Canada Holiday Awards 2015

Best Waitress

Dayna from Emerald Lake.

Best Water Sport

Surfing (well, bodyboarding) in Tofino.

Best Group Activity

Kayaking with North Island Kayaks

Best View from Hotel

The Rimrock in Banff. Wow.

Best Hotel Bathroom

Vancouver. It had a glass wall between the shower and room!

Best Accommodation

Emerald Lake! What a location. The vibe and staff were all just fab.

Best Bed

Emerald Lake.

Best Sports Event

Women's World Cup Final at BC Place in Vancouver. Amazing atmosphere. 

Best Hike

The Iceline Trail. 

Best Canyon

Maligne Canyon. Mainly for the initial "wow!" When we first peered down into it. Incredible.

Best Lake Name

Lake Minnewanka (snigger)

Best Drive

The Icefields Parkway. Jaw dropping from start to finish. 

Best Adrenaline Rush

Jumping into the river on the way to Tofino.

Best Meal (Natalie)

SoBa, Tofino. 

Best Meal (Laura)

Schooner Restaurant, Tofino

Best Cocktail (Laura)

Earls, Jasper

Best In-joke / Meme

One star!

Runners up: "Smell ice can ya!", concrete things eating thing

Best Running Joke

Hotel staff tucking Schubert into bed each day.

Best Car we drove

Jeep Wrangler

Best Car Radio Station

The Blend on Sirius XM

Day 21 - Banff to Calgary

This morning we woke up to blue skies again. As we only made a fleeting (and gloomy) visit to Moraine Lake the day before, we decided to go back again this morning.

We got tea and pastries from the hotel’s cafe and finished packing our bags. We said our last goodbye to the most amazing view from our hotel room and checked out.

We drove the scenic route to Moraine Lake via the Bow Valley Parkway and played our favourite game: hunt the bears! We kept our ours eyes on the bushes and saw… deer! Well, not quite bears, but still lovely.

Moraine Lake was a but cloudy, but we gave ourselves more time to explore today and we climbed to the top of the rock pile to get the classic view of the lake. The blue of the lake seemed intense from up there, but at the bottom it almost disappeared and looked clear. There's definitely some science going on here!

After looking at the lake and the ten peaks for a while we thought it was probably time that we hit the road. By now the car park was totally full and cars were stacked up along the highway for ages. If you ever go to Canada, my advice is get up early and get out there before mid morning!

We drove down the main highway towards Banff and waved as we passed it on our way to Canmore.

We parked up in Canmore and had a wander around. It’s a lovely little town and somehow I managed to buy yet another t-shirt. Oops! We also bought a big holdall so we could check an extra bag onto the plane tomorrow full of our wares.

We had lunch at a bar and sat on the patio with a few of the mountains. Well, better make the most of it, eh?

After lunch we wandered some more and got a SINGLE SCOOP of ice cream from the Old School Bus ice cream company, which was housed in, yes you guessed it, a big old yellow school bus.

We ate some of the ice cream (it was way too big) and then got back on the road, destination: Calgary.

The scenery changed dramatically after we left Canmore. Within a few minutes we left the mountains behind and were in the prairies, with the mountains receding in the rear view mirror.

We spent the drive giving out imaginary awards to our favourite parts of the holiday. Stay tuned for an awards post after this one!

We got to out hotel in Calgary and chilled for a bit before going out to explore Calgary. We walked up to the river and went in search of a sculpture called Wonderland. It was pretty impressive.

We walked along the river and listened to about three different songs coming from the Calgary Folk Festival that was on an island on the river.

At the Peace Bridge we had a little sit down before wandering back towards Stephen Avenue Walk, which is a long pedestrian street with restaurants and bars. 

We had some dinner at The Libertine and played a few games of Rummy while we waited for food.

Back at the hotel we finished packing and chilled out.

