CANADIAN ROCKIES & GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
AUGUST 25 - SEPTEMBER 2, 2012
I've
always wanted to see the Canadian Rockies and the Glacier National Park
so I am very happy to be doing this trip now while there are still
glaciers left to see. I'm joining the Tauck company's trip which will
take us to five world-renowned national parks: Waterton Lakes NP,
Glacier NP, Kootenay NP, Jasper NP, and Banff NP.
August 25
New York***Calgary
Flew out of La Guardia on Delta, changed planes in Minneapolis-St Paul and landed in Calgary before noon.
Checked in at the elegant
Fairmont Palliser Hotel whose past guests included King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II.
Visited the
Calgary Tower and then to Stephen Avenue Walk for lunch at the
Trib Steakhouse. Walked next to the
CORE,
a huge shopping complex with an impressive glass skylight that spans
the entire length of the complex, a playground,a pool with a lot of Koi
and the beautiful Devonian Gardens, a unique botanical park.
Went back to the hotel for a rest and to get ready for an evening of Wild West reception and dinner at the
Heritage Park Museum featuring cowboy stunts and Calgary fiddlers.
August 26
Calgary ***Waterton***Glacier National Park
Had a nice breakfast at the hotel's Rimrock Restaurant and walked around
the hotel lobby before we boarded the Tauck Tours bus to start our visit
to Glacier National Park and the Canadian Rockies.
We drove south to our first stop at
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump,
a prehistoric site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home of a museum
of Blackfoot culture. The buffalo jump was used for 5,500 years by the
indigenous peoples of the plains to kill buffalo by driving them off the
36-foot high cliff.
We continued driving south and stopped at the
Prince of Wales Hotel,
located in Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, overlooking Upper
Waterton Lake, near the Canada-United States border. It was built
between 1926 and 1927 by the American Great Northern Railway to lure
American tourists during the prohibition-era north of the border. Had a
very nice lunch there and took pictures of the gorgeous scenery.
We crossed the border to Montana and the
Glacier
National Park which together with Waterton is called Waterton-Glacier
International Peace Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We checked in at
the historic
Many Glacier Hotel, built in 1915 also by the Great
Northern Railway, and my room with a balcony that offered a wonderful
view of the Swiftcurrent Lake and the glaciers.
August 27
Many Glacier***Going-to-the-Sun Road***Lake McDonald
Woke up to a glorious view of the lake and the glaciers. After
breakfast I went for a short hike to the Ranger Station to get my
Glacier NP sticker and stamp. Then we took the
Many Glacier Boat Tour
which began aboard the historic wooden boat "Chief Two Guns" taking us
across Swiftcurrent Lake to its far end. A short walk took us to our
second wooden boat called "Morning Eagle" which took us across Lake
Josephine. There was no time for hiking and unfortunately no wildlife
sighting either but the views were breathtaking.
We next took a few of the
Red Buses to take us on the
scenic
Going-to-the-Sun Road. These buses were built by the White Motor
Company of Cleveland, Ohio between 1936 and 1939. The drivers are called
"Jammers" which carries over when the drivers could be heard "jamming"
the gears as they drove up and down the rugged mountain highway. These
unique vehicles are the best and fun way to see the fantastic scenery.
Arrived at the Swiss-chalet style
Lake McDonald Lodge,
a National Historic Landmark, with a lobby that has a ceiling three
floors up. It has a massive fireplace and a concrete floor scored in a
flagstone pattern, with messages in several Indian languages inscribed
into it. I was assigned a single cabin right near the beach. I went down
and tried the water but it was too cold.
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