Days 1-2 – Calgary & Banff
After a long flight to Calgary via Vancouver we arrived pretty tired to find our luggage happily spinning around the wrong carousel. Welcome to Canada! The jet lag meant we were up bright and breezy at 5am the next morning, breakfast by 6am and the hotel pool by 7am. Our hire car was packed and we were off on our adventure.
The wild fires in the Rockies and easterly winds meant a hazy, smoky drive towards Banff. We stopped at Canmore for lunch at the street market and arrived in Banff laden with cherries and strawberries and the boys clean clothes already stained with fruit juice. The scenic beauty of Banff may be temporarily hidden by the smoky haze but we made the most of the museum’s showcasing stuffed moose, bison and bear before heading to the hot springs in the mountains to voluntarily turn to shrivelled prunes in 40° pools. Then to bed, for stage II of our time zone adjustment.
Wildlife sightings so far: Two hares in the hotel car park, a deer’s backside and a few mozzies.