
And throw each other in the water??
A huge hotel overlooks the lake. This is where Don's parents spent their honeymoon!
We went inside to check it out. The views from inside are breathtaking!
Grand lobby
The sun finally hid behind a cloud as we were leaving, and now you can see the glaciers on the far mountain. This would be the first time I've seen one, knowing what it was at least. Pretty cool!
Next stop: Moraine Lake. This one was more peaceful. The water was so clear and still, it was the perfect mirror.
We spent the bulk of our time here watching the chipmunks! They were such curious creatures and two of them were vying for this box of crackers someone had carelessly left behind.
We were satisfied with our day's adventures by this point and headed back to Fairmont Hot Springs. As we cruised along, the sun was setting and the wildlife were out and about. All-in-all a fabulous ending to our first day in Canada.
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