Today was an early morning for group of kids who once again didn't fall asleep until well after 10:30 pm. This might be the last vacation we can get away with just one room and two double beds. It's been a little bit tight sleeping three to a bed, especially when they all spread out and try to push us out!

We left the hotel a little later than we had hoped but made it to the airport fairly easily. We met Gabriel in the parking lot and returned his car to him much messier than he gave it to us. Whoops! Our kids are monsters, especially with goldfish.

The airport took significantly longer than expected. Customs was at the airport rather than in Detroit and the line was forever. Luckily, Keely sweet talked a few grandmas into letting us cut in line and we made sure the kids turned on the charm and smiles. By the time we got through, our flight was boarding but we made it. The rest of the trip was smooth sailing and we're happy to be home.

A few observations about Canada and our trip:

• The kids were incredible hikers. For only four years old, Ainsley did amazing and hiked on her own nearly the entire time. Only once or twice did she need to be carried and only for a minute or two break. There were very few other kids their age. Most were either much younger and in backpacks or carriers or much older. Liam seemed to like hiking the most. Odin was the easiest to be distracted by rocks and the most likely to try to touch water from a steam or lake. Amazingly no one fell in water during rafter, canoeing or hiking. I would have bet money someone would have during our trip. In all, we did over 22 miles of hiking!
• Whitaker definitely causes the most chaos but once he was in the hiking backpack, he did great and often fell asleep on the trail. He became obsessed with his bottle and having water in it so that's a habit we'll have to break when we get home. He drank so much water!
• The vast majority of other tourists were Asian or Indian. Most were in large group tours or large family groups. Almost all of the park workers were either British or from Australia/New Zealand. Very few workers were actually born and raised Canadians. It was rare to stand in line or be on a trail and hear an American or Canadian accent.
• While not nearly as high an elevation as the Rockies of Colorado, the peaks are all impressive and snow covered. They have a very different look to them compared to Rocky Mountain National Park or even the Tetons which is a result of how they were formed.
• The parks are incredibly large and we really only saw a small portion of them. So much of the park is inaccessible by car. It's very different than some of the parks we've been to in the States that more or less seem accessible to the entire park.
• On the main road through Banff, there is a massive fence to keep the animals inside the park and then wildlife bridges to allow animals to cross safely. This reduced animal related vehicle deaths by 80%!
  Banff was our favorite mountain town. Lake Louise had nothing and I can't imagine going there to ski with such little amenities. Jasper was incredibly expensive for the quality. It's hard to imagine anyone lives in any of these towns though and it's the first time being in mountain towns that I didn't want to look up real estate and imagine living there. That said, I'm looking forward to returning sometime in the future!
• Our kids did surprisingly well on little sleep. It's hard to go to bed at a normal bedtime when the sun comes up at 5:15 am and sets at 10:40 pm.
• The GuideAlong audio tour of the Icefields Parkway was outstanding and I'm very interested in getting it for other parks. One of the running themes they told was about some of the first explorers for the fur trade. Those guys are insane. We can't imagine trying to navigate this area without roads. The forest is so thick, the terrain so rough. They had to be crazy.
• Whitaker's favorite animal seeing was the moose! Ainsley and Odin's was the two grizzlies. Liam loved the coyote sightings, especially the babies. In all, we saw a good variety of animals on the second half of our trip.
• Lastly, in what should be surprise to no one who has read this blog over the last 12 years, Keely is an incredible vacation planner. The vast majority of the trip went flawlessly. If only she could have controlled the cloud cover in Jasper! Our activities were great, wonderful hikes and I think everyone had a great time.

Here's to the next adventure!

- Kevin