(My solo road trip of western Canada – Monday 21st September)
Well here I go, the first of my lakes which I believe is the biggest of the lakes in this area. It’s actually huge and quite magnificent, the weather, air and environment was spiritually uplifting and I was so happy to be here and reminding myself of how fortunate I was to be here.
Lake Minnewanka (“Water of the Spirits” in Nakoda) is a glacial lake located in the eastern area of Banff National Park in Canada, about five kilometres (3.1 miles) northeast of the Banff townsite. The lake is 21 km (13 mi) long and 142 m (466 ft) deep, making it the longest lake in the mountain parks of the Canadian Rockies (the result of a power dam at the west end).
Aboriginal people long inhabited areas around Lake Minnewanka, as early as 10,000 years ago, according to stone tools and a Clovis point spearhead discovered by archaeologists. The area is rich in animal life (e.g. elk, mule deer, mountain sheep, bears) and the easy availability of rock in the mountainous terrain was key to fashioning weapons for hunting.
http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/banff/visit/les10-top10/minnewanka.aspx
Vermillion Lakes
The Vermilion Lakes are a series of lakes located immediately west of Banff, Alberta, in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
The three lakes are formed in the Bow River valley, in the Banff National Park, at the foot of Mount Norquay. They are located between the Trans-Canada Highway and the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks. A hot spring is found at the third lake.
Cascade Gardens
Cascade Gardens in Banff National Park is a well-landscaped garden with a varied mix of annuals and perennials surrounding the park administrative building.
Parks Canada took over the Brett Sanatorium and Hotel built in the 1880s, when it burned down in 1930 and converted it into the present day gardens. Ontario architect, Walter Beckett, planned the Parks administrative building and the gardens in the ~12 acre site, which was completed in 1935.
http://banffandbeyond.com/escape-the-crowds-of-banff-avenue-in-cascade-gardens/
Fresh handmade pizza from Panago…very tasty, I chose my own, the sauce is butternut chicken Mmmmm!
