Live from Canada & Alaska June 2023

[TraderSam]

Well, having read and enjoyed many a trip report here on Cruise Critic, I thought I'd dip my toe in the icy waters and have a go at writing one myself, as live as WiFi allows. 👍🏻 

 

Background 

We are a couple of young retirees, mid 50's who hope to travel as much as possible in the window of opportunity which we have (i.e. good health, adult children and no grandchildren yet) 

We like to plan ahead and enjoy the research and build up to any trip. The concept of a last minute booking isn't one which we have managed to explore so far, but perhaps one day. 😁

 

Travel Day

We left home and caught our Air Canada flight from a damp and dreary Edinburgh to Toronto, which ended up delayed by almost 2 hrs. Actually, it just meant that our layover time for the connection to Calgary was reduced so it worked slightly in our favour. I had completed ArriveCan and of course eTA so our transition through Customs and Immigration was very speedy indeed.

Our flight to Calgary was on time and full and we were eager to get it over with! 

We had a coach transfer to Banff booked with Brewsters (pre-booked with our TA but advertised at airport as costing 79CAD pp) which took around 1 hr 45 mins. And so 25 hours after our alarm went off,  we arrived to check in at Brewster Mountain Lodge.

 

We had chosen this smaller hotel for it's location, right in the heart of the town. The staff were so helpful and welcoming, asking if we needed to confirm tour bookings, providing us with decaf coffee and cookies. A warm welcome to two weary travellers.  By 10:30pm, we had hit the wall and fell into a very comfortable bed. 

Adventure is out there... 

Edited June 18, 2023 by Host Carolyn
Op request

[Georgia_Peaches]

Following with great interest!

[TraderSam]

Day 1

We knew that having gone to bed at 10:30pm and adjusting to a 7hr time difference, we would be up early and we were both awake by 6am. A Continental breakfast was included with our stay and we ate very well.

Being in the heart of the town, we were out enjoying the scenery and very quiet streets before 9am.

 

 

 

Our plan for the morning was to take a walk to the Bow Falls and perhaps see about a float trip down the river.

We followed the Bow River Trail for a while before crossing over the river via the pedestrian bridge. 

 

 

Initially, the blue green water is flowing along at a steady pace before you notice the rapid increase, building up to the Bow Falls. It's a beautiful walk alongside, through the trees. 

 

 

 

As you climb up, you are treated to a view of the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, nestled amongst the trees. 

 Down the steps again and the Falls are waiting just around the corner. 

 

 

Next up, our Bow River float trip...

 

Edited June 14, 2023 by TraderSam

[TraderSam]

As the weather was so nice, we decided to just ask at Rocky Mountain Raft Tours if they had any availability on their next Hoodoo Float Tour.(7km down river, approx 1hr with return by road.. More on that later😂)  We were in luck and turned out to be a nicely-sized group of only 12 people. I believe the rafts hold up to 25. 

 

The trip is very calm with minimal splashing. No rapids 😂 our guide was extremely knowledgeable and answered all sorts of questions from our group on topics such as climate change and the impact on the river and wildlife . 

 

At the start, you have the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel in the background. 

 

 

Further down river, you have beautiful views of various landmarks including Tunnel Mountain, Mount Rundel and the Hoodoos. 

 

 

 

 

 

As I mentioned, return to the starting point is by road and an interesting "first" for these Scots! 😂

 

 

 

Next up, the Cascade of Time Garden...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 14, 2023 by TraderSam
Photos

[TraderSam]

Being keen gardeners at home, we always like to visit gardens on our travels. 

The Cascade of Time Gardens are just over the road bridge, at the end of Banff Avenue and were on our way as we walked back to town from the Bow Falls.

 

 

The gardens have some interesting structures made of peeled pine (I  think? 🤔) and stone which frame the amazing views beyond.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It seemed that currently, the planting scheme

is a work in progress and some is rather too parks department style block planting for my eye but there were areas which were more natural.

 

The gardens are still worth spending some time in to enjoy the views. 

 

 

Next up, Banff Gondola... 

Edited June 14, 2023 by TraderSam
Rearranging photos

[bigAWL]

Beautiful!

[Georgia_Peaches]

Stunning pictures of the scenery!

[TraderSam]

We have been re-living a few old memories on this trip and a ride up Sulphur Mountain on the Banff Gondola is no exception. Last time we did this was 16 years ago as a family with our two, aged 13 and 9.

