I woke early and was back on the highway by 7:00 AM. I washed down a Poptart with Sunny-D as I cruised. Because it was the weekend and the middle of the summer, I expected available campsites around Lake Louise and Banff to be scarce. This early in the morning, the busy Highway 93 was relatively RV-free, so I made good time. I rolled into Lake Louise village about 9:30 and drove into a line full of vehicles outside Lake Louise’s 210-site tent-only campground. I didn’t have to wait long; They had a spot for me. I booked a campsite for 3 nights.
The grounds are encircled by a 7000 volt electric fence to keep out the bears and other big furry creatures. I am sure it is also very effective for keeping the humans from wandering into the surrounding woods and into the arms of hungry bears. For such a large drive-in campground, I was impressed with the cleanliness and relative privacy of the sites which are separated by tall pines.
Lately, I’ve been using my campsite only for cooking and sleeping, unlike many others who hang out there drinking, building fires, and generally relaxing (which is also very nice.) The bugs aren’t too pesky here and I was tempted to just build a fire and sit around my campsite all day. But, I departed the site as soon as I erected my tent and returned to the north about 30 miles on Highway 93 to Peyto Lake, one of the many glacial lakes in the region where I was sure to get a good view and pictures. The silty blue lake was approximately the color of the sky. I took some shots of the lake, and then climbed up into the hill for a hike above the tree line. My guidebook, as well as my parents who visited the area a couple of years ago, told me that despite all of the crowds in the Banff/Lake Louise area, it was easy to find solitude by just walking on a trail away from the main attractions. I found this to be exactly right at Peyto Lake. I saw exactly two other souls during my 1.5-hour hike.
The air temp was heating quickly. Instead of fighting for a parking spot at trailheads and wandering the hills in the heat of the day, I opted to return to the south, past my campsite at Lake Louise and into Banff. Banff was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway in the early 1900’s for the sole purpose of creating a destination to which wealthy tourists would want to ride the train. The town grew around the health spa.
My day in Banff turned out to be a tour de extravagance. I found street parking along the busy Banff Avenue and scurried into the visitor center to ask about wifi access. The nice lady pointed me across the street to the Starbucks. I sucked down a mocha Frappacino as I blogged and emailed. Then I walked around downtown Banff a bit. It is filled with shops and is quite charming. As I was out of mac and cheese back at camp, I popped into the Maple Leaf Grille and Spirits to peruse the menu. It contained descriptions of many tasty dishes, so I made a reservation for 8:00 PM and then drove up the hill for a soak in the Banff Hot Springs, my third hot springs experience in 5 days, and the best one so far.
Prune-ish, I drove back into town for dinner. I sat at the window and watched the busy tourists shop and frolic. I ordered the Back Country Bison Tenderloin. It was prepared wrapped in double-smoked bacon, topped with Quebec bleu cheese, and served with potatoes au gratin and vegetables in a red wine reduction. Holy Moses, it was good.
Rolling out of the restaurant, I drove back up the hill to the famous Banff Springs Hotel for a drink in the timeless Rundel Lounge. I sipped a Mist on the Rocks – Glenmorangle single malt scotch and Drambuie as I sat at the large window overlooking the large patio, golf course, and the large valley beyond – while the sun set.
Then I left my brief rich-and-famous lifestyle behind as I drove north to my tent at Lake Louise.
The grounds are encircled by a 7000 volt electric fence to keep out the bears and other big furry creatures. I am sure it is also very effective for keeping the humans from wandering into the surrounding woods and into the arms of hungry bears. For such a large drive-in campground, I was impressed with the cleanliness and relative privacy of the sites which are separated by tall pines.
Lately, I’ve been using my campsite only for cooking and sleeping, unlike many others who hang out there drinking, building fires, and generally relaxing (which is also very nice.) The bugs aren’t too pesky here and I was tempted to just build a fire and sit around my campsite all day. But, I departed the site as soon as I erected my tent and returned to the north about 30 miles on Highway 93 to Peyto Lake, one of the many glacial lakes in the region where I was sure to get a good view and pictures. The silty blue lake was approximately the color of the sky. I took some shots of the lake, and then climbed up into the hill for a hike above the tree line. My guidebook, as well as my parents who visited the area a couple of years ago, told me that despite all of the crowds in the Banff/Lake Louise area, it was easy to find solitude by just walking on a trail away from the main attractions. I found this to be exactly right at Peyto Lake. I saw exactly two other souls during my 1.5-hour hike.The air temp was heating quickly. Instead of fighting for a parking spot at trailheads and wandering the hills in the heat of the day, I opted to return to the south, past my campsite at Lake Louise and into Banff. Banff was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway in the early 1900’s for the sole purpose of creating a destination to which wealthy tourists would want to ride the train. The town grew around the health spa.
My day in Banff turned out to be a tour de extravagance. I found street parking along the busy Banff Avenue and scurried into the visitor center to ask about wifi access. The nice lady pointed me across the street to the Starbucks. I sucked down a mocha Frappacino as I blogged and emailed. Then I walked around downtown Banff a bit. It is filled with shops and is quite charming. As I was out of mac and cheese back at camp, I popped into the Maple Leaf Grille and Spirits to peruse the menu. It contained descriptions of many tasty dishes, so I made a reservation for 8:00 PM and then drove up the hill for a soak in the Banff Hot Springs, my third hot springs experience in 5 days, and the best one so far.Prune-ish, I drove back into town for dinner. I sat at the window and watched the busy tourists shop and frolic. I ordered the Back Country Bison Tenderloin. It was prepared wrapped in double-smoked bacon, topped with Quebec bleu cheese, and served with potatoes au gratin and vegetables in a red wine reduction. Holy Moses, it was good.
Rolling out of the restaurant, I drove back up the hill to the famous Banff Springs Hotel for a drink in the timeless Rundel Lounge. I sipped a Mist on the Rocks – Glenmorangle single malt scotch and Drambuie as I sat at the large window overlooking the large patio, golf course, and the large valley beyond – while the sun set.Then I left my brief rich-and-famous lifestyle behind as I drove north to my tent at Lake Louise.
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