Trip to the Mountains

Day 1

We spent Tuesday night in Calgary, and then headed to Canmore the next morning. Canmore is a town 5 minutes from Banff National Park. When we got to Canmore, we walked down the Main Street and ate lunch at the Rocky Mountain Bagel Company. It was soon time for the kids to take naps, which gave us a chance to unpack and relax a bit. Come dinner time, we headed back into town and ate at the Grizzly Paw Brewing Company. The food was great, but the beer and soda was better (they're known for both). For dessert, we treated Grace to ice cream from Old School Ice Cream (sold in an old school bus). We decided to turn in early to ensure everyone was well-rested for our trip into Banff the next day. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. Jeremy woke up crying 4 or 5 times throughout the night, almost inconsolable. He wanted a bottle, he wanted to be held, he had a poopy diaper- there was always something. It was like having a newborn again! We both got up completely exhausted on Thursday.

Day 2

After breakfast, we packed up the car and headed to Banff National Park. The sky was gloomy and overcast, and we had our fingers crossed that it wouldn't ruin our day. First thing we did was drive straight to Lake Louise. Though the skies were grey, it was still very beautiful! As we started taking pictures, rain began to fall. We rushed back to our cars, completely disappointed. We didn't bring appropriate wear for rain. There were so many things we had planned for the day! As we pulled off by the Bow River for lunch, it started hailing! I was actually a little nervous, and Jason worried that the rental car would be dented. Surprisingly, the kids didn't show any signs of being scared. We decided to head to the town of Banff so that we could at least say that we saw it. We never intended to spend any time there. It's always crowded with tourists. As I read our guide book, I discovered there was a really short hike, the Hoodoos Trail, right outside of the town. It was short enough that even in the rain, we could hike it. While walking, the rain stopped and the sun came out. We quickly got back in the car and drove to Johnston Canyon, a popular family-friendly trail. By the time we got there, of course it was once again pouring down rain. Since we drove all that way, we decided to splurge and get rain ponchos. Considering they look like decorated garbage bags, it was a complete ripoff, but totally worth it in that we were able to hike to see the Lower Falls. Grace did a fantastic job walking the entire trail of almost a mile. At the completion of the hike, we went back to our condo, satisfied that we had "experienced" Banff. Thank goodness Jeremy only woke up once during the night, so we were able to get a little bit more rest.

Day 3

Craig's Way Station in Canmore is known for their breakfasts, so we started off our day there. After packing up our things and leaving the condo, we drove to a nearby trailhead. I definitely had my doubts- the hike Jason wanted to go on was to Grassi Lakes, with a distance of about 2 miles and an elevation gain of about 800 feet. I am still in shock that we made it! It was really hard for Grace. When she had gone on her huge hike in Colorado, she had a lot of help from many family members, like her Auntie Jen, Grandma, Uncle Chris, and Aunt Wyndy, not to mention motivation from her cousins. On this hike, neither of us could really help her since Jason carried Jeremy in the Snugli, and I carried a backpack with our lunches and Jeremy's baby stuff. She had to hike the entire thing, minus 20 steps (I couldn't carry her for very long). Now that's a trooper! I don't know if she thinks it was worth it, but Jason and I do. How fulfilling it was when we arrived back at the car. That hike marked the end of our vacation. After a short stop in Calgary for some Vietnamese subs, we headed back to Edmonton. (Check photo album)