To Banff and Beyond

Wow, just wow! No words can describe the views of the Rocky Mountains, see below. It was absolutely stunning, and what luck we had with the weather. Crystal clear skies and some low clouds met we could see for miles from the top of the mountains. We went to the top of the Sulfur Mountain by taking a Gondola up and then walked to the old meteorologist outpost. What I found most fascinating about this trip was that my Canadian Pop Culture class had just learned about Banff and its origins. Like when I traveled to Europe after taking European history, I find it really interesting to learn about the history of a place and then see it!!

Brief history on Banff: 

     Banff was started after some railway workers discovered the "Cave & Basin" in Sulfur Mountain (essentially a hot spring). The Canadian government then made the area a National Park to protect if from commercialization and to help keep it's natural beauty. the Canadian Pacific Railway also laid down tracks so tourists could get to Banff. Today, people come from all over the world for the great ski/snowboarding mountains, views, and hot springs.

I didn't go to a hot spring, but I heard they were just really warm pools with views of the mountain. Instead, after Sulfur Mountain, a group of us went to get some lunch and then wandered around downtown Banff. We got some fudge and a few of them had a Beaver Tail (similar to an Elephant Ear - pastry with toppings, but shaped like a Beaver Tail). 

I can't wait for mom and dad to come visit in April and see all the views that I got to see last Saturday, they are all truly breathtaking! 

On 24 January, I went to a professional Lacrosse game (Calgary Roughnecks vs. Edmonton Rush - aka Battle for Alberta). It was awesome! Lacrosse is a national sport for Canada and is very popular, plus the fights on the field are entertaining :)

Next stop - after midterms, labs, and a research proposal - Fort McMurry, to view the northern lights, see oil sands (if we're luck) and just general exploration of central Alberta and getting out of Calgary for a few days :)