Yoho National Park – Natural Bridge

Posted on September 23, 2024 by JimG

September 23rd, 2024

Our last stop of the day was the natural bridge which is just down the street from Emerald Lake.  It was a short and easy stop that was close to the parking lot.   At one point, I was waiting for a few people taking selfies, to get off the bridge.  When they left, I said to Sophon, “Finally!”, the people next to me heard the comment and added that they had been waiting twenty minutes and were annoyed.   I get it, we want pictures without any other tourists in them.

We headed back to Banff and a place to have dinner.  Banff is pretty town!  Earlier in the day, I had noticed an Irish Pub called St. James Gate. We both love pub food so we decided to give it a try.  We ordered everything family style and shared a fish and chips along with a bangers and mash.   What really stood out was the Guinness Dubliner Cheese appetizer that was served hot with rye bread.   I made it a point to take a picture of the menu and went searching for recipes when I got back to the hotel room.

Overall, a wonderful day, we really enjoyed everything that we saw and did.

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Yoho National Park – Emerald Lake

Posted on September 23, 2024 by JimG

September 23rd, 2024

After hiking to the falls we stopped at Emerald Lake.   There isn’t any doubt as to why the lake is called Emerald Lake.  The lake’s color comes from the melting glaciers. When we visited a glacier field earlier in the year, the guide explained how glaciers move and as they do, the create a fine rock flour and as glaciers melt, it gives rivers and lakes an emerald color.

We hiked up the hill where the lodge was and then we hiked back down and around to the other side of the lake. This was an impressive place to see.  As with other places, I noted that there were a lot of people who were obsessed with taking their selfies and pictures for the Instagram.  I found myself wondering do they ever take a minute and appreciate what they are looking at.   I finally gave in a snapped a selfie before we headed

 

 

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Yoho National Park – Wapto Falls

Posted on September 23, 2024 by JimG

September 23, 2024

Overall, the hotel has been a disappointment and expected more from a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel. I went to order two medium coffees and was told that they ran out of medium cups and had to order a large or a small.  I was told that they were out of conditioner for your hair, the housekeepers stopped putting washcloths in the room after the first day. The night before, we stopped at the firepit to get a S’more, the ingredients had all been set out but there wasn’t a fire.

We decided to stop in Banff for breakfast.  The first restaurant we saw had a great menu posted at the door, we gave it a try and really loved it.  I had the Grilled Cheese Benedict and this made my morning!

After breakfast we headed to Yoho National Park.  Lake Louise and Lake Moraine always show up when you are looking at tours – they also tend to be more crowded.  I would argue, that Lake Johnson and what I saw in the Yoho National park was almost as good but without the crowds.

Our first stop was Wapto falls.  Unfortunately, google maps took us to a spot where we could view the falls from a distance.  I did some more searching and found where we needed to turn off the freeway if we wanted to hike to the falls.  It was a pretty hike which took close to two hours round trip.  Although we could have gotten closer to the falls, it involved steep hills, so I opted to the not so close views.

 

 

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Lake Johnson

Posted on September 22, 2024 by JimG

Lake Johnson

September 22, 2024

In the morning, we checked out a few of the lakes in the Kananaskis national park.  Although the park is pretty, it wasn’t anything like we had seen in Banff. A friend and ex-coworker of mine (Sheryl) showed me a beautiful picture of Lake Johnson, I had to go back and see the lake when it wasn’t raining.   We stopped for lunch in Canmore and I was really surprised at how good the shawarma and biryani was due to Canmore being a mountain resort town.

We got to Lake Johnson.  Although my picture is not nearly as good as Sheryl’s, I am glad that we went back.   We hiked all the way around the lake.   It was a pretty nice hike with great views from the the other sides.

 

 

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Takakkaw Falls

Posted on September 21, 2024 by JimG

September 21, 2024

We left Lake Louise and headed to Yoho National park which is close to Banff. The Takkakaw falls are one of the highest falls in Canada.   It was a nice hike to the falls and it wasn’t until we got close that I realized just how high these waterfalls are.  You might be able to see in some of the pictures, how small the people look in comparison to the falls and boulders.

I was surprised to see a few people trying to climb up the falls. I wondered how many times people slipped and injured themselves.

We stopped at the Truffle Pig for a late lunch, the bus driver on the Park N Shuttle drive to Lake Louise recommended it.   I am not sure how many other places that were in town.  It was good and  I was hungry!

 

 

 

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Lake Louise

Posted on September 21, 2024 by JimG

September 21, 2024

Back in May, we stayed at the Fairmount that sits on Lake Louise.  I wanted to go back to see the lake when it wasn’t frozen.  i knew that Lake Louise was a popular stop.  When we were staying at the hotel, I noticed the waves of tourists coming in on the buses.   As we headed to Lake Louise, I started seeing signs along the freeway that said lake parking was limited and to use Park N Ride.   When we exited, we followed the signs to the Park N Ride lots where we learned that we had three options, one of the options was sold out. I was beginning to think that we weren’t going to be able to see it that day when I found shuttle tickets from another company.

At one point, I sat down and admired the view.  I couldn’t help but notice how people were obsessed with getting their selfies and pictures.  It used to be, you took your picture and then you let someone get in there to take their pictures, now people take picture after picture with different poses.  As I watched the circus, I wondered how many people actually stop and take in the view.

 

 

 

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Banff

Posted on September 20, 2024 by JimG

September 20, 2024

When planned this trip, I wanted to book a tour in Banff. Unfortunately, there weren’t any tours that would pick us up in Kananaskis.  While looking at things to do in the area, I noticed an advertisement for a tour app.   I had my doubts but the night before, I decided to check it out.  I downloaded the app and paid $5.95 for the Banff tour.

