It was with some trepidation I boarded the plane at Gatwick, this was to be my first long haul flight and I am not particularly fond of flying. I don’t enjoy the lack of freedom, the cramped spaces or the headache inducing cabin pressure. Sadly, I wasn't disappointed and after about 3 hours began to clock watch, and even the newly released movies couldn't keep the discomfort at bay. Far from fresh off the flight a new anxiety started to set in, we now had to pick up the hire car and navigate our way around Calgary. What fun we had driving on the wrong side of the road, on the wrong side of the automatic car, but we made the 20 minute journey in under 2 hours and this we counted as a success! Once checked in and settled in our motel we opted for takeaway pizza, a shower and a quiet early night in. We were determined not to succumb to jet lag and managed to hang out until 9pm before hitting the sack.
Waking up at 7am and feeling fresh after a rejuvenating 10 hour sleep we were ready to get in the car once more and take a look around Downtown Calgary, indulging in pancakes for breakfast before heading to Calgary Tower for a 360 degree view of the city complete with glass floor.
Afterwards it was time to get on the road and head for Banff, and the Rocky Mountain Resort. Flying down the picturesque Trans-Canada Highway and taking photos all the way, we decided to take a diversion off the main road and see if we could spot any wildlife. We soon realised this may have been an error as the speed was limited to 30kmh die to the road being shingled, and all this to see a heard of cows (I was secretly quite pleased as I LOVE cows!).
Arriving in Banff we found our accommodation without too much hassle and got checked in. After a quick shower we were ready to go and investigate the town. Taking the complimentary bus from the resort our first mission was to find me a swimming costume (about the only thing I forgot to pack for the trip!) before having a general mooch and some dinner. Costume bought and tummies rumbling we decided to go to a place called The Meatball in a nearby hotel which we had received a 10% off voucher for upon check in. We are delicious chicken meatball carbonara and garlic bread before embarking onto the mini bus for home.
The following day we drove into town again to pick up some provisions for lunch, stopping for a quick bite for breakfast before parking up at the base of Tunnel Mountain, which has an elevation of 1692m, and the beginning of a 2km hike to the summit. Stopping frequently to take photographs of the incredible views over the town and generally catch our breath, we found 2 perfect rocks to sit and eat our sandwiches with one of the best views I have ever seen! Later on that evening we headed out on our pre-booked evening wildlife safari, parking in Banff’s multi storey car park, I should mention here that all parking in Banff is FREE as long as you are in the right place for the designated maximum time limit. Unfortunately, we weren’t graced with the appearance of a bear but we did see some Bighorn sheep and lambs and a stag roaming in their natural habitat. Exhausted on our return to town we grabbed some Chinese takeout and ate back at the resort.
Awaking the next morning to a drearier day which only held the promise of rain, we decided to have breakfast in the resort restaurant before heading to Cochran to the Wolfdog sanctuary. Luckily we checked the website before leaving Banff and sadly we realised the sanctuary was closed. Instead we took the Bow Valley Parkway to Johnston Canyon to complete the 5.2km round trip hike to the upper falls. After not seeing much on our safari we were delighted to see an elk casually crossing the highway en-route to the canyon, I wasn’t quite quick enough with my camera but I did get a couple of blurry shots that definitely confirm what we saw.
After the hike we grabbed a coffee before driving back to the resort for a fairly quiet but productive last night. Swim, hot tub, laundry, BBQ and packing up the car. Banff has been an absolute blast, full of friendly people and almost quiet village-style life despite the tourists. Jasper is the next destination of the road trip, and I hope it might hold a few more bar sightings for us!
