"Oh! Canada!" - Stratford FamilyTrip

One of my nostalgic memories of my growing-up years was listening to my parents talk about their trip to Banff, Canada, with my paternal grand-parents, Lyman, Sr., and Erma. My dad wasn't one of those people who used lots of descriptive adjectives and who went on and on about something. He was a medical doctor by profession and his words were generally measured. But when he talked about this trip to Banff, his voice got that excitement in it (which I remember, fondly, so well), that he reserved for Christmas morning when Mom opened the presents he had picked out for her, or when we were planning a  family vacation. He sounded and looked kind of like a little kid. His exuberance was contagious and we all loved it when he was excited about something. So, I resolved then, that someday, I had to go to Banff. 

I found a couple of pics in Dad's old slides. Grandpa Lyman, Sr, and Grandma Erma and Mom are viewing the majestic Canadian Rockies. Grandma died when she was 58, so this trip was probably a couple of years before that.

I'm not sure why it has taken me so long to get there, but Roger and I talked with our kids and spouses before Covid about going on the Rocky Mountaineer train from Vancouver to Banff. Well, it finally came to fruition! On September 15, we all flew to Vancouver, stayed overnight in the Fairmont Hotel, and boarded the Rocky Mountaineer the next morning.

We flew over Mount Rainier en route to Vancouver.

Fairmont Hotel in downtown Vancouver

Missy and Jedd and Roger and I were the first ones to arrive, and we found a great place to eat lunch/dinner, after walking around the beautiful city a bit. 

There was a great French bakery near our hotel - yum!

The Rocky Mountaineer train ride

"Pardon me, boy,

Is that the Rocky Mount'neer ChooChoo?  (Woo - Woo -Woo) 

Next morning, it was all aboard! We actually took a group pic the next morning, when we boarded in Kamloops, British Columbia, where we had stayed in a hotel overnight.

The staff took great care of us, bringing drinks and snacks and entertaining us with interesting info about the scenery, as we went whizzing by.

Part of the fun of it was catching up with each other, moving around to different seats and taking pics through the panorama windows.

We're enjoying a Virgin Caesar, made with Clamato as the base - very tasty!

Very tasty snack mixes were served at different times throughout the day.

The food in the dining room was gourmet, especially considering that it was prepped in a tiny kitchen on the train.

It was fun hangin' out between cars, watching the scenery whiz by.

We got quite a variety of scenery we passed. Roger had to get a pic of the corn being harvested - it was just like he grew up doing.

We passed a charming boat dock on the river.

I thought it was so cool to see the bridges crossing over the rivers as we rode along.

The color of the water changed as we went along, according to how the sun was hitting it, its depth, and what various minerals it picked up in different areas. We rode by two different rivers.

I love this pic of Stacy taking a pic of the old bridge.

Our train was very long. Part of it was unhooked and it headed for Jasper, when we stopped overnight in Kamloops.

We walked from our hotel to this fun restaurant in Kamloops for dinner. Well, actually, it was a bit of a walk, so my husband and sons took turns pushing me in Blakey's transfer chair we brought for me, when it was too far for me to walk. I was on the tail end of my knee shots and it was just barely too soon to have my next ones before we left, so I was hurting, and my wonderful family stepped up several times during this trip. Without that little chair, I'm not sure I could have made it for what was to come, and I feel like I didn't miss much, because where I couldn't hike, they took lots of beautiful pics, and they made every effort to have me see everything I could. 

Here we all are the second morning. About seven that evening, we arrived in the outskirts of Banff.

Rick and Jodie

Ryan and Emily

Stacy and Tom

Missy and Jedd

Mindy and Jeff

Elevations throughout our two day journey changed several times. Note the glacier on this mountain.

As we neared Banff, the high mountain scenery got more and more spectacular.

Banff

The whole gang stayed overnight in the Post Hotel near Lake Louise. 

It was built in the late 1930s, has character and some charm, and can definitely be described as dated. There are few places to stay in this remote area of nature and you have to reserve early. All of the hikers (that would be everyone but me) got up early the next morning for a long and difficult hike to Lake Moraine. You will see, from the spectacular pics that follow, that their efforts were well rewarded! 

side of the hotel

in back of the hotel

Those of us who were continuing on touring Banff and the surrounding areas enjoyed a gourmet dinner in the Post dining room the evening after the big hike.

Breakfast the next morning was wonderful!

