wrapping it up in Waterton

If you ask me, there is no better way to end the 2010 camping season than with a fantastic trip down to Waterton Lakes National Park - an annual tradition for us over the past few years. We couldn't have asked for better weather to make this trip such a huge success either. Yes we did have the odd shower, and the traditional Waterton wind storm (nothing like 100 km/hour winds slamming the side of the trailer all night!), but all in all we had very warm temperatures. Usually we only spend 3 nights down in the park, but this year we decided to extend that and stay 5 nights. Totally a good decision, as we didn't get to do everything that we had on our list. So what exactly did we do down in my favourite part of the Rockies?

We sat, we threw rocks, we ran, we climbed, we played, we ate ice cream and chocolate covered gummi worms, we were visited everyday by the local deer - Bree & Jenna loved this, and we had fun!

We went to an interpretive show every night (love these so much - Aidan got involved one night...he was a berry bush!), we stayed up late one clear evening to gaze at the stars - fantastic!, and we frequented the brand new sprinkler park and playground. Aside from all of this...check out the pics below to see what else we were up to!

For Brent's birthday, we did the "totally tourist thing" and rented a Surrey for an hour and drove around the townsite. Let me tell ya....we made quite the scene when the six of us pedalled and giggled our way down the main street of Waterton! I think we are actually in a few people's videos! We also learned never to let Aidan steer - no explanation needed here!

Aidan, Maelle, and I set off one morning to hike up to Lower Bertha Falls. Such a nice hike! We had done an interpretative show the night before that was all about wild flowers, so I thought it would be fun to take some pics of all the berries and wildflowers along the way - kinda turning it into a game if you will - but Aidan (a tad grouchy that day) had absolutely no part of it. He explained later to Brent that Maelle and I were slowpokes, and that all we did was stop at every flower and berry bush the entire way back, and we would have been back a lot sooner if we hadn't done this. Apparently we cost him valuable ice cream time. Who knew?

Ok....here's my highlight! I got the opportunity (thank you Brent!) to get Aidan and Maelle out in a canoe up at Cameron Lake! AMAZING! I seriously could have stayed out on the water all day. The lake was like glass when we arrived, making it perfect for a quiet paddle. I was hoping to get to the end of the lake with the idea that we may luck out and catch a glimpse of a black bear, but no such luck. The boat we had was meant for stability, not speed.

Nonetheless, I am now even more desperate to get some sort of boat for next year. The kids did awesome, and I think I may have a few paddlers in my midst!

So my dear Waterton...once again you have left us in awe. We left totally inspired and already we are planning our camping adventures for next year. We know one thing for certain...we will be back. We will be back to walk your rocky shoreline, explore your rugged trails, paddle your glassy lakes, and breathe in that crisp mountain air that I love so much.

Cheers Waterton! We'll see you again next year!

zoo day!

There is always something new to discover at the Calgary Zoo, and today was no different. We took a little family trip (we were also joined by Auntie Ky and Rory) and spent the morning checking out some of the new attractions that the zoo had too offer, and we were not disappointed. The kids investigated the new Dorothy Harvey Gardens and Butterfly Conservatory, then it was a quick hello to the gorillas, giraffes, and hippos - always a favourite, and then a step back in time to the age of the dinosaurs. Totally fun!


Bree and Jenna making a discovery! These ladies were fascinated by the hundreds of butterflies flitting around the conservatory. It's not quite like the butterfly conservatory in Niagara, but hey...this is Calgary! It will do!


Jenna gets a little jumpy as her butterfly makes a quick get away.


Not your typical species at the zoo! "Dinosaur Live" is currently on display which features a handful of moving, and roaring dinosaurs in a natural landscape. Aidan guided us all through the pathways and giggled away as he watched our reactions to what lurked around every corner. He has done this area of the zoo several times, so he knew where every dinosaur was hiding. I'm not sure what was more fun...seeing the dinosaurs or watching Aidan get so excited!

The kids work on uncovering a T-Rex skeleton. Such little paleontologists! Wouldn't this be fun to make for a sand box? Ok...maybe not. But I am thinking about it!


And to round out the day....a ride on the brand new carousel!



As summer slowly slips away, and the start of another school year seems to be just around the corner, we still have lots left on our agenda. We have many play dates, visits, bbq's, farm trips, and a few more camping trips still remaining unchecked. I find it hard to believe that the summer has gone by so quickly. We have had some cooler days and nights, and I can't help but to anticipate the arrival of my favourite season....Fall! And with Fall, comes the chance that soon we will be seeing those lovely little white flecks begin to flutter through the air! Oh come on! You know that I love snow! I can't help but to get excited....just a little early!

entertained

Who needs tv?

The washer and dryer will do nicely.
Here's to a lazy weekend puttering around the house....and doing laundry!

the horse whisperer

I think Jenna has found a new love...

Meet "Lougheed". A beautiful horse that captured this girl's heart yesterday afternoon while wandering through the stables at Spruce Meadows. Everytime I walk through these stables, a little part of me would love a horse too. They are so beautiful. Their eyes just melt my heart. Thankfully though, Spruce Meadows is just a short stroll away!

