The Icefields Parkway and Lake Louise

wow. Wow. WOW. WOW!!!!  With every kilometer this road just got prettier and prettier!  No billboards cluttering up the scenery, and lots of beautiful overlooks.  Nearly no traffic at all because we're visiting off season (but the weather is sunny and gorgeous).  If we stopped at even one fifth of the spectacular viewing spots we never would have made it to Lake Louise.  This is amazing.  Here are just a few samples of the scenery:

Mom and I are in awe.  Haven't seen any big horn sheep or bears, but we've seen scenery that just makes you want to cry - it's that magnificent.  Snow capped mountains, waterfalls, crystal blue skies, and evergreens as far as the eye can see.  If I weren't such a big fan of the ocean ...

And then we get to Lake Louise ... it takes your breath away.  Here's a photo taken through the window in our room  (as you can see from my reflection in it)

And one without my reflection ...

The lake is spectacular (have I already used that word too much?) and I could stare at it for a month.  Our room is great, the old Canadian Pacific Railroad hotels have all been purchased by Fairmont Hotels.  They include the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec, Empress in Victoria, Chateau Lake Louise, Banff Springs and Vancouver hotels among others.  The thing about these hotels is the glamor of them.  In the 1920's guests would check in at the Banff Springs hotel with letters of credit for $50,000 for a three to four month stay (it wasn't easy to get to, but once you did you never wanted to leave).

The lobbies are enormous and opulent -- they make you feel tiny.  The detailing in the banisters, the friezes, the tapestries, and in the carved archways, the intricately designed inlaid floors - everywhere there is something to be seen and there are lots of stories about the railroad, the British Royal Family (Louise was Queen Victoria's fourth daughter, for those of you not up on your monarchy) and the glamorous movie stars who have stayed here.  These buildings are works of art in themselves.  There are photos of Marilyn Monroe arriving with Gregory Peck, tales of the first cabin built on this spot, of the original hotel (both the Banff Springs and Lake Louise hotels burned down in the late '20's), and of the royally appointed governor of the province.  The place is full of Lord this and Lady that interspersed with pioneers, explorers, woodsmen and indians.  Just walking around the hotels is like being in a museum. 

There's a trade off in that the rooms in these hotels tend not to be as big as modern hotel rooms, but I'll take it.   






With no other plans in mind, we went off to see the Banff Springs Hotel on Thursday.  Even more spectacularer (not a spelling mistake) than the Chateau Lake Louise in terms of the building itself, and the scenery, again, is gorgeous.  But I'm glad we decided to stay at Lake Louise and not Banff.   Especially since one of my life's goals is to dip my toes in every major body of water in the world - cross off Lake Louise!