This might be the best day in the history of our sabbatical adventures and it certainly is the longest. Our day started with the alarm going off at 3:30 am this morning to catch the sunrise shuttle to Morraine Lake. The kids did surprisingly well getting dressed hours before their usual wake up time and we were at reception for our 4:10 pickup. The van was full of people who boarded even earlier in Banff.

The road to Morraine Lake is closed to personal vehicles as the parking lot is tiny and it's one of the most popular places in the park. Our driver dropped us off close to the trailhead, gave us each a blanket (we were dressed in the warmest clothes we had) and two mugs of hot chocolate and we headed down the trail to The Rockpile to find a viewing spot for the sunrise. It was a crystal clear sky and bright enough to see without flashlights so we navigated up through the boulders and found a spot to view the mountains and lake. The sun would rise behind us and hit the mountains. Even before the sun was up, the reflection off the lake was beautiful. The kids curled up in a large flat rock eating some breakfast bars and sipping hot chocolate, trying to stay warm. Finally, the first rays of sun hit the peaks and we sat in awe of a beautiful scene.

Our meeting time to head home was 6:45 am! We snapped lots of photos and then slowly made our way back to the van. Our driver had another mug of hot chocolate waiting for us and the van warmed up. The kids opted to sit in the van while Keely ran to the beach to take in some more views and photos. Once everyone made it back to the van, we headed home. Ainsley and Whitaker fell asleep in the van and everyone else was pretty sleepy. When we got back to the room, we tried to get everyone to sleep but only Odin took advantage and got an hour long nap.

Our next activity took us to Emerald Lake which is about a half hour from our hotel. It was a pretty drive and took us from Alberta into British Columbia and the Yoho National Park. There is a hiking trail around the lake as well as canoe rentals and a small hotel/resort with cabins. The water is an incredible color and exactly as described - emerald! Often the line for canoe rentals is long, sometimes up to 4 hours but on this calm and warm day, we noticed that the line was virtually nonexistent. The kids have never been canoeing before so we had no idea how they'd do or if we could get Whitaker to sit still for an hour but it was too gorgeous not to try!

Keely took Liam and Whitaker and I had the middles. They gave us paddles and life jackets and set us off on the lake. It was incredible. The water was breathtaking. We were surrounded by beautiful mountains and it was so calm and peaceful. Everyone did a great job and Whitaker mostly sat still as long as he was eating goldfish crackers. We made it about halfway around the lake and then crossed to the other side of the bay. Of course, just as we were about to head in, the wind picked up pushing us away from dock. But we made it back safe and sound and everyone wants to go canoeing again when we get home.

We had a picnic lunch at some tables along the lake. We had originally planned to hike around the lake but what we thought was a mile hike turned out to be over 3 miles and the kids were pretty tired from the long day already. Instead we hiked just part of the trail observing an avalanche area and found some benches to sit on while the kids tried to skip rocks on the lake. After a bit we turned around and headed back to the car. We noticed a group of people all looking up the hill at the avalanche washout and taking pictures. Liam and I were ahead of the group and saw our first bear! By the time the rest of the crew caught up, the black bear had wondered out of sight.

Lastly, we checked out the old cottages and resort and grabbed some ice cream at the coffee shop. The kids talked with some of the rangers and saw a big horn sheep horn and a bear skull. They were quite shocked when the kids told them we had just seen a bear a few yards off the trail!

On our way back we stopped at a few more pullouts before the littles fell asleep in the car. We made it back to the hotel and successfully transferred them both into their beds for a nap. We finished our game of euchre and then the boys and I went to the pool for a quick swim before dinner in the room.

Apparently we let Whitaker sleep too long because as of 9 pm, he was yelling "I all done sleeping" from his crib. Everyone else is exhausted so who knows how Whitaker will spend the rest of his evening.

Between the sunrise over Morraine Lake and canoeing in Emerald Lake, this was one of the best days we've ever had on sabbatical. Cheers to Keely who is the very best vacation planner!

- Kevin