Beautiful Banff

Having Mom & Dad Z here was great, for so many reasons!  I appreciated that I was able to sneak away one morning to help in Ben's classroom.  He was so excited to have Mom at school.  I also got away one afternoon to help with preparations for the Penny Carnival, which will be held at the school in a few weeks.  And, I was so glad to have Mom Z come with me for Nathalie's first official haircut!  I wasn't sure what Nathalie would think about a stranger coming at her hair with scissors...given that she won't let me near it with even a bow or headband!  But, the stylist just did a few quick snips before Nathalie really knew what hit her.  The stylist offered her some ribbons and pink sparkles for her hair...ha!  I'll let you guess whether or not she said "yes" to any of that. 

On Wednesday (May 1st) afternoon, Mom & Dad Z were the ones that got to sneak away for a little shopping and exploring downtown Calgary.  For their early anniversary, we treated them to a nice "Alberta beef" dinner at a modern steakhouse called Saltlik.  They enjoyed the food, and the service was fantastic...they were even brought some complimentary champagne to celebrate their anniversary.  The following few days were pretty low-key as we prepped and packed for our trip to Banff.

Now it was Greg's turn to sneak away...from work early on Friday so we could start our caravan to Banff.  As we approached Canmore, we stopped for a few photos (after we made a mad dash to pull over at the casino, the only building in sight for miles, for a potty break for a certain 6 year old who shall remain nameless).

Arriving at Banff National Park.  Banff is Canada's oldest and most famous national park.  It was established in 1885 and is over 2,500 square miles in size.  The actual population of Banff's townsite is roughly 9,000, but almost 4 million people visit every year...woah!  And for good reason, it's simply breathtaking!

Arriving at our hotel, Hidden Ridge Resort.  Look at those views!  We were upgraded to a larger unit - 4 levels including a basement with Wii and Foosball table! 

Daddy kisses and a pretend afternoon siesta...



We settled in for a bit and then headed downtown Banff to see the sights, shop a little, and eat!  The last photo in this group is of Cascade Mountain, 9,840 feet tall - the tallest peak adjacent to the Banff townsite, and an amazing view as you stroll down Main Street.

Enjoying dinner at Banff Ave Brewing Company.

More downtown strolling and shopping after dinner.  Nathalie got a lift from one of her favorite guys.  :)

We got back to the hotel later than expected, and we had promised Ben that he could go swimming in the hot pool.  The temps had dropped a bit with the sun going down, but Daddy was a trooper and Ben was in heaven!  Nathalie preferred a warm bath and some story time with GreeMa instead.

We checked out of the hotel on Saturday morning and then drove to see the mountains and Banff hoodoos before breakfast.  Wow, what a gorgeous day!!!  Tunnel Mountain, which is 5,550 feet tall, is the smallest peak adjacent to the Banff townsite, and therefore nicknamed "The Hill".  Ha!  Still looks like a pretty incredible mountain to me!  Where's the tunnel, you ask?  Well...there isn't one.  Apparently, in 1882, as the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was laying tracks in the area, someone suggested that a half-mile tunnel be blasted through the hillside.  It was quickly determined this idea would cost the CPR millions of extra dollars and so the idea was promptly discarded (as I'm sure was the "someone" who made the suggestion).  But, the name stuck, and so say hello to Tunnel Mountain.  It is supposedly an "easy" climb, so maybe we'll have to try that when the weather gets a little warmer (and the children get a bit older).  I think this has to be my favorite spot in Banff...

The hoodoos are in the lower left corner.  To me, not as impressive as the ones in Drumheller, but considering the backdrop, these are still pretty amazing!

Apparently even Angry Birds enjoy a trip to the mountains.

After a late breakfast, we drove to the Banff Gondola for a beautiful view of Banff.  The gondola carried us 2,300 feet up to the summit of Sulphur Mountain, in about eight minutes.  Some of us enjoyed the ride more than others, but the scenery was a nice distraction.

We made it to the top!  Well worth it.

The ride back down...

Our next stop was Bow Falls.  The waterfall is the result of a dramatic change in the course of the Bow River brought about by glaciation.  (How's that for a $1000 word!)  No matter how it happened, I think this is my new favorite spot in Banff.  The mountains, the water, the trees, the waterfall...absolutely perfect.

Nathalie was way too interested in the rocks to stop and smile...

Before we headed out of town, we took the Vermilion Lakes Scenic Drive.  There are three lakes here, forming a vast wetland area and supporting a variety of mammals and over 230 species of birds.  The drive also provides a fantastic view of Mount Rundle, 9670 feet high.  Mount Rundle could actually be considered a small mountain range as the mountain extends for over 7 miles.  OK, I change my mind, maybe this is my fave spot.  :) 

We arrived home in the late afternoon and unpacked, while Mom and Dad Z then started repacking for their flight in the morning.  The weather was so beautiful, we ate our pizza outside under the pine tree. 

Up early on Sunday, May 4th to enjoy one more meal together before saying our goodbyes.  It was so sad watching them go, and yet we had a really special time that will long be remembered.  We're so grateful for GreeMa and PeePaw, and hope they liked Calgary as much as we do!  Hotel Zabikow is vacant...who's coming next??  :)