Tuesday, August 16, 2005 –

This morning we woke up and had a late breakfast before driving out to Moraine Lake, located about 9 miles from Lake Louise. We hiked to some overlooks of the beautiful blue lake, one of the most beautiful bodies of water I have ever seen. We saw the scenic backdrop of the Valley of the Ten Peaks, which at one point was portrayed on the back of the $10 Canadian bill.

Moraine Lake

Afterwards, we drove towards the town of Banff, a resort town and one of Canada’s most popular tourist destinations, known for its mountainous surroundings and hot springs. It also is famous for its hiking, climbing and skiing. The town is the tourist center of Banff National Park.

Banff National Park is one of the most visited national parks in North America, with more than 4 million visitors every year. Established in 1885, it is Canada’s oldest national park. The Canadian Pacific Railway built much of the town including the Banff Springs Hotel. The Scottish-style hotel was built during the 19th century to be one of Canada’s grand railway hotels. It offers stunning views across the Bow River valley toward Mount Rundle.

The most famous attraction in Banff is the Upper Hot Springs, near town. The hot pool is outdoors and offers beautiful views of Mount Rundle. The water temperature is about 100 degrees. We definitely enjoyed our relaxing soak.

After soaking up Banff, we had dinner at a steakhouse in town. We went to a few souvenir shops before getting back into the Jeep to drive back to Lake Louise and our hotel.