Trippin’ Around North America

Thursday, September 14th, in Calgary

I cannot believe the money being spent on the highway in those hills. [Between Golden and Revelstoke.] There is a bridge being put in that will be 300 feet above the valley, to widen and take out a grinding hill. The site is about 8 Ks long with literally hundreds of workers. The Canadian economy must be good.

The pine beetle is here [west of the Rockies] as well, with lots of notices about NOT bringing wood into Alberta.

We crossed into Alberta and buzzed up the Icefield Highway for a bit and had lunch at the Crow's Foot Glacier

before turning south and blowing through Lake Louise to Banff. [We have been to Louise a few times before.] By the way, if you are ever planning to come here in September, the roads and crowds are great, but there are no snow-capped peaks and rushing streams. It is bare naked peaks and brown grass.

We bought an Annual National Parks and Historic Sites Pass. Fellette was delighted with this. I believe she intends to visit every one across Canada! This may have been a mistake on my part. In Banff, we parked the trailer at the Cave and Basin hot sulphur springs site, which we went into. Then we took our bikes and explored Banff in great detail,



visiting every site that the newly acquired pass would allow. The hammed up Voyageur photo was taken in one of those sites.

Exhausted, we packed up and headed for Calgary to the home of Robin and Mary [friends from an earlier cruise].

That night was a late night as we rekindled the experiences of the ship.

The next day was spent exploring Calgary with Robin and Mary, then back for a nap before their son Stuart joined us for dinner. He is in training to be a Paramedic, interesting conversations over dinner and later.

Robin and Mary live in Elbow Valley, a very, very, very nice development 20 minutes east of Calgary. His last years in the oil business were spent in China and Azerbaijan. They have impeccable taste and have acquired some gorgeous furnishings, rugs and accessories in their travels. The house is drop dead beautiful in a lovely location looking over the foothills and Rockies to the west. Our 21 foot trailer out front has not yet attracted the Trailer Police in the community!

The weather was typical Vancouver rain and drizzle unfortunately, much to Robin's disappointment.

Two days in a luxury Queen-sized bed and walk in shower and we are just itching to cram back into our home on wheels and head for the hills in search of dinosaurs today!

posted by Doug and Fellette @ 8:43 AM