We thought it would just be us on our gondola but we were loaded with a lovely couple from Canmore. The only downside was that we spent the entire journey chatting and I forgot to take photos on the way up. 🤦🏼‍♀️😁Oh well. We learned that it is currently Locals Week whereby residents of the surrounding areas can access the main activities and landmarks, free of charge. What a fabulous idea as so many of us forget to visit what is right on our own doorstep. 🏰🗻

Anyway, we reached the summit and made our way out of the terminal. The Boardwalk Trail to the  Cosmic Ray Station was stretched out before us. 

Boy, was it hot up there and we could feel the sun on our pale blue Scottish skin. It was a tough walk/climb at times but we did our best to stay well hydrated and enjoyed plenty of stops to absorb the amazing scenery. 

 

 

 

 

View down to Banff from the very top. 

 

And the Bow River where we had enjoyed our float trip. 

As we made our way down the Boardwalk, there were fewer people and so it was really rather pleasant.

There were times whereby large family groups were sitting on the stairs in the shade which made it difficult of you needed to hold on to the handrail. Indeed, we noticed quite a bit of inconsiderate behaviour on this outing, including someone playing music on his phone as he climbed and then again at the very top. It was a shame he didn't think to use headphones or  consider anyone else up there, just trying to soak in the wonders before us. Hey ho. 🤷‍♀️

A wedding was happening and we admired the room set up.l for the Reception. What a backdrop! 

 

Mirror bear

 

Soon, it was time for our journey down. We discovered that they loaded the gondolas with only your individual groups so that they could take a souvenir photo of you. Hooray! I could take as many photos as I liked without appearing rude... Wait, I spoke too soon! The Manager was finished his shift and would be Hitchin a ride down with us. 😬 Anyway, he wanted to hear all about our experience and so bang went my photo opportunity. 😂 

 

Edited June 14, 2023 by TraderSam

[mahdnc]

I am planning on going to the Canadian Rockies some day, so I am definitely loving this.

[newcruzer2]

Excellent job narrating and photos.

[The Traveling Man]

Great photos and commentary @TraderSam.  I am hopeful that your next postings will include a ride on the Rocky Mountaineer train to Vancouver, then boarding your ship to Alaska.  That's my idea of a great vacation in Canada and Alaska.

[Muushka]

Thanks OP, for giving me a glimpse of one of my Bucket List items.  Wonderful report.

[Barwick Cruiser]

Wonderful photos and commentary. Thank you for posting this and I hope you continue to enjoy your holiday and hopefully the inconsiderate tourists are now behind you! Welcome to 🇨🇦 

[MarKay525]

3 hours ago, The Traveling Man said:

Great photos and commentary @TraderSam.  I am hopeful that your next postings will include a ride on the Rocky Mountaineer train to Vancouver, then boarding your ship to Alaska.  That's my idea of a great vacation in Canada and Alaska.

Traveling Man - we just did that in April/May. 9 night Alaska cruise on Solstice, Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Banff and a lot of sightseeing along the way before flying home from Calgary.

 

TraderSam - thank you so much for posting. We were in Banff for 4 days last month - one of the most beautiful, quaint places I've ever visited. We're not hikers, so really appreciate your photos. Smoke from the Alberta fires made for very limited visibility when we went up on the gondola, but we still really enjoyed it. Got to see a wedding when we were up there as well - obviously a popular spot for nuptials. Looking forward to more posts.

[PH2]

We are a week away from a driving trip from Kentucky through Toronto/Montreal/Quebec City and back (praying the smoke clears enough), but this trip to western Canada is definitely on the list as well.

[mrgabriel]

Thanks for posting your experiences in Banff!

 

It is truly on our doorstep (65 minute drive from our house) and we have visited the Scottish Highlands more often than Banff in the last decade. 
 

Hope you have received a warm welcome in our part of the world. 

[Silkroad]

Lovely photos! Thanks for sharing your journey with us. Banff is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. I enjoyed some fantastic hikes while there.

[TraderSam]

Sorry that it's just a short post this evening, but here are some views from our walk in the other direction around Banff. I absolutely. loved the reflection of the trees and Cascade Mountain. I can just imagine Bob Ross with his brush in hand... 🎨🖌️

 

 

 

 

 

 

So much more to follow... 

