The Canadian Rockies - Day Two

By the time we got out of the house, it was close to 11am. First stop was the Visitor's Information Center in the heart of downtown.



From there, we mapped out the day's activity - taking the Gondola to the top of Sulfur Mountain, then hiking the Tunnel Mountain trail to the summit, and ending the day with a soak at the Upper Hot Springs.

Our little boy was getting very concerned about taking the gondola, because he claimed that he was afraid of height, which certainly did not show when we were climbing ladders high on the side of a mountain back in Santa Fe last year :-). Here was the conversation we had on the topic.

"I don't want to take the gondola, because I am afraid of height."

"Do you even know what a gondola looks like?"

"I don't want to take the gondola."

"Would you be afraid of airplanes?"

"No."

"It's an airplane shaped like a gondola."

"Does it go fast?"

"No."

"How many miles per hour?"

"5 miles per hour."

"Wait, is it a gondola or an airplane?"

"It's an airplane shaped like a gondola."

"So it's not a gondola, it's an airplane?"

"You will see."

"Do it go on top of the mountain or around the mountain?"

"Around the mountain."

"OK."

When we finally got onto the gondola, his concerns disappeared. Instead, he loved it!

The view seeing from top was spectacular.









Where we got off at the top was not quite the summit. There were wooden stairs zigzagging all the way to the top.





We started climbing the stair way. The kids were leading the way.







There were quite a few seasoned chipmunks begging for food. One of them got very friendly with my daughter, and there appeared to be a good rapport established between the two of them :-).



Everywhere you look, it's beautiful, not just from the very top.





There was a little shed at the very top. My hu*****and must have told our little boy a story about the shed, because when I got there, he was offering up the story to everyone. A little later, he came to me and said "Mommy, people are asking me questions about the little house. They think I know everything, but I am just a little kid." :-).

On our way back to the Gondola station, we saw a few big horn sheep.



After the gondola ride, we decided to conquer the Tunnel Mountain. The trail to the summit was of moderate difficulty due to the elevation. We had to carrot-and-stick the kids on the way up, but it was certainly worth it.









The hike was easier going back. Instead of going directly to the hot spring, we decided to have dinner first in downtown. Along came the eternal question of where to eat. You would not believe how we managed to resolve the difference. Both kids got takeout from McDonald's, and we took the takeout and had dinner at, I believe, the only Chinese restaurant in town, the Silver Dragon House.

We were seated on the balcony, feasting the eyes with all the beautify nature could offer and the ears with live music from the street below.





梅菜扣肉和魚香茄子


They were not bad, certainly better than my expectation.

The Upper Hot Spring was just outside Banff downtown. What I liked the most was to take in the Rockies while the day's fatigue was melting away in the 39 Celsius degree water...

A perfect second day at Banff.

請在這閱讀我的更多的博客文章

- The Canadian Rockies _ Arrival

- Lost In Paradise - Oahu: Day Six

所有跟帖： 

• 聽從建議，這次把圖放大了。 -Gardenia_On_The_Bay- ♀ (0 bytes) () 07/07/2013 postreply 20:33:27

• 照片質量不錯。第五張左邊的樹枝擾焦，不如裁掉。小女喂鬆鼠那張難得。敢問千金多大了？ ---1234567-- ♂ (0 bytes) () 07/07/2013 postreply 21:21:06

• 回複：照片質量不錯。第五張左邊的樹枝擾焦，不如裁掉。小女喂鬆鼠那張難得。敢問千金多大了？ -Gardenia_On_The_Bay- ♀ (34 bytes) () 07/08/2013 postreply 12:50:18

• Very Beautiful! -Redfernbus- ♂ (0 bytes) () 07/08/2013 postreply 02:41:23

• Thank you. -Gardenia_On_The_Bay- ♀ (0 bytes) () 07/08/2013 postreply 12:50:51

• 謝謝！很美。 -竹雨鬆風琴韻- ♂ (0 bytes) () 07/08/2013 postreply 08:35:58

• 要謝謝你上次的建議。 -Gardenia_On_The_Bay- ♀ (0 bytes) () 07/08/2013 postreply 12:51:44