Destination Banff, Glacier, and Yellowstone National Parks: Notes Along the Way

 I always take a notebook or notepad with me when I travel. I usually write about a day's events after I return to the hotel, but sometimes I'll put down thoughts on the bus or when there's a break along the way. I don't trust my mind to remember everything I've seen or heard over a busy day.

My notebook

I also keep a small spiral notepad in my camera bag so I can jot down information about where I took a photo. I find it valuable, especially when I return home and begin sorting through the hundreds of images I've taken at various stops along the way. So, here are some of my scribbles from my recent trip to the Canadian Rockies, Glacier National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and other places before and after:

• An American Airlines cancellation delayed the flight to Calgary one day. My wife and I were concerned because we had to take a COVID-19 test no more than 72 hours prior to our departure. We took ours on a Tuesday afternoon, so we were ready with our negative results. While our good neighbor to the north didn't require testing, our tour company did because it apparently didn't want travelers spreading the disease to other passengers. It was an inconvenience, but it made sense. But we were looking forward to the tour of Calgary. 

• 

  The tourists

  We made it to Calgary International Airport after a 3.5-hour layover at Chicago's O'Hare Airport. Everything was going smoothly through customs until we encountered a 20-something security guard near the exit. Before arriving in Canada, we had to complete an online ArriveCAN questionnaire on our reason for visiting, where we were staying, and how long we would be in their country. The security guard asked us what we were doing in Canada ("tourists"), where we were going ("Banff"), what we were going to do there (we gave him a perplexed look and said we were with a tour group), and then he asked where we were staying (I probably rolled my eyes, began pulling out travel papers and wondering if he was aware of ArriveCAN before he waved us on). I wasn't about to let him spoil this trip by getting us off on the wrong foot. 
  
• During our time in Banff, which is Canada's first national park, I didn't see any graffiti on buildings, bridges, or walls. Anywhere. I don't recall seeing any in Calgary or during the drive to Banff. Nice and clean. Disheartening images I've seen on trips to other places in the world have been the defacing of structures in Rome, London, Budapest, Buenos Aires, Athens, and cities across the U.S. It's ugly. 
• We saw quite a few bicyclists along the highways, heading to scenic spots and wilderness areas. Our tour guide said that bears refer to them as "meals on wheels."

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  Wildlife overpass on Trans-Canada highway

  On the Trans-Canada highway, we saw animal overpasses and underpasses that provide elk, bears, deer, and other wildlife safe passage through areas and reduce the chances of encounters with motorists. There were also game fences from the highway to deter wildlife from reaching the highway. A study reported by The Wildlife Society found that fences offer the best way to reduce roadkill.
  
• I learned that the caribou, Canada's majestic deer, is on the endangered species list. 
• A highway sign in Montana: "Hate speeding tickets? Raise your right foot."
• Two of our 31 travelers feel sick and tested positive for COVID-19 during the trip. They were quarantined for five days in the hotel, one in Missoula and the other in West Yellowstone. It made me wonder how many folks may have come down with the virus after they arrived home?
• The only complaint I heard on the tour was the bus going too fast, especially around photographic spots. I wish we could have stopped at entrances to the parks so we could take photos of welcome signs (I like to use them in photo books I make after trips). 
• Our return flights from Jackson Hole to Chicago to Lexington, Ky., were uneventful, thank goodness.

  Until the next time . . . 

Destination Banff, Glacier, and Yellowstone National Parks: Banff National Park

 In the weeks before arriving in Banff, I read several travel guides, travel blogs, and watch informative and entertaining videos on YouTube. 

    Before I travel anywhere, I do a lot of homework to familiarize myself with the destination. I believe it enhances a trip because it provides a roadmap, so to speak, of places I want to see on my adventure. 

    For those who might be unfamiliar with Banff National Park, it is Canada's oldest national park, created in 1885 as Rocky Mountains Park. It is in Alberta, a western province, and about 80 miles from Calgary.

