Banff, part 2

 

Monday morning it was crispy cold and bright blue skies.

 

We had asked for a late check out so Aimee, Mike and the kids went for a swim after breakfast and I walked Iggy and started packing up the car. We were checked out and in the car with 2 minutes to spare.

Because the drone video hadn't worked the previous day, we drove back down to the Bow River Falls to try again.

The kids climbed around and threw rocks again while their parents flew the drone.

Rather than drive back the way we had come we drove north to have some more mountain scenery before heading home.

Next stop was Lake Louise. The lake was frozen and people were skating on it.

Of course this meant that Mike took the kids to walk on the lake while

Aimee and I stayed on the path and wondered just how thick that ice was. It was like glass and you could see the rocks on the bottom of the lake clearly.

Unbelievably photogenic.

The kids and I walked around the lake, throwing ice on to it to see it smoothly slide across

While there was more drone flying until a woman told us it was illegal. Looking it up later we found out that drone flying is illegal in all national parks.

Family picture complete with Iggy this time.

Periodically we had to pick up Iggy because his feet got too cold and he would shake and look pathetic.

Proof I was there too

Lunch and then back in the car where I tried to take pictures out of the car window

that just don't do it justice, especially as it was getting dark.

Beside the road, a couple of

Big Horn Sheep

running to join the herd.

 

It was fully dark for the last couple of hours drive. We talked about coming back if I visit again in the spring and Aimee and Mike commented that they really don't take advantage of being relatively close to this magnificent scenery. Aimee had got better at flying the drone and enjoyed the editing process and adding music.

Avery's dragon

Maya's rug.

Family trip to Banff

Saturday morning we woke to snow and a forecast of more to come. We packed while waiting for Aimee to get home from work

 

and set off, crammed in the car, by about 4pm.

 

Heading south to Calgary we were often driving at about 60km on snow covered highway and sometimes in "whiteout" conditions. The blizzard did not stop until we were about 3 hours into the trip and a drive that should have taken just over 4 hours took over 5. We got to the hotel in the dark and ordered in pizza for dinner before heading for bed.

Sunday morning it was still lightly, snowing making for poor mountain photography.

Aimee, Mike and the kids went to the pool and the outdoor hot tub. I hadn't packed a bathing suit so could not partake.

So I took Iggy for a walk, surrounded by ghostly mountain shapes.

We walked a bit in downtown Banff and then stopped at a Vietnamese restaurant for lunch. I took this photo from our table.

Masks were mandatory in the whole downtown area. Even at the park beside the river

where the kids played,

(she is such a poser) while Aimee flew her drone. Mike gave it to her for her birthday in September and she has been anxious to fly it in nice scenery.

Mule deer on the other side of the river from the park.

This was Aimee's first attempt at editing and adding music to her drone footage.

We crossed this bridge, heading for a hike

and this was the first of many attempts to get a family photo.

Every time there was a bit of sun I would take mountain pictures.

Another family photo attempt.

We walked for about 1.5km beside the Bow River

Down below the Bow River Falls

the kids threw stones in the water,

I took dull, grey mountain pictures

and Aimee, again, flew the drone.

Just caught it at the edge of this photo.

This time, for some reason, the video didn't work.

Banff Springs hotel was up the hill behind us.

With tired kids the walk back took longer.

Family photo? Avery really wasn't

cooperating.

Had to settle for one of just him, when he didn't suspect I was taking a picture.

We were all ready for the hike reward of salted caramel popcorn (Maya)

Strawberry cheesecake Beaver Tail for Avery.

Back to the hotel, tired

We lit the wood burning fireplace and had some hilarious games of Sequence (Mike says both the kids have to work on their "poker faces") before bed.