Goodbye Already?



Tuesday was a day to relax and get Grandma all packed up to leave for home in the morning.  I couldn't believe how quickly the two weeks had gone by...I wasn't ready to see her go.  We did a little celebrating that night with Crave cupcakes and champagne...Dad & Sherry's 6th anniversary and Grandma's 88th birthday!  Cheers to family and fun times together!

 

We were up and at the airport before 6 a.m. on Wednesday, July 17th to send Grandma home.  Sniff, sniff.  It was hard to see her go, but I think she had a great time, and we are so thrilled she came.  Greg arrived home from his trip to Moscow that night, and it was back to work for him the next day.  Dad and Sherry spent a day exploring downtown Calgary, and we also visited the farmer's market for some fish, peaches, tomatoes, and more.  Yum! 

 

Dad and Sherry were kind enough to watch the kiddos for us on Friday night so we could enjoy a date night.  We tried a new restaurant called Xocolat; they call themselves posh Mexican cuisine.  Wow!  The night started with free champagne, chips and guac, margaritas, outstanding meals, and a heavenly dessert.  Not to mention our waiter was fantastic!  And, chocolates with our bill.  How could you not love this place?  :)  Thanks Maw Maw and Paw Paw for letting us have some "grown-up" time together.

  

On Saturday, we decided to check out Butterfield Acres, a working farm and petting zoo.  Right away, we got to pet the little goats that were wandering around.  So cute!



 

We found the bunnies all snug in their little home, but they were still happy to have a pet here and there.  We found the piglets, and Ben was laughing as they tickled his legs with their snouts.  Then we realized they were eating his shoelaces, so it was time to move along.  :)  Check out the size of this pot-belly pig, oh my!

We saw the horses, and the kids enjoyed their pony rides!  I think Nathalie was giggling from the moment she hopped on. 

Enjoyed lunch in the hot sun, and then it was time to go.  We said goodbye to Mr. Peacock, who was kind enough to open his feathers for us as we left.  Amazing.

On the car ride home, I snapped this picture of Canada Olympic Park.  Looks quite a bit different without all the snow!!



 

 

On Sunday morning, Dad and Sherry were up and out early to get started on their drive back to Illinois.  The time with everyone really had gone by too fast, and it's hard watching everyone come and go, knowing it will be a while before we see each other again.  :(  Thank goodness for Skype!  Thanks again for visiting, Dad & Sherry, we miss you already!

 



Back in Banff

Up early on Sunday morning (Happy 6th Anniversary Dad & Sherry!) for our road trip to Banff!  First things first, we went to the Banff Gondola.  I'm not sure how genuine Sherry's smile is below...she wasn't too sure about the ride, but we kept reassuring her the view at the top was well worth it!

Wow, still amazing!  It was fantastic to see the mountains in summer time...still a bit of snow, but nowhere near the amount we saw when we were here in early May. 

 

We strolled along the SummitWalk for a ways, and then before I knew it, Ben and I were going all the way to the "other side" - the Cosmic Ray Station National Historic Site of Canada and the historic Sanson's Peak Meteorological Station.  It is a relatively easy 1 kilometer walk, but lots of steps!  As with most things in Banff, it was worth the extra effort!  Beautiful scenery and wildlife along the way.  I was so impressed with my little hiker, we made it!  Although, I did find myself giving a piggyback ride on the way back... 

 

From the gondola, we headed back into downtown Banff for some lunch.  Then, it was off to see more sights at Bow Falls.  Again, this looked completely different than it did just a few months ago.  Lots more water coming over the falls.  In early May, the riverbed rocks were showing...not now!  It was full of water and flowing right along. 

We were ready for some R&R, so we decided to call it a day and head to the hotel.  Dad and Sherry did end up running back into town to pick up some Chinese take-out for dinner, and I took the kids swimming in the warm pool.  The temperature outside was a bit cool, but the pool really did feel nice.  Even made some friends to play "what time is it Mr. Shark?" with.  :)

On Monday morning, we started the day at Cave and Basin National Historic Site of Canada, where Canada's National Parks system began back in 1885.  In 1883, during construction of Canada's transcontinental railway, three Canadian Pacific Railway workers discovered an underground cave containing a hot spring at the foot of Sulphur Mountain.  They were not the first to discover the site, but they were the first to recognize its commercial potential and staked their claim.  Visitors were allowed access to the cave and pools were added for swimming.  The pools have been closed since 1993, but there is still the chance to see the cave and original vent hole and to smell the sulphurous "aroma" of the waters. 

Here we go, into the cave!  Once you get to the basin, you have to be careful not to touch anything, as it is home to the unique Banff springs snail, found nowhere else in the world.  Ben and I looked really hard for the snails, but given that they are the size of an unpopped kernel of corn, I wasn't too surprised that we didn't see any. 

From the Cave, we drove to Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The hotel was built as one of Canada's grand railway hotels and opened to the public in June 1888.  It has a 'castle' theme to it and is very near to Bow Falls with beautiful views of the mountains.  We wandered around the grounds and shops for a while, and I even came home with a piece of art.  Hope Greg likes it!  :)

We had two full and fantastic days in Banff, and now it was time to get back to Calgary.  I think Grandma, Dad, and Sherry give Banff six big thumbs up!