Calgary seemed like a lovely place, but we were sad to be leaving the mountains and that our holiday was coming to an end. But wow! What a holiday we had. 

Day 20 - Banff, Johnston Canyon

This morning Natalie tricked me into waking up at 6:15 by opening the curtains and letting the sunlight in as she does every morning but not telling me the actual time. When I enquired about the time and I was told it was “6:30, but look at the view” I possibly replied with something that I shouldn’t write on a blog and tried to go back to sleep for a bit while Natalie popped down to the hotel coffee shop to get supplies - cup of tea and a croissant. This didn’t work, mainly because the phone kept ringing with a wake up call neither of us had booked, so I was awake and getting dressed at 7am. This is not a holiday. It is a boot camp!

The view was nice (as it had been yesterday), and the sky was clear blue, which helped me see the point of being up this early a tiny bit. We had two attractions on the agenda; explore Johnston Canyon with an extension trail to the Inkpots and visit Moraine Lake, which has ten peaks at one end and is probably the most used photo in any Canada promotional material, it’s everywhere. 

As the sky was clear we decided to go to Moraine Lake first to see it in all it’s glory, just like the photos show it. Mother Nature did not like this plan and as we drove up the highway, big dark grey clouds started to form in the direction we were heading. It started to rain a bit. Then a bit more. It was 7 degrees, I’d forgotten my wooly hat, I was cold and tired and now, Moraine Lake looked rubbish. I was not enjoying today. I took a photo in case we didn’t make it back there before we leave but was pretty disappointed, it looked much smaller than the photos and without the sun it didn’t have the awesome colour that it usually does, it was quite disappointing.

So, we left Moraine Lake and drove to Johnston Canyon. I had a tiny snooze on the boring big highway but woke up to bear hunt when we got back onto the Bow River Parkway. Obviously, we didn’t spot any bears. As it was so early there wasn’t too many people there (when we’d passed it yesterday at midday there were loads of cars on the road, we’d been warned by Scott on the kayaking trip that it got really busy), we put on the layers we had, I grumbled about not having my wooly hat again, then we headed into the canyon. 

Johnston Canyon is different to Maligne Canyon that we did up in Jasper as you get to go deeper into it rather than look at it from above, which was pretty cool, also the water was lovely and clear, and even in the rain it looked blue rather than brown so it was quite attractive. We got to the lower falls and was surprised to find a cave that you walk through which opens up to a close view of the waterfall which was impressive. The viewing platform was pretty small and when we saw it on our return there was quite a few people queueing to get a look - we were glad we’d gone earlier then. 

During the walk up to the Upper Falls, the gradient meant we warmed up a bit, I was no longer wishing for my wooly hat. We got talking to an Australian woman on the walk which was nice but she had to wait for her husband so we left her to it. The Upper Falls were also pretty good.

We broke off from the (slight) crowd and joined the trail to the Inkpots, I raised a concern that an 8k round trip on a croissant might not be the best idea, but we had a banana so it would be ok…and then it started to rain again, it was pretty heavy and didn’t take long before our waterproof matching coats were not-so-waterproof. The hike was quite tough, we were getting hungry so we decided to eat the banana - which we realised we’d left in the car, so now we were cold and getting hangry. After quite a long time of going up we saw a girl coming in the opposite direction and asked her if it was worth it, she replied “yeah, it’s pretty cool down there”…wait, down there? Not long after, we started the descent, which seemed to go on forever, knowing we would have to come back up put me in an even worse mood! 

Eventually, it levelled off, and soon we made it to the Inkpots, which were…really underwhelming. I imagine if you’d done the walk in the sun (with food) and the sun was shining on the Inkpots when you got the them, they’d look great, maybe even spectacular, but today they just looked like a few ponds in a field. It was disappointing because you could see the different colours, blue and yellow, some of the pools clearer than others, the rings where the water filters up and the quicksand at the bottom , butit was just too cold and dull to enjoy them. 

