I write this on Sunday morning.
Breakfast is done and I'm packed up again but the nice people here say there's no rush to check out and I can even leave the Equinox here while I do some last minute visiting to a favourite tea shop I've found down town.
I'm relaxed, it's such a different pace here. Once I saw the mountains, I think that's what did it.
The prairies were neat, something I think everyone needs to see at least once in their life. I bet it looks so different in the spring. At this time of year it's just so.... gold! The fields are gold, the sky is gold at sunset and the buildings reflect the gold sun. Wild.
This beautiful town of Banff is filled with visitors. I don't just mean the tourists that come through it's the people working here. There are predominantly Aussies, Koreans, and some Brits. It's neat to hear all the accents as I wander in and out of the stores.
Yesterday I treated myself to a massage at the sister hotel, the Delta. Wow, was it ever good. Kelly mashed the muscles in my back and made me feel so relaxed and great. She actually comes from Sauble Beach ! Wow, what a shrinking universe!!
When I shop it's because I'm in a mood to shop and there is such a friendly feeling here that you feel so comfortable and I had a blast going in and out of the stores.
I found Crocs!!! Oh how exciting is this. For those that know my favourite footwear at work is Crocs and I have been having challenges finding them. So I bought a green and red pair. They are sooo comfy. I think I'll use them as slippers for the rest of the trip.
One of the jewelry things around here is Ammolite. It is a fossilized sea snail like thing. Think a cross section of a multisectioned snail shell and that's what it looks like in structure but the colours on the inside are very irridescent. I liked the stones but what intrigued me was a cross section cut of the fossil, polished and put on a necklace. Not expensive but rather dramatic. I found a couple of stores with them and picked through to find one that "spoke to me".
In Alberta now I had to have bison or beef or something like that so I ventured to a pub and enjoyed Bison Kabobs! They were soooo good. Really flavourful and yummy (okay I was a little hungry for lunch) I'm sure we'll have something along those lines at Three Bars ranch.
Worn out from travelling in and out of what seemed like each store I wandered back to the motel for a rest and plan the rest of the day. The Man had gone to see the movie The Help and said it was really good and if I had a chance I needed to see it. I know the book was awesome. There was also the Hot Springs to go to. Hmmm. I packed up my suit and towel and headed out to see what movies were playing at the little cinema. No "The Help" so plan B was in play. The Hot Springs.
There is a bus line in Banff that is really two routes, one to Sulfur mountain and the other to Thunder mountain. So, for $2 I took the little bus up to the Springs. The Springs pool was pretty busy but not as busy as when I left, this was at 6:45 pm!! Wow! I'm also glad I took the bus because the spring water just exhausted me. I was pooped! I hopped back on the bus back to my lodging just as the skies opened up with a hard, cold rain.
After a long, hot shower (you smell a little rotten eggy after the sulfur spring dip) I made myself some of my new fancy tea and relaxed in the comfy chair in front of the TV .
What an awesome day that was.
Today (Sunday) I've reviewed my route and directions to Three Bars near Cranbrooke and had a great chat with the ladies in the breakfast area. One was so amazed I was travelling alone the other one understood completely! Everyone is so nice here and are very used to tourists. Banff is a 4 season place. Someone yesterday said that down time is really just the last week of October. The colours in the trees are gone and the snow isn't quite good enough yet. No wonder the house prices are crazy (half a million for a DUPLEX!!) and even the rents are nuts ($1,500 for a basement apartment). But there is work all year round and there seems to be openings. Interesting.
Well, I've typed a while here and I don't know if it will post so I'll give it a try.
On to my next adventure!
The Three Bars Guest Ranch!!
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