Lake Louise & Lake Agnes

So here we are at part three, the final leg of our summer journey. Lake Louise and Lake Agnes. We decided to stop at Lake Louise for a couple of days on the way back to Calgary to do a little hiking and exploring. We don't get up to this area that often so we thought it would be nice to spend a little time here and take in some of the sights. The main purpose was of course to get Aidan and Maelle out on the trails and to do some hiking. After scouring the maps, I decided to give Lake Agnes a go, using the tea house at the lake as a bit of a lure. Well, it worked! These kids hiked a 7km round trip trail, with a 400m elevation gain. Wow! Needless to say I was so very proud of them. I was one beaming mama! I honestly thought they wouldn't do it. We played games along the way, and stopped for breaks at spots selected by Aidan. Let me tell ya....Aidan was a machine. He loved the route finding, and climbing over the rocks and every time we got a bit of a view on the way up or down he stood jaw dropped and kept saying "look how high we are!" Awesome! It was also nice to see how he helped Maelle - a very determined little gal I might add - along the trail. Now, on the way back down, there was a little bit of tired whining, but considering we were on a long and boring downhill stretch with nothing to scramble over or look at, I would whine too! As promised, once we arrived safely back from our hike, we made our way through the masses and masses of tourists (one of the main reasons we don't visit this area in summer!) and found some ice cream at the Chateau Lake Louise for a reward. I am still beaming at these kids for doing this hike. Totally exceeded my expectations! Needless to say they slept really well that night - even through the train horns and rumbling that shook our trailer throughout the night. I think our part of the campsite was where the horn blowing started. Lovely.

On the way up! Glimpses back down to Lake Louise.

A quick stop at Mirror Lake at the base of the Big Beehive for a break and a snack.

Success! We made it to the tea house! I still can't believe that these two little hikers made it all the way!

A well deserved cookie and dinosaur shaped tea biscuits and jam. Ok...these were probably the most expensive biscuits and cookie I have ever ordered!


A beautiful view of Lake Agnes, not too far from where we ate our lunch.

The way back down had some amazing views.

The kids loved hiking and picking their way through the rocks.

We also spent some time wandering the trails just off our campsite along the Bow River. That was until they closed them due to a female grizzly and her cubs. Fair enough.

Cooling off in the Bow River while hunting for rocks.

Now that we are back at home, we are slowly settling into a normal summer routine. We have a few weeks around the house in which we hope to spend much of it outside. We actually had our very first family bike ride today with everyone! Fantastic! Looking forward to more of that, hopefully some more hiking with Aidan and Maelle, some summer bbq's with friends, but most importantly...some good ole' being lazy. Outside of course!

Our next camping adventure has us heading down to Waterton for almost a week at the end of August, before Aidan heads back to school and begins grade one. Yes....grade one. I am so not ready. I am also not ready for Maelle to start pre-school. Sniff. There are going to be a few major adjustments around here come the fall and no doubt they will have us all hopping!

Tofino

Next up....our time in Tofino! This part of the trip was considered our "special treat" as we were staying at more of a resort campground, so I guess it wasn't really camping per say. We have stayed here in the past, and we thought it would be nice to wrap up our visit to the island with a little treat for Brent and I, and the kids. I love this side of the island. It's more rugged, there is more sea life, and the waves are awesome! The only drawback is it can be quite a bit cooler and the fog rolls in at any given time of the day - which I love - and the weather changes at a moment's notice. Not a big deal, unless of course you book a sea kayaking trip that gets postponed then cancelled due to choppy waters because of a gail that blew in that wasn't forecasted. Total bummer for me but I am not bitter....sheesh. Anyways, we filled our days with lots of beach walks, a trip into Tofino (where I scored a print from a favourite artist of mine - Roy Vickers), an evening at Long Beach watching the surfers, some hiking on what we refer to as "mystical island", a little whale watching for Brent, Aidan and Maelle (that didn't go quite as planned), and some good ole' playground time. I should also mention, that there was free coffee every morning! Woohoo! Dakota also loved this place as the resort allows dogs to be off leash on the beach....allowing Dakota to explore at her own will and sample some of the local seafood that washed up on the beach every day. Nice!
So....let's get to the pics.

Beachcombing and exploring the tide pools is always a treat.



Ahhh yes...the whale watching. Should have done a bit more research on this one, and picked a better weather day. Apparently the orcas (which I have seen in the past - not in Tofino) do not come into the waters where the Tofino boats go. Strike one.

The Tofino boats also head out into the open ocean not the surrounding inlets and straits. Therefore going whale watching on a foggy and rainy morning leads to choppy waters, and a boat full of sick people. Thankfully our clan made it through unscathed but only saw two whale tails, some sea lions, lots of waves, and lots of sky. Strike two. Note to self: next time whale watch out of Telegraph Cove, and only Telegraph Cove!

Hiking through the tangle of tree roots and logs on "mystical island" popping out every now and then to find views like this.

Very cool to watch the waves roll into the little surge channels and then get sucked back out. Mesmerizing.

Watching the surf at Long Beach.


Priorities.


Peaceful.


Enjoying our last evening on the beach.


All in all it was a fun time in Tofino. Even though I couldn't get out in the sea kayak, and the kids had a bit of a bad experience with the whales, we all still had a good time and were in good spirits in the end. The "resort" camping is nice, but in all honesty I do prefer camping like that at Miracle Beach, where it's just you and nature. Funny enough....so did the kids! Go figure. "Less is more"!
Up next....Lake Louise and our hike up to Lake Agnes!