A quick day-trip getaway to Banff. Happy Valentines Day!

Each year, Jos and I take turns planning Valentines Day and our Anniversary. This year it was Jos' turn for V-day. We both took part in the planning and it ended up being a fabulous day! We left Calgary at 9:30am. It was foggy, and -11C. Not too encouraging as we were heading into the Rocky Mountains. It was supposed to be warm and sunny.

We arrived in Banff, parked the car, and walked into many neat shops and stores along the main drag of Banff. It was relaxing and so nice to actually feel the warmth of the sun. It was +6 and sunny. It made the gloomy feeling of Winter fly away, even for just the afternoon.


This is us enjoying our walk.



We ate at this place called Eddies.




Such yummy Burgers! All so creative and FRESH! Our table had a TV so we could watch the Olympics!



Thank goodness I brought my sunglasses.



This is Jos' usual face in front of a camera. You'd think he'd be more photogenic being an actor and all....



Annnd, the silly face. Thanks Jos. oy.



We were tourists in the closest tourist town. We went to the Cave and Basin, and visited the Museum.



it was really pretty in there, but if you can't stand the smell of Sulphur, a long visit isn't a good idea in the cave.



The scenery at the cave and basin was so gorgeous! I know my camera does not capture the awe of these mountains!



This is the basin. And, yup, it stinks out here too.



These are the Banff Endangered snails. Look closely, they are very small. They are the only snail of its kind to grow anywhere else in the world.



We left our mark.


The Banff Springs Hotel - was built very quickly after Banff became the first National Park in Canada in 1885. Thanks to the CPR, the railway began to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors every year!



It still stands today, as majestic as the day it was first built. I remember staying in this hotel twice as a teenager when our High School Choir group sang in the festivals in the small town of Banff.



We went to Canmore on our way home, and was craving dessert. We went to a place called Divine Cravings, and it served delicious crepes. I enjoyed a caramel, almond, and praline ice cream topped crepe, while Jos ordered a pear, honey, almond crepe. They were both yummy, but I really liked mine better. I wish I had a photo. We are most definately travelling to Canmore again! Its so close, and yet, you really feel like you are 'out and about' somewhere fun!

We started our journey back into Calgary, as I had to get back and write my talk for church the next day. As soon as we passed Morley, the fog and cold appeared. Appearantly, it was cold and foggy in Calgary ALL day. I'm glad we picked a great day to have faith that the weather would be good when we got there.

Happy Valentines Day everyone!