A Lot Can Happen in 32 Hours (Part 2)
We were up bright and early in our Hinton dorm room. Part of my preparation on Thursday was making rhubarb muffins. So all we had to to is fill gas and hit the road because breakfast was taken care of. Today was going to be a good day!
An interesting thing I noticed as we drove, which I have never seen before, was some of the campground signs. Being new to RV ownership, I had never paid attention before. Many of the National Park campgrounds had maximum RV size at 25 feet. Gudrid is 30 feet long. Good to know for the future!
On this August long weekend, it was pouring rain. We parked in the lot, pulled out my handy dandy travel umbrella and started exploring. After poking around some shops, picking up some birthday and Christmas presents, we found the museum. I had to get my fridge magnets and stickers, of course.
I have never been to Maligne Lake, it is stunning. It has an adorable little boathouse which rents canoes and paddleboats. You can book lake cruises, as well. If you are planning to go, we learned it was cheaper to book online ahead of time. We might have been tempted, but the rain clouds seemed to have followed us up the mountain.
Our next stop was Athabasca Falls. We had perfect weather while we were there. It's right off the highway, very easy to get to. Unlike many scenic waterfalls, you get to be up close and personal. Hear the deafening roar and stand in the spray. It's awe inspiring!
The final leg of our journey, before heading home, was the Columbia Icefield. Unfortunately we got there at 5:15, and the interpretive centre closed at 5. The bus to the ice and the glass skywalk are very expensive. If you plan to go, I would suggest checking online for deals ahead of time. On the bright side there are real bathrooms and a Starbucks! (If those sorts of things are important to you!)
As we bade farewell to the National parks, the heavens opened up and it rained almost the entire way home. Our perseverance was rewarded with a double rainbow close to Abraham Lake (just past Nordegg, very much worth the drive!) We were hoping to stop there, because the lake is gorgeous, but it wasn't meant to be!
I had only been to Jasper twice briefly in the past. Neither time was long enough to explore. The first was chaperoning a school ski trip (with an infant). The second was coming home from BC, and the weather was so bad we had to stop for the night.
This summer, until September, all the National Parks have free admission. So if you can, take advantage of that and visit a park close to you! We have 48 National Parks in Canada, and I want to see them all!
An interesting thing I noticed as we drove, which I have never seen before, was some of the campground signs. Being new to RV ownership, I had never paid attention before. Many of the National Park campgrounds had maximum RV size at 25 feet. Gudrid is 30 feet long. Good to know for the future!I love how the parks have signs which tell you the name of the mountain you are looking at. This one is Mushroom Peak!
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| Jasper takes it's golf history seriously. There is a whole section of the museum dedicated to it |
The Jasper museum is small, but lovely. People can adopt the various taxidermy animals, which gives them the privilege of naming them. The gift shop has a great selection of books.
By lunchtime I needed a break from walking around in the rain, the time I took to style my hair this morning was a total waste! We decided to drive up to Maligne Lake. The first few km of the mountain roads looked like a scene from a post-apocalyptic movie. The fire devastation was vast. Many side roads and trails were closed. As we climbed higher, we drove out of it. We also drove out of the rain, Yay!
We could have easily spent a whole afternoon up here, but we did want to make a few more stops, weather permitting.
We got a patio table at The View. They have burgers so good that I didn't even put ketchup on it. If you know me, you know that's saying something!
A shower popped up, and our waiter got us a huge canvas umbrella. We didn't get a drop on us while we enjoyed our lunch with an unimpeded view of the lake.
You know the expression "If you don't like the weather in Alberta, wait five minutes "? I have a new twist. "If you don't like the weather in Alberta, drive 5 miles!" We drove in and out of rain and sun so many times, I lost count.
Our next stop was Athabasca Falls. We had perfect weather while we were there. It's right off the highway, very easy to get to. Unlike many scenic waterfalls, you get to be up close and personal. Hear the deafening roar and stand in the spray. It's awe inspiring!
The final leg of our journey, before heading home, was the Columbia Icefield. Unfortunately we got there at 5:15, and the interpretive centre closed at 5. The bus to the ice and the glass skywalk are very expensive. If you plan to go, I would suggest checking online for deals ahead of time. On the bright side there are real bathrooms and a Starbucks! (If those sorts of things are important to you!)
One of the most interesting and humbling things about the icefield are the days markers. In the past, both Rob and I were there as young children, in the early 80s. The ice marker for 1982 is relatively close to the parking area. My next visit was with University friends from the Lutheran Student Movement, in 1997. The 1992 marker was a long way from the 1982 one.
As we bade farewell to the National parks, the heavens opened up and it rained almost the entire way home. Our perseverance was rewarded with a double rainbow close to Abraham Lake (just past Nordegg, very much worth the drive!) We were hoping to stop there, because the lake is gorgeous, but it wasn't meant to be!
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