When traveling through Southern Alberta, the mountains also
call with their majestic peaks, snow caps and trees. Tempted, off we went and
wended our way to Kananaskis Country. Being in the National Parks can get very
expensive, so by staying in Kananaskis Country, you have access to hiking,
wildlife, meadows and waterfalls. The scenery is lovely and better yet, it is
the road less traveled.
Staying in the village, it was interesting to see the impact
of the 2013 flooding. The golf course is still recovering and you can see how
the river has changed course. The sun shines down on the village and the bears
are plentiful in their sightings. We saw ours on the drive into the park.
The other nice thing about Kananaskis is that you are still
within striking distance of Banff National Park and Canmore. On the first day,
we drove the parkway to Johnston Canyon and the Ink Pots. This is about a 5 hour
trek round trip for inexperienced hikers. It is fabulous as it follows the
course of the river and it has magnificent waterfalls. There is enough spray to
cool you on a hot day. For the more adventurous, you can proceed further to the
Ink Pots. It is a steady uphill all the way, but so long as you have enough
water with you, the pots are very worth the walk. We spent time on the benches
to rest before heading back down. Watching the springs bubble and move the sand
does really look like ink floating in the water.
From here, it isn’t much further to Lake Louise. This was an
evening stop for us, and while thinking about supper, we didn’t venture to stay
long when the menu had hamburgers for $26. That seemed a bit crazy. Lake Lousie
is worth seeing and walking about. There is even hiking and boating but for the
price? Back to Banff for supper.
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| Grizzly Bear |
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| Mountain Sheep |
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| Johnston Canyon |
My favorite place to eat is the St. James Pub. It was lovely
and just as friendly as I remember. I love the soup and stew in the bread bowl
so would totally recommend it. From there, it is a short trek up the hill to
the hot springs but since it was late, we drove back to the hotel instead.
