Roadtrip Day 10: Banff and Yoho

Waking up in the Canadian Rockies was a dream come to life. The rain was gone, the air was crisp and the mountains were showing off their good looks like a super model on a catwalk.It certainly helped that we were staying in a fabulous condo at the Hidden Ridge Resort.  We had a long day ahead of us and I was excited to see as much of Banff as we possibly could with four children under four. Traveling with small children can be extremely unpredictable so we had to prioritize. My number one priority was Lake Louise. I had seen so many pictures and read so many accounts of its beauty that I absolutely needed to see it for myself. As we walked up to the shoreline and the lake came into view, the color of the water took my breath away. It just didn't seem like it could be real. It was too turquoise, too milky, too unlike anything I had ever seen.  The glaciers that feed the lake create a color that seems almost magical. The kids were eager to touch, throw rocks in, and even put their sock and shoe covered feet into the freezing glacial water.

From Lake Louise we headed further up the mountains toward Moraine Lake. The rain started to fall and the thought of dragging the kids in and out of the car again seemed a bit much so Jess and I took turns running from the parking lot over to the lake. Not exactly the way I envisioned us viewing the lake but sometimes you make do with the situation you have. I thought Moraine Lake was even more beautiful than Lake Louise. It was smaller but the color of that lake was out of this world. Pictures really don't do it justice. Especially pictures taken in the pouring rain. The next time I am in Banff I would love to spend more time at this lake and maybe even stay the night at the Moraine Lake Lodge. It was just so quaint and isolated and peaceful. It seemed like a very special place.

The rain continued to fall which did put a damper on some of our plans. We decided to head over to Yoho National Park and check out Canada's second tallest waterfall, Takakkaw Falls. At 1250 feet in length, the falls seemed to explode over the mountainside. The surrounding area is equally as stunning. The drive off the main highway to the falls  included the biggest hairpin turn I have ever encountered. It was literally impossible to stay in your lane and make the turn. It was that sharp and steep. Cars had to take turns doing three point turns around the corner! Yoho holds a special place in my heart because it is the only place on our trip that we saw a moose. I suppose it is fitting that the one moose we did see was in Canada.

After Yoho we had to head back through Banff and down the mountain towards Calgary. The rain came pouring down in buckets and sadly I had to bid farewell to the Canadian Rockies that I had fallen in love with. As we stopped for gas the mountains gave us one last gift. It was truly the most beautiful rainbow I had ever seen. The picture doesn't show how vibrant, colorful, and complete it was. I felt like I could literally just reach out and grab it. Instead, I chose to leave it right there where it belonged, in a little piece of paradise.