On the Road - Day 34

Pat had a difficult night. Was it the hot bath in a glacial area water? Or the detergent used on the sheets? Or bed mites? My skin was sensitive to the bedding. So I put on my jeans and Vance's socks to cover up. Had to take a couple of Tylenol because my legs were aching. Walking around two waterfalls and climbing up and down at the glacier yesterday apparently was just too much. Will be mindful of taking it easy today.

Up early. Lovely alpine view outside our window. I expected to hear the Riccola (cough drop) horns. Vance again spied our tiny, 4 inch long, chipmunk. We are calling it the "mini-munk".

Continuing south on the Icefields Parkway (Rt. 93). we passed several high icefields and glaciers, a few stunning lakes, and many absolutely humongous mountains.

I will let the photos speak for themselves. Parts of the highway did not permit pulling over to take photos. This was because it was an avalanche area. A couple of visual highlights, though, were Bow Lake, the Crowfoot Glacier and Lake Louise.










Bow Pass Summit is the highest point on the Parkway. Here trees were skinny, near the tree line. Bow Lake magically mirrors the mountain and glacier behind it, most artfully. I looked and looked and couldn't quite figure out just what it was that I was seeing.









Landscape or reflection?

The water was so still, the reflection so full, there was no demarcation between the two.

Crowfoot Glacier is east of the Great Divide. I took photos of it from a great distance, and regularly as we got closer. I was fascinated by the ice shelf. Once shaped like the three toes of a crow's foot, one has receded over time. Cool!






We arrived in the Village of Lake Louise as our tummies were calling for lunch, so we found an eatery and browsed the area. The Village uses the term "Rue" for street names. Goods in the market had English on one side of the label and French on the other. Great way to learn a language - from the items you use.

Lake Louise was busy with tourists. We walked down from the third plateau parking area to Lake Louise - magnificent and turquoise! Victoria Glacier lies at the far end of the lake.









The glacier is named after Queen Victoria, and the lake after one of her daughters. The water is too cold for swimming, but there were many people out in canoes.

In front of the lake is the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, a huge stately building with lovely gardens. We walked through and got some great photos from the dining room.
















Lake Louise is where Miranda and Mike's grandparents honeymooned. South of Lake Louise the rivers were more turquoise than aqua in color.







Strolled the main part of town and saw some historic buildings.










We arrived in Banff and found RV parking near the river. We checked out Blue Canoe rentals nearby and watched paddlers having fun. Some went up river, others took a stream towards Vermillion Lakes.



















Of course I got a photo of the Banff Public Library! Banff has a very European feel. Headed to reserve our RV nightspot at the National Park's Tunnels Mountain Campground.

We then visited the Hoodoos Viewpoint nearby with Mt. Rundle behind and the Bow River below. (Hoodoos are pillars of glacial silt and clay.) Took photos with folks rafting and canoeing the river.

Headed back to town for an Italian Dinner at Giorgio's Trattoria. We shared an "antipasto rustico" and a "papparelle" with spiced bison meatballs and a nice chardonnay. Both service and food were excellent. We walked the downtown for awhile before returning to our campground for the night. Had a nice chat with neighbors - two women from Manitoba. One is a retired school principal who is writing a book, the other is a public health nurse whose great-great grandfather (an Indian) helped survey the wilderness of Alberta by the using the stars. (early GPS!)

Ended at Tunnel Mountain Campground, Banff, Alberta
Odometer 60,951.5 (104.0) Total: 2807.0