We entered Canada at the Coutts border crossing, which is the most heavily used (and only 24-hour) port between Montana and Alberta. It was Friday of a holiday weekend (Canada Day in Alberta and Independence Day in Montana), so we expected long lines at the border, but to our surprise there were only three other vehicles at the crossing. We were quickly granted entry and almost immediately after the 'Welcome to Alberta' sign we saw a heard of elk.
Driving north from the border through Lethbridge we stopped in the town of Vulcan to tour the 'Trek Station' visitor center. This spaceship-styled building housed many pieces of Star Trek memorabilia and a gift shop. In town, there was also a mural of all the doctors from the various Star Trek television shows, and a monument of the starship Enterprise.
The next day was spent touring Calgary where we visited the Calgary Zoo, downtown, the Calgary Tower, and the Olympic Plaza. Elizabeth really enjoyed seeing the penguins, lemurs, giraffes, and hippos at the zoo, and the viewing portals at the tower (which provided great views of the city and surrounding area from over 620 feet above).
After our time in Calgary had come to an end, we drove north to Edmonton to see the Alberta Legislature Building (which was undergoing restoration), downtown, the High-Level Bridge, and Fort Edmonton Park. Fort Edmonton has several areas representing different periods in history, and we enjoyed riding the steam train, seeing the restored buildings, playing games at the midway, and riding the streetcars.
To the east of Edmonton is Elk Island National Park where we hiked the Living Waters Boardwalk Trail and saw several beavers. Elizabeth enjoyed watching and listening to the beavers as they chewed on wood beneath the boardwalk. We also spent some time at Astotin Beach, but the day we visited the park was their busiest day of the year, so there were too many people to enjoy the beach (the park had actually closed the main entrance when we tried to visit, but we were able to drive to the north entrance to gain entry). After finding some of the Parks Canada Red Chairs (a set of red Adirondack chairs that are placed at some of the best viewpoints and areas of interest in all the Canadian National Parks), we drove the Bison Loop Road (where we saw one lone bison), toured the visitor center, then drove back to Edmonton for the night.
Heading west from Edmonton we drove the Yellowhead Trail Highway to Jasper National Park, where soon after entering the park, we started seeing bighorn sheep (including a family with two lambs). We hiked the trail through Maligne Canyon, enjoying the many waterfalls, bridges, and viewpoints of the canyon, which in some areas is over 160 feet deep. After the hike, we drove to Medicine Lake, and along the way we found a set of red chairs in a secluded spot along the Maligne River. We also encountered a black bear along this drive.
In the town of Jasper, we saw the Two Brothers Totem Pole (which stands almost 45 feet tall), toured the Jasper Park Information Center National Historic Site, did some gift shopping, and saw the preserved Canadian National steam engine No. 6015. North of town, we hiked the bridge across Pyramid Lake to Pyramid Island where we encountered an elk grazing on the island. It started to rain, but we still had a very enjoyable hike around the island before returning to town to spend a night at the Crimson Jasper Hotel.
The next morning we started our drive south along the Icefields Parkway. The parkway connects Jasper National Park and Banff National Park along a 145-mile drive that has been called one of the most scenic drives in the world. Leaving Jasper, we saw a herd of Elk before stopping to view Athabasca Falls and Sunwapta Falls. The drive was incredible, with many overlooks, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, and glaciers. Just before leaving Jasper National Park, we stopped to view Tangle Creek Falls, the Columbia Icefield, and Athabasca Glacier.
After crossing into Banff National Park (Canada’s first national park, and the most visited), we continued our drive south along the Icefields Parkway and stopped to view Panther Falls, the Weeping Wall, and Bow Summit where we hiked to the overlook to see the beautiful turquoise color of Peyto Lake and glacier. We then stopped at Bow Lake where we walked around the shore and Elizabeth enjoyed throwing some rocks into the water. While the Icefields Parkway ends in Lake Louise, this is also the starting point of the Bow Valley Parkway, which connects the town of Lake Louise with the town of Banff. Driving the Bow Valley Parkway past Morant’s Curve and along the Bow River we arrived at our cabin at the mouth of Johnston Canyon.
Johnston Canyon is one of the most popular hikes in Banff National Park, and for good reason. The trail takes you on catwalks through overhanging canyon walls, past waterfalls, along Johnston Creek, and through lush forests. The evening of our hike was perfect weather, and we seemed to be the only people around. We all enjoyed this incredible hike to the lower and upper falls, and we even caught a glimpse of a rare Black Swift nesting in the canyon wall. We spent a few nights staying in a cabin at Johnston Canyon Lodge & Bungalows, just a few feet from the canyon. The lodge was built in 1927 and had some great history and artifacts around the property. We also enjoyed a nice meal at the Blackswift Bistro in the lodge.
Our final day in Banff National Park took us to the town of Banff to ride the Banff Gondola. This was Elizabeth’s first time riding a gondola and she really enjoyed the experience of soaring up almost 2,300 feet to the summit of Sulphur Mountain. At the summit, we hiked the boardwalk trail to the Sulphur Mountain Cosmic Ray Station National Historic Site and took in the views of six nearby mountain ranges, the Bow Valley, and the town of Banff below. We also found a set of red chairs and Elizabeth enjoyed watching chipmunks begging hikers for food. Returning from the gondola into the town of Banff, we did some gift shopping, had a wonderful meal at The Eddie Burger, tried a 'Famous Canadian Beaver Tail', and saw the impressive Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel before heading west across the continental divide and out of Alberta.
We took a summer trip to Waterton Lakes National Park and spent a night at the historic Prince of Wales Hotel in the Waterton townsite. After crossing the Chief Mountain Border Crossing into Alberta, we had dinner at 'The Taco Bar' and enjoyed the scenic views from the shoreline. We also walked to Cameron Falls, which was right in the middle of town. The next day we took the Waterton Shoreline Cruise on the historic ship 'International' which traveled back to the United States via Upper Waterton Lake.