Lake Louise and Lake Moraine

 Sorry that things have been coming out slow. The days have been full and I have been wanting to relax a bit at the end of the day.

On Saturday morning we had some free time and walked to the Cascade of Time Garden in Banff. It is around the Banff Park administrative building. It is a pretty garden where they have planted flowers that progressively bloom through the summer season. It feels very much like the prototypical English Garden.

(Not my photo)

Our favorite flower there were the Poppies. Couldn’t resist a picture.. We may plant some at home for next summer…

After  exploring the Banff area we joined a tour group and went up to Lake Louise and Lake Moraine. The trip is about a 40 minute drive north from the town of Banff. Lake Louise is a beautiful place…but… it is as crowded as any place I have been in a park. There were literally thousands of people at the lake. The other issue we faced was the skies clouded over on our way to the lakes. 

Okay with that preamble I would say that this place is very beautiful which is why I suspect it is so popular as a destination.

The overcast skies really do not do justice to the lake. There is a trail that follows along the north side of the lake. We walked a far ways towards the end of the lake… Unfortunately we had to turn around due to catching our tour bus. Notably the crowds thin out the further you walk. A popular activity on the lake is to paddle in large canoes that hold 8 people. The lake is fed from a glacier that is visible at the end of the lake valley. At Lake Louise is another Canadian Pacific Railroad Hotel… the Chateau Lake Louise. It was originally built around 1900 but has been added to and enlarged over time. The views look great.

After our time at lake Louise we hopped back on our bus and rode                     to Lake Moraine. This lake is also glacier fed and has this intense blue color. (When sunny) Unfortunately it started raining when we got there. 

With clear skies…(not my picture)

We talked later to some people that stayed at Banff Springs, Lake Louise, and Jasper hotels. They felt the Banff Springs was the nicest of the Hotels. The Jasper Lodge was their favorite for beauty with no crowds. The lake in Jasper is similar to Lake Moraine but without the people. 

We met our fellow travelers today for the cruise and will get to know them better over the next few days.

Tomorrow we start our Journey to Vancouver..

Dale and Ila