Off to Banff

Happy barn in Lethbridge, AB

Elk on the golf course.

Sorry the pictures are out of order, but I am in a Starbucks and my battery is running low.  Will fix next time (I hope).  

June 14-15,  Lethbridge to Banff

After an anxious wait, the controller for the slide finally arrived about 10:30 much to our delight.  We packed up and hit the road right away.  After stopping for gas at stateside prices one last time in Shelby, MT, we crossed the border into Canada with no problems.  A  pretty drive brought us to Fort MacLeod, Alberta, where we camped in the remote Buffalo Plains Campground where Corky made friends with the local cows and Barb removed the stitches from Steve's head (more skin cancer surgery).  We had lilacs on our campsites and a gorgeous view of the Canadian Rockies in the distance.  

Gary and Steve worked diligently to try to get the slide working with the new controller, but it was not to be.  They got the lock-ons to open and close, but the slide did not move.  We were very disappointed.  Poor Steve thought about it all night, and after a few more phone calls the next morning, he gave it one more try. This time the slide worked as pretty as you please!   Yea Steve!!! What a relief!  

We left the campground in good spirits and 59 degree weather and headed for Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump.  Yes, that really is the name of this very interesting World Heritage Site.  Thanks to their excellent understanding of topography and bison behavior, groups of native hunters killed bison by driving them over a cliff.  This practice continued here for nearly 6,000 years.   These communal bison hunts required much organization and special skills to lure the buffalo from the gathering basin into the drive lanes and finally over the cliff.  It was a fascinating and very informative site that was very well done.  

Add caption

The kill site.  

An adorable marmot at the Head-Smashed -In
 Buffalo Jump

Way to go, Gary!

RV nearing the Canadian Rockies.

After a beautiful drive north and west across Alberta, we arrived at Banff this afternoon and got settled in at The Tunnel Mountain Campground. 






 We got set up, had happy hour and grilled hamburgers, then set out to look for wildlife and see the town.  On the way into town, in a residential area, a large elk with a beautiful rack was right beside the road  snacking on grass.  Banff was bustling with tourists.  We drove to the Bow River Falls which we had seen when we were here before, but what a difference this time!  The river was swollen with snow melt and moving very fast, and the falls were raging!  What a beautiful sight.  

Seen going into town.  

Bow Falls

We drove up to the Banff Springs Golf Course to see more elk grazing on the greens while golfers and golf carts went about their business.  After taking a look at the beautiful Banff Springs Hotel, we returned to the campground for dessert and then turned in for the night.  

The Banff Springs Hotel