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We climbed into the car this morning at 7:45 and 50 degrees, with partly sunny skies and headed for the border. As we drove north, we were surrounded by mountains on three sides, the east, the north and the west. The ridge on the east was couched in a purple haze, as the sun shone from behind and the one in the north had clouds hugging tightly along the peaks. And as we left Kalispel, we discovered that it had grown exponentially since our last visit two years ago. Urban sprawl…adding Costco, Walmart, Lowe's, and many other big box stores, The hotel manager told Steve that she could not compete with all of the new employers in town.
We passed through Whitefish, a charming little town, and Eureka…neat and clean with weathered wooden facades inviting one to Bull Dog Saloon, the general store, Mountain Market and the Ram’s Horn Barber Shop. It looked like Dodge City except for the horses. There were none.
We crossed into Canada at 9:25 AM and the border guard never gave us a second look. Guess we look honest and safe. And a bit down the road we came really close to a disaster when a doe ran out into the road right in front of our car. But Steve was quick on the brake and we avoided hitting it…but I must say, my adrenalin was pumping. Phew!!!
We saw several golf course along the way…with bright green fairways and well-manicured greens and the golfers were out there in 55 degrees in shorts and short sleeved shirts. They make them hardy up here, I guess.
Canada is a beautiful country and it did not disappoint us today. Driving through the Canadian Rockies is a real treat, with majestic peaks, some angular and gray, others fully covered with pine and spruce trees (I will never understand how trees grow out of rocks), and a few with nothing but the remnants of trees burned in forest fires. Occasionally we say glaciers hiding in remote corners of the rocks. Unfortunately for my photo taking today, the sky was overcast for most of the day and the light was flat. Perhaps tomorrow we will get some shadows to adorn the multi-faceted walls of these great gray giants.
We landed in Banff around 2:30 and drove around to get the lay of the land. Banff is a winter resort town and it reminds me of Breckinridge in Colorado. Even in the summer, there are a lot of people here and way too much traffic for the disorganized menagerie of streets. We got in and had difficulty finding our way out, even with a map. Not sure if that speaks to the town or to our map-reading capabilities. And let’s face it, we just can’t depend on the lady in the box much these days. She is wrong as much as she is right, so we have taken to checking maps several times a day to be sure she is not sending us on a wild goose chase. Toyota, I hope you are reading this!!! LOL
We checked into our hotel around 4 PM and what a gem. It is charming. The rooms are not large, and the floors creak, but the view is to die for, as you can see in the photos. We have a wall and a half of large windows looking out at the massive mountains that surround Banff, and a door that opens out to a deck and a lawn. And that makes Beamer happy. Oh, and Beamer…he is being treated like royalty here. Our room was appointed with a doggie bed, his own towel, dishes for his meals, and even a bone to chew on. He was thrilled and he made it known…this was for him and no one else. He did a happy dance and tossed that bed around like he knew how special he was. It is clear, they love dogs here at the Juniper Hotel.
We are here for two nights. Tomorrow, we go exploring more of the Rockies.
- comments
sheflysx I believe this is where my parents stayed on their visit back around 1954.
Art Ritter You sure had a beautiful drive. What gorgeous scenery! Enjoy.