7/27/25-8/1/25. THE AMAZING: Banff National Park, Lake Louise, Columbia Icefields, Jasper National Park

Traversing our wide country in an interesting manner was our intinerary before ...

Now we’re on the National Park Circuit! YAHOO ...

We stayed in Banff National Park for 5 days! Wowie Zowie, Amazing, Incredible!

Our hotel is right behind A & W, on the right (our favorite restaurant!).

Banff town is at 4600 elevation, the Columbia Icefields in Jasper National Park is at 7200 elevation.  Between here and there (2.5 hours) is God’s amazing Splendid and Wild Kingdom. Humungous mountains, roaring waterfalls, gorgeous aqua blue glacier lakes and hikes galore! 

In town, you get to a crosswalk, push the button and everyone IMMEDIATELY stops.  It is called pedestrian first … always!  Wow!   They also close Rte A1, the Bow Valley Parkway (incredibly beautiful) to drivers, for 2 months in the summer to give the bikers full access, although there is always a bike lane. 

The incredibles are everywhere.  I’ve been here before but not as a full-fledged Christian.  What a world of difference!

Johnstone Canyon’s hike had a miles long catwalk through the canyon (which Chelsea beautifully negotiated with visitors going in both directions). 

which brought us to this amazing 3 spire waterfall.  So forceful. 

Lake Louise is always the most captivating experience on this earth.  Here’s a photo of me in 2008 and now 15 years and 2 dogs later! 

And, of course, the amazing Fairmont Lake Louise is so lovely as she oversees Lake Louise.

Columbia Icefields is really something to experience, 2.5 hours north of Banff in Jasper National Park. 

We took the Ice Explorer into the Icefields ...

and walked on one of the six glaciers and then traversed this skywalk far above it all. 

This was quite the remarkable experience. 

Chelsea has been amazing. She is able to go everywhere as she has Service Dog credentials and everyone love love loves her.  The most loving smile breaks across every face as they see her and in the many many different languages they say something lovely. 

As for animals, so far a mama deer and her fawns and a bear. We will visit with many more animals as we head south into Glacier, Yellowstone, Tetons.

The cub slowly sauntered right in front of our car as we were driving out of downtown Banff. We didn't think to get a pix until he had crossed the road.

Canada is far far more organic and environmentally friendly than the US. All bags and utensils are paper or wood. All meat is organic.  

This is hard to believe, but A & W (above) was our food source much of the time. In the sleepy-eyed am you drift in, order coffee, eggs over easy, bacon, English Muffin and in 2 minutes you have a beautiful hot breakfast prepared just for you. Dinner is the same.  Everything is organic and so delicious.  Very very impressed. Our gorgeoso hotel was across the street. We often preferred A&W.

And here's our gorgeoso hotel.

The cars are smaller in Canada and so are parking spots.  They have similar brand and style cars but are a smaller version than in the US, including Porche, BMW, etc.  So interesting.  And the people are very benevolent, although we have met world-wide folks mostly from China and India.

We’re in Waterton Lakes National Park now, about 4 hours south of Banff NP … then to Glacier (for 11 days and 10 mile hikes to glacier lakes), Yellowstone, Tetons (for 5 days), then fly home from Jackson.  Thank you Jesus for the Trip of a lifetime with YOU all the way. 

Oh ... and by the way ... we have a lot of this on our amazing trip ...