Okay, that's where we stayed - Roger and I and our two youngest, Missy and Mindy, with their spouses, for three nights and our three oldest kids, Rick, Ryan and Stacy and their spouses, for various reasons, had to return home after the big hike and they drove to Calgary to fly home after one night. 

Now we get to the gorgeous pics they took on that big hike!

Lake Moraine

Dad with his three beloved daughters

The water is so clear that you can see through to the bottom of the lake!

The brave hikers

Yikes!

The hike was quite steep for most of the way.

Everyone was fascinated with the larch pine trees. Missy and Jedd and Rick and Jodie were at this same place last year, and they saw these trees when they were a florescent green in the spring. In the fall, which is when we were there, the needles turn bright yellow and drop off (the only pine tree to entirely shed its "leaves"). The needles are not prickly, but very soft.

Canada's Rocky Mountain beauty is dazzling!

After the hike, those staying picked me up and we took the short shuttle to see Lake Louise, which I could easily walk to.

Next day, we took a beautiful drive to Emerald Lake, which was also a quick walk from the parking lot.

I'm not sure if there are any prettier lakes anywhere in the world than Lake Moraine, Lake Louise and Emerald Lake.

The trails to Johnston Canyon and  the waterfalls were too steep for me to walk. My wonderful daughter, Missy, had seen them the year before and insisted she stay with me at the little gift shop and restaurant while the rest of them went. We had the sweetest chat. I love that dear daughter! The others took beautiful pics and I almost felt that I had seen it all, too.

We had dinner at the restaurant where we were waiting when they returned. It was surprisingly yummy!

Next day we drove to Canmore, which is a charming mountain town 15 miles southeast of Banff, to stay in a lovely airbnb there. Each couple had their own bedroom and bathroom and the common areas were very nice. We stayed there for our final three nights.

Next morning, the kids went on a rock-climbing adventure for half a day.

When they returned, we drove to Banff for lunch and shopping. What a charming, scenic town Banff is! Of course, the rest of the world knows about this, too, and it was crowded, though Missy said, not as crowded as when they were there in high season.

Missy couldn't wait to have one of her discoveries from their last trip there - BeaverTails!

Several flavors are available and her favorite is cinnamon sugar on the pastry with a squeeze of lemon.

Pretty church on Main Street - St. Paul's Presbyterian Church

Later in the afternoon, we rode on the tram to take us high above Banff. The kids hiked around at the top, then we all met for dinner.

The food was a lovely buffet and was surprisingly delicious.

Next day, we drove almost to Jasper, and it was one of the most scenic drives we've ever been on. Missy and Jedd knew all the ropes of which features to get off to hike/see. We saw so many glaciers on the mountaintops along the way.

I have to tell about this beautiful lake. When they got out of the car at the parking lot and checked out the hiking trail to reach the lake, it was much too steep for me to walk or to push me in the transport chair. When they returned from hiking to it, they said, "We saw another trail that is wheel chair accessible, and we want to take you. It is so beautiful!" I had told them not to worry about me, I would just look at their pictures and I really was fine with that, but they insisted, so off we went. It got really steep at some hairpin turns, particularly on the way back up, and it took three of them to push and it was starting to rain. We were all laughing so hard, and I'm sure that they got more than they bargained for! They are the nicest kids and I was so grateful they made sure I saw this beautiful sight, too!

Such a spectacular drive! On the way back to Canmore to our airbnb, we stopped to get some take-out in Banff, get some delicious caramel corn to eat while we watched Robert Redford movies, and to get another, you guessed it, BeaverTail!

Dubai pistacchio, yum!

\

Missy literally did the cutest little dance, she was so excited!

On our last day, the kids went on a bike ride on the morning (Jeff had to fly back the day before on business), then they met us for lunch at a sidewalk cafe in Canmore and I tried Donair Poutine. Kind of a weird combo, but I like to try new things!

We loved the little town of Canmore!

Missy and Jedd love to try fruit juice and hot chocolate concoctions and would order something different at most places we ate. Jedd did most of the driving in our van for the two days around Banff, and he's an excellent driver. We had so much fun with our kids and spouses during this trip, first with all of them, then with our two daughters and husbands. They are thoughtful and kind and we adore each one!

It took me 80 years to get to Banff, but it was as good as I thought it would be, hearing about it from Mom and Dad so many years ago. Oh, Canada, you were worth the wait!