This was always going to be Gail’s week since we started planning this year’s trip!  The idea and desire actually dates back almost 35 years when she saw a photo of Lake Louise and decided then and there that it was a place she wanted to visit!  And I had also become enamored with this area too.  However, I was less excited about the crowd of tourists that you read about when trying to plan. All three places are very popular, making it a very busy area.  But our trip was planned for late August and hopefully with fewer crowds due to the timing.

First, we looked into what to do and how best to plan.  We found a company called Pursuit that promotes a group of tours and events in one package that they call the Pursuit Pass.   You select a package, or you can select things ala carte.  It’s not that discounted, but you get guaranteed tickets and days and times to use them!  And the events are located in all three towns plus a fourth just for fun.

So, we started in Banff since it is the closest to Cochrane/Calgary where our RV park was located.  We didn’t have to move the RV or find a new camping spot up in Banff.  It required only about a 30-45 minute to drive into the town of Banff.  And it’s much easier to find a parking spot just for the Jeep.

We had picked the Open Top Tour around Banff as our first ticket.  This is a tour not of the town but of the surrounding area in an open roof replica of a 1930’s touring car that had been used when the tours started.  But ours was a new-ish Ford chassis that seated about 20 guests, and each row had an open roof for the view.  Our tour guide, Lucas, was dressed in a period outfit as a Swiss Mountain Guide who were some of the first guides to come to the area for the mountain climbers.

And at stops, you were allowed to stand on the seats, look around, and get better photos! 

The tour lasted about 1 ½ hours with many stops including one near Tunnel Mountain (although the tunnel was never built) where we got out to stretched our legs and had a nice refreshing sparkling cider!  All in all, it was a good start to our visit and educational as well.  Check some of the photos!

In the afternoon, we had tickets to the Banff Gondola that takes you to the summit of Sulfur Mountain.  It’s an 8-minute ride up in an enclosed gondola with 4 people.  So, being just the 2 of us, we hooked up with another couple in the line and rode up together.  And it was a friendly ride, and we had a nice chat on the way up, but the other lady, being afraid of heights, would not look at the view and just stared at me the whole way. 

The view at the top includes a panorama deck around the gondola station with 3 levels and with souvenir shops and food courts. It was very crowded!  We hiked up a very nice path with some stairs to the summit of the mountain and the weather station at 7510 ft!  The weather cooperated and the views were amazing.  Or should I repeat myself and say “majestic”!  Check out these shots!

After checking out the town and some of the gift shops, we headed back to Cochrane with plans to drive up to Lake Louise the next day.  It was only about 60 miles further than the drive to Banff.  Easy!   We arrived at the Lake Louise Hard Side Campground and found two surprises.  1) The pads were all pull throughs and are shared by two RVs back-to-back, so at least they do not face each other.  And 2) there was only electric hook ups which is okay as we can work with that kind of hook up for a couple of days!

Lake Louise is very small and quiet compared to Banff.  We went into the village to find out where the parking lot and the bus pickups were for our tours the next day and checked out a few of the stores.  Then back to the RV for a walk along the Bow River to get in our steps for the day.  Ready for our excursions to the lakes!

The only way to see Moraine Lake, as the road is closed to private cars, is to take a shuttle or bus.  We had tickets for the park bus and arrived in time to get on easily.  The bus would take us to Lake Moraine first, then we would take another bus to Lake Louise, and finally a third bus would take us back to the parking lot.  Lake Louise is open for cars, but the parking is $46 per day if you can find a spot!   So, the bus is a great choice.

Anyway, at Lake Moraine there is a nice hike along the shore of the lake.  The further you get from the entrance, the less crowded it gets, and you can enjoy the view and have a more relaxed hike.  People along the way would offer to take your picture and we would do the same. The lake is beautiful and the water a clear, dark, azure blue! And cold as we found out when we decided to stick our toes in for a few seconds!  The sun came out and the water sparkled.  At the turnaround, you can see the stream feeding into the lake. Back near the entrance, we did a short hike up to the Rock Pile (with a bunch of other people) to get a different view.  All very majestic!  More photos to see!

Now back to the bus and on to Lake Louise.  If we thought Lake Moraine was crowded, then Lake Louise was packed.  At the entrance everyone was hustling to get photos taken and then they would just crowd around!  We worked our way to the main photo spot that most people want (and that Gail had seen so long ago) and got a nice guy to get the shot we had come all this way to get!  See for yourself the result! 

The other main feature at the entrance is the Fairmont Chateau Hotel.  But the real attraction of the lake is the color of the water and the majesty of the glacier at the other end!  The view is majestic!

We took the shoreline hike just like at Lake Moraine.  At the other end you see why the color of the water is so different.  As the glacial water flows down the mountain, it brings a silt with it and turns the water into a milky, light turquoise.  Here you can see where the glacial water and normal clear spring water come together and start to mix.  Very interesting. 

We finished the hike back to the entrance and sat on a bench taking in the view and watching all the people.  We were coming back the next day to treat ourselves to lunch at the Fairmont so we would see this view one more time.  We headed back to the bus and the parking lot and eventually to the RV.  Check the pics we selected!

The next day, since we had reservations for a late lunch/early dinner, we had some time to get caught up on RV stuff, and then work our way back to the bus, and go directly to Lake Louise.  We had about 2 hours before our reservation, so we took the time to hike up to the Fairview Lookout.  The hike was listed as moderate, but it had an elevation gain of about 400 ft that seemed almost straight up!  But with the added altitude above the lake, the view was stunning or should I say “majestic”!  We spent some time talking to other hikers and then we headed down to the hotel ready for a great meal.

We got seated inside but with the full view out the large windows of the lake and the glacier.  The lunch in this venue was a reward for the trip so far!  We decided to share the seafood chowder, a rack of BBQ elk ribs (topped with an elderberry and blueberry sauce) and ended with a crème brulee for dessert.  We don’t splurge often but this was a nice treat in a majestic setting!  Or have I said that too many times? 

The next day we headed out to the Icefield Parkway on the way to Jasper.  But since this blog has gotten lengthy, I am going to close here and start again with the drive up and our time in Jasper. 

Hope you enjoyed the photos.  Believe me, there are more to come!