Happy Wedding Anniversary!
Can't quite believe that our 1st Wedding Anniversary had come round so fast. But as my aunt says to me you have done so much in the last few years its easy to see how. And what a better place to spend it than in the area where we got engaged! Alastair and I managed to get a baby sitter and went out for a meal at River Cafe where we probably ate the most delicious food we had ever tasted! Celebrations were kept short as we had my parents arriving the next day!
INVASIONS!
So what possessed us to agree to arranging visits from both our parents over a 5 week period! I don't know. Liz and John had had their flights booked for a while. It was my Mums 50th in September. My parents had both planned on coming out for her birthday but unfortunately my mum had broken her foot so we didn't think it was worth spending all that money for her to be sat up most of the time. But then we found really cheap flights - and thought what the hey - why not, so one very special birthday gift and an 8 hour flight they were here on 25th September.
The Johnston Invasion
The day my parents arrived was weather wise the very last day of summer - its was 28c, so we fired the BBQ up and a jet lagged mum and dad got to taste Ally's home made burgers. The weather for the rest of the time stayed mild but it did begin to get cooler.
You are going to feel like you have read things twice in this blog as we pretty much did the same trip with both sets of parents- as we feel we will with most people who come to visit us.
We had a weekend in Banff (at Douglas fir of course) and Alastair managed to talk his way into getting one of the cabins.
Whilst in in Banff we visited Johnston Canyon -
Moraine Lake, which is only open until early October as the road to the lake is not serviced in winter so Is completely impassable. On your drive up to the lake you can see evidence of avalanches. The lake is fed by a glacier (like Lake Louise)
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| Imogen sat on the logs at one end of Moraine Lake |
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Columbia Ice Field Parkway
We attempted to go to the Columbia Ice Field. We drove all the way there on the Ice Field parkway. On the way up we could see that the weather was becoming colder and snow was starting to fall (-1c). We decided to wait to see what the weather was like when we got there. Well - we arrived in blizzard like conditions and decided not to waste our money on the tour as we couldn't see anything - a beautiful drive tho!
The Park way began being built in 1931 by hundreds of unemployed men put to work buy the governement. They were paid 20cents a day and used picks, shovels and horses for mechanized equipment the crews had only a few small tractors. The road opened quietly in 1940 and was widened with the auto-tourist boom of the 1950's and 60's. The parkway is classed as a destination in itsself. Its purpose is not to simply get you from a-b but to expose you to the beauty of the area, its many lakes and waterfalls. It is open all year round except when closed due to severe snow fall. The road is patrolled everyday by rangers and in winter there are no patrols after 4pm - you are advised when entering the parkways (which is part of Jasper National Park) to have a full tank of petrol and supplies just in case!
Sulphur Mountain
Those of you who know my mother will know what a feat this was - we went up Sulphur Mountain on the Banff Gondola. A breath taking 2,292ft to the summit.
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Look- proof Mum made it!
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| Down by Bow River Falls |
So that was our weekend in the mountains. the rest of my parents time here was spent doing other touristy things like - visiting Heritage park -
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| Steam Boat |
Going for a trip downtown:
This is a picture of my mum at the Famous five monument in the Olympic plaza downtown Calgary. It is this area of downtown that has had the Occupy protesters in for the past few months. It was cleared - or rather the protesters left before the deadline - in the beginning of December - good job too as i couldnt imagine camping in -25c!
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| Yes we got her up here too! |
My parents left on Sunday 9th October. Alastair's Parents arrived on Monday 17th October. The weather by this time was much cooler.
The Gray Invasion
With Liz and John we again went to stay in Banff for a few days. From here we went to Johnston Canyon - but this time we saw a Bear!!
We also visited Lake Louise, this time we went for a walk around. It was much much colder than a few weeks before.
The Lake should be frozen by now and ready for ice skating on. Soon there will be the Ice Magic Festival.
We visited Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park - British Columbia. The area harbours some magnificent scenery and fossils.
If you would like to know more about the significance of these fossils follow this link.
These guys were rather friendly flying about our heads hunting for scraps of food!
On our way home from Emerald Lake we saw another bear!! This one was walking in the ditch at the side of the road and was spotted by Ally who promptly stopped the car and swung round.
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| Bow Falls, Banff |
Whilst Liz and John were here Alastair and I went to see Frank Turner and the Foo Fighters! How lucky were we that they were playing whilst we had grandparents visiting! Unfortunately whilst here we all managed (apart from Liz) to catch some stomach bug which meant at one point or another we one of us was out of action for a day. Imogen and I missed going downtown with John and Liz and John missed coming to Elbow Falls with us.
Happy Halloween!
Liz and John left on 31st October - all hallows eve! Through the week (as many do here) I had decorated the house with cobwebs, pumpkins and ghosts.
Unfortunately for our little trick or treater we had to drop Liz and John at the airport at the 'prime' trick or treating time. All was not lost - as we got home in time to visit a few houses.
Check out her stash! most of which we still have!
Well That's it for now folks. I had aimed to get this out before Christmas, but the festivities took over! I hope you all had a great Christmas and a fantastic New Year.
We leave fore the UK tomorrow for 2 lovely weeks so I hope to blog when I get home about - must remember rain coat ;-)
Oh and here is a little video for you!
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