Taking a break from the road - in Banff, Alberta, Canada

Bow Falls

The mountain outside our condo in Banff

The patio area at the hot springs

 We tried to plan our drive so that we had a day in the middle just to relax - we made it to Banff, Alberta, Canada by Monday night, right on schedule!  That way, we could stay for a full day and still make it to Prince Rupert by Friday.  Banff is a bit like the ski towns in Colorado (Breckenridge or Vail) with lots of lodging choices, a busy downtown and lots of places to eat.  Oh yeah - and gorgeous views!  We arrived late in the day on Monday, after driving for 8 hours, and it was already dark.  I had looked online on Sunday night when we were in Great Falls for a nice room and found the Rocky Mountain Lodge.  We got a great deal on a one bedroom condo with full kitchen and wood-burning fireplace.  The view was incredible!  The next day, we had a full day planned - the hot springs, then a drive to Lake Louise.  First, though, I had to find my waterfall.  I always look for waterfalls and I found one in downtown Banff.  I like the sound of the rushing water and this one didn't disappoint.  Then, it was on our way to the hot springs just outside of town.  After a series of switchbacks, we were on top of the mountain at the Hot Springs Resort.  The "springs" flow from the mountain at a changing temperature - today, it was a toasty 39 degrees celsius (you do the math - I don't know what that is in farenheit).  Bill was paying (about $7 each) and didn't give up the $20 so easily and I made some remark to the man at the counter that Bill was always a bit 'tight' - the man looked at Bill and said "make sure to give your daughter a dollar for a locker".  Made my day - not so sure about Bill.  There was only one other couple and a single man in the water (I know that I had a swim suit on, pretty sure Bill did - not sure about the rest!), the pool was very, very clean and really warm, but not hot like some hot tubs.  The sulphur smell was non-existent (unlike the water at the "source" which you can smell as you walk by the patio area) and so comfortable.  There were small jets around the pool, and the water depth was about 5 feet, with ledges the full circumference to sit against.  The view of the mountains, the slightly cool air on your head, and the relaxing warm water was just what we needed after three full days of driving!  So our trip has been going as planned, but we still have three days of driving to go - I'll update shortly.  I have so many photos to share, and I will put more on Facebook as I can.  I can't tell you how incredibly beautiful the scenery has been.  God certainly didn't "make no junk" when it came to this part of the world.