On our first fight since Covid grounded us 2-1/2 yrs. ago.
Flying was easy from Chicago to Calgary. Started our trip at The Hilton Garden Airport Hotel.
We arrived the day before our tour was to start and spent that day in downtown Calgary.

A little shopping and lunch at The Tower started the festivities.

Calgary Tower

Some retail therapy

A bottle of Prosecco and a tasty lunch

Lunch with a view

A cocktail or 2 at “Moxie’s” near the hotel and then we were off to “Queens” for dinner…

Breakfast Cocktails….that’s different!

Cocktails at Moxies

The next day we did a bit more shopping and made a visit to
Devonian Botanical Gardens.


Beautiful oasis in the middle of a big city

That night at 7pm we had a meeting with our tour guide and driver, Nick and Vick, and we met our tour companions.

Here is a map of our tour starting the next day.


At 2am we were woke up by the fire alarms going off in the hotel. Everyone rushed outside as 11 fire trucks, ambulances, etc. arrived in the parking lot. We were out there for 2 hrs. before we could return to our rooms.
A lot of smoke from a dryer fire but no actual flames. A bit smelly everywhere though.

The itinerary looks wonderful! All places I definitely want to get to as they just look so beautiful. I love Breakfast-Cocktails….priorities!!!

i feel your pain on the middle of the night hotel fire alarm! It happened to me as a teenager the night before our Nationals—-100s of high school girls on the streets in our nighties. No fire…I still think some bored guys pulled the alarm for fun!!

Hi denisea….have you been anywhere since Ireland (great TR)
I’ll continue on Canada with lots of photos. Also writing a TR on South Africa, absolutely stunning experience.

First day of tour was kind of a long bus day but it was broken up by a visit to “Head-Smashed- Buffalo-Jump” site. Quite an interesting guided tour. Then a little lunch on the road and finally getting to Bayshore Inn at Waterton Lake.
Waterton Lake turned out to be a favorite on this trip. Small town, not too crowded, lots of shops and restaurants, and plenty of beautiful sites to see close by.


Backyard at the Bayshore Inn

A little wine and an excellent salmon dinner at the Inn with the group

Next day it was off to Cameron Lake, Red Rock Canyon, and the Prince of Wales Hotel view. And that was just the morning.


Cameron Lake

On the road

Cameron Lake

Red Rock Canyon

Prince of Wales Hotel was out on a peninsula across the lake from our hotel.


View of Waterton Lake from Prince of Wales Extremely windy from this lookout point

Very famous Prince of Wales Hotel It would be fun to stay here someday

View of town and our hotel from Prince Of Wales lookout point

Back to town for a bit of shopping and lunch then off on a bot ride of Waterton Lake.


Boat on Waterton Lake

Pretty views around the lake

Perfect weather for a boat ride

On the boat


Prince of Wales Hotel from the boat

Really beautiful scenery! I really have to get to that part of Canada!!

denisea…you’ve been so many places. Maybe the Canadian Rockies will be next. They might even have some champagne somewhere for you.

The next day was a long one on the bus to Banff.
Banff Park Lodge was our home away from home.





Lots of scenic vistas along the way

Banff is a very busy town. It’s the jumping off place for so many tours. Taking the gondola up Sulphuric Mountain was one of the highlights of the trip.
They are small 4 person gondolas that tale 8 min. to get to the top. When you buy your ticket it gives you a time to get in line.
very efficient system to move all those tourists,



8 min. Speedy ride

4 people per gondola

The views from the top are spectacular.




Now that’s a view

7,500 ft. Above sea level

Also just outside Banff is The Cascades of Time Garden



Quiet oasis in a busy city

Band Park Lodge was a busy hotel with lots of tour group buses which made breakfast a challenge. It was in the middle of the city which was good to walk to shops and restaurants.
One night we ate at Salilik, a famous steakhouse. It was nice to sit on on upstairs terrace with the nice weather. The steak was excellent, if a bit over cooked. The other night we had a chicken and pasta dinner with the group.


Saltlik restaurant in Banff

I have to say that Banff was not my favorite town because of the crowds. Again, a good location for sightseeing to different places from there, just a little too hectic.

Oops! Banff Park Lodge!

Perfect weather for rafting on the Bow River. Each raft holds just 15 people. Mostly a calm ride with a few rapids here and there.



At the dock

Kim, has been rowing on the river for 30 yrs.

Mountain View’s everywhere

On the Bow River

All ready to go

Our tour bus

Back on the bus today to Jasper House.
Luckily we were only 18 people, on a bus that normally would hold 47 guests, so we had a lot of room to move around on the bus.

First stop Moraine Lake in the Valley of the Ten Peaks.



Moraine Lake at the dock

Climb this rocky path to the top for a stunning view

View from the top. Water looks like the Caribbean from up here.


View of Moraine Lake from up top

Next stop Magnificent Lake Louise



Filled with water from Victoria Glacier

Lots and lots of people here so you waited your turn for a photo op

Information about Lake Louise

There also was a nice shop for souvenirs

Driving along the the mountain landscape was ever changing.