It's been a while since the last post due to a relaxing time in Montana and not being able to get a Canadian Sim Card, so having to rely upon WiFi to post when and if we could get it.
We enjoyed our home State Montana. Not a lot to see but a very relaxing place to stay with great countryside and views. We stayed in Missoula for a day or two and then headed up to Flathead Lake where we stayed with wonderful views over the lake at a small town called Polson. Then we drove along the very large lake to one of the highlights of our trip at Glacier National Park. The main road which takes you over the Continental Divide had only just opened in late June. Unfortunately we struck bad weather but we drove the road called "going to the sun" anyway. There was snow everywhere up at the top of the pass. It takes 3 months every year to clear it for a few months before it is closed again.
The weather cleared but alas our time in Montana had come to an end and we crossed into Canada and headed north to Edmonton, Alberta to visit old friends of Wendy's from Port Elizabeth. Southern Alberta had just been deluged with 100 year rains and there was signs of flooding everywhere. Houses were still covered, cars were inundated and many roads impassable. But we got to Edmonton in time for the Canada Day weekend which was glorious hot and sunny. We had a great time with Leonora and Paul Macy who showed us a round their lovely city full of parks and one of the largest shopping malls in the world.
Edmonton was the furthest North we had or were to travel in North America and when we left we headed West to the Rockies and our first port of call Jasper National Park. We stayed in the Parks Canada campgrounds which were very good and a good base for visiting the Jasper Area. One day we took the gondola up to the top of Whistlers Mountain and surveyed the magnificent mountains still capped with snow.
We visited the Maligne Canyon and wandered along steep paths beside the tumbling waters.
We spotted loads of bears as we drove around. On one day 9 bears were feeding on the side of the road including this Black Bear Cub.
Maligne Lake was another highlight in the area.
After Jasper we headed south along what is probably the most scenic highway on Earth - The Icefields Parkway. The Athabasca River hurtles over a waterfall along the way
as it descends from its glacier just off the road.
We spotted a family of Grizzly Bears munching on something nice alongside the road.
Banff is a very scenic spot and has been very popular for over a hundred years when the Trans Canada Railway was routed through it. The Banff Hotel lies on the Bow River and is the most upmarket accommodation in town. We stayed at Tunnel Mountain National Park Campground in a very scenic spot with views of the mountains all around.
We went up another gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain again with panoramic views in all directions. It was a bit of a hike from the gondola station to the mountain top but we made it.
On one of the days we were in Banff we drove the 90 minutes to Calgary to see the annual Calgary Stampede. The recent floods had severely damaged it only two weeks prior to the opening. The stadium you see below was covered in 15ft of water. It rained heavily on the day we visited but the riders still managed to rope their steers,
and the cowboys to ride the broncos. It was a long day but very different. A bit like the Auckland Easter Show with a western theme.
On our last day in Banff we drove over to the lovely Lake Louise nestling at the foot of the Victoria Glacier. It was very crowded with tour groups everywhere snapping right left and centre.
We crossed the Rockies today on a long drive that has taken us to Revelstoke in British Columbia. We plan on tootling around southern BC for the next two weeks before we arrive in Vancouver to meet a Princess.
