Anniversary Trip

We decided to take a weekend trip to celebrate our anniversary (41st) but really it was a weekbeginning trip since we left on Sunday and returned Monday evening.  We also wanted to spend a little money in towns that had suffered from the flood, Canmore and Banff.

We slept in Sunday after a great anniversary dinner made Saturday night by our daughter, Meg, then headed out Highway 1A.  The traffic on this highway travels at a leisurely pace and that was our mood.  We planned to do some letterboxing along the way but missed the turn-off to Kananakis Country so changed our plans.  There is a box hidden at Grotto Pond near Exshaw so we headed there.  By the time we arrived, it was nearing lunch and the trek to the box was about an hour. My stomach rules my life so instead of doing the hike, we headed to Dead Man's Flats.

There are several stories as to why it's called this.  My favourite is the tale of two First Nation trappers who were poaching and fooled a warden by playing dead.  The reality is probably the version that says it was coined to foster tourism in the area.

The box we sought was close to the trailhead so would be quick to find.  We had walked this trail with Glen's cousin, Alan, about 30 years ago and suffice to say, things have changed.  For one, there is a parking lot with washroom facilities.  The trail was lovely and we had a great stroll through the forest until we came to the creek.  The letterbox was hidden under a pile of stones beneath the first bridge.  Problem was, there was no bridge.  There was certainly no letterbox.  The creek was filled with flood debris and the banks badly eroded.  We saw where the water levels had been and it was scary the power this tiny creek had.  Newly-laid stepping stones linked the trail across the creek bed and even though we did a search, nothing that resembled a letterbox did we find.

Next up was lunch at our favourite restaurant in Canmore.  The Grizzly Paw patio was packed so we ate upstairs.  They had run out of Glen's favourite beer, Powder Hound Pilsner so we had a pitcher of Rutting Elk Red which I like.  He had a burger while I enjoyed a Veggie Panni.  We both loved their Roughage salad.  We've had it many times and each time, it's served differently.  This time it came layered in a ramakin dish so tossing it was difficult.

After lunch we headed into a part of Canmore where we've never ventured.  A letterbox took us to a lookout above the town and gave us a good view of the Bow Valley.  The box, planted by Ontario boxers, had been destined for the Ink Pots at the top of Johnston's Canyon but due to the flood, never made it.

Another Ontario boxer planted two in Banff so we headed to Tunnel Mountain to find those.  We realized as we drove past the campground, we had never been there before even though we've lived in Alberta for over 35 years.  Isn't it always the way that a tourist finds places a resident never does.  The boxes were on the popular, Hoodoo trail.  One family stopped and asked if we were geocaching as they had just found one further along the trail.  We explained what letterboxing was about and I think we may have piqued their interest in this hobby.

We had booked a room at the Holiday Inn in Canmore.  The hotel has had several owners over the years and I guess Holiday Inn hasn't decided what to do with it.  The restaurant/bar was closed which they hadn't mentioned on their website and one customer had been told they served a 'free' breakfast.  We had hoped to eat in the restaurant so Glen tried to goggle nearby eateries but the hotel wifi was not working.  Other than those problems, it was a great hotel--very picturesque.

A friend's daughter who lives in Canmore, mentioned the Iron Goat restaurant when we said we were making this trip.  It was close to our hotel so we opted for that.  What a gem!  It sits on the top of a hill with a great view of the Three Sisters (famous Canmore landmark).  The food was excellent and not expensive.  Glen had a meatloaf of bison, elk and lamb while I had the 'catch of the day' which was a seafood and chicken paella steamed in a banana leaf.  It was cooked perfectly and the mussels were fresh and not 'rubbery'.  Yay!!  We drank at Czech-type Pilsner from Big Rock Brewery called Saaz Republic Pilz.  While choosing our beer, we learned our server was also from Ottawa and went to Carleton U, our alma mater.

Back at the hotel, we talked to our real estate agent and made the decision to sell the house to a couple with whom we'd been negotiating for two weeks.  It seemed a good way to end our anniversary day.

We were up early Monday and drove to Banff before having breakfast.  We were going to hit a coffee shop but then remembered Phil's.  As you drive to the Banff Springs Hotel, you pass Phil's.  Like the Hoodoos, we knew it was there but had never been inside.  As we pulled into the parking lot, it looked as if the place were closed.  It wasn't but we were the only customers.  Breakfast is Phil's forte and it's been serving it since the 1960s in this location.  Glen had bacon and eggs while I had sausages and hash browns (chunky but you could have them shredded).  The coffee was good and the orange juice tasted freshly squeezed.  Other customers arrived just as we left.

We decided to walk the golf course because it is only 9 holes.  We planned playing 18 with lunch in between so walking was a good option.  We hit a few balls on the driving range then paired up with Jan and Cathy, two locals about our age.  We all struggled at some points in the game so it look 2.5 hours to play.  I did get a par which I felt good about.  It is not an easy course.  Glen actually killed a ground squirrel with one of his drives.  The poor thing had stupidly made its burrow in front of the tee boxes.

