Retired Nomads - Part 2 : Banff, Canada - Lake Minnewanka cruise, Gondola & Evening Wildlife Tour

July 6

Banff is a resort town in the province of Alberta, located within Banff National Park. The peaks of Mt. Rundle and Mt. Cascade, part of the Rocky Mountains, dominate its skyline. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with the charm of a small mountain community surrounded by high mountain peaks. (Though it was over-run with tourists)

Greg had picked up some pastries for breakfast. It was nice to have a later start after our last few days. We didn’t have to wait for our transfer to the lake until 9:00.

elk + avenue hotel

restaurant at the elk + avenue

photos of the flowers while we waited for our ride

We were dropped off and the driver said he’d return to pick us up after the cruise.

The Lake Minnewanka Cruise was a one-hour interpretive cruise. (in hindsight it was skippable since we had seen the mountains for days now and virtually no wildlife to be seen there and they said there normally isn’t any) There were many hiking trails there that probably would have been more our thing.

Barn Swallow

Common Loon

people picknicking along the bank

It was a beautiful and peaceful cruise, and the stories of the Lake were very interesting. It’s a 13-mile-long lake and is 466 ft deep. It is also home to an underwater ghost town that was fully submerged after a dam built in 1941 raised the lake 30 meters. Calgary Power Company told the residents they had to move out to house the builders of the dam and in protest they burned their town down. A few sites are still down there and a big draw for around 8,000 scuba divers per year. BURR!

While we were waiting for the driver to pick us up, we saw quite a few birds in the trees that were very hard to see or photograph. They turned out to be Ruby-crowned Kinglets. (no good photos) and some American Robins. Also, 2 Bighorn Sheep decided to cross the road. They look shaggy since they are shedding their coats and growing new ones. One left quickly, but one stayed in the road for a long time, drinking water from a pothole.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

American Robin

We had time to grab a quick lunch at the Whitebark Café at the hotel before going to the gondola. (soup/sandwich and desert)

Then we were picked up for the Banff Gondola. We were early and they said we could go on up. We rode the gondola to the summit of Sulphur Mountain where we had a view of six incredible mountain ranges.

Greg on gondola

views from the gondola

We watched a film on Canada and then we took the ridge-top boardwalk to the top.

yes, we walked the boardwalk to the top

at the top

a face mask in a tree - a sign of the times....

mirrored bear

Canada Jay adult

Canada Jay - juvenile

We had a cold drink, and it was time to go back down.

Cascades of Time Gardens (back in town)

We had time to grab dinner before our 7:15 pickup for the evening wildlife tour.

downtown Banff

We ate at Block where we split a Flatbread with Valbella Smoked Bison with pumpkin seed pesto, onion compote, goat cheese, arugula, and Duck Spring Rolls with Nam Jim sauce. Both were quite good. We stopped at COWS for ice cream which was very good. (they are a chain across Canada so we hope to eat in more of them.

Block Restaurant for dinner

we ate on the patio

Duck spring rolls with Nam Jim sauce

Flatbread with Valbella smoked bison with pumpkin seed pesto, onion compote, goat cheese, arugula

Cows for ice cream - worth the long wait!

downtown Banff

walking back to our hotel - passing the Visitor's Center

The Presbyterian Church in Canada

elk + avenue hotel

bear carving across the street

On the wildlife tour we saw Mule Deer, a Black Bear and quite a few Elk. Not great photo opportunities, but it was a scenic tour at twilight. It was a small van tour that picked up a few people at other hotels.