The Two Lakes at the Hotel

Looking closely at this picture reveals two different things. The first is a small boat we used to cross the lake, the second is the remaining glimpse of a glacier on the mountain. Our journey this morning took us to the other side of one lake, and after a short walk, another ride in a different lake.

The Many Glacier Lodge Park was once home to 125 different glaciers. Our climate is changing and there are only 25 now. Here's the first boat on the first lake:

As we walked a short distance to the other lake, we saw this "sign" of grizzly activity on a tree along the path. It's always wise to make yourself known by carrying a little "bell" as you walk around here. This grizzly reached high to scratch is claws on this tree to show other bears that "this was his territory".

I'm still not sure how this "other boat" reached this lake which was on the other side of our current one. There was something mentioned about a frozen creek and transporting it in the winter season but I'm still confused about as to how it ended up here.

When the winter season is at it's worse here, everyone leaves with the exception of a few maintenance people. Snow drifts can be 50 ft tall and it's quite an effort to keep it off the roof of the hotel.

Rumor has it that animals had once fallen through the "skylight" on the roof  as they walked across the top in the snow. There are several stuffed "mountain goats" in the hotel lobby.

Beautiful Scenery

There's a small lake at the Many Glacier Hotel and we decided to walk around it just before sunset. The next morning we would catch a small boat, and ride to the other side. A short walk from the other side is yet another small lake. This area is a hikers paradise with pristine air and water being the norm instead of the exception we normally tolerate in busy world.

Getting out like this made us feel "alive" and in harmony with nature. 

Sunrise the next morning was a sight to behold. 

The Parks

Our coach soon headed towards the first of several National Parks we visited on this trip. Our first day on the road took us back into the United States to Glacier National Park in Montana. The prairie was a sight to behold for me and I was impressed with the miles and miles of grain. I was also impressed with the miles of windmills we saw heading back toward the US.

We stayed at the Many Glacier Hotel which I found unique among all the places we stayed on this trip. The scenery here was spectacular; both inside and outside the hotel. It felt good to relax around an open fire in the lobby. This hotel was built around 1915 and remains much the same today. I found the lobby to be a very unique place.

A walk around the lake was wonderful, and around sunset, a very beautiful place. One thing we learned quickly on this trip was that this part of the country is prime territory for Grizzly Bears. We never saw any on this trip but it's always a thing to keep on your mind.

Here's another view of the lodge: 

 

Downtown Calgary

Calgary was our first, and only the only big city in Canada that we visited on this trip. Our hotel was centrally located about a block from the Calgary Tower. There was also a “walk only” section nearby where we ate before taking a short nap to adjust from “jet lag”.

As usual, there’s also the mandatory visit to the nearest bank to exchange currency. Normally, we don’t consider this a big chore but we were surprised to find our credit cards would not work at ATM machines. It seems Canada is a few steps ahead of us when it comes to security.  

They do things differently in Canada when it comes to credit cards. In Canada, there’s a computer “chip” built into the card. They don't have “pennies” now and they have dollar and two dollar “coins”. The currency exchange rate is almost equal between our two countries and many stores will accept American currency but using a credit card (from America) can be a real bummer. Fortunately, we were able to use our American Express card without any problems. We also noted that restaurants “bring the charge machine to you” when paying for a meal. Operating this way; the card never leaves your sight. A good measure indeed!

The City of Calgary

We always enjoy seeing a city from a high vantage point and the "Calgary Tower" fit the bill on this trip. We viewed this city from the observation deck. Designers always delight in presenting something "special" on this type of structure. The Calgary Tower was no exception.

Psychologically, one part of my brain says this  "glass" floor is strong enough to withstand the weight of a large elephant, the other part of my brain says "don't stand here very long". Marilyn seems so cool and collected but I can assure you "I did not". Standing here takes all the courage I can muster.

I quickly moved off this "floor".

Calgary is a city of just over a million people. They've diversified now and the city is a large oil and gas center; but in the beginning, it was a "cattle town" and even today, that life is celebrated with an annual event known as " The Calgary Stampede ".

This year (just a few months before we arrived ) the town received 14 inches or rain in a very short period of time. True to Canadian spirit, a reclamation of gigantic proportions restored the area where the stampede is held each year.

It required work seven days a week and 24 hours a day. I'm amazed they were able to keep "the show on the road". It's difficult to imagine the area looked like this just two months earlier.....

▶ Stampede Grounds Calgary Flood June 21, 2013 

It required the evacuation of 70,000 people.

Glaciers in the Canadian Rockies

Marilyn and I had a wonderful trip to view the Canadian Rockies which started in Calgary Alberta Canada. Calgary is a city with just over a million people and originally began as a cattle town. That culture still abounds every year with the advent of the annual "Stampede" celebration. The skills and life style of the early cowboys in this part of Canada are celebrated in this event. The "Stampede" draws thousands here and is an important social time for everyone in the city. The city of Calgary now has diversified into a major producer of oil and gas.

The picture above is of our tour guide, Rob White who works for "Tauck" and which both Marilyn and I agree, is the best director we've ever had the pleasure to travel with, on any trip. We've traveled with this company previously in the United Kingdom and also California. They've all been excellent trips, with excellent tour directors; but Rob is the most sociable and knowledgeable director imaginable; he's a walking encyclopedia of history, geology, and traveling experience.

On this trip we were fortunate to experience the city of Calgary, the Many Glacier Park in Montana, Lake McDonald Park in Montana, Lake Louise in Canada, Jasper National Park in Canada, and Banff National Park in Canada.

Thank you Rob, for a wonderful trip!