Banff NP, Alberta, Canada - Day 1

Saturday morning, Calgary airport. The flight landed after 3am and many of us were stranded here to wait and try to sleep until rental car companies opened again. 

I got my rental car as soon as I could and drove to Banff in the eastern Canadian Rockies. Promptly met with Mia's family and we headed out for the day - saw bears on the side of the road 

Bow Lake

after driving into the park and seeing bears, we stopped here first. I was already obsessed with this national park  

hike up to Parker Ridge and views of the Columbia Icefield glacier  

Parker Ridge is a farther drive north on the Ice Field Parkway almost to the end of the park.  Here is the Columbia Icefield Glacier and Mt Athabasca on the right. 

waterfalls coming from Big Bend Peak

the clearest weather was my first day there so we took advantage by going to all the big lookout spots we could. A fire nearby caused smoke for the other two days  

Waterfowl Lakes

the coolest outhouse I've ever seen  

Peyto Lake Panorama  

admittedly I was exhausted by the end of this day, having about an hour sleep on the plane and an hour at the airport at the end of a brutal work week. 

we went to the Park Distillery for dinner both nights I was there because it was so good.