RV ALASKA - Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

After Alan and I left the Bonner County Fairgrounds in Sandpoint, Idaho, and were heading north toward the Canadian border, we agreed that we finally felt like the RV ALASKA trip had begun.  Although we had been on the road for just over three weeks, our days had been full of camping with family and friends and dealing with routine chores and the infamous truck/trailer issue.   With all of the angst behind us, our spirits were lighter and our sense of adventure had rejoined the trip.

Even before we had crossed the border into Canada, we were soaking up the scenery – forested mountains, sparkling lakes, lots of running water.  Because we both grew up in an area with all of these natural features, we were feeling very much at home in our new surroundings.

Alan and I hadn’t been in Canada since our family flew home from a vacation in Alaska 20 years ago.  He has never driven in Canada; the last time I did was at some point during my banking career, probably 40 years ago by now.  So, this was our first border crossing with the truck and trailer, and I was hoping we had all of the documentation we needed.  We left the United States at Eastport, Idaho, and, by the time we presented our Passports to the very pleasant Canadian Border Services Agent stationed at the Canadian entrance booth, the agent had already scanned our license plate.  Her first question was, “Is that a vanity plate?”  Yes, it is.  (ALASKA24 – best souvenir ever!)  “Any alcohol or firearms on board?”  None at all, but we do have bear spray.  “Bear spray is fine.  Here you go.”  And just like that, we had our Passports back in hand, and we were IN!

Before reservations for the campgrounds in Banff National Park had opened for the year back in January, I had identified the Tunnel Mountain Trailer Court as the best option for us.  Alan and I spent quite a bit of time looking at the individual campsites online, and we were lucky enough to get our first choice.  (Parks Canada has a lottery-style reservation system that is exceptionally well-run.  On a scale of 1 to 10, it deserves at least a 15.  It also deserves its own post, which I might tackle in the future.)  Our choice, site A102, had a stunning view of Tunnel Mountain out of our large driver’s side windows in the dinette and over the sofa.

Two of the reasons we gravitated toward Outdoors RV trailers were the number of windows in many of the rigs and the amount of glass in those windows.  In our main living area, we have eight windows, including our big back window.  When we’re camping somewhere as phenomenal as Banff, we tend to appreciate those windows even more than usual.  (And we always appreciate them, believe me!)  With that much glass surrounding us, it feels very much like we’re in the midst of all of that magnificent scenery, and not just on the inside looking out.

That brings me to the main point I’d like to make in this post, the moral of the story, if you will.  You can read every single one of my posts on this trip with interest, delight, envy and/or awe.  But, no matter how hard I try to accurately describe the scenery or how many superlatives I use in those descriptions (and, I can promise you, there will be a lot of superlatives) I will NEVER be able to convey the true depth of the beauty that surrounds us.  My words are simply text on a page; the photos you’ll see are two-dimensional representations of a magnificence that man could never create – and I could never truly or fully describe.

Date(s) – June 11^th

Total Miles Traveled to Date – 5,374

Wildlife to Date – Several small herds of pronghorn antelope (including two mamas with three newborn fawns between them), 6 bald eagles (including 2 fledglings), 3 great blue herons, dozens of American white pelicans, at least a half dozen families of adult geese with goslings, a number of ducks and 5 adorable ducklings.

Highlight(s) – The exhilaration spawned by crossing the border into Canada.  The realization that all the time we spent looking at the campsites in the Tunnel Mountain Trailer Court paid off in spades.  The feeling that we had begun the biggest adventure of our lives! 

Lowlight(s) – Tossing our remaining fresh fruits and vegetables before we reached the border, and being prepared to ditch even more foods once we arrived there.  (Thankfully, the Canadian Border Services Agent didn’t even ask about food items, although I know they often do.)

Switching to the metric system.  Longtime readers know that I’m a big fan of numbers and the WAUMED initiative (We All Use Math Every Day), but these constant conversions for temperature, speed, distance and other measurements are killing me.  I’ve been keeping tabs for conversion websites open on my phone.  I figure they’ll get me through the weeks we’re likely to spend in Canada, and then life will revert to normal.  I don’t do well with change.

Campground(s) – The Tunnel Mountain Trailer Court was an excellent choice for us due to the size of our rig and the views we were hoping for.  Plus, we ended up with full hookups (water, electric, sewer), although that was never a consideration.  Honestly, though, the Tunnel Mountain Village One and Village Two campgrounds look great, as well, and I don’t think you could go wrong with any of them.  In the Trailer Court, the 101-150 row (we’re in site 102) provides the potential for the most mountain views, and certainly the best views of Tunnel Mountain.  For anyone who has camped at the Watchman Campground in Zion National Park, camping beneath Tunnel Mountain evokes the same feelings of awe and grandeur as camping beneath the Watchman in Zion.  That campsite in Zion remains one of my all-time favorites.

Laugh(s) of the Day – I forgot something from last week.  Alan and I have always called our GPS systems by name.  Sometimes by the name given to them by the manufacturer, sometimes by a name more descriptive of the GPS unit’s “personality.”  For example, the Garmin RV 890 we use when we’re towing the travel trailer has been christened, “Zoe, the Zipsh*t.”  (Please forgive the “French,” but we’re keeping it real here.)  Google came with the new truck and, until last week, it didn’t have a name.  After listening to the Google voice constantly calling La Grande, Oregon, “La Grandé,” we decided to name her Ariana.

Pic(s) of the Day

They let us in!

 

Entering Banff National Park - green and white Park sign on the left

 

Checking in at Tunnel Mountain Trailer Court - wow, just look at that view!

Tunnel Mountain, as seen from our campsite across the road

Tips – If you’re ever planning on making camping reservations in any of Canada’s National Parks (especially the more popular ones), I would suggest you plan ahead.  Each park has an opening day early in the year (Banff and Jasper opened on separate days in late January this year), and all the campsites for all year long become available at the opening bell on that date.  Those reservations go like hotcakes - don’t say I didn’t warn you.  If you want to visit the ever-popular Lake Louise, you’ll need to reserve and pay for shuttle tickets, as parking space at the lake is both limited and restricted.  Reservations for the Lake Louise shuttle became available on a date in April this year.  My understanding is that there are additional shuttle tickets released two days ahead of time during the shuttle season.  So, if you miss opening day, you will have another, but more limited, opportunity during your visit to snag your ride.  Shuttle tickets, like camping reservations in the National Parks, are available via the Parks Canada website.

Based on the length of time we’d be camping in Banff and Jasper National Parks, it paid for us to buy an annual pass that would allow us access to all of Canada’s National Parks for a year.  That pass cost $151.25 (for the two of us, not each), and will save us at least $100.00 over daily, per person fees.  We were able to buy it right at the gate when we checked in at the Tunnel Mountain campground.

Special Message(s) – Best wishes for an extraordinarily happy Father’s Day to all of you dads out there!  I’m pretty sure this is the farthest Alan has ever been from our kids on any given Father’s Day but, thanks to technology, we’ve been in touch with them regularly.  I trust he’ll be hearing from both of them on Sunday.  A happy day to all!

Up Next – With a total of six nights here at the Tunnel Mountain Trailer Court in Banff National Park, we plan to explore the surrounding area – Banff, itself, as well as Yoho, Glacier, Mt. Revelstoke and Kootenay National Parks.  Aroor HAR!  (You can ignore that last remark, unless you happen to be a fan of the 1966 movie, “Texas Across the River.”  If you are, I’ll bet you’re laughing, and remembering what a great actor Peter Graves was.)