Canadian Rockies

Calgary to Glacier N. P.

From Yellowstone to Glacier National Park

First, I have been asked for pictures of the bears in Yellowstone, so I’ll include a couple, even if they are not good as they were taken from a bus window. After spending one night in Great Falls, Montana, we crossed into Canada at Sweet Grass on Tuesday, June 25. No problem with my passport that I had put through the washer and dryer at home before we left. (Panic)

We stopped for lunch at “Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump” Interpretive Center. (Look it up as it is a fascinating story about how the natives hunted and killed buffalo.) This was a very interesting archeological site.

The destination that night was Calgary, Alberta, where we would start the main tour of the Canadian Rockies. Our lodging was the Sheridan Suites. We said goodbye to our guide, Jim and driver, Patti, and met our new guide, Janine. The one day we had in Calgary included a half-day bus tour of the city. We stopped at the Olympic Park and then a hill overlooking the city where we could see the tower with a revolving restaurant where we would have lunch, the Saddledome where their hockey team plays, and the stadium where the famous Calgary Stampede will be held in two weeks. Lunch at the revolving restaurant was good and we had two revolutions. Afterward I went up one flight to the observation level and walked out onto the glass floor. Paul wouldn’t even go up. After a walk back to the hotel we got ready to leave for Glacier.

On June 27th we drove to Waterton Lakes, where we stayed for our visit to Glacier, we stopped at the Longview Jerky Shop where a family has been making jerky for years and shipping it all over the world. We sampled some and bought a little. The next stop, for a tour and lunch, was the Bar U Ranch which has been in operation since the 1800s. Since it was raining, we got the tour on our bus. We arrived in Waterton, a very small upscale town inside the park on the Alberta side of the border. No buildings in town are over two stories and there are only two short streets with restaurants and gift shops. While waiting for our bags to be delivered to our room, many of us walked with our guide to a nearby waterfall. While there the ranger came by to ask us to stay put as there was a bear roaming through town. One couple from our group had left early the bear had run right past them.

All is going well and we starting to get some nicer weather, but still cool with occasional rain. June 28th we drove to Glacier National Park in Montana, crossing the border down and back. It was a long drive and there was still some snow and a few glaciers on the peaks. It was a beautiful sunny day right up the evening when we were out to dinner and had to walk back to our room.

On to Canmore and Banff tomorrow.

Waterton Lakes, below.