Gondola on Sulphur Mountain

    After dinner with travel companions and getting a good night's sleep, our first stop was the gondola ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain. It takes eight minutes to travel the 2,300-foot to the summit, a smooth lift that is a peaceful hum as you take in a panorama of the Canadian Rockies. For those who have the time and energy, it takes two to three hours to hike to the top. I had neither the time nor the stamina to undertake that physical challenge.

 

Boardwalk leading to weather station

    Once atop Sulphur Mountain, at 8,041 feet (give or take a few hundred feet) it rewards you with magnificent views of Bow Valley. There are boardwalks that take you to different vantage points, including Sanson's Peak, a historic site where Norman Sanson (1862-1949) traveled by foot once a week for nearly 30 years to record weather data. There is also a visitors' center with two restaurants, gift shops, restrooms and viewing balconies. 

Lake Louise

   The next stop was Lake Louise, one of the most beautiful bodies of water in the world, with its glimmering turquoise at an elevation of 5,200 feet carved out of the surrounding mountains. It's not a large lake. I hiked from one end to the other, about 1.5 miles. On the chilly lake were canoers, paddle boaters. and surfboarders. I even stopped and took a photo of a young couple braving the frigid waters (less than 60 degrees Fahrenheit in August, so not suitable for swimming). 

Athabasca Glacier

  The last full day in Banff included a drive on the scenic Icefields Parkway to Jasper National Park, where we went to the Athabasca Glacier, the most visited glacier in North America. It has been receding about 16 feet a year, so it's gradually melting away (but not in my lifetime). We also stopped at the emerald-colored Peyto and Bow lakes for those Kodak moments and to soak in the scenery. The Canadians impressed me with their apparent concern for the environment and providing a protective and natural habitat for wildlife. 

 

Street view of Banff

  As for the town of Banff, it is touristy, as expected, with lots of souvenir shops, restaurants, and motels. But it was clean and inviting. I don't recall seeing any graffiti on walls or buildings. 

    Banff National Park is a place I'd like to visit again. It's a paradise for those who love the outdoors, from hiking to skiing to bicycling. I was told they really dressed the area up for Christmas. It's certainly a destination for all seasons.

    Until the next time . . .

 

Destination Banff, Glacier, and Yellowstone National Parks: The Beginning

 Early in August my wife and I went on an 11-day tour of Banff, Glacier, and Yellowstone National Parks. Being nature lovers, it ranks as one of the most scenic trips we've had in our travels in the past few years. 

With Covid-19 still raising its ugly head around the world, we were relieved to know that Canada only required the recommended vaccines, with the understanding they could still test us upon arrival in Calgary. But our tour company required us to have a negative Covid test within 72 hours of departure. We passed that test. 

Calgary International Airport

But our tour still got off to a shaky start as American Airlines canceled our flight to Calgary about 12 hours before our departure time at Blue Grass Airport. We tried to make other arrangements but to no avail, so we left at the same time the following day. Better late than never. 

That trimmed our 12-day tour to 11 days. We were supposed to tour Calgary on the first day. Instead, the tour company provided a limousine when we arrived at the airport. The driver whisked us to our lodging in Banff, arriving about 30 minutes before the tour bus carrying our 31 fellow travelers. 

The rest of the tour was simply wonderful. The only rain came the night before our return home. It stopped soon enough for us to take a quick walking tour of Jackson Hole.

Banff exceeded expectations with its towering mountains, gleaming glaciers, lustrous lakes, and breathtaking beauty. Glacier was scenic as well as we traveled the Going-to-the-Sun road to Logan Pass, viewing the lakes, waterfalls, and occasional wildlife. And Yellowstone was like an out-of-this-world experience with its geysers, prismatic pools, canyon, and wildlife. We finished with a raft ride on the Snake River with the Grand Tetons providing a dramatic backdrop to our adventure.

Over the next few days, I'll have separate posts about our tour stops. There were a few interesting places along the way that I'll be sharing with you.  I hope you come along for the ride.

Until the next time . . .