As our Banff adventure draws to a close, we experience a winter wonderland at Lake Louise, and wander through a fairy forest in Revelstoke.
Today we checked out of our accommodation in Canmore and hit the road destined for home, but our Albertan adventure wasn’t over yet.
Our first stop was Lake Louise and the Fairmont Hotel. As we walked into the site, I could understand why it was at the top of the list of tourist attraction recommendations. Before us, a sprawling chateau perched on the edge of a frozen lake, surrounded by mountains plunging into the icy waters. A winter wonderland straight out of a fairytale. Standing on the edge looking out, it was hard to believe the view before me was real. The pinch of the frosty air on my face told me it was. It really does live up to the hype.
Something that had me perplexed about Canada was the public bins. Their design was peculiar, requiring you to pull a lever to release the lid to dispose of rubbish. Janine explained it was a safeguard against bears.
Signs around the hotel grounds stated entrance to the building was reserved for guests only. However, we found an unlocked door and snuck inside for a look.
After Lake Louise, we headed back through Golden and stopped at the Spiral Tunnels. The historic Kicking Horse Pass between Banff and Yoho National Parks was discovered in 1858 by the Palliser Expedition, which was tasked with discovering a possible route across the Rockies for the Canadian Pacific Railway. You can see the entrance to a tunnel as a small dot amidst the green vegetation.
After the tunnels, it was onto Revelstoke. We had passed by this township on our way to Banff, and this time we stopped for lunch. It was a delightful township with a warm and cosy alpine feel.
Our next stop was the Enchanted Forest, a themed attraction with fairytale buildings & storybook characters set in the woods. Maddie was so excited for this stop, and as a lover of fairies, so was I. We meandered through this magical setting, spotting over 350 jolly fairy folk figurines amongst 800-year-old cedar trees. Maddie and I climbed British Columbia’s tallest and grandest tree house.
A setting close to the fishpond caught my attention, giving me a warm reminder of home. It was themed around the Australian bush ballad ‘Waltzing Matilda’.
And I finally spotted some beavers!
Wandering along the path through the Enchanted Forest, we found ourselves immersed in the fairytales and folk stories of old, including ‘The Three Little Pigs’ and ‘The Woman who Lived in a Shoe’.
Amongst it all there were a variety of fairy houses, man-made and nature-made.
Do you see the fungi attached to the log in the image below?
After the Enchanted Forest we were on the home stretch to Penticton. As our Banff adventure drew to a close, our next adventure in was just around the corner, to Janine’s family cabin in 100 Mile House.
Kate Kelsen 