I went in with low expectations, would it know if I took a wrong turn, could we leave the tour and come back to it?   Would the tour be in synch with my actual location or would the guide be describing something that I hadn’t seen yet?  Overall, I was very pleased with the Guide Along tour from https://guidealong.com/tour/banff-townsite-tour/.   Once we got to the designated area, it started giving us turn by turn instructions on where to go, where to park and what we were seeing.

Without stops, the tour was about 3 and 1/2 hours without stops, with stops, it took the better part of the day.  Needless to say, I was please with the app and the tour.  As we were going to through the various stops, I thought about how an organized tour has a set schedule, we were able to spend the amount of time that we wanted to spend at each stop.

Banff is a place that everyone should visit.  It has beautiful lakes and amazing wildlife. We stopped in town and got breakfast.  We noticed that most of the gift shops were selling Banff coffee mugs along with Thai Lodi pants.   I noticed that the Banff Mug was identical to the mug we bought in Catalina Island except that it said Catalina Island instead of Banff.  Thai Lodi pants are sold in touristy areas of Thailand for a few dollars – they thin and light, what you want to wear when you are visiting the tropics, but Canada?   It wasn’t just one store, we noticed Thai Lodi pants and most of the gift shops and all I could think

After breakfast, we headed out to start our tour.   It started to rain (and sleet) so we decided to go back and repeat the tour when the weather was a little better.   There was a very special moment where we drove out along the golf course.  We were on a one way single lane road when we spotted a huge elk.  He hid in the tress and we backed the car up and then turned it off, sure enough, he emerged and then crossed the road in front of us.  His antlers from one side to the other must have been 6 feet.  It was amazing to see.

On our tour, we learned that “River of No Return” was filmed there.  Marylin Monroe insisted on doing her own stunts and ended up breaking her leg as she went over Wapta falls.

 

A Hoodoo
Downtown Banff
Wapta Falls
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Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge

Posted on September 19, 2024 by JimG

September 19, 2024

We checked into the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge.   I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed in the hotel.   It is part of Marriott’s Autograph collection and when I booked the hotel, there was no mention of construction or renovations.  A few days before we left, I got an email that mentioned that they were renovating the hotel along with replacing the roof.

Overall, I was a bit disappointed.  The room itself was nice but I expected more out of an Autograph Collection hotel, the towels had frayed edges, after the first day, we didn’t have wash clothes and when I asked about conditioner, I was told that the hotel was waiting on their shipment.  It is a pet friendly hotel and I had to call the desk about dog that was constantly barking.

When I booked the hotel, I saw that the lodge was located in Kananaskis Village.   The hotel is village the only restaurants and businesses that aren’t part of the hotel are 20 minutes away in Canmore and I found myself spending more time in Banff and Lake Louise which was more than an hour away.

 

 

 

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Calgary – a quick stop

Posted on September 19, 2024 by JimG

September 18 & 19, 2024

Flight UA 1132 from LAX to YCC (Calgary)

Earlier in the year, we did a Rocky Mountaineer trip. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip but it was too short, we didn’t get to spend a lot of time at any one stop.  After seeing the area, I wanted to spend more time exploring the area; I wanted to see Lake Louise when it wasn’t frozen and I wanted to see Banff and the surrounding areas.  I booked an evening flight to Calgary where I would spend the night and would drive to Kananaskis the following day where we would spend the week.

The flight from Los Angeles was a just under three hours, it wasn’t a full flight and we got upgraded to first class.  I loved the extra room and although it sounds real nice, it was an older plane with the small DirecTV screen and ashtrays that were screwed shut.  Don’t get me wrong, I was glad that I got upgraded but I was wishing the plane had been updated.

We arrived Calgary and spent the night at the airport Marriot Courtyard before heading to Kananaskis.  I was looking for a place to eat when I came across Cluck n Cleaver which served fried and rotisserie chicken.   When I puled up the website I immediately recognized Nicole Gomes.  She was on Top Chef World All-Stars and had won Top Chef Canada. Sophon loves fried chicken, I knew he would want to check this restaurant out.

We went and we both loved it. Sophon thought it was the fried chicken he has had.  I was a bit surprised with Nicole’s culinary background that the restaurant wasn’t a bit more upscale but I reminded myself that the contestants on Top Chef don’t always have fine dinning establishments and we both enjoyed our lunch!

As we drove out of Calgary, I found myself thinking that I should come back and spend some time in Calgary.  It is a pretty city and it is much bigger than I thought it was.   When I looked it up, it said that the population was 1.3 million.  As we drove out of Calgary we saw the Olympic ski jumps.   Later, I looked up the year that Calgary hosted the Olympics and felt old. It was 1988 and I remember watching those Olympics!

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Catalina Island

Posted on June 28, 2024 by JimG

The Casino

June 28, 2024

We woke up early and we walked to the iconic Avalon Casino building.  Although the building is called the casino, we were told that there isn’t a casino in it and never has been.  The word “casino” means gathering place.  Unfortunately, the building wasn’t open when we got there.  I found a schedule but it mentioned that opening times depended on cruise ship arrivals.

We walked around the outside of the building and I couldn’t help but notice how quiet everything was with the exception of a few small groups of scuba divers who were suiting up. As much as I would have loved to go into the building, I was enjoying the quiet morning.   The Catalina Express would be bringing in visitors, I was glad that there weren’t any cruise ships.

After our walk, we went back to the hotel, packed everything up, checked out and had them store our luggage while we got lunch.   After lunch, we headed to the pier where we hung out waiting for boat back to Long Beach.

I was surprised at the amount of wildlife, I could see plenty of fish, I spotted a sea lion along with Cormorants.   It was a nice ride back to Long Beach.

Overall, a fun weekend. Continue reading →

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