Day 1: Kelowna to Lake Louise

The long anticipated day has arrived - the day the online course system closes for the annual technical break.  10 lovely days with no e-mails, no meetings and no marking.  What a delight!  So, we are off to Lake Louise and Banff for 9 nights.  I cannot believe that it has been over 15 years since I have been to the mountain parks when it is just a few hours down the road. 

All good trips start with some serious grocery shopping.  We chose to do that an hour up the road in Vernon because this Superstore has a really large parking lot with easy access.  Alex quickly spotted some Blue Jays cookies.  We took a pass - they looked like they could retain their shape and colour for a good 10 years. Never fear, the boys managed to find a host of other food-like substances.  Apparently, I was feeling rather soft as the buggy included glazed donuts, croissants, chips, pop, and danishes by the time we rolled out of there. 

I must be getting lazy, we just dumped the loot inside the backdoor after putting the cold stuff in the fridge.  Time to hit the happy highway and make tracks. 

We stopped in Revelstoke for a quick gas stop that turned into an unexpected adventure. First, the new Petro Canada gas station that looked large and spacious . . . . wasn't.  Thankfully, no one pulled in behind me. I had the boys stand out behind the trailer so that we could gingerly back up out of our spot. No room to pull through here.  We took a right to go through town as turning left and then right to get back on the Highway simply was not going to happen anytime today. This seemed like a harmless idea until Fifi (our GPS) took on a goat trail - for real.  

Yes, that is a dirt road beside some railroad tracks.  Turn to the left, go up a washboard hill, spin the tires a little and voila, we are back on the blacktop and on our way to the highway again.  It all ended well but I could have done without that little GPS adventure. 

We make short work of the rest of the drive. A few up the mountains, a few down the mountains, a few through the mountains. ...  

The benefits of a trailer - making lunch at the rest area with ease. 

Making reservations a few months ago was the way to go as the National Park campground in Lake Louise is chock full.  We slip into #4 and have the Gypsy Wagon set up in a flash. Soon we get on our bikes and ride into the village to check out the Visitor's Centre. 

Cool rental in the parking lot.  

We ARE tourists after all. 

Dominic pretending to play Pokemon Go in the interpretive display. Nice!

There are many bear warning posters and sandwich boards around the camp.
Hopefully, we see one, from afar.

It does not get any more Canadian than this.

Time to relax.  The mountain in the distance is stunning but does not show here.

A middle of the road repair on our after dinner ride.  'The brakes were squeaky, Mama"

We ended with a few episodes of Corner Gas.  All is well.