September 13
Our Sunday began with a gorgeous sunrise view from our cozy cottage as we enjoyed our first morning coffee in Banff. The vibe here is different from Jasper. Less rustic, more pretentious, but we found that folks in Canmore were much more our style. We had a brisk walk, an amazing breakfast with poached eggs that would rival my Aunt Ann’s, and felt hugged from the brilliant, sun streaked mountains surrounding us.
We looked up top things to do in Banff and made a day of it. First stop: Lake Louise.
Lake Louise is a glacial lake, almost 7 miles from Alberta’s border with British Columbia. You probably already know that Lake Louise is named after the Princess Louise Caroline Alberta (1848-1939), but in our world the lake is named for and shall always be remembered after the beautiful Lady Louise of Washington State (2014-2024), older step-sister of Thelma, the princess of all she surveys (2014- ).
We had a lovely afternoon at Lake Louise, reminiscing about all things Lady Louise and walking the lakeshore. But the weather began to change and after a couple hours of walking, we headed back toward Banff, where we decided to check out Bow Falls. Yes, another day, another waterfall. But when you’ve got so much water and all these rocks, it just feels right. The Bow River runs through Banff, so we walked awhile down the river, enjoying the sound and beauty of the water.
Next up was Tunnel Mountain which provided spectacular views of the Bow Valley and the town of Banff. Turns out the railroad didn’t need to tunnel through this mountain after they surveyed and named it. But the name stuck – just to confuse people forever more- and there’s a huge, wonderful campground at the top.
The day ended with dinner at The Elk and Oarsmen in downtown Banff, where we decided to call it an early evening. Tomorrow is an early and busy day.
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