The Spectacular Canadian Rockies and Calgary

There are many kinds of visual beauty in the natural world.  The pastoral beauty of verdant farmlands, the serene beauty of flowered meadows and lakes, the relaxing beauty of the Oregon coast, or the mellow beauty of wine country.  And then there is the category of spectacular beauty.  Banff and Jasper national parks knock that category out of the park.

At the Crow's Foot Glacier, Jasper NP Canada

We spent three nights in rustic campgrounds in Banff and two at Sunwapta Pass in Jasper National Park.  The beauty was simply jaw dropping, making it hard to drive, especially pulling our trailer.  But riding bikes for a day gave us expansive vistas, and a great workout, especially at this higher altitude.

Kathy heading into an 8% downhill
grade outside Banff

This year, they didn’t get much snow, so our views were more like you would see in late July or in August.  Global warming is evident everywhere with receding glaciers and massive pine beetle infestations.  That said, our drive through the Columbia ice fields was probably the most beautiful drive of our lives.  Our only complaint is the shortage of pullover places to stop for a photo or to just gawk at the majesty.

The Ice Dome Glacier from the
Columbia Ice field Center

The Snow Dome, just three miles from our campground is a massive glacier, and the birthplace of three rivers, including the mighty Columbia.  The other two flow to the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans.  The glacier is receding about 15 feet per year.  Go while you can, and many tourists from all over the world are doing just that.   

Near Medicine Lake, NE from Jasper

An interesting fact:  The towns of Banff and Jasper are owned by the Parks Canada.  Thus, there are no lavish mansions, B&B’s and second homes like you would see in Aspen, Telluride, or Jackson Hole.   You have to document a purpose for living there, such as teaching in the local school, working in the park, or in the hospitality industry.  Thus, rents are reasonable, and retirees generally don’t live there.

For more photos that don’t do this spectacular beauty justice, check out THIS LINK.

Calgary

Calgary was quite a pleasant surprise.  We spent two nights in Calgary, a huge city of 1.5 million and massive skyscrapers and famous for its annual Calgary Stampede rodeo.  It’s a young city, first settled in 1884 and incorporated in 1894.  It is clean, vibrant, hip, and diverse. We drove three miles from our campground to a park and ride, then rode the train into town. 

We toured Studio Bell, Canada’s answer to Cleveland’s Rock and Roll museum.  Much of the focus was on Canadian musicians, many of whom have had a huge presence on the American music scene.  It also focused on the science of music and how instruments work.  But it can’t hold a candle to Cleveland’s R&R museum.  The best thing about it was the building itself, truly an architectural work of art.

Studio Bell

Today we enjoyed a long walking tour of downtown Calgary.  This place just oozes art, architecture, and energy.  And speaking of energy, that’s what this town is built upon—oil, gas, and more.   We loved the library, an architecture creation of beauty and function.

Entrance level to the library

Inside the Wonderland
Head Sculpture

The Wonderland
Head Sculpture

You can see a few more photos of Calgary at THIS LINK.

Tomorrow, after a brief visit to a dinosaur dig north of here, we start our 2400 mile drive across the prairies to Quebec.  If time permits, we might make it to Nova Scotia.  But our goal is to be in NW Massachusetts by July 3 to spend the long 4^th of July weekend with Skyler, Spencer, and Feruza in the Berkshires, and to attend the Tanglewood Music Festival.  You can follow us in more real time on Facebook and Instagram (@KelemenRon). 

"WHAT WE CAN, WHILE WE CAN!"