Day 5 - Calgary to Lake Louise

(Smaller photos now in anticipation of limited internet connectivity)

We were on the road from Calgary before 9 - remarkable for us - heading west on Highway 1, the Trans Canada Highway, travelling steadily towards the mountains.

We even went fast enough for the view to become a blur at times!

We stopped a few times to take the view - this pretty lake (Lac des Arcs) being one example (careful angle here - there's a cement works on the opposite side of the lake).

We turned off into Banff and went straight through the town to Bow Falls, where we were all in action with our cameras.

Rosie and Bridget imitated the bus loads of tourists who stopped while we were there.

The river tumbles down

From the falls we headed to the Cave and Basin - the original hot springs of Banff - where you can no longer take the waters but you can smell them, and walk though the old establishment. The main bathing pool has been converted into a reflecting pool.

The basin is protected because it is the habitat of the rare Banff Springs Snail

Sulphurous fumes continually bubble up through the water.

On the way out we saw a number of squirrels.

We then headed back into town to pick up some supplies - Rosie just had to have her picture taken on Moose Street.

We lunched on the road up towards Mount Norquay, with views over Banff.

After lunch we headed north up the Bow Valley Parkway (the old road) rather than the busy Highway 1. Despite all the warning signs, we didn't see any wildlife, but we got good views of Castle Mountain

and the mountains of the continental divide to the west

This brought us to Lake Louise village, which we drove straight through to reach the lake itself. It was heaving with tourists, but you could see the attraction.

Back then to the village to find our accommodation at Lake Louise Inn. Checked in, we had a cup of tea on the deck, watching ground squirrels

We then ate in the Gazebo, an octagonal construction with a fire pit in the middle. We enjoyed a relaxed western-style buffet

After supper we walked into the village and saw the mountains in the setting sun

before heading back into the sunset, ready for bed.