Our trip to the Canadian Rockies began with a flight into Calgary.   With the desire to fly out of San Jose instead of San Francisco, James picked out a flight that connected at Phoenix on US Airways with an early afternoon departure that seemed to have a reasonable overall travel time.  But once we got to Phoenix, Jessica start calculating travel time and asked why we didn’t fly direct from San Francisco, which would only have a three hours flight time to Calgary.   Aside from the higher price for the direct flight – almost double – James wanted to keep the return trip home from airport short.  But his argument wasn’t too persuasive to Jessica.

We arrived at Calgary around 9PM local time, about 9 hours from when we left our house.  At immigration checkpoint, the agent surprisingly asked us a lot of questions – specifically asking us if we would be doing any business or meetings while we are there after we said we were there for pleasure (tourism) and then asking to see our reservation and itinerary.  Not really certain what the concern was, but he eventually let us pass.

One good aspect of the Calgary airport is that the rental car center is located right onsite, we just need to work across the street from the terminal to pick up our car.  We made sure that we figured out all the controls, including the GPS, before we drove away.   But one thing we didn’t catch until we started driving down the ramp from the rental place was there was a small “chip” on the center of the windshield with a circle around it that wasn’t mentioned in the paper work.  Initially, James thought that there would be a gatekeeper before leaving the lot as in most US airport lots, and he could point this out to the person.  However, there was no gatekeeper, so we called Hertz to report the issue to ensure it was noted on our rental record.

To avoid driving a long distance at night in an unfamiliar place, we stayed in Calgary that night.   By the time we got settled in our room at about 10:30PM local time.   With a full meal during the middle of the afternoon at the Phoenix airport, neither one of us was hungry; we both just ate an apple and some snacks we brought with us before getting to sleep.

The next morning, we were on the road by 9AM heading toward Banff.   We stopped at a Starbucks along the road out of Calgary for some latte and a small bite.   As this was a Sunday, the road was still relatively quiet when we headed out of the city.   We headed westward toward Banff on the Trans Canada Parkway (Route 1), the main highway connecting Canada east to west.   The scenery that unfolded before us as we drove west shows the vast expanse of open field through the horizon as far as the eye can see.   As we get closer to Banff National Park, the majestic mountains of the Rockies came into view.  As we later found out, these mountain ranges forms the Continental Divide, where water from these mountains would flow toward the Atlantic on the east side and toward the Pacific on the west.

Our first stop in Banff was to a restaurant recommended by a friend who had visited the area recently, Juniper Hotel Bistro.  The hotel restaurant sits just off the other side of Route 1 exit for Banff.   However, our GPS weren’t able to picked up address, so we ended up going into downtown Banff first and had to inquire of the hotel location at the Visitor Centre.  The detour gave us an opportunity to drive around there to get some familiarity as we had planned to stop by the town on our return trip back to Calgary.

The Juniper Hotel Bistro hits on a small hill that overlooks toward Banff.   Our timing turned out opportunistic because the Bistro was going through some renovation so was not open for dinner and was only open for breakfast/brunch for a few days a week during that period, and this turns out to be the only day during our visit it would be open.   Jessica ordered the Huevos Rancheros and James ordered the special Waffles.  Both were made so well that we decided to order a third entrée to taste, the Salmon Benny, even though we knew we probably wouldn’t be able to finish it.   The ingredients and the way of making those dishes gave it a special favor.   For the waffle, embedded bacons added a touch of favor and crunch.  The Huevos Rancheros used confit duck leg to go along with refried beans, orange gastrique and egg to give it a special favor.  And the hash of the Salmon Benny was absolutely delicious.  Plus the staff was very nice and indicated that the kitchen can provide variations of menu items as well.   Needless to say, both us were stuffed by the time we were done.

After brunch we headed off to Lake Louise, where we would staying for the next three nights.  We drove by ‘downtown’ Lake Louise, which is literally the size of a small strip mall by Route 1, but the drive into the lake area, particular when our hotel Fairmont (also known as Chateau Lake Louise) came into view against the mountain backdrop was breathtaking.   We had booked a room with a mountain view at the Fairmont, but Jessica decided to change to a lake view room at check-in.   Thus, from our hotel window, we had a view of Lake Louise that may be as well-known as any shot of the area.

