Alberta
While other Americans commemorated our nation’s birthday on July 4th, we crossed into Canada on our way up to the 49th state. We spent our first night north of the border in Calgary, which was caught up in its annual Stampede, a citywide celebration of its frontier roots. We felt a bit out of place without boots or cowboy hats, so it was with some relief that we headed out of town towards the Rocky Mountains early the next morning, Day 7 of our journey to Alaska.
View of downtown Calgary from across the Bow River
Banff National Park 
In 1883, Canadian Pacific Railway construction workers discovered a cave and hot springs in the mountains near the modern town of Banff. Canada established its first national park here in 1885, and the area quickly became a popular destination, facilitated by the railway’s opening of a tourist hotel at Banff (1888) and chalet at Lake Louise (1890). Originally known as Rocky Mountains Park, it was renamed after its largest town in 1930. The Trans-Canada Highway (Alberta Highway 1) cuts across the park, bringing millions of visitors like us through the area each year.
- Click here for more photos from Banff National Park.
BanffFounded as a railway depot, Banff was named for the birthplace of Lord Steven, a former Canadian Pacific Railway director. The town was administered by Parks Canada until its incorporation in 1990. We stayed at the Mountain Country Bed & Breakfast, a simple backyard cottage conveniently located in the middle of town.Lake LouisePrincess Louise Caroline Alberta, the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria and wife of the Marquess of Lorne, Governor General of Canada from 1878 to 1883, gave her name to this lake – as well as to the province in which it is located. At its eastern end, the lake boasts a luxury resort chateau. |  Laura in Banff, on the bridge over the Bow River |
Icefields Parkway
Completed in 1940, the Icefields Parkway (Alberta Highway 93) connects Lake Louise to Jasper, providing a scenic shortcut between Banff and Jasper National Park. This route passes the massive Columbia Icefield, sitting atop a triple Continental Divide: meltwater from its glaciers flows to the Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans via the Athabasca and North Saskatchewan Rivers and tributaries of the Columbia, respectively. Despite the chilly temperatures, often overcast skies, and occasional showers, we thoroughly enjoyed our drive along the spine of the Canadian Rockies.
View of Mount Athabasca from the Icefields Parkway
- Click here for more photos from the Icefields Parkway.