Next stop - The Rockies

 Well that ridiculously early night worked a treat! 

Hmm ok I shall back track ever so slightly…I was having a lovely chilled time writing up the blog and then reading my book (The latest Thursday Murder Club) when Dan arrived back within what felt like seconds, all excited and refreshed from his time in the pool and jacuzzi. ‘Let’s go to the sauna’ he says. Ahem I’m in my PJ’s Dan. 

‘Yeah it’s fine get changed’ …‘Into what exactly, I’ve told you I forgot to pack any swimwear’… ‘oh it’s fine, just wear some knickers or something’.  

NO DAN.. for one I was all happy and chilled here and for two, really, just my knickers or something 😂😂! 

Anyway, he calmed down the giddiness and settled in and I think we had both crashed out by 9pm..easily!! 

Awake nice and early, as you’d expect and then a quick early morning wander for breakfast. A nice simple breakfast too ☺️.

And then we were off again.. Banff bound.

The journey was long but seemed to fly by much quicker than the last and it was almost the same distance. We stopped along the route to buy our Park pass which was a relief do that we knew we were now ‘legal’ and also wouldn’t have to stop / be in any queues to get it in Banff.

We stopped in Golden for a lovely lunch - I had a lobster roll on a Hoagie. Oh god it was so good! Dan had a veggie poutine which was also really tasty.

Golden itself is stunning and the weather was sunny and clear which added to it. 

(Size of that sandwich!! Dan looks like he had a tiny bowl of salad!! )

On the journey we spotted some strangely named places - 

Predator Ridge.. I mean yeah, that’s a welcoming sounding place.

Salmon arms - they don’t have bloody arms so why name it after that??!!

And Skunk Cabbage Boardwalk…I don’t even know where to start with that one!!? 

We crossed a time zone as we went from British Columbia to Alberta (meaning we lost an hour) but we still made great time and were parked up at our Bow View Lodge Hotel before we knew it. In the rain. And cold. It was around 3 degrees I think. 

Checked in and did a decent unpack/re-org as we’re here for three nights. 

Original plan was to walk along the river and get to Bow Falls which is right at the bottom of downtown. The weather though said otherwise, as it was grey, murky and sleeting. 

We headed into town and off to ‘Sheepdog Brewing’ for a couple of refreshers whilst I chilled from the drive and we worked out where to go for food .

Toilet wallpaper was highly amusing in here too…

It was good in there but the man with the overly ‘I’m great fun’ laugh got mildly irritating after a while!! 

We went on to Banff Ave Brewing for a couple more and some food. The manager in there was really entertaining and loved that we were from Manchester. 

He did like to think he had the British humour nailed  - ie pisstaking ways because he’d lived in Australia for 20 years… hmmm not quite mate! But you were a good laugh still! 

Started to fade around 10ish so we headed back. 

Bloody hell it is COLD here!! Yeah it is what I kind of wanted and expected tbf (well,  it is Canada in October) but shit a brick…it’s SO cold 🥶 

Due to be -8 tomorrow morning.. warms up to 0 degrees by midday but will / should be sunny! 

So excited for tomorrow’s activities. My itinerary shall beginith….or is it begineth?? 🤔