We had lunch in the clubhouse which Cathy called Battlestar Galactica, enjoying Banff Springs Lager with French Onion soup.  The soup was very salty and when the served asked if we wanted salt and pepper, I nearly laughed out loud.  Our second tee time was 2:15 but we were ready to go at 1:45 so they let us play.  The clouds were quite dark by this time and we had rain off and on during the game.  We played with another Glen so that wasn't a hard name to remember.  He was an excellent golfer so we did the course in 2 hours.  Unfortunately, I'd been having back pain for a couple of days and by the last hole, I could no longer swing a club.  I caddied for Glen which was fun, too.

When we got back home, we signed the final documents to sell our house.  A new phase in our lives begins which is exhilarating and scary at the same time.

Chapter V -- Holiday's End

Some of you may be curious as to why I've labeled these summer blogs chapters.  At the beginning of our holiday, I thought I might find time to finish the last chapters in the book I'm writing with the working title of Sarah.  I know I have only a few chapters left and I'm pretty sure I know how they unfold.  But in writing, as in life, things rarely follow set plans.  My characters do have minds of their own and can throw me off at any moment.  So, until it is actually written, I don't really know how my book ends.  I do know how my holiday ends, though -- we go back to Calgary.  So, by calling the blogs chapters, I can tell myself I did get my chapters written even if they did not add to my book's word count.

We spent the final week trying to cram in everything we wanted to do before leaving.  Monday, we had the van serviced and after 19 years, finally replaced the spark plugs.  The beast now has the same shape as the newer caravans and could pass as a new model although it lacks that 'new car' smell.  It's great for ferrying around golf clubs and carts as well as people when they visit.

I had spent a couple of hours on the weekend carving a letterbox stamp and preparing the box for planting so Monday afternoon we headed to Cedar Hill again but this time not to golf.  We walked along the nature path that skirts the course and found the perfect spot to hide the box off the 4th green.  We watched those playing and figured we aren't as bad as we thought we were.

Tuesday, we golfed Mt Doug with the S and M team, Nigel (a Scot) and Mario (a Mexican) were a delight and I discovered I'm not the only one who tosses a club when frustrated.  Perhaps there is a little Latino blood in me.  As usual, we stopped at Galey Farms for strawberries, beans, and cherries.

Who knew we'd ever golf two days in a row but because of a tournament on Thursday at Cedar Hill, we ended up golfing again on Wednesday.  We were paired up with two singletons, Ann and Don, both excellent golfers.  Again I was glad to have my walking shade even though the clouds seemed to come and go.  My golf this summer has been iffy so I'm thinking I need another lesson.  You do pick up bad habits that go unnoticed until someone points them out to you.

Thursday, we decided to have a day of rest but in the end, it still meant a long walk to the beach and a favourite coffee shop.  Ross Bay is a lovely wild, winter beach and in the summer it seems quite tame but is still beautiful.  As I explored some tidal pools, Glen enjoyed watching the ships and sea birds.  That evening, we finally got together with the neighbours who live down the hall and kindly keep an eye on our place when we aren't here.  Ray and Cynthia also let us use their parking spot when we drive to Victoria which we really appreciate since parking on the street can be problematic.  We went to Christie's as one can always relax with friends in one's local pub.  Cynthia ordered grilled fish as the fish in her fish and chips and I followed suit.  I'm not into heavy batters but didn't realize I could opt out at Christie's.  Glen devoured a huge yorkie stuffed with beef while Ray indulged in his favourite, bangers and mash.

Friday, it rained for the first time since we arrived.  Our plans to walk down to BCAA and renew the van's registration went ahead as did a stop at the bank and Don Mees.  The Yummy-yummy lady served us my favourite sesame buns.  Our table quickly became laden with mostly seafood dim sum dishes and we brought home enough for supper so I didn't have to cook.

Saturday, we shopped at the Pandora store in Victoria for another charm for my bracelet.  This time a ferry which seemed appropriate.  That evening I wore it to dinner at the Marina in restaurant in Oak Bay.  We had our 'usual' waiter, Paul, who treated us well.  We enjoyed Evening Cove, Komo Gway and Zen oysters and although they are all the same species of oyster (Japanese), we loved their different tastes.  The Zen had a lovely buttery flavour.  We both ordered the special of grilled Steelhead trout on Warba heirloom potatoes which were introduced to British Columbia in the 1920s apparently from Argentina (read my blog Buenos Aires).  We had a lovely white wine with dinner from the Terravista Vineyards called Fandango and it actually tastes as the name implies, a lively dance of crisp citrus flavours.  Glen had apple cake for dessert while I had a Monte Cristo coffee.  Later, Glen smoked a Cohiba cigar on the balcony.

Sunday, we decided to golf again at Mt Doug and did so with another couple our age, Chris and Emily. It was such a fun morning and Glen got a birdie and a par so he was thrilled.  A doe and her fawn ate blackberries along the edge of one fairway with no fear of us or our golf balls.  We stopped in at Galey Farms for our final feed of strawberries then spent the rest of the day organizing stuff for our trip home.

The first Monday in August is BC Day so a holiday for everyone but us as we packed and readied the condo for our departure.  It won't be empty long as this year has been one for visitors using it.