I love, love, love, the mountains! It’s been a few years since I have been on vacation (to Glacier Mountains in Montana) and while I enjoy the beach and crave warmth and sunshine in the dead of winter, I’ll take the mountains over that any time. So when a winter vacation just wasn’t in the cards this past winter, I asked my sons if they’d be interested in going with me to Banff. Sadly, my younger son couldn’t come along, but my oldest was up for the adventure. I called it “Birthday in Banff”, as during my time there I celebrated my birthday.
I saw this sign at a store. How fitting!
Banff has always been on my bucket list and I’m so glad I finally took the plunge and went. Lake Louise and Moraine Lake are so beautiful that it’s hard to describe. The water really is that blue turquoise color, and the intensity of the color is more noticeable looking down on the water. When I caught a glimpse of it between the trees while on a trail, it literally made me gasp!
After a hike by Moraine Lake.
My son insisted on wearing his MN Gophers hat the whole trip, and well, because of it we did run into many other Minnesotans! We actually stayed in Canmore, about 20 minutes east of the city of Banff and I’m rather glad we did. It’s a smaller, less busy town, but has nice accommodations and great shops and restaurants as well. Our canoe guide told us that the city of Banff has approximately 2,000 residents, but in the summer months has 3,000,000 visitors! Of course the week we were there is one of the busiest weeks of the year and if I do it again, I would choose another time. There were so many people! But we still had an incredible time!
Phil was our canoe leader!
Moraine Lake
In Canmore, a trail near our hotel
The weather was cooler than normal and it rained nearly every day a bit, but it dampen our spirits. I may look like a drowned rat from our hike by Moraine Lake, but it was fun! We didn’t see as much wildlife as hoped, and I found out that yes, there really is such a thing as bear spray! I know for some a vacation isn’t that important, but while I’m tired (it took us 30 hours of airports and airplanes to finally get home – another story!) I am refreshed and invigorated! My mind is cleared, and the reset button was set. There were no work emails for the week and we all need to give ourselves at least that a few times a year. I’d love to hear about your favorite vacation spots!
Now that I’m back, I’ll be sharing some beauty posts shortly!