Our Last day in Banff

It's our last day in Banff, Wednesday 6/8, so we decided to take a drive to Johnston Canyon and Lake Lousie. What a surprise the waterfall at Johnston Canyon turned out to be. The parking lot was full of cars and campers and we had to hunt for parking spot as they are redoing the bathrooms. There is a .5 mile walk to the lower falls which is a wonderful hike where the trail is suspended from the side of the canyon walls in many areas. It was the first time either of us had been on a hike like this. You get so close to this waterfall that you get wet from the spray. We thought we would only go to the lower falls but after seeing the waterfall with its beauty and amount of water flow we had to go to the upper falls. The next .75mile to the top did not disappoint us at all. There are so many areas on the hike to the upper falls where the walkway is suspended from the canyon walls and the views of the water below is unbelievable. It has to be one of our most wonderful hikes to date. The view from the top was fabulous and you can walk out on to a great viewing area. No wonder there are so many people visiting this wonderful waterfall. I love waterfalls and this one has to be one of the best I have ever seen. Almost forget on the way to Johnston Canyon we saw our first Elk with big antlers. We have seen lots of elk but none with big antlers.

We had lunch then continued our drive to Lake Louise. Again the number of tourists continues to amaze me. This lake is a beautiful blue, with plenty of ice and is surround by mountains, giving you some fascinating views. We took a short hike around part of the lake which gave us different views, all more wonderful than the first. There is a Fairmont Hotel on the lake, which was built over a hundred years ago. There are many shops to visit and there a nice yellow lab in the lobby. Marqus was his name and he is part of this hotel, visiting with the guests and walking the grounds. They say other Fairmont Hotels have a dog in their lobbies, but we didn't see one in the Banff Fairmont Hotel.

We had a wonderful stay in Banff and would be happy spending a summer here. Suzanne and I are putting this place as one to visit again.

Bye Banff and on to Jasper!!