We walked around the different pools and quickly made our way back up towards to the car. We walked pretty fast, with as few stops as possibly and decided that although there was some moaning, we’d actually done quite well do do the trail in the conditions we did - poor weather, no food. I decided I could probably survive a Bear Grills style quest and wondered if there were any ants around I could snack on. 

Finally, we made it back to the entrance, it was midday - the canyon didn’t feel too crowded, I think Canadians really think a group of 50 people is too many! We were going to head into Banff for some lunch but decided to stop in at the Johnston Canyon resort restaurant where we both ordered sandwiches which turned out to be huge with fries on the side. They were yummy. I was happy. Now that it was all over, I was quite glad we’d done the hike, it wasn’t very enjoyable and it had turned out to be around a 12k hike in total, but it was a good work out and I was focusing on that. 

While we were eating, the sun had come out - typical - and we considered going back to Moraine Lake but as we got to the car and looked in that direction we realised the sun had come out over Banff but the other direction looked like an end of the world movie, very dark clouds covered all of the mountains. 

We quickly changed our minds and decided the afternoon would be much more successful if we spent it in the pool area of our hotel. This turned out to be the best idea ever, we spent time hopping between the different areas; had a bit of a swim (I floated) in the cold pool, hot tub, pool, sauna, pool, steam, pool, hot tub…it was nice and relaxing. 

After we relaxed we came back up to the room and enjoyed the view, then I had a lovely nap, where I woke myself up by snoring at least twice, while Natalie caught up with some blog posting. We got ready for dinner and decided we should probably head down to Banff rather than hide in the hotel again. Obviously the minute we decided to go out a big grey cloud appeared, we waited it out and went as soon as we saw a bit of blue sky creeping in. 

We drove down, found a parking space (after driving around for about 15 minutes, which would probably annoy other people but I don’t mind because it gives us an opportunity to licence plate spot). We were heading for a Mexican restaurant but at the last minute changed our mind after looking at a menu for a basement bar called Toque which was quite trendy inside. We sat down and who should we see at the next table but Martina from the teahouses hike two days ago, she was sat with a few lads but we had a quick chat and then they carried on with their conversation and we got on with reading the menu. Nat opted for meatloaf (it was ok, a bit dry), I went for a steak (it was nice, and had lovely cripsy onions on top). 

Once we’d placed our order we got on with the serious matter of card playing. Nat beat me in yet another game of Scag, then we had a fairly even few games of Rummy - I think I came out on top but we lost count (coincidentally).

After we’d ate and paid, we said our goodbyes to Martina again and headed out to have a walk around Banff, but it was cold and my jeans were feeling tight, plus there was a pretty good sunset going on so we thought we’d get back to the hotel. We made a quick detour to the Fairmont Banff Springs which is a fancy hotel that people go to look at or pay loads to stay at. We had a look but were more interested in the licence plates in the car park, no luck spotting one of the few left. 

We got back to the room just in time to watch a few of the pink clouds out of the window, once they were gone I got back into my Rear Window position to do a bit of people watching and finish the blog before heading to bed. It’s been a long day, perhaps we’re just trying to drag it out and get as much out of it so that our last day in Canada doesn't ever get here!

Day 19 - Emerald Lake to Banff

Today was our last day at Emerald Lake. We woke up and packed as a big thunderstorm suddenly blew over us. Thunder and lightning at 7.30am, very odd. Eventually the rain stopped and it coincided with us finishing packing so we walked up the little path to the lodge for our final breakfast. We made the most of the buffet again and ate as much as we could.

It was lovely sat there looking at the lake, even if it was a bit damp outside. The blue was still very blue.

We finished breakfast and took our luggage to the lodge and waited for the bus down to the car park. The damp weather made leaving a tiny bit easier, but it was still sad. Laura couldn’t even talk about it because she thought she might cry. Everything about Emerald Lake was lovely – the lake, the mountains, the staff, the vibe. Definitely a highlight of the trip.

