Sunshine Meadows

We drove to Banff to enjoy Sunshine Meadows on Saturday, August 9th.  Essentially, Sunshine Meadows is Sunshine Village Ski Resort - but with wildflowers instead of snow.  :)  Situated at an average elevation of 7,300 feet, the meadows straddle the Continental Divide and the boundary between Alberta and British Columbia.  The meadows promise beautiful views of the Rockies, wildflowers, and wildlife, and our trip did not disappoint!  We arrived at Sunshine Meadows and hopped on the shuttle bus that takes you about 5 km up the road to the base of the hiking trails.  We started walking...and walking...and walking...

Wow, the first bit of the hike is pretty much straight uphill, so our littlest hiker was moving a little slow, but we made it, thanks to Daddy's Carrying Service!  Look at Ben, our proud climber!

Crossing into British Columbia...and Nathalie needs a nap.  :)

After about 60 minutes of hiking, we made it to Rock Isle Lake.  Amazing views! 

Time for a rest break and a snack.  Even though he's not supposed to, it looks like this fat ground squirrel gets plenty of snacks.  He came so close to Ben, practically begging for a bite of zucchini bread. 

And now, time to wander back down.  A much easier time walking downhill than up.  Whew!



Even the drive home was gorgeous...mountains, mountains, and more mountains.  Although, I'm not sure the kids quite appreciated the views.  Hiking is exhausting!

The next day, after church, we drove to a community near our home called Marda Loop for their annual Marda Gras Festival.  Inspired by Mardi Gras, there is music, food, and family activities...all rated PG.  It was a hot day, and the kids loved making masks, bouncing, hopping, and putting.  We also put some bookshop gift cards to use...what a cute little shop!  Lastly, we enjoyed some cinnamon-sugar donuts before saying "au revoir"!

May the Force Be With You

August 8th was a big day in our house...the kids saw Star Wars for the first time!  Ben has been reading Star Wars books for at least a year, so we figured it was about time to watch the movie together.  It was funny because he knew all the characters and storyline already, so he would tell us what part was coming next.  He really loved it!  Nathalie just kept asking where Princess Leia was.  :)  To celebrate the occasion, I made Ice Sabers for us to enjoy.  A fun move night, for sure!

Heritage Day Weekend

The first weekend of August is Heritage Day long weekend.  On Sunday, after church, we drove to Prince's Island Park for a picnic and some splash time.  It was awesome!  The kids loved playing in the water, and I love that we were taking advantage of one of the prettiest spots in the city.  After splash time, we enjoyed some ice cream and watched the street performers juggle and do tricks.  A fantastic day!

On Monday, Heritage Day, we decided that morning that we would hop in the car and drive a few hours south to Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, a UNESCO world heritage site.  We drove past fields of canola flowers and through small towns with their unique charm. 

We made it to Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump around 11 a.m. and enjoyed a quick little picnic before heading into the museum.  On their website, the Jump is described as follows:

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is an archaeological site known around the world as a remarkable testimony of the life of the Plains People through the millennia. The Jump bears witness to a method of hunting practiced by native people of the North American plains for nearly 6,000 years.  Due to their excellent understanding of the regional topography and bison behaviour, native people hunted bison by stampeding them over a precipice. They then carved up the carcasses and dragged the pieces to be butchered and processed in the butchering camp set up on the flats beyond the cliffs.

While it sounds brutal, the museum did a great job of presenting the Jump as a spiritual kind of practice for the Natives...the buffalo honored the people with their death and the people honored the buffalo by using all parts of the animal for life and survival.  It was really interesting and a great way to learn more about Alberta and its past.

 

After touring the museum, we ventured outside to see the Jump site. 

 

We're glad we made the trip, what a great learning experience.  And, after all the seriousness of the Jump, we got some laughs on the way home...this barn was smiling at us!  :)  Hee hee!