Lake Louise

Jason's host family graciously put me up for a night. We got to see a bit of Calgary which is a real boom town due to the oil industry. Who knew? We left the Albertan metropolis late the next morning heading due west. We stopped first in the little town of Canmore, a former mining town now thriving on tourism. The setting of the town is very impressive with snow capped mountains rising in every direction. It reminded me a bit of towns in the South Tyrol, only without the European charm. Our plan was to stop in Banff, just about 20 km down the road. The deeper we got into the mountains the more magnificent the scenery became. Because of all our ooh-ing and ah-ing we somehow missed the turnoff into the town. As we didn't notice for about 25 km we decided to continue on to Lake Louise (we will take care of Banff later). Lake Louise is one of the most famous natural spots in the world. The setting of the lake is stunning, a turquoise gem nestled in majestic moutains. Our jaws dropped when we turned a corner and saw the lake for the first time. There was still plenty of snow in the higher elevations; the flora here is just beginning to show signs of spring. On one end there is the famed Fairmont Chateau, a luxurious inn. We may splurge and have high tea or dinner there tomorrow. Otherwise, the joint is out of our price range. The rain had stopped (lucky for us) so we decided to embark on a walk along the lakeside trail. With the changing light, the intense colors of the water, the amazing geological formations, we were awed for two an a half hours. This place is truly special.