From Calgary we headed out to the Canadian Rockies! First stop was the Lake Louise area where we hiked around Moraine Lake, Emerald Lake and of course Lake Louise. All were beautiful but Moraine Lake was by far the most spectacular and our favorite hike!
Next up was a drive over to Yoho National Park and a hike to Takkakaw Falls and Emerald Lake.
The Falls are 350 feet and this is peak season for them to be flowing! Below is Emerald Lake which was almost as beautiful as Moraine Lake!
The road to Emerald Lake is also the site of the Natural Bridge so after several hikes we decided to stop at the Natural Bridge and dip our toes in the chilly water – there are still piles of snow nearby so I’m pretty sure the water temperature was not anywhere close to the balmy waters of our south florida beaches.
We also took the Lake Louise gondola ride to the top of the mountain hoping to see some grizzly bears along the way but none were seen but it was still a beautiful ride! (and stay tuned we did have our first bear encounter when we got to Banff)
Final stop was Lake Louise! We had a beautiful picnic dinner in the grassy meadow along side the lake on the grounds of the lovely Fairmont Chateau Hotel and then enjoyed a sunset walk to the end of the lake and back – perfect way to end the day.
Arriving in the mountains we also found where all the minivans from the 1990’s went to be reincarnated. Everywhere you go, you see these repainted minivans from the 90’s that seem to be the favorite mode of camping for the millennials. It is an Australian company called wickedcampers.com. We have not seen anyone over 30 driving them but they are definitely quite popular with the younger crowd! Wish my minivan moms and I would have thought of this a few years ago when we all retired our minivans!
Join us on our journey - Greg and Linda's Sabbatical! 