Calgary, Banff & Lake Louise

Arrived in a very cold, snowy & icy Calgary late Saturday and stayed in another wonderful hotel suite - separate kitchen, large desk - just perfect. (Five Calgary Hotel Suites)

Sunday March 1st

Paul, owner of Lone Wolf Tours, took us on a tour of Lake Louise and Banff and as we were the only two people on his tour, we were given star treatment!

During the day we saw some coyotes, a bald eagle, a herd of pregnant elks along with some very large male elks, mountain sheep and deer and according to Paul this was quite a viewing - some days he may only see 1 or 2 different animals - we saw 5 varieties. On Lake Minniewanka (can you believe that name!!) we saw scuba divers who had cut a hole in the ice and were diving into the water below and on a different lake we saw a couple fishing in a hole in the ice covered by a tent. We saw two different sleighs - one drawn by dogs, one by horses.

Lake Louise is one of the most beautiful places we have ever seen. We arrived just in time to see the start of a cross-country race, we saw people skating on the frozen lake, we saw ice sculptures, frozen waterfalls, the Victoria Glacier and of course the majestic Chateau Lake Louise (where they had the most amazing knitwear on sale - items made from Muskox, an arctic mammal - very expensive so maybe next time!) We ate at Bill Peyto's cafe in the Lake Louise Hostel and had the best meal - could highly recommend this place. Take a look at this amazing part of the world -

Banff was different to Lake Louise but also very beautiful. We had some time to walk around town and then drove to the Banff Springs Hotel - wow! We would really love to come back during the summer and do some hiking - the whole area is just magnificent.

....Mon 2nd & Tues 3rd

Work days for John - he had many appointments and was busy from dawn til dusk (and beyond!) Both days I rugged up and went out to explore downtown Calgary. First day I tried to navigate the skywalks that connect buildings and make my way to the main shopping area - wrong! Not sure where I ended up but had to go out onto the streets to reassess my position! Day two I just went straight out and walked the pavement - much, much easier (although much colder!) Obviously I need more time in this lovely town to find my way around. Monday night we had dinner with Drew Davis from Precision Drilling, the 2nd largest land base drilling company in the world. We dined at Melrose Cafe (17th Ave) - fantastic food and ambience (just loved the giant Buddha!) - would highly recommend!

Tuesday late afternoon we headed to the airport to return to Houston. I had prepared a wonderful salad for us to eat on the plane - however we were not allowed to take it through Customs so John & I sat down near security and ate every last bite!! It was delicious. We touched down in Houston at midnight carrying our brand new visa's and smiling as we talked about the places we had just experienced. Life continues to be really good!