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Published: September 20th 2013
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Snow capped Rocky mountainsAmazingly, stunning and beautiful day here in Banff. Yes it is cold but looking out the window of the RV we just couldn't wait to explore this majestic looking place.
The town of Banff is quite large and gets extremely busy with large amounts of tour buses stopping here each day for visitors to purchase souvenirs and explore the township. Banff is Canada's highest town sitting at 1,384m above sea level.
I visited a washroom (as the Canadians called them - Australians call them toilets and Americans call them bathrooms) and the atmosphere in here was quite unique. There was classical music playing in the background! Certainly made me want to stay a little longer!
First adventure of the day was a drive up to Sulphur Mountain for the Gondola ride up to the summit. It is an 8 minute ride in a fully enclosed 4 person Gondola. The observation decks at the top have spectacular views and there is a restaurant and gift shop as well. Cost is $34.95 per adult.
On the way up we could see evidence that fresh snow had fallen during the night and once on the observation deck the snow was a
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Banff Gondola few inches deep along the boardwalk that extends to Sanson's peak. The alpine forest here consists of the aromatic pine, spruce and fir trees. The trees up here are much older than they look - their growing is stunted by thin soil, high winds and the desiccating cold.
The views up here at 2,256m elevation were spectacular to say the least. You can see for miles and miles up here. The air was crisp and clean and alpine forests seem to go on forever. Of course the main attraction is the Rocky Mountains - you could never ever get sick of looking at the amazing natural wonders.
After our hike over to Stanson's peak we took the Gondola back down from the summit and walked next door to the Banff Upper hot springs pool. The hot springs are open all year round and really worth the visit. Admission into the pool is $7.30 each - you can also hire a swimsuit and towel at only $1.90 each. We soaked our tired bodies in the pool for around an hour. The temperature of the pool was 39 degrees C and certainly rejuvenated us both.
The scenery from the
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On the boardwalk sulphur mountain bath house is that of the spectacular alpine scenery. What a way to spend an hour or two! On the way down the mountain we stopped at the National Historic Site - Cascade Gardens. This free attraction overlooks the Main Street of Banff (Banff Avenue) and is a peaceful immaculate garden area. Took some great photos and just took advantage of the peacefulness before heading back downtown.
In the township we parked the RV at Central Park Banff - another quaint park offering children's playground, picnic tables, trails and cycle tracks for all to enjoy. We enjoyed a beer and dinner at the Banff Brewing Company in the Main Street.
We sat out on the patio and enjoyed the mountains and the vibe of he township. Dinner was great - we tried a traditional French/canadian dish called Poultine - French fries with gravy and cheese - we had pulled pork added to ours. It was amazing - cant wait to try this dish again! We also ordered another dish - Monkey Finger and Fries - banana chip/Panko crusted chicken tenders, yam fries with mango curry and sweet chilli dips. Great feed - we were so full but enjoyed
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Town of Banff every mouthful.
Must mention that the beers that are locally brewed here were great as well. If Geoff hadn't been driving I'm sure he would have had another couple of glasses!
Now it was time to head out of Banff and onto Calgary. I must say that I'm extremely sad to leaving Banff. I think I could sit and take this scenery in forever but the boss says we need to get moving.
Alberta is a stunning province surrounded by such incredible natural beauty. Also great to see that the Canadians are good recyclers with recycling bins placed everywhere both in and out of the townships. There is a strong awareness of the bear population that Canada has with every bin being "bear proof". They also have a "no idling" policy for vehicles and you will quickly be reminded to turn your vehicle off if you are sitting in a queue or waiting for a break in roadworks.
During the drive I had time to absorb our adventure so far and to realise how very fortunate we both are to have the opportunity to explore this amazing part of the world. Of course it just makes
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The boardwalk on the summit of sulphur mountain us even more hungry to keep exploring more and more. As long as our health stays good I'm sure we will continue to travel for more years to come.
Along the way we were still in awe in the size of the rugged mountains that surrounded us on each side of the road. Soon we were in open plainlands and farming areas as we headed into Calgary.
This is a huge city and we have a couple of days to explore the area. By the time we arrived in the city it was starting to get dark and the GPS was leading us on a wild goose chase as we searched for a RV campground. We were both exhausted and in a strange city so what did we do? Parked the RV at the back end of the Grey Eagle Casino! The things we do sometimes - but when your desperate for a sleep you will park just about anywhere!
Tomorrow we will begin to explore Calgary starting with a visit to the historic Heritage Park.
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