FIVE DAYS IN ALBERTA

Taking the eastern access route from Great Falls, Montana (USA, and where we left off), to the Canadian border.  There are 14 provinces in Canada.  Traveled 870+ miles through the northwest Province of Alberta for five fascinating days.   Dramatic features of the area are the Canadian Rocky Mountains, the Columbia Icefields, the rock formations of the badlands, and Drumheller, home to some of the largest dinosaur findings.

Eastern access route through the Province of Alberta:   The pace is set:  SLOW!!HIGHLIGHTS..... Friday, 5/17 thru Tuesday, 5/21/2013.  

Stopped in town of Lethbridge (63 miles from USA border) and toured Ft. Whoop-Up, the most notorious of all trading posts for whiskey commodity.  Hwy2,3&4 to Calgary where the city's western heritage is celebrated in July during the best-known and oldest event, the Calgary Stampede.   Stay at Calgary West Campground (on top of a hill overlooking Calgary!)  Enjoyed dinner of lemon/herb chicken chunks with whole wheat pasta (bet it would it be great with shrimp)  + mixed vegetables. 

Trans-Canada Highway 1 West past gorgeous snow-capped Rocky Mountains. 

Enter Banff National Park and stay at Tunnel Mountain Village Park II (very crowded due to Canada's holiday on Monday, Victoria's Day).  Convenient enough to motorcycle into village.  Dinner (while socializing with fellow RVer's): grilled hotdogs, corn on the cob, and a Klondike bar.  Actually, it's a habit that we have a Klondike bar for dessert EVERY night, so reference will be discontinued. 

Campground view of Mt. Rundle.  Formation and fossil evidence of having had beginnings in bottom of an ancient sea between 365 and 320 million years ago.

Mt. Rundle, Bow River and hoodoos... haunting pillars of glacier material.


It's a rainy, jeans/sweater morning in Banff, so how special it would be to have coffee at the famous Banff Springs Hotel.












 After 1 1/2 hours of consuming eye-opening brunch offerings, we follow Hwy1W via scenic Bow Valley Parkway to Lake Louise.  AWESOME!  

















Tim just loves to be surrounded by snow.
 "No, Tim.  A snowplow for the RV is out of the question!"

Lake Louise Trailer Campground is very woodsy and we have our 1st ! campfire.  Grizzly bears have been sighted!  Surrounded by pine trees and big Bow River.  It's chilly and still daylight at 10:00pm! 




The alternate, scenic Icefields Parkway is absolutely awesome.



  Herbert Lake.  Scenery near
 Mosquito
Creek Hostel.











Tim made friends real fast with a bus tour group from Nationalist China.  They were more interested in touring our RV and taking photos of us than gazing at the historic Crowfoot glazier that lay ahead. 

Num-ti-jah Lodge....

Upper Waterfowl Lake, highest elevation on the Icefields Parkway.

BIKES DOWN!  Wonder what it feels like driving 60+mph and suddenly the bike rack in front of you snaps?  Not a good feeling!

Glaciers at Columbia Icefield.  Tim would LOVE to drive this rig around.















Glide through town of Jasper (repair bike rack), shop, and continue onto Rt. 16 to Hinton.  Stay at Hinton/Jasper KOA, very quiet and spread out.  Dinner-- turkey burgers, carrots with hoison sauce, shredded potatoes w/ onions, garlic & butter.  Great trails for jogging the next morning. 

Awesome wildlife in their natural habitat.

Sunny day, last minute groceries.  Take scenic Bighorn Highway through Grande Prairie and Hwy43 to DAWSON'S CREEK!  Arrive at Northern Lights RV Campground.  Ignoring the fact it's rainy and 36 degrees, Tim prepares grilled ribeye, baked potatoes and beets. Wonderful! 

The "end" until beginning of the Alaska Highway.