High School Friends We Are! Monday September 23, 2019

We had a plan for today which did not go as planned and I needed to put my expertise, of saving the day, to work.  This morning we had a short drive to Lake Louise which was planned so we could get there early to get a parking spot.  We arrived at 8:40am only to be turned away, the lot was full.  A drizzly Monday in mid September and Lake Louise was full before 9:00am, oh boy!  

As we carried on with heading west, I made a snap decision to show my friend Emerald Lake before heading up the Icefield Parkway.   Bingo!  It was beautiful and quiet.  We even timed it right for the opening of the store.  I shopped too!

We paid a visit to the sweet little village of Field.  Every single bed & breakfast and guest house had a no vacancy sign posted.  We motored up and down all the streets admiring the cute homes.  

Icefield Parkway here we come!  By now it was full on drizzle, cloud and wind.  Yet, the autumn shades popped big time.  We stopped lots to see the sights but kept long strolls to the minimal.   The glaciers were galore, it's called the Icefield  Parkway for a reason.  At big Bow Lake we bundled up and braced for the weather then took a little walk along the shore.  This was the perfect kind of day to stop in at the Num-Ti-Jan Lodge for a hot beverage and shop.  We then opted to have our picnic lunch in the car sheltered from the elements.  There were many opportunities to admire the colours along the Parkway and we took advantage of that.

It was check in time, wine time, dinner time, laugh time, time to just be the friends we have always been!

High School Friends We Are! Sunday September 22, 2019

It's time to head off to Banff and see the great big mountains in the National Park. I gave my friend a heads up that this time of September is prime for sight-seeing so we would not be alone and we would do what we could based on traffic and parking situations.  

She had never been on a Gondola so we made sure she would never say never again.  Shortly after 8:00am we arrived at the parking lot, one of the first to be there, got our ticket, boarded our ride to the top then walked out onto the observation deck on the top level.  It was cold!  It was windy!  Welcome!  The fires were going, the scenery was incredible and we pretty much owned it. We strolled the boardwalk then shopped before descending to where we would get on with our day.

Bow Falls was pretty as usual.  The morning was progressing perfectly.  It was quiet here and we took time to stroll again in the sunshine.

My friend mentioned a couple of times that she saw many photos over the years of the main street in Banff and how beautiful it was and she wondered would she ever go there.  Well, we went there!  Luckily, not many others went there when we were there.  We walked down one side and up the other, checking out the stores, shopping and stopping for a tea and muffin along the way.  Before heading to the car, we admired the views along the Bow River near the park.

We were lucky to have no trouble with parking at Lake Minniwanka or at Two Jack Lake.  Both places offered up glorious sights.  We had a late lunch at Two Jack Lake.  It felt like the dog days of summer with the sun beating down.  It was nap time.

Lots of time was still on our side.  We drove to Canmore and up to the Canmore Nordic Centre to sit, pass time and admire the views. Then it was time to check in for the balance of the day.  Our deck faced the mountains.  That's where we spent the next four hours sipping wine, dining, laughing and just carrying on with our friendship.  With all that fresh mountain air and scenery, we knew there would be sweet dreams through the night!