After putting our things away, we decided to walk around the resort and take our free canoe ride on the lake.  We first strolled around the lake for a good hour and both of us took a bundle of pictures of the lake and surrounding mountains.  Then we took our canoe ride.  The lake itself is good size but small enough that we could have row around the lake inside of an hour.   The excitement during the canoe ride was Jessica and James battling on who is steering and the direction we were going.  But we were able to take some nice pictures from the middle of the lake, of the mountains and the hotel.  We even decided to purchase the official picture in the canoe to commemorate our canoe trip that all attractions seems to offer nowadays.

 

 

 

 

 

After the canoe ride, we decided to head to nearby Moraine Lake, which was located at the end of a side road along the road to Lake Louise.    Similar to Lake Louise, it is a picturesque alpine lake.  It was late in the afternoon by the time we arrived there, but we were still able to get some nice shots of the lake and its surrounding.   On our way back to the hotel, we stopped by the downtown area to get some supplies at the grocery store.

As neither one of us were very hungry as a result of our big brunch, we decided just to go to the lounge at the hotel, which offer some small bites during the evening.  They actually offer some nice appetizers, like mini-tacos, meatballs, deli meats, vegetables/salads, etc., along with various desserts, fruits and drinks.   It was enough to get filled up.    Afterwards, we just returned to our room to relax and to get ready for our next day’s venture to the ice field.

 

We again got up early the next morning for our all day excursion to the Columbia Icefield, which is inside of Jasper National Park.  James decided to have a small breakfast to avoid potential problems on the long bus ride.  We met up with the bus around 9AM at the hotel, which had originated from Banff and was making a stopover at Lake Louise for the passengers coming from Banff.  The bus took Route 1 westward for about 2 miles and then northward on Icefield Parkway (Route 93).    We make a number of stops along the way to see some of the scenic sites, such as Bow Lake, Waterfowl Lake, etc.    Of the stops, the vista point off North Saskatchewan River was most memorable due to its wide-angle view of the lake and valley.

 

Around noon, we stopped at the Icefield Visitor Center to have our lunch.  It was a typical buffet affair, nothing too memorable, but we did get a chance to exchange trip information with others in our group.   After lunch, we rode a specialized bus with wheels the size of a CAT tractor to take us onto the icefield.   Our bus driver is a retired bank executive from Japan, who had spend time in the area during his working days in North America and decided to spend the summers here to enjoy the fresh clean air after his retirement.   It was a short ride, but the most memorable part was going down a 45-degree embankment that felt like a straight drop.

 

 

 

 

 

We spend about 30 minutes on the ice.   There were 4 other buses there when we first arrived.   Most people hang around one area near the buses; with a few of us venture away a few steps further, climbing a small ledge onto a section a couple of feet higher that run over the horizon.  While the ice was mostly solid, there were spots where the ice was slippery and a bit slushy.  Not sure if one could falls through the ice, but didn’t really want to try to find out.   Our driver had told us that they don’t advise people hiking on the ice field alone, and we saw a group of people training on another part of the ice while driving to our spot on how to pull people if they fall into the ice.

The area we were on was only part of the Columbia Icefield, but the enormous size of the ice field that we can see was breathtaking enough.  The unfortunate part could be that with each passing season, the size of the ice field is shrinking.    After the ice field tour, we headed over to the Glacier Skywalk further up the road.   This attraction is a flexi-glass walkway cantilever over the canyon.  It does provide a nice view standing over walkway looking down into the canyon, but not as exciting as walking on the icefield.

It was close to 3PM by the time we started our trip back to the hotel.  We drove pretty much straight back, stopping only once for a quick bathroom break.  It was just past 5PM when we got back to the hotel.   We were exhausted and decided to just eat at the lounge again.   Afterward, we went down to the shops at the hotel and looked around outside the hotel along the lake, doing a bit star gazing against the pitch black background of the lake and mountains.

The next day, after a full and hearty breakfast at the lounge, we headed to the adjacent Yoho National Park, just to wander around the area and visit a few spots that were recommended by friends and that looked interesting to us.    We first went to the Yoho Visitor Center at the Village of Field to pick up some guides.  And we also end up picking up a small stuff moose there.  Starting with our first trip to Australia together, we now seem to pick up a stuff animal from every trip and place we visit.

The first area we visited was Emerald Lake.  On the way there, there is a lookout point with an impressive natural rock formation called the Natural Bridge that spans the Kicking Horse River.  We were the only people there when we arrived and were able to get some great pictures.  We were even able to walk right up to the rocks and look right over the fall.

