I think we all were a bit surprised to to find out that my grandparents had gifted the family with a 7-day, guided adventure tour through three different areas of Alberta, Canada, and the Rockies. After requesting 6 days off work, I started researching this area of North America relatively unfamiliar to me, and got super excited. I’ve always loved the mountains. The cooler temperatures, the accompanying breezes, the clarity I feel being in the presence of such majestic, natural beauty. I love the wildlife and flora, the valleys and peaks, and the overall inner sense of peace these sights bring me.
In 2012 I rang in the New Year in Denver, Colorado. Other than the Mile-High City, we spent some time exploring Estes Park and cross-country skiing and snow shoeing through Rocky Mountain National Park. I was therefore pleased to discover that the Canadian Rockies are another level of aesthetic grace and quite different in many ways. While the American Rockies are taller in stature, many areas are privately owned or restricted and because of massive tree growth, you don’t get to appreciate as much mountain expanse before your eyes. This is not to take away from them at all. I highly recommend visiting both areas to make your own comparisons! Both are gorgeous with uniquely impressive features. I was also particularly excited for the 2014 Canadian Rockies trip because I had never been to Canada.
Our trip started in Calgary, Alberta which lies between the foothills and the start of the Rockies. We arrived a day before the tour officially started to have some family time and reunite (there were about 12 of us), and acclimate to the two hour time difference per my grandmother’s insistence. We unfortunately missed the Calgary Stampede, an annual massive rodeo and festival, by just one week. Bummer. I think because of the wild week before, the city was relatively quiet post-event. We enjoyed catching up on life happenings over an outdoor dinner with some beverages, walked along the expansive Bow River littered with Canadian Geese (I love a good cliche!) and explored the Olympic center as Calgary was the first Canadian city to host the Winter Olympics in 1988. On this first night I got bit on the face by five black flies. Not a good look. Don’t let those cooler Canadian temperatures fool you. Bring bug spray.
The next day we met the others joining us on the Tauck tour, as well as our wonderful director for the week, Marie. Our bus drove out of the city and into more hilly topography for about 2 hours until we reached Lake Louise. We settled into our hotel rooms of the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise before setting out to explore the property. This hotel is located in Banff National Park and features views of Victoria Glacier, a sparkling, emerald-colored lake, and unbelievable hiking trails. We only had the remainder of the day and that evening in Lake Louise but we were sure to get some good walking in, take some scenic photos, and eat some delicious food at the Chateau.
This short but sweet stop was followed by an unbelievable drive on the Icefields Parkway to our next destination, Jasper. The Icefields Parkway is one of those roads where all you want to do is put on your headphones and stare out the window (and be super grateful that you aren’t driving, to enjoy the views)! This 144 mile road connects Banff National Park to Jasper National Park and features pristine mountain lakes, glaciers, and sweeping valleys. If you are lucky, you’ll spot wildlife like black bears, elk, and more. We also made sure to stop and explore the Athabasca Falls.
Eventually we made it to Jasper National Park. Our accommodations for the next three nights were in a rustic, lake-front lodge. Jasper was my favorite stop of the whole trip. It was so beautiful, so quiet, and so relaxing. Cold at night and in the morning but hot enough to lay by the pool come afternoon. I went on a solo bike ride one day and explored two semi-hidden lakes. Peppered with locals, I was able to relax, read, and do some good people-watching. On my way back I found myself face to face with about 12 elk. I panicked and froze in shock and fortunately a truck pulled up a minute later so I was able to get past the herd using the truck as somewhat of a shield. It was a terrifying exciting experience.
Other activities in Jasper included great hikes with crazy lake reflections, croquet with the family, tasty meals, and bison-jerky bloody Ceasers- clamato instead of tomato juice… seriously tasty. We went white water rafting on the Athabasca River, explored more waterfalls, and took an ice explorer to walk on a glacier! Perhaps my favorite stop of this leg was Peyto Lake. This naturally turquoise-colored lake is glacially fed from local sediment, causing the lake to reflect unreal colors. The wind and sunshine while overlooking this picturesque setting with my grandparents is something that will be forever imprinted in my memory.
After the lovely Jasper stop, we headed back south to the town of Banff. Banff is a mountain community in the heart of (you guessed it) Banff National Park. This town was far more touristy than our other stops and had tons of shops, a few rooftop restaurants and bars, weird museums, and some beautiful gardens. While still charming, in my opinion it was the least impressive of the three areas, as the consumer culture created throughout the town distracted somewhat from the surrounding beauty. During our stay we took a gondola up the mountain which provided a spectacular bird’s eye view of six mountain ranges. We randomly got caught in a snow storm at the top, which was wild (in fact, I had to buy a winter coat from the gift shop as I was completely unprepared). Later we strolled more of the Bow River, ate Tim Horton’s for the first time, went Canadian 5-pin bowling, and enjoyed a farewell reception with the whole group.
The Canadian Rockies vacation was without a doubt one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had with my family and we are all beyond appreciative to my grandparents for making it happen. My brother and I bonded in a way like never before, and it was fun to spend so much time with relatives whom I typically only see once or twice a year. The trip ended on a Friday and in my true nature I did some scheming in the months prior to see how I could maximize the rest of the weekend. Being that I was already so far west and with two more days to spare before needing to return to work on Monday, I purchased a one way ticket to Vancouver. That story is to be continued…