Trip to Banff & Okotoks AB

We stayed at Riverbend Campground, Okotoks AB https://riverbendcampground.ca/

This park has been around for many years. There are areas of the park that are long-term rentals with several sites available for short-term stays. We were booked into a 50 amp full hook-up pull-thru site. Although there was a mix-up with another guest, staff were accommodating, and so we ended up in a very nice 30 amp back-in site backing onto the lake with views of the fountains. There are plenty of amenities at the park, including paddle boats, pedal carts, bicycle rentals, playgrounds, mini golf, and a general store with propane fill. This park has a gate that locks at night. If you plan to remain out past the locking time, you can sign out a pass card or park outside and walk.

in.

En route to Okotoks, we stopped east of Field to view the Spiral Tunnel in Yoho National Park.  These tunnels were constructed to alleviate the issue of the steep grade along the Kicking Horse River.  Construction was started in 1906 and completed in 1909.  In 1971, this site was designated as a National Historic Site.  We were fortunate enough to see an eastbound train simultaneously entering and exiting the lower tunnel as well as passing below us before crossing under the highway.

Per our usual routine upon arrival at a new place, we went out for dinner to visit for a flight of beer and some supper.  A great little place with flavorful beer and equally flavorful food. Big Beaver Brewing https://bigbeaverbrewing.ca/

This leg of our trip, we planned to see the Heritage Inn International Balloon Festival in High River, along with road trips to Banff and Calgary. Unfortunately for us, this was a high-winds week in the High River area, so most flights were canceled.

We did make our road trip to Banff.  As a retired military member, we received free admission to the park as well as some of the attractions.  We stopped on our way into Banff at the Cascade Ponds for a bit of a hike.  Traveling off-peak season meant that we were lucky enough to find street parking right in the heart of downtown Banff with a short walk to the Information Centre to pick up maps and have all our tourist questions answered.  We strolled through the old town core of Banff, stopping for lunch at Three Bears Brewing https://threebearsbanff.com/

After a great lunch, we continued our walk and ended with a visit to the Banff Park Museum. We drove out to the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel and through the Golf Course Rd loop to see the scenery and check if we could find any wildlife. Sadly, it was not much of a wildlife day. On our way to exit the park, we took a side trip along the Vermilion Lakes Rd to see the fall colors. The last stop of the day was Mount Norquay Lookout, a great view from up there but partially obscured by wildfire smoke.

Having grown up in Calgary, I thought this would be a great opportunity to show Cat my childhood stomping grounds. A great day trip into Calgary to show her the house I grew up in and the neighborhood my friends and I explored. We had a chance to visit the Naval Reserve Division HMCS TECUMSEH, where my naval career got started. We had a tour of the building; although it was built after I left to join the Regular Forces, the memorabilia throughout brought back many fond memories.

We ended our day by being joined by our friends Leah and Jason. The four of us went to the Balloon Festival for the Balloon Glow event. In a large field, they bring in the balloons and set them up just before sunset. There were plenty of food trucks and porta-potties, as the crowd that had gathered for this event was quite large. As the sun goes down, the balloons are inflated and remain tethered, allowing the crowds to walk among the balloons. It was an absolutely wild sight and vibe. It is recommended to bring lawn chairs or a blanket to sit on, as the wait prior to the glow was a bit lengthy, and arriving early is key to grabbing front-row viewing.

~ Let your dreams take flight ~

Bill & Cat