Sleeping in! It had been a long time. We really needed it. Even so, we can't stay in bed until 12 p.m., as our room has to be vacated by 11. We're changing accommodation today, as Laurianne will be joining us for the rest of the trip. We'll take advantage of this to stay directly in Banff, so as to discover the town more easily. But Laurianne doesn't arrive until this afternoon, so we decide to head back up Route 93 in the hope of rediscovering it with better weather than we're used to. previously.
Route 93, AGAIN
We're a long way from the big blue in terms of weather, but at least (MIRACLE) it's one of the first smoke-free days!
We return to Route 93 to discover landscapes that had previously been hidden from us. I now understand why many people consider this road to be one of the most beautiful in the world. The mountains as far as the eye can see, instead of the fog we'd had until now, is magnificent.
We pass Lake Minnewanka, a beautiful lake close to Banff, where you can snorkel to observe the village that was drowned when a dam was built.
We climb back up to Bow Lake. Even more beautiful than on our first day. We really hope the smoke doesn't return just yet, so we can enjoy the rocky landscape to the full.
It's time to head back to Banff to pick up our room and enjoy a bit of the town.
Migration to Banff
We take our room at the Caribou Lodge (https://banffcariboulodge.com/). The hotel is very nice, but I must say I'm rather disappointed by the room. Compared to what we had in Canmore, we have a (REALLY) smaller room, with no air-conditioning and which costs us a lot more.
I really recommend staying in Canmore if it doesn't interfere too much with your plans. The two towns are very close by car and you'll be much more relaxed there. Banff is much more lively and touristic. It all depends on what you prefer, but for me it's a no-brainer.
We spend the rest of our time exploring the city. We stop off at the galleries, where we discover some wonderful photos. It's a beautiful city, with a magnificent view (without smoke!) of the surrounding mountains. Well worth the trip!
Arrival of Laurianne
We pick Laurianne up as she leaves the bus. Her trip went well and everything was relatively on schedule.
It's worth knowing that it's easy to take a bus from Calgary airport to Banff or Canmore. This can be very convenient. However, don't forget that if you need a car, and it's hard to do without one in the Rockies, they're generally harder to find in Banff directly, and often more expensive.
We drop Laurianne's luggage off at her room before setting off to explore the city with her.
Resto three bears
To celebrate his arrival, we then head to the Three Bears restaurant for a local beer and our evening meal.
The beer really didn't leave a lasting impression on me, but the waffle fries were 100% %. It's a far cry from the all-you-can-eat Indian buffet we had the day before. But it's still very decent.
If you don't know where to go for a few beers and burgers, Three bears is still a good choice.
It's finally time to go to bed, as we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow. A 4.5-hour via ferrata at Norquay promises to be a great experience!
To be continued...
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