Northern Montana and the Canadian Rockies - Part 4
Right, sorry for the delay guys, but I am finally back online. I got myself set up with a sweet new computer and I'm ready to get back to the trip report!
Banff is a wondrous place. The surrounding mountains are fantastic, the weather is nice, the people are great, and the city is phenomenal. When i was doing research for the trip, I read that Banff should not be missed. I knew going in that Banff was a mountain town rich in charm and full of the tourism industry. However, I had never actually seen any photos of Banff. When we pulled in, I was astonished. I had expected it to be similar to touristy mountain towns of northwest Montana, places like Phillipsburg, Bigfork, or Whitefish. I was very, very wrong.
When I was sixteen, I had the great fortune of taking a trip to Europe. Some of the most memorable places I went on that trip were in Switzerland. The cities of Bern and Lucerne were vibrant and rich social centers, full of both old world charm and modern European style while being surrounded by breathtaking scenery. Banff felt
exactly like walking down the street in one of these Swiss cities. The vibe there is very interesting. It's not a large city, but it is sleek, clean, modern, and very walkable. At the same time, the people living and working there are some of the nicest I've met, but almost none of them were actually Canadians. I met people from Australia, France, Germany, the US, China, the UK, South Africa, and Italy. It's a real melting pot.
We found a nicely located and totally free (!) parking garage not far into town and found a place to park. We happened to find a spot next to this beauty.
This would be the first of many, many Delicas we would run across during our trek through Canada.
We got unbelievably lucky with timing our entry into Banff. We hid our valuables, locked the truck up tight, and left the garage. We walked about a block, rounded a corner, and found out we had arrived at the height of a farmer's market taking place at a local parking lot.
The market was full of locals, not tourists. Local artists and shopkeepers were out selling their wares alongside produce growers. It was a fantastic thing to see firsthand, and a great welcome to this exceptional small town. A traveler's dream.
We spent a little while perusing the market. We got some local produce and Beret bought some tea. We met a few great locals and had a great time. Afterwards, we hit the streets and started exploring what would very soon become one of our favorite cities of all time. There were a few street performers there that were quite photogenic.
We almost instantly fell in love with Banff. It is a truly worldly city. A vibrant place full of culture and history. The city has a vibe that is unique among all the places I've been. It's as though the city was plucked from it's original location in the Swiss Alps and placed in the fantastic landscape that is uniquely North American. It's an inspiring place. There are people from all corners of the globe working and vacationing in Banff, and it's made the town a very cosmopolitan place. There are endless little shops to gawk through windows at, kitschy trinket stores, coffee shops, and wonderful eateries.
We spent a few hours falling in love with Banff before we took off towards the sights of Lake Louise. The sun was starting to go down, and I knew it would be a great opportunity to shoot some photos of the lake in gorgeous evening light. The drive north along the Trans Canada Highway towards the lake is amazing. The powder blue Bow River snakes its way along the valley floor, framed by the unique and imposing peaks of the Canadian Rockies. What I didn't know at the time was I was in the not so scenic part of the valley!
We turned off the highway and headed off towards Lake Lousie. Just off the highway, there is a small village square with several little shops full of trinkets, a couple restaurants, and an awesome little grocery store. We passed the village and drove up the hill towards the lake. The road is lined with a couple campgrounds and picnic areas, a few places to stay, and a company that rents out charming little cabins to stay in. We rounded a bend and were met with the sight of the rather large and impressive Fairmont Chateau at Lake Louise. This large and classically styled hotel does a great job at convincing you that you actually are at a resort in the French Alps. The view of the lake is pretty impressive too.
We sat at the lakeshore and drank in the sunset for a little while. But unfortunately it was getting late and we hadn't found a place to camp yet. So we reluctantly left the lake and stopped by the grocery store for a couple things. Then we hit the Bow Valley Parkway and tried to find an open spot to camp. We drove around for a good hour and a half, stopping at three or four different campgrounds without success. Finally, we headed back towards Banff and stopped at the Two Jack Main Campground and lucked out. They had an open spot and we were finally able to set up camp and get some dinner down at 11:30 PM.
The Oztent went up quickly and easily and we crawled into bed with full stomachs. I finally got a chance to try out something I picked up before the trip. I saw a little flash drive at work that had a USB connection on one end and a micro USB on the other. I was able to fill it with recorded TV shows, plug it into my phone, and have some episodes of Cheers to fall asleep to at night. Pretty cushy, I know. But hey, it's overlanding. It wouldn't be right if it wasn't a little over the top, would it?