[Scottishclover]

Great photos. Was first in Banff around 20 years ago in summer then again 10 years ago in the winter for my sister’s wedding in nearby Canmore. Can’t wait to hear about the rest of your trip. I don’t think you can beat the Rockies and Alaska combination for stunning scenery. 
 

Your “blue” Scottish skin comment made me laugh. I feel your pain….

[cruise wizard]

look out for the moose!!!!

[TraderSam]

Next up is Lake Louise.

 

This will forever be remembered by us as the place where in 2007, this Scottish family woke up very early from jetlag, got dressed in shorts & t-shirts and went down in an elevator to their rental car which was parked in an underground garage.

After a beautiful drive through the snow-capped mountains(that should have been a clue) we got out at Lake Louise and realised our rookie mistake. It may have been July but this wasn't our usual Orlando and it was bloomin' freezing! 😂 A swift visit to the Gift Shop at The Fairmont netted us 2 hoodies for the young ones and a big hit on Dad's credit card. Once he had recovered from the shock, we turned around and lo and behold, there was older child's school Depute Head teacher standing before us. It's a small world really eh? 

 

Anyway, back to real time and here we are, headed on an organised excursion to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. Whilst group tours can have their downsides, this 50-something traveller isn't missing playing the role of Chauffeur. Since we started dating in 1987, it was decided that I was the driver and he was better off navigating (using proper paper maps those days) and so now I'm free of the stress of that straight-off-the-plane-and-get-behind-the-wheel-on-the-other-side-of-the-road pressure. I'm happy to put up with other things to no longer have to drive abroad. 

Everything went well with pick up and soon we were off on the scenic drive to Lake Louise.

 

Passing by Castle Mountain. 

 

A few images of Lake Louise and the Fairmont. It's amazing how much the colour of the water changes when the sun comes out. 

 

 

 

 

 

Next up, Moraine Lake. 

[TMLAalum]

Loving your Canadian Rockies photos! We spent a wonderful week last September in Jasper and Canmore. The year prior we sailed the Millennium r/t from Seattle to Alaska as the world was just beginning to reopen from Covid, so looking forward to your pix from your cruise!

[TraderSam]

Our tour bus took us on to Moraine Lake. Apparently, only organised tours are allowed in the small car park here now, no private cars as it has become so popular.

 

We knew the best views were from higher ground and so we climbed up the pathway to the rockpiles, off the left side of the car park. 

 

We could immediately see why they have limited the access to this place. 
Yet again, those who don't seem to able able to stop themselves from pushing the boundaries to get the best photos, are spoiling the landscape. Our tour guide had described Lake Louise as being "loved to death" but I would say that the physical impact people are having on the ground around Moraine Lake is much more evident. The numerous signs to help protect the environment by staying on the paths are mainly ignored, in the quest to get that perfect Instagram shot. The offenders are not all loud and obnoxious, although some defintiely are. Some are families, who lifted their young children over the signs to stand in precarious spots,  their tripod set up to record them from behind as they gazed out on the blue waters. Their own magic moment. 
Us rule-followers, patiently waited for our time and space to take our unobstructed photos and selfies, without causing lasting damage.

Leave no trace.⛰️ 👣

 

 

 

Just a few photos for you. Of course we have plenty more with us in them but I'll skip those if you don't mind. 😉

 

As we were at the top of the rock pile viewing area, the first rumble of thunder was heard. We made our way back down with the intention of going to the edge of the water but that was not to be. Large drops of rain were already falling so we had a mad dash back to the safety of our coach before the heavens opened fully. It was one heavy downpour!
Our driver had planned to take us home "the scenic route" (as if any drive in the Rocky Mountains could not be scenic) but we had thunder, lightning and the rain was absolutely torrential and so we were just glad we made it back to Banff without incident. Simon our tour guide had been informative and helpful all afternoon, including taking our photo as we re-enacted a shot from 16 years ago, when our older child had been trusted with the camera to take our photo. He presented us each with a little pack of maple cookies as we disembarked. We thanked him and tipped him well. 

Next up...the Rocky Mountaineer 🚂

 

[TraderSam]

@Host Anne I perhaps should have mentioned in the title that this is a live trip report. Is it possible to amend this for me please? 

[Silkroad]

5 minutes ago, TraderSam said:

@Host Anne I perhaps should have mentioned in the title that this is a live trip report. Is it possible to amend this for me please? 

Just in case @Host Anne isn’t around today, you can make your request to the moderators by clicking the three dots at the top of your post. Select “report “ and write your request in the comment section.