Banff
Alberta Canada
Airstreaming  2006

Arrive:   June 25
Depart:  June 28
Road Conditions:  Very good
Weather:  Clear & Sunny
Miles:  388

Click for Route Map

We begin! Considering the distance traveled just to get to Great Falls and without a few mishaps this is hardly the actual beginning but to go further back would be quite wearisome, certainly for the reader.

We all woke up, got ready, and started down the road or should I say up the road to Canada. We all marveled at the wide open spaces of Northern Montana, drank coffee, and munched breakfast food as we approached the border. The crossing was easy and simple. The usual questions,  "Do you have any firearms?", "Do you have any alcohol?", "Do you have any cigarettes?" - "Absolutely not." - "Of course, but just a little." - "No, we don't smoke, but you might check with Ted, he's right behind us.". Here I should point out my record for border crossings into Canada is abysmal, I am routinely pulled over and searched. Kathleen strongly appealed to me to just be quiet rather than make friendly comments which usually raises their neck hairs, so I said very little and it worked. Over we went and they never asked if we had a manually-triggered telescoping spring-loaded steel whip, (You think I'm kidding - look it up here.), we also left our brass knuckles at home and we were safely in Canada.

Banff is like a Disney town, located within the national park, picture perfect, filled with tourists and fancy shops all surrounded by beautiful mountains and lakes. Banff National Park charges a fee that would be $108.00 for two people for six  nights with camping fees extra, so we paid $125.00 for a years pass to any Canadian Park expecting to visit others. Checking into Tunnel Mountain Campground was easy, we had advance reservations for full hookup sites and wonderful vistas surrounding us. The night before we arrived a couple and dog narrowly escaped their motorhome as it burned to the ground. Only a few sites away the burnt odor of faded dreams occasionally wafted under our noses eliciting a great deal of empathy for those fellow travelers.

Kathleen and I hiked into town along the Bow River eventually meeting everyone at the information center. Ladies shopped, we all toured some of the beautiful lakes, and then visited the Banff Springs Hotel which is quite majestic. Most of the lakes have a striking turquoise color, not at all unlike that seen in the Caribbean, the glacier runoff caries deposits making lakes resplendent and fast moving rivers almost white.

Perhaps a chink in the armor as we leave for Jasper. Wagon Master takes the lead and while traveling 10 mph continues by the exit into another camping area of  Tunnel Mt. followed by all except Mike and Sandy. Clearly it was a simple matter of looping back to the proper exit with no real harm done. Some concern was expressed by Ted regarding the leaders directional ability while Mike & Sandy waited and chuckled. I have my rational and there is no reason to bore you with the technical aspects of wagon mastering.