We arrived at Spring Creek RV in Canmore, AB at 3:10pm on Friday. It was hot! They had us in a site that was too short and next to a lot of people who lived in the park so we asked if maybe we could move to a pull through site. They were able to move us and we ended up at the end of a row of trailers that apparently are camping together for the long weekend (Monday, July 1 is Canada Day). There is a creek that runs around the RV park called Policeman's Creek and it is very swift, shallow and clear. We can see a little of it from the back window in our trailer but there are a lot of trees that line the banks. But the view of the mountains all around us is gorgeous!
On Saturday we decided to walk into Canmore, the downtown area, from the campground. It was about a 15-minute walk through Spring Creek Village which are brand new condos, shops, future senior adult living and hotel/conference center. They are very beautifully built with stone and cedar and river rock. The town of Canmore is beautiful with shops and restaurants lining both sides of the street. We decided to eat lunch at the Grizzly Paw Brewery and it was excellent. We sat out on the patio which got very warm. We had steak bites wrapped in bacon with a chipotle aioli and then Scott had an elk burger for lunch and I had fish and chips. Delicious!
After walking back to the campground and a little nap, we drove into downtown Banff, which was only about a 20-minute drive. We saw where the flooding took out part of the highway bridge and crossed slowly on the temporary road. There are still roads in Canmore that are closed and there is a mandatory boiling order for the town of Canmore.
It was hard to find parking in Banff because the spaces in the parking lots were very small and the town was very busy. We found a spot in a neighborhood and walked a couple blocks to the downtown area. Banff is bigger than Canmore and seems more tourist-y. There were lots of lodges and hotels and restaurants and cheesy gift shops. We had fun walking around though and decided to eat dinner at Magpie & Stumps, a mexican cantina. And because it was so warm, we chose to sit outside. The service was very slow, however, and by the time we got our chips & salsa, the weather had changed and the winds picked up, blowing cotton from the trees making it look like snow. Then came the rain, thunder and lightning. I have never heard thunder like I have here in Canada. I now know the true meaning of "rolling thunder"! And for those who know me well, I don't do well with thunder and lightning. So, we ran back to the truck and headed back to the campground.
I haven't taken many pictures since we've been here, but I will! The internet in the campground is very intermittent and so we are sitting in a Starbucks right now using their free wi-fi. Tomorrow we have reservations for the Banff Gondola and the "Oh Canada, Eh!" dinner show in Canmore. So pictures will definitely be coming!
Thinking of you all as we watch the weather report and see how warm it has been and will be in the coming week. We will be enjoying the same here :).
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