Living the high life in High River Alberta Canada

What a quaint town and we only happened upon it by sheer luck or maybe bad luck. We left St. Regis Montana and headed for the border of Canada. We made it across and were surrounded by the vast nothingness of the Canadian plains. We pressed on hoping to find a town or campsite but as the light of the night left us we slowly realized we were not going to have a place to take shelter for the night so boondocking was are only option. But even boondocking felt scary in a new country. We were not familiar with the laws of camping or overnight parking in Canada. After much searching, with very little internet access, we stumbled upon a large gravel lot with 2 semi trucks docked. We took a chance and snuggled up next to the truckers and hunkered down for the night. Oh yeah... not only is it 11:30pm but its also raining so stopping was a smart call.

Thank goodness for the gravel lot in Claresholm because the next moring after we fed the kids and got back on the road the engine light came on in the RV and the engine pulled way back and only allowed Kris to drive 30mph. We pulled over to lighten the load and detached the CRV. I followed behind the RV into the small town of High River where there was a RV repair shop, High River Autoplex & RV. It would take a few hours for the RV to be assessed and the good people at the Autoplex recommended Smitty's for breakfast. 

So off to Smitty's we went to ponder all the possibilities that could be wrong with the RV and the cost that could be mounting as we scarf down our oatmeal and S'mores pancakes. 

While at the RV Autoplex Kris does what he does so well and becomes chatty with the people at the service desk. They recommended George Lane Park for camping. They said it would probably be some of the nicest and closest camping we were gonna get to Calgary due to the Stampede. Luckily they had one spot left. And to our surprise there was nothing wrong with the RV. They re-set the lights and suggested the engine was just "tired" after such a long day of travel. 

Needless to say we were all tried and needed to stay put for a bit. The campground had plenty availability for weeks to come. We booked for a week and what a wonderful week it turned out to be. 

After a day of rest we headed to Banff. Banff is absolutely breathtaking. A "must do" if you are any kind of nature lover.

SIDE NOTE: It's a bit more touristy than I would have thought. The town is a hustle and bustle of hodge podge shops and earteries. 

We walked around the down town hitting up the visitors center to get the scoop on family friendly hikes and must not miss attractions. And of course we had to visit Cows ice cream shop. 

SIDE NOTE: Not sure why we keep buying the kids ice cream. We have given up dairy for the most part. I do not buy any dairy products for our home. The kids are allowed to make dairy choices when we eat out. The kids ate about 1/4 of their ice cream and pitched the rest. Ugh

The kids were not in any mood to hike. All they wanted to do was swim at the resort pool. Not that I can blame them...the resort had 2 water slides. What kid wants to hike in the heat when there's water slides. 

We made a deal with the kids. If they got to do what they wanted for the rest of the day then tomorrow, without whinning, they would do what we wanted. The little devil's made a deal with us that night, so off to the pool we went. Kris let me leave and go by myself on a hike. 

I decided to Google safe hikes to do alone in Banff. I wanted to hike but also wanted to be safe. Johnston Upper and Lower Falls was recommended so off I went. 

It was beautiful and so peaceful. Only me, my spirit and my thoughts to keep me company. It's crazy how your spirit will speak to you when you slow down and give it the space it deserves. My stress lifted, my heart became happy as I walked along the trail raking my hands over the rock, absorbing its energy and soaking in its message of strength. I am light. I am strong. I am divine. My soul speaks in places of nature. I can hear it's song when I am not distracted by the daily obligations and chores of keeping the family moving forward. I wish I would have taken more advantage of San Diego's natural wonders. We did a lot of hiking as a family in San Diego but I should have allowed myself the time to so such things alone. As a mom I never ever give myself permission to feed my soul, to do things of worth to me. I need this time. All moms need this time yet most of us fill our time with family, work, extended family, volunteerism, church, benefits, the list could go on and on. I can only speaks for me but I NEEDED and NEED this time so desperately for my own mental health. I am so happy when I return home. I have  new energy and my patience and ability to be present is renewed. 

Moving on....

The next day we drive from Banff to Jasper. I was blown away. This drive is one of the most scenic drives I have ever taken. The size, color and massive variation of landscape is a sight to behold. The lakes and streams hold a magical blue-green color that even crayola is unable to match. Where did this color come from?

We made it to the Icefields where there is a glacier. We told the kids they would be able to walk out on a sheer piece of ice however Banff capitalized on this wonder and charged a fee to walk or be driven onto the ice. We were all a bit disappointed and settled to looking at the glacier from afar. The cost was just not something we felt was necessary to walk on ice so we passed. The kids were not impressed to say the least and spent time building balancing rock towers. So back in the car we ventured for another hour and a half and headed to Lake Louise. Lake Louise is beautiful. We didn't stay long but the pictures we got were breathtaking. 

We spent a week in this area so I will blog more about Calgary, the Stampede and a local outdoor concert headline by Nancy Laberge. Check her out on YouTube. She is amazing. Pure, honest sound. She put on an amazing show. And she is funny. She could totally do stand up if singing doesn't work out.