Once we got the car loaded we set a course for Banff via the scenic Bow Valley Parkway (this is the 1A, the 1 is the big main road). Along the parkway we kept our eyes peeled for wildlife. At one point a bunch of cars had stopped and there were two large male Elks in the trees. The antlers were enormous.

Area that was burnt in a Prescribed Fire in 1993

Eventually we made it to Banff and decided that as the weather was nice we would go to Lake Minnewanka and have a walk. This was the largest lake yet (although, artificially enhanced to make it bigger) at 20km long.

We bought ice creams (strawberry for me, maple walnut for Laura) and walked around the lake for a bit. We walked to a bridge over a canyon and then back again. On the water people were enjoying rented speedboats that travelled at the slowest speed you could imagine a speedboat travelling. They should have called them slowboats really. We laughed as a boy kept screaming as his dad made the boat go too fast. Or maybe it was turning too sharp? Or he was getting splashed? Either way it was baffling and amusing because it was so odd!

We drove a scenic route back to Banff and admired Cascade Mountain (and all the other big peaks we could see!)

We parked up in Banff and had a wander around. In Roots, Laura bought some joggers and I bought a green hoodie with ROOTS emblazoned across the front in yellow letters.

After a decent explore we headed up Sulphur Mountain to our hotel, the Rimrock Resort. We checked in, but our room wasn’t quite ready, so we had a nice cup of tea and sat on the balcony overlooking Mount Rundle. The tea was the best cup of tea we’ve had in Canada. Even the teapot was good and didn’t drip!

The hotel is only a 5 minute walk from the Banff Gondola. When we got given our room key a short while later I enquired about the Gondola and they offered us discounted tickets. Hurrah! So we decided to go now. First we plonked all our luggage in the room. And wow, what a view from the room! A view down the valley towards Tunnel Mountain, Mount Astley and Spectral Peak. 

Room view the Rimrock Resort in Banff

We got changed (layered up!) and walked up to the Gondola. There were a couple of busses there, so we had to wait about 15 minutes before going up. After getting on the Gondola with a Chinese chap and his mum, we were whizzed out of the station very quickly and up the mountain, 700m to 2,281m.

At the top it was initially a bit cloudy, but after about 10 minutes it brightened up. We left the majority of the tourists behind at the summit building and took the short boardwalk to Sanson Peak where the views were incredible.

We lingered there for about 30 minutes, taking it all in, looking at things through the binoculars and reading the panels explaining about Norman Sanson who hiked up the mountain once a week for thirty years to take weather measurements.

Eventually we made our way back to the station and caught a Gondola back down. It was very quiet now as most people had already gone down.

We had originally planned eat in Banff, but the restaurant at the hotel looked good and had a brilliant view, so we decided to eat there instead. The food was yummy and we both had three courses each (a first for this trip!)

After dinner we came back to the room and sat in the two comfy chairs, looking down on Banff. Laura enjoyed playing a bit of “Rear Window” and people-watched the guests in the other wing of the hotel! Do they not know what curtains are for?!

Day 18 - Plain of the Six Glaciers Teahouse Trail, via Lake Agnes and the Beehive

There was a thick fog when we woke up this morning, for a moment I thought maybe it would mean today’s hike would be cancelled, but no such luck, we could see blue sky above and knew the fog would probably burn off. By the time we had got dressed and eaten our usual buffet breakfast (served by the lovely Dayna today) that had happened.  

We went back to the room and got ready as quickly as possible because today’s hike started from Lake Louise and everyone keeps going on about getting an early start to avoid the hordes of tourists. It was already getting pretty hot by the time the resort shuttle bus dropped us off at our car and by the time we made it to Lake Louise it was scorching in the sun - good job we’d P20’d.