 

 

 

 

 

Emerald Lake itself was another pristine alpine lake, enclosed by mountains.  There was also a hotel by the lake.  And there is a trail around the lake that one can take.  We walked about a quarter of the way around before heading back, after the paved ground gave away to some muddy trails.

The one area that was most interesting to us was Takakkaw Falls, one of the highest water falls in Canada.  It was one site that required driving deep into the mountain, and we still have to walk maybe half a mile to get a up close view.  But the view was worth it.   Being late in the season, there weren’t too many people around when we were there.  This is kind of area that brings to mind what the early explorer may have seen when they first visited this area.  And let’s all hope that we can keep this area as pure as it was then well into the future.

 

We start to head back to the hotel around 1:30PM to ensure we return by our reservation for afternoon tea at the hotel lounge at 2:30PM.   It was a classic afternoon tea spread, with a selection of tea choices.  The mini sandwiches were delicious, and the scones and pastries were also very good.  All this with a view of the lake in the foreground.   We were able to savor the food and tea while going what we have seen in the morning and checking over the pictures.

 

We went back to our room and rest a bit.  Jessica fell asleep.   James decided to take a walk outside around 4:30PM.   When James got to the area where some of the trails along the lake began, he decided to try to head to the famed Fairmont Lookout above the lake.  The signs says it was only 1.8km, so figured it would be a fairly short hike.   The first few hundred meters were easy enough, then the trail starts to trend more steeply uphill.  It starts to get laboring a bit, but the more worrying point was that after the 1km marker, there seem to be no more signs.  James kept hiking upward.  When the trail started to break out of the trees into the open, he thought the destination should be close.   There was a view of the chateau and surround area, but it was at a different angle than the standard view from the Lookout, and no view of the lake.  Anyways, after walking another 5 minutes, with sun going down, James decide to head back, didn’t want to end up spending the night up there.  Despite the hike, James wasn’t particular hungry; and Jessica was still full from the afternoon tea.   We decided to eat dinner at the lounge one more time.

The next day was our getaway day from Lake Louise.  We planned to spend the morning looking at sites along the way to Banff, have lunch in Banff and then looked around the town a bit before heading back to Calgary.

We visited a sanctuary area not too far from Banff off Trans Canada Parkway; it is an area build around Vermilion Lake, with a few marsh area where ducks and other water birds can be found in the area. The Vermilion Lake Road, which can be accessed just off the Banff exit from the Trans Canada Parkway,  run adjacent to this parkland along the Parkway, with a few parking spots where one can stop and walk around the area.   We spend about half an hour there walking around a few spots before heading into town.

Jessica selected a Chinese restaurant, Silver Dragon, in Banff for lunch, which is located on the south side of the Bow River.   The menus are definitely a more ‘Canadianized’ version of Chinese food, but the waiter offered a couple of menu options that he thought would be more for our taste.  He was also able to slow down Jessica from significantly over-ordering for the two of us, but we still end up with quite a bit of leftover, which the waiter insisted we take it with us to avoid waste.

After lunch, we walked around the downtown area to pick up some souvenirs.   Banff downtown is essentially a tourist shopping mall, but dressed up in a good way.  We picked up some basic stuff, like more small stuff animals.   Jessica also looked at some local fossilized stones that is unique to the area as well.

Around mid-afternoon, we started our way back to Calgary.  The drive back was mostly swift and uneventful until we reached the city.  Then it was typical mid-week rush hour traffic.  But we were able to reach our hotel, Holiday Inn Express Airport, before dusk.   One reason for the hotel selection is the early morning flight (7:45AM) we had the next day, and the hotel has a 24 hour shuttle service to the airport.  After we checked in, we drove to the airport to return our rental.  Even though we were just on the edge of the airport, and instruction from the hotel, we still got lost a bit.   On our ride back to the hotel on the Hotel Shuttle, we asked the hotel driver when we should leave in the morning for our flight.  His advised to get the airport by 5:00AM because it takes time to get through security there and told us the time his wife barely made her flight despite getting there 2 hours early.  Anyway, given it’s about a 10 minutes ride to the airport, we decided to leave the hotel at 5:00AM.

Only after we checked in the next day and pass through the security did we find out why it took so long to get to the terminal.  At the Calgary airport, you actually clear US immigration at the airport before you board the plane, and that was the line which took us about 45 minutes to get through.   By the time we got to the terminal, we had about 20 minutes to spare, just enough time to get something from Starbucks before we boarded.