BANFF NATIONAL PARK, ALBERTA – I’m standing in a pretty mountain bowl at Sunshine Meadows with small hills all around dotted with white and yellow flowers. The sky is that famous shade of Alberta blue and the deep grey hills are patchy with winter’s leftover snow. Our guide, Thalia Christou with White Mountain Adventures, points out the yellow Alpine Butter Cups and the western anemones, which look like yellow and white crocuses but grow interesting, fuzzy bits to stay warm. They look like they’ve grown hair in summer, causing Christou to refer to them as “hippie hair flowers.” We spot Read more
August 2014
WATERTON LAKES NATIONAL PARK – This might be the most under-appreciated national park in Canada. Ask Canadians about Waterton Lakes , and probably half the time you’ll get a blank stare. Other times, you’ll get a small nod and the response, “I’ve heard it’s beautiful.” Most of the time, the latter phrase is followed by “But I haven’t made it yet.” Me? I don’t remember when the place first entered my mind. But I get reminded it of every time I go home to my Dad’s house in California. For years, he’s had a black and white drawing of Waterton Read more
ON THE COWBOY TRAIL IN ALBERTA – I wasn’t remotely prepared for this. I had finished a couple days in Calgary and Banff/Lake Louise following the Calgary Stampede and was headed south for a drive along the famous Cowboy Trail. Rather than drive too far, I elected to try a night in Priddis, just a bit outside of Calgary, at Azuridge , a luxury boutique hotel folks had told me about. I had no idea what to expect as I rolled past lush farms in the foothills southwest of the city. But I soon found myself arriving at a large Read more