After a quick toilet break (where the men were queueing and the women weren’t - weird eh?) we got to the lake which was pretty impressive, so long as you stood with your back to the horrific huge ten story hotel on the shore. (I still prefer our little Emerald Lake though!) There were quite a few people there already but it wasn’t completely overrun or anything, still we made a move away from the crowd and onto the trail. 

The trail gradually rose from Lake Louise until we reached Mirror Lake which reflected the Beehive which we would eventually reach the summit of. 

We had a little break and a banana, watched the chipmunk things and then carried on up the hill to eventually arrive at Lake Agnes and Teahouse Number 1. The lake was awesome and the teahouse was nice but we didn’t bother to order anything as it looked pretty busy, so we sat on a rock for another short break before heading off again! 

Lake Agnes Teahouse

Lake Agnes

The hike took us around the lake and up to the Beehive summit, this was probably the hardest part of the day, it was a pretty grueling series of switchbacks but finally we made it up to the summit which was at 2284 metres. 

There was a short detour to a look out point which we thought would be quite nice, it turned out to be pretty amazing, so we sat for a while, looking out over the Banff National Park while we had a snack. The canoes on the lake looked like little ants, it was pretty cool. 

Beehive lookout

Lake Louise from The Beehive

Nice place to stop for a break

Canoes look like ants from here

On the way back to the trail we got talking to a girl who turned out to be called Martina, she was from Switzerland. She decided to join us for the rest of the day and once again we shared stories about our countries and our travels. 

For a while the hike became much easier as we went downhill, but we had to start going up again after a bit to reach the second teahouse; the historic Plain of the Six Glaciers Teahouse, built in 1924. This one definitely looked older than Lake Agnes Teahouse and looked super cute with its bunting. We saw a table up on the first floor and despite already having lunch we decided to go and get some cake as a few people had mentioned it, and what’s the point in hiking all that way not to experience it properly. The cake was yummy, it didn’t last long. 

Plain of the Six Glaciers Teahouse

We paid up and made another detour, or trail extension up to see Victoria Glacier and get a view of Abbot Pass - actually this was probably the most difficult part of the hike, it was very steep and was all scree, but it was worth it to get a close up view of the glacier and the little hut at the top of it. During the earlier part of the hike we kept hearing a loud crashing thud noise, a bit like thunder, but as there wasn’t a cloud in the sky we worked out that it had to be an avalanche or something (Natalie: it was probably chunks of ice falling off the high glaciers), we were hoping to see some of the ice fall off, but wanted it to be far enough away not to kill us! Alas, nothing happened while we were up there, but it was still pretty cool. 

Making our way back down the scree was difficult but we managed it. I filled up all of the empty water bottles from a glacial stream, oooh it was fresh and lovely. We had a Life Straw which would filter the water but we thought glacial water was surely safe to drink. It tastes safe. We haven’t died yet. 

Walking down the rest of the way was pretty uneventful, it didn’t take too long, it was nice and easy on the legs. In total the hike took us 7 and a half hours and turned out to be 22k rather than the expected 18k. We dropped Martina off at her hostel in Lake Lake Village and made our way back to Emerald Lake where we decided to go straight to the hot tubs - even Natalie didn’t bother jumping in the lake as it was starting to get a bit late. 

As usual, we got ready for dinner and headed to our local - the Kicking Horse Lounge where Dayna was our waitress again (wow, that’s a long day for her), she remembered us from this morning and asked how our hike had gone - we felt like proper locals and thought how nice it is to stay in a place long enough to get to know the staff. Throughout dinner we had a good laugh with Dayna, it made our last night here really memorable. We even filled in a comment card for her, saying that the only recommendation we have for the resort is to ‘clone Dayna’, I told her if she didn’t get a promotion from our feedback the world had gone mad! A few minutes later she popped back over to say thank you for the nicest comment card she’s ever received. 

We enjoyed chilling out in the lounge area, writing our last post from Emerald Lake, feeling quite sad that we would be leaving this incredible place and lovely people in the morning.