JOIN USCalgary, an elegant looking city with a population of 1.2 m in western Canada in the state of Alberta. An alien place to us until two years back, when our daughter Amitha chose her life partner Thejas, who happens to be from Calgary.
On an invitation from my daughter’s parents-in- law, we set out to Calgary by Lufthansa and Air Canada. A view from the aircraft while touching down at the Calgary International Airport, we could see some of the exquisitely designed bungalows in wide spread communities, which looked like houses assembled out of Lego toys.
On day one, we went around Calgary downtown area and Heritage Park. Heritage Park is a historical park in Calgary spread on 127 acres of land on the banks of Glenmore Reservoir.
Exhibits depict western Canada’s history from the 1860s to 1950s. Many of the buildings are historical and were actually transported to the park for display.
The display buildings included a dentist’s shop, a candy shop, bank, a telephone exchange, all of the bygone era. A steam engine drawn with antique coaches took us around the Heritage Park. There was also a display of antique cars – real beauties from the 1890s to 1950s.
On day two, we set out to Banff – another cute, little town about 150 km west of Calgary.
The drive from Calgary to Banff was very picturesque. One could see partially snow-covered Rocky Mountains and pine trees on either side of the highway. There are many lakes in close proximity to Banff which are extremely unreal. We were spellbound by this scenic beauty! The prominent lakes we visited were Lake Minnewanka, where we took a self-driven motor boat for an hour along the path overlooking the mountains; Johnson Lake, Two Jack Lake and Lake Louise. The colour of Lake Louise was so different and turquoise!
On day three, we set out to another little town Jasper, which is about 412 km from Calgary. Enroute we stopped at a number of enchanting spots – HI Mosquito Creek, Cow-Foot Glacier, Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, a walking trail called HI Beauty Creek and Colombia Icefield Glacier.
Our next destination was Mount Robson, about 88 km from Jasper.
Highway 93 that connects Banff to Jasper is quoted by National Geographic as one of the best mountain drives in North America.
At Mount Robson, we stayed for the next couple of days in a beautiful log cabin situated on the banks of River Robson. This log cabin is in the middle of lush green trees, the river on one side, mountains in the background; away and disconnected from the outside world. Mind you no cell phone towers here!
We started day four with a filling breakfast we had prepared in the midst of nature, overlooking the Rocky Mountains, en route to Overlander Falls – a 15 minutes hike away from the Highway. Here, the Fraser River plunges down into a large pool before continuing its journey to the Pacific Ocean.
The roaring of the falls can be heard from quite a distance. Each of the falls in this belt is so unique, different and untouched. We then started our 7 km (one-way) trek uphill to Kenney Lake. For all the trek enthusiasts, there are many beautiful and longer trails that you can explore.
Kenny Lake, which lies at an elevation of 980 meters, is named after a Canadian mountaineer George Kenny. This lake is awe-inspiring.
On day five, we visited the town of Jasper. On the way, we stopped at Rearguard Falls. This fall marks the upper limit of the 800-mile migration of Salmons from the Pacific Ocean against the current. We can actually see salmons swim against the current.
The time to watch these salmons here is late Summer (August-September). We were a bit early. None the less, it was an excellent view point. Jasper is an enduring little town, a commercial centre for Jasper National Park, set amidst the snow-capper Rockys. The town reminded me of one of those scenes from old Western cowboy movies. This national park has glacier-fed lakes, forests and rivers.
There is also a sky tram which climbs to the summit of Whistlers Mountain, with the whole view of Jasper downtown. We walked around the town exploring the small shops, enjoying the weather and chatting away. In and around Jasper, we went to many lakes. Lake Edith and Lake Annette being my personal favourites. These lakes also have many water related activities. You can rent kayak, canoes and paddle boards to explore the waters. Each of these lakes is unique in colour and distinct in nature.
We concluded our tour and returned to Calgary on day six. On our way back, we stopped at the valley of five lakes, Athabasca Falls and Sunwapta Falls.
Our tour of Calgary, Banff, Jasper and Mount Robson ended which etched an everlasting memory and hundreds of things to recall and cherish. Truly a paradise for all nature lovers – unspoilt, unpolluted and untouched! God’s own state.
Srilatha Sridhar
(The author can be contacted at srilatha.kasturiranga@gmail.com)