On the Road Again III: Alberta, Canada

The last time we saw my Canadian daughter was in September 2019 in San Francisco. So when she informed me that parents were exempt from the ban on entering Canada (before they lifted it on Aug. 9), we decided to go even as coronavirus cases from the Delta variant were surging. With proof of full vaccination, a negative Covid test we had done in Kalispell, Montana, and another Covid test upon entry, it really was a breeze in that there were no long queues.

The family’s smiles were ear-to-ear and the hugs were tight. Our next two weeks were filled with lots of fun, especially the playtime with the six and eight-year-old boys, and the cooking of some of their favorite dishes that I now had the chance to make for them. But, travelers that we are, as usual, we found time to discover exciting new places to see and new things to do.   

In and Around Calgary

On our 13^th wedding anniversary, we took a day trip to downtown Calgary. First stop was the small Chinatown housed in a block of buildings, where I was happy to be able to take home my favorite classic Chinese custards. Then we walked to the Wonderland Sculpture in the plaza of the tallest building in Calgary, the landmark Bow Building. I had fun photographing the bent-wire art, standing 12 meters high and representing a girl’s head against the sky.

Next, we drove to the Peace Bridge, a pedestrian/cyclists’ bridge that crosses the Bow River running through downtown Calgary. The double helix tubular design bears some resemblance to a finger trap puzzle, making quite a sight against the Calgary skyline. Opened in 2012, it spans 428 feet, connecting the southern Bow River Pathway in downtown Calgary to the northern pathway in the Sunnyside Community across the river.

At day’s end, we had our usual special anniversary dinner at the River Cafe. It is singularly located in the middle of Prince Island on the Bow River. There is no access to vehicles. You have to walk from the southern Bow River Pathway to the restaurant sitting on a park concession building with the lovely Prince Island Park all around you. The menu is upscale and made from fine locally sourced meat and seafood. My husband had Fire Grilled Springbank Bison Striploin with Grilled Sudo Farms Baby Cabbage, Wilted Ark Farms Swiss Chard, and Saskatoon Berry Jus Gras, while I chose the Haida Gwaii Halibut with Canadian Dashi, Shiitake Mushrooms, and Sudo Farms Bok Choy and Scallion Oil.

Later, the Devonian Gardens called us back to downtown Calgary. It is a one-hectare botanical garden and urban oasis in the middle of the CORE Shopping Centre With at least 500 trees, 50 plant varieties, a living wall, several fountains, a few fish ponds, and a playground for kids, it is a great place for families to enjoy. Being near the Food Court, we bought our favorite food and had lunch amid the greens. 

Waterton Lakes National Park

The one weekend we had there, the whole family trooped to the Waterton Lakes National Park. It is the companion park of Glacier National Park, celebrated inside in the International Peace Park.

My daughter’s family had a pop-up camper that can sleep 10. They found a campsite at the Crooked Creek CampgroundCrooked Creek Campground, less than 20 minutes from the park. My husband and I, however, chose a more comfortable stay at a precious B&B, Rocky Ridge Country Lodge, just ten minutes from their campground. We were very pleased with our decision, especially at breakfast time, when we were each served three fluffy blueberry-filled pancakes one morning and two hearty breakfast enchiladas the next morning.

The town of Waterton, Alberta, a hamlet of about a hundred dwellers, sits right in the middle of the national park. Downtown was busy and parking was hard to find, but there were great eats. It was my first chance to try the BeaverTails dessert, for example. At the edge of town was a well-equipped park for kids with the majestic Canadian Rockies as a backdrop. And just about a block away from that park is the beautiful Cameron Falls. It’s supposed to be naturally pink right after a heavy rainfall when the red sediment, argolyte, gets released from the one-and-a-half-billion-year-old Precambrian bedrock. Sadly, we didn’t get to see this natural phenomenon.

The town is beside the four-square-mile Waterton Lake which is actually three bodies of water connected by two channels. The Middle Waterton Lake and the Upper Waterton Lake are connected by a “Bosporus” channel while Lower Waterton Lake and Middle Waterton Lake are connected by “Dardanelles.” It is interesting to note that a third of Upper Waterton Lake actually lies in the US as part of the Glacier National Park. As a matter of fact, there is a border crossing between the two parks, and an International Cruise at Waterton takes you to both parts.  

These lakes provide beach fun opportunities for visitors. Driftwood Beach stands out, with piles of driftwood along the beach fashioned into art. Also, you can hike to the rocky promontory on the Bosporus channel. Returning to the small beach that juts out from the wharf on the other side, we were rewarded with great sunset scenes. But there is not a lot of swimming because the water is cold, the lake drops off quickly, and it is always very windy.  

The boys wanted to do boating, so we drove 25 minutes through switchback roads to Cameron Lake (see headline photo)  where there are boat rentals. The family divided into two boats; my son-in-law paddled one while my husband handled ours. It was so windy, however, that it was quite difficult to maneuver both, but we still tried to race for the sake of the little boys. Fortunately, the views were picture-perfect.

Hiking the nine-mile Red Rock Canyon, a river gorge just ten miles from the entrance of the national park, should not be missed. It reminded me of the Slide Rock State Park in Sedona, Arizona. Actually, there is a difference since the rocks here are tinged with red and green and the towering mountains provide a better backdrop. There are also many hiking trails around, but the littlest boy claimed a hurt knee and wanted to be carried.

Lastly, there is the colorful Prince of Wales HotelPrince of Wales Hotel, sitting atop a bluff, visible from every angle as one drives around the park. Sitting in the lobby, we loved viewing the majesty of the mountain scenes around Upper Waterton Lake through the ceiling-to-floor and wall-to-wall giant glass windows. Add to that the craftsmanship of the building, the giant chandelier hanging over the lobby, the interesting items at the gift shop, and the windy wide spaces outside to take in the views. But the highlight was Afternoon Tea which the whole family enjoyed, especially with the distinct treats for the little boys.

This was a wonderful celebration with family, not only because we had not seen each other for two years but also because again we found something new and beautiful to discover about Canada! 

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