Canada trip report

Summer has been good so far. I went to Canada with my family and had a great time. Having gotten out of school a week and a half ago, this was the perfect way to unwind after a busy semester. Read on to find out more!

Day 1

We had just left the house when I realized we didn't bring music. I figured it didn't matter, but my father insisted on going back to pick it up. Good thing he did because we left the garage door open. It's hard to believe we only found out by chance. Talk about divine intervention — someone must have been looking out for us.

Soon we arrived at SFO for the flight to Spokane. It lasted about two hours and was quite comfortable. Dad rented a Nissan Pathfinder and headed for Lethbridge. He chose a route that took us through Glacier National Park and Canada's Waterton Lakes National Park — together known as Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park and situated on the border. One popular stop along the road is St. Mary Lake. You won't believe how beautiful the views are.

An album by Orange Tree Productions called Going to the Sun caught my eye at a gift shop. Dad bought it for me because I really liked the music. Everyone loved it as we listened to it in the car. I wish this genre was more popular.

Back in 6th grade, my teacher Joan once told me she saw a hot spring in Glacier National Park during a trip to the Rockies. However, there was no such spring even though I was on the lookout the whole time. Joan may have been thinking about Yellowstone National Park because she visited it on the same trip years ago. I appreciate the information nonetheless.

We continued on and arrived at our hotel in Lethbridge a little over an hour later. All of us were eager to get some rest after a long drive.

Day 2

Vegetarians can skip this one: the day began with a visit to Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. As the name suggests, this wasn't exactly a haven for buffalo. Plains Indians hunted bison by driving them over cliffs. Such a fall would be deadly — or at least break their legs. Unable to move, the animals were slaughtered and butchered. It's as brutal as it sounds. I don't think PETA would approve.

Green fields stretched as far as the eye could see as we crossed the Canadian Prairies. Of note is that there were prairie dogs everywhere. Mom ran over one when it darted in front of the car. She felt terrible even though this was almost unavoidable. Shit happens sometimes.

Our next stop was Calgary so we could visit the Chinese Cultural Centre. One exhibit is a replica of the Terracotta Army buried with emperor Qin Shi Huang in his tomb. I read somewhere that the army contains over 8,000 sculptures. Imagine the resources needed for such an endeavor. It's certainly quite impressive. We then took a stroll through Chinatown before heading to Canmore.

I was also hoping to visit Edmonton later. Home to over 800 stores, West Edmonton Mall is the world's largest shopping center. Spending a day here would be an interesting experience. However, this wasn't an option because Edmonton was too far. At least it's something to consider for the future.

Canmore turned out to be very scenic. The light rain and mist made it even more so. Our hotel was right next to the mountains. I also had fun checking out the local Safeway store. On the whole, Canmore was my favorite stop.

Day 3

Banff and Jasper are among the world's most famous national parks. Two well-known attractions in Banff are the iconic Lake Louise and its namesake village. Both are popular during the summer. Jasper also has great spots, such as the spectacular Athabasca Falls. Pictures simply don't do them justice.

We later stopped at a natural spring along the route. Perhaps this is the one Joan had seen. It's right off the highway and can be reached by a short hike. You could see it bubbling like a witch's cauldron. As weird as it sounds, these things have always fascinated me.

I found another album by Orange Tree Productions called The Sounds of the Canadian Rockies at a visitor center. Dad decided to get this one too. Although we felt Going to the Sun was better, there were still some good tracks.

Jasper National Park also has a town that shares its name. Our hotel for the night was Sunwapta Falls Resort Rocky Mountain Lodge and is located here. Mom says this was the best hotel we stayed at during the trip. I couldn't agree more.

Day 4

All of us woke up around 7 a.m. and had trouble falling back asleep. So we figured this was a good time for a walk around the lodge. Mom has always encouraged me to get up early because the air is fresh and crisp. It made for some wonderful memories even though we didn't go far. I could easily spend a week or two in the Canadian Rockies.

Yoho National Park also has beautiful views. An adjacent town called Field was no less scenic. Dad decided to take us to Lake Revelstoke to see the dam and the Columbia River. But soon he realized it was too far after looking at the map. We turned back after stopping at a roadside restaurant for dinner. Oh well... maybe next time.

On the bright side, the restaurant was a cozy little place. I really liked the atmosphere, and the waitress was friendly and attentive. From what I remember, the food wasn't bad either. :-)

Day 5

We went hiking in Kootenay National Park and visited the Paint Pots. Located near the Vermilion River, the Paint Pots are a group of springs that were once used as a source of ochre. It's so named because the water contains minerals that give it a variety of colors. Unlike the spring in Jasper, these were much quieter.

Our hotel was located in Invermere. Although not far, the journey took longer than expected due to traffic. To complicate matters, there were many slow cars. One guy had a bunch of trucks behind him and wouldn't let them pass. He finally exited the freeway — just as we rolled into town. Yeah... that didn't help much.

Titan A.E. was on one of the cable channels. It's a science fiction film that came out a year ago. I decided to watch it while my parents went for a walk after dinner. Despite the critical reviews, the movie actually lived up to my expectations.

Due to the high latitude, Invermere has long daylight hours in the summer. I'm pretty sure the sun didn't go down until 10 p.m. or so. Imagine my surprise when I checked the time!

Day 6

I woke up with an itch on my arm and thought it was allergies. But then I noticed they appeared to be bug bites. Dad reported it to management and asked them to send someone over. However, the guy didn't seem too concerned and only asked a few questions. He didn't seem to be doing his job. Dad wasn't satisfied with the response and plans to file a complaint soon.

Invermere is located very close to Lake Windermere. I enjoyed strolling along the shore in the morning — the atmosphere was peaceful as we were the only ones there. Sometimes it's these little things that make a trip memorable.

Mom found a place in Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park called Lussier Hot Springs and figured I'd be interested. Getting there took a while as it's hard to go fast on the gravel without damaging the car. Several other families were also here. We put our feet in the water and found it to be just the right temperature.

Fort Steele Heritage Town was our next stop. It happened to be a warm day — the perfect excuse to get ice cream at the café. Soon we arrived at the border between Canada and the United States. Of note is that there is a nearby duty-free shop. I got some maple leaf cookies because the price was too good to pass up. Although the cookies are delicious, they are also high in sugar.

We arrived in Spokane around dinner time and went to grab a bite. Our first stop was a Chinese restaurant in the suburbs. It seemed a nice place, but the menu only had a few choices. Mom had a bad feeling and wanted to go elsewhere. We still left a tip so as not to be rude.

Day 7

I was a little sad that the trip was almost over. However, there was still time to explore Spokane as we had a few hours to spare. Dad took us to downtown so we could check out the shops. One cool thing is that there are sky bridges that connect the buildings. Spokane doesn't seem like a bad place to live.

Soon it was time to head to the airport to return the SUV and catch the afternoon flight back to San Francisco. I got some rest on the plane as there wasn't much else to do. We picked up our car at the airport and got home around 6 p.m. after an uneventful drive. Dad suggested dinner at Mountain Mike's Pizza to save time. Going out to eat after a trip is always a nice bonus.

Conclusions

Canada is a beautiful place with much to see. All of us love nature and enjoyed the trip. I really liked Canmore and wish we got to spend more than one night there. Of course, the rest of the trip was great too. One downside is that Canada has a relatively small population — which means it can be lonely at times. But it's good to escape the busy city life once in a while.

Currently listening to: Going to the Sun by Orange Tree Productions