Blogs from Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, Canada, North America

Emma and Michael have got wedding chores to attend to, not to mention sleepy heads and hangovers after last night’s other wedding, so the rest of us head down to Waterton Lakes National Park, an hour and a bit south-west of Lethbridge on the United States border. Issy and I have been there a couple of times before and were suitably impressed, so we’re keen to show Scott and Troy some real Canadian mountains. We’re also keen to show them the spectacular Blakiston Falls which readers of posts from earlier trips might remember are named after one of our direct descendants, the English explorer Thomas Blakiston. My mother was a Blakiston, and Blakiston’s my middle name (yes, really). First stop is the iconic 1927 Prince of Wales Hotel overlooking Upper Waterton Lake. We remember previously that ... read more

We stroll down the main street of Waterton Park looking for somewhere to eat breakfast, and wander into an establishment called Trappers. It’s all decked out in the sort of check that we usually associate with the outfits that lumberjacks wear. There are life sized models of foxes in the windowsill next to our table, and most of the breakfast menu is different variations of flapjacks and maple syrup. This place couldn’t be more Canadian if it tried. I was after some poached eggs but the menu says that they don’t make them because poaching isn’t allowed in national parks. Groan. We’ve been told that cruising on the lake is a must do activity here, so off we sail. Our guide tells us that the lake is nearly 150 metres deep at its deepest point, which ... read more

We landed in Kalispell MT and drove 3.5 hours around Glacier NP up into Waterton, Alberta. The hotel is as quaint and charming as I expected. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful. Our room is small, but it has a bed and our own bathroom, so that's all I need. Views are spectacular. Had a nice dinner at the hotel (bison stew) then an early bedtime since we had been up since midnight Alberta time the day before in order to fly and drive there. Did manage to listen to a presentation by the bellhop about the hotel, Waterton, the park and the fires, which was interesting.... read more

Today we stopped at Prince of Wales hotel in Waterton. It was a gorgeous old hotel and the male staff wore kilts. After, we walked around townsite and finished Xplorer program and exchanged money. Drove to Banff. Saw two moose when stopped at Chain Lakes Provincial Park for lunch. We are staying near Lake Louise and I didn’t know the Lake Louise area was separate from “Banff”, about a 30 mile drive with not much in between:). This might explain why people asked if we were going to see Lake Louise when I mentioned we were going to Banff! We had dinner in Lake Louise village and stopped to see Lake Louise. Now I understand why it is so popular! It is a milky blue color and nestled among mountains and pine trees. Lake Louise Chalet ... read more

Today began with a loud gobble, repeated a few dozen times. The sound came from the woods behind our room and before long a big 'ol Tom came prancing out in the meadow. He was strutting big time for his lady companion but she didn't seem impressed. We have been fortunate to have daily visitors from the woods at the B&B. We have seen several deer, guineas and turkeys. That just adds to the charm of this unique place. We decided to head back to the east side of the park today with no real plan in mind. The west side is more of a hub for all the planned activities and is a bit crowded. Lots of bicyclists, boaters, tours, kayaks, group activities. The east side is more of the scenic side and less congested. ... read more