Alberta Farewell Tour

The Great Canadian Adventure 2023

There’s glamping, which is what we normally do, and then there’s CAMPING.  When we moved from our very comfortable campsite at Riverbend in Okotoks, we got real at Mt. Kidd RV Park in Kananaskis country.  The only amenity we had was power.  No water.  No sewer hookup.  We had to fight a few tree limbs to get into our campsite. However, this is probably the most beautiful place to camp I’ve ever experienced.  We were right at the base of Mt. Kidd, surrounded by mountains, forests, rivers, and lakes.  To wake up every day before sunrise and watch the sunlight work its way down the face of those glorious peaks was worth not having all the conveniences in the fifth wheel.  A stop at Canmore Springs for clear, cold mountain water was appreciated more than ever! There were bear warnings posted all over the campground, but we didn’t see any.  Perhaps it’s just a ruse so people will keep their campsites clean! 

Once we arrived in this amazing part of Alberta, we were able to explore the Canadian Rockies up close, taking in Canmore, Banff, and Lake Louise and all the sites in between.  I have hundreds of photos of mountains as it seems that each one is more beautiful than the one before.  We were also able to take in various views of Barrier Lake daily on the road from our campground to Trans-Canada Highway.  On sunny days, the azure color is so captivating and it’s surrounded by mountains and trees, many of which are now turning color in late summer/early fall.  Alberta has won my heart.

One of Teresa’s bucket list items was to visit Banff and take the gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain.  It’s an 8 minute ride to the top to experience amazing views of Banff and the Bow Valley, including Minnewanka Lake.  We even had lunch in the Sky Bistro.  It was a great day playing tourists as we wandered Banff and made the drive to Lake Louise, then stopped for dinner in Canmore. I have to say that these are very busy places with lots of people…..bus loads of people.  Worth seeing, but I have to admit that this introvert is partial to the “out of the way”, more quiet spaces in the province.

It’s rather hard to believe that the first half of our trip has come to a close and now we’re off to take in some of British Columbia’s beauty.  Teresa, Keith and I have all made wonderful memories of Alberta to take home with us.  And so far Teresa is still the cordial, agreeable traveler and good sport we knew she would be.  She will no doubt have some stories to tell her family when she gets back to Geelong about camping with the Cones!