This was the first trip family took since I had started my sabbatical. We were going to Calgary, Banff, and Jasper. Unfortunately, some of us were sick and we coughed and sneezed as we boarded the plane. The weather report was not good either. Looks like the only day that was not raining is today. Anyway we’d try to get the most out of it.

Lake Louise

When we arrived, we first got the rental car and bought a week’s worth of groceries. After that we drove all the way to Lake Louise. Although it was quite chilli with a little bit of rain, we could still see people canoeing in the lake. The cloud hid the mountain behind the lake and it was a different kind of beauty.

Lake Moraine

Lake Moraine in the mist (Image by author)

When the rain at Lake Louise began to build up, we tried our luck at Lake Moraine which was only 10 mins away. Luckily, the rain stopped by the time we reached Lake Moraine. Lake Moraine was less famous. With that, we got a bit more privacy and we felt the lake was cozier than Lake Louise.

Along the way, the drive on the highway was also very surreal. You had various mountains on one side and the the Bow River on the other. Bow River was wide and inviting. I wish I could kayak or canoe there.

Staying

When it’s finally night time, we checked in the lodge, Banff Boundary Lodge. Here the daylight is longer than in Toronto. Sunset was at 9:45pm. The hotel/lodge was very suitable for our family. We could do all the cooking here. It was in a great location, not a long drive to Banff. Although the lodge was close to the highway, it wasn't too noisy because the windows shielded you from the noise very well. The pan and pot were very clean and new. Also the lodge was very spacious.