I wish it was WDW instead trippie - UPDATED WITH MORE PICS!

[carolfoy]

well the first day went quite smoothly, up at 5:00 am for the short drive to mum and dads where we were being met by the chauffeur at 6:00. we were a little annoyed that we were being picked up so early but as it turned out there was an accident not far from Gatwick and the traffic was backed up for miles. We arrived at LGW at 11:00 ish and went straight through to the flyglobespan check in. As we were premium the check in was quick and easy so after a wee wander around the shops and a quick bite to eat (I gave in to Callums whinging and settled for McDonalds, a move I came to regret!) we boarded promptly at 3:00 pm and I was asleep before take off.
Landed in Calgary at around 16:00 local time (7 hours behind us) and very quickly got the luggage.
Caught a taxi to downtown and our first hotel, The Sandman, chosen for its in house Moxies grill - a great bar and steakhouse.
We were all shattered so after checking in to our rooms, 20th floor, we had our first Alberta beef of the holiday in moxies with their yummy steak sandwiches and then retired to beddy byes.

DAY 2: our first full day in Calgary, the tower, the museum, fort calgary and our attempt at Cool Runnings

 

[natalielongstaff]

our attempt at Cool Runnings

ooh i hope there are pics of that

 

[tony64]

Good start carol
GOT to see a pic. of you in a Stetson.

 

[irongirlof12]

excellent , need to see some piccies !

 

[Strommie]

Great start Carol

 

[saratogagirl]

great start Carol, I hope theres going to be some piccies of you in boots, Ian will be so diappointed if not

 

[Tammy Stringer]

Carol

Just catching up on the all the pre-trippies etc that I missed.

Wow I know you said you were planning some exciting things but what a fantastic itinerary!!!

Can't wait to read all about it.

Tammy

 

[Minniespal]

Great start Carol

 

[florida sun]

Great first day hon, looking forward to seeing some piccies

 

[wickesy]

Cool Runnings is one of my favourite films as well. I have some great memories of the Rocky Mountaineer journey from when we did it a couple of years ago and some not so fond memories of the Capilano Suspension Bridge

Have a great time and I look forward to reading more.

 

[KayleeUK]

Great start - looking forward to piccies

 

[carolfoy]

well, woke bright and early (gotta love the jetlag!) a nice breakfast in moxies then we hit the cowboy town of Calgary.
Calgary is a huge corporate city, everyone is somebody in Calgary due to practically all Canadian industries and a lot of American ones having their head offices there, hence, its a clean, safe environment.
We headed down to the Calgary tower which was about a ten block walk. It was at this point I realised I'd left my camera in the hotel, so pics of us precariously stepping onto one of those glass floors hundreds of feet above the city are on my dads camera and will be added later.

we then moved onto the Glenbow museum, i was looking forward to a nice nap in a comfy chair as museums bore the pants off me but The Glenbow was really interesting, lots of interactive stuff including a virtual ranching game where I lost as I ended up shooting all my cows instead of the wolves.
After lunch we caught the Brewsters tour bus out to Fort Calgary, the place where Calgary was first formed by the Mounted Police force sent there to combat whisky smuggling. again, no camera and there are some funny pics here so will add again later.

We moved on after this to the COP (the Canada Olympic Park, scene of the 88 olympics and the only oympic park to be on standby as back up if somewhere else doesn't get the snow). Now this was to be the scene of our first adventure. We are both fans of the film Cool Runnings so Callum and I couldn't wait to try the bob sled. We walked around the ice house and watched the olympic team in training for Luge and Skeleton (if you don't know what these sports are look them up - they're mental!).
we had a safety briefing and a demonstration of how to 'push off' (something Matts been telling me for ages ) then had to give up our bags, coats etc (so again, no pics - sorry!) before walking up to the start of the junior bob sled site. It really doesn't look that high or fast but apparently 140km per hour is an average speed. Callum was in the sled already as was too small to make a difference on push off. we waited our turn then, one, two, three and jump like hell!
Our trainer was behind me and the three of us completed the course in under a minute reaching 143km per hour. What an adrenaline rush, although pretty uncomfortable! could have done it again and again though. But instead we took the bus up to the ski jump (the one where Eddie 'the eagle' Edwards) made his foolhardy attempt. They're making a film of him now - Steve Coogan plays Eddie and he is honoured all around the park and hailed as a hero. Very generous, I thought, as he was really just taking the mickey.
Anyway, this is the only pic we took today, of me enjoying a wee drinkie after returning to the hotel

tomorrow: Car driving and Banff!

 

[carolfoy]

well,, here we go. Dreading this morning as we've to pick up the car. I knew Callum would be ok so he was designated Cal-Cal (or Callum positioning service, CPS) I knew my dad would have a heart attack and scream and panic loudly and mum is just useless at navigation as she's blind as a bat and refuses to wear glasses all the time so when you say 'what was on that sign?' she says 'I don't know, I have to put my specs on' and rummages around for hours to try and find them.
So, we get a cab down to 1014 fifth avenue to the national car rental depot and I take my paperwork in, fill out the forms and the girl gives me the keys to 'the big black cadillac out the back'
'ok' thinks I, what ones that then? there are dozens of big black cars so it was a case of wondering round locking and unlocking it to see which one made a noise. eventually found what would become known as 'The Pimp-mobile' then we had to figure out how to start the darn thing. No key!!!
after much discussion we got the clerk to come out to show us how to start it (hold brake down and push button, actually) and off we go!

Callum and I were running a book for how long it would be before my dad screams 'You're in the wrong bloody lane' Callum reckoned 15 minutes, I reckoned 7 and a half. (I came in the winner at 5 minutes, 55 seconds).
Anyway. I ignored him and we poodled very slowly out of the city in about 15 minutes. I missed the first turning onto the Trans Canada Highway (the road that leads straight to Banff) but heading instead to Kananskis which was in the right direction, just the wrong road! , anyway we soon found a turning and trundled in to the gates of the Banff National park within a couple of hours of leaving Calgary.
Right, its now around 12 midday and we can't check into our hotel yet so we mooch around, find the hotel then headed downtown for something to eat.
Banff is a beautiful town and each street is named after a local animal so this was where Cal-Cal came into his own and, armed with trusty map, was soon giving directions like 'hang a right on Elk, 2 blocks on Moose then 1st left on squirrel'.

We found a parking space and wandered around the shops for a while before checking into our home for the next 4 nights, The Banff Inn' conveniently placed, with under hotel parking, which would have been convenient except I am too small to lean out the window and put the room key into the automatic garage door so had to park and wait while someone else ran round to do it.
We had a great meal in the hotel next door and another early night.

day 4: Banff gondola, the cave and basin and white water rafting!

 

[carolfoy]

a mooch around Banff in the morning (again most pics are on dads camera so will upload later!) we went out to The Cave and Basin, the site of teh first national park and the original sulpher springs. POOH! what a smell! worse than the ging gang gooleyers first thing in the morning!
quick spy of local transportation

then we toodled over to The Fairmont Banff Springs hotel for a wee wander around - this is truly a magnificent place and deserving of its title amongst 'the leading hotels of the world'.
Then we caught the gondola up to teh top of Sulpher mountain and had a couple of hours chasing chipmunks, spotting mountain sheep and goats.
At 12 we had to hurry back to the pimp mobile to return to the hotel for our white water rafting tour.
The tour was due to pick us up at 12:45 and promptly they arrived, Callum was a little bit nervous to say the least but I was really looking forward to it.
We departed on the bus to Canmore to the rafting offices where we had to sign the 'don't sue us if you die form'. This, of course, only served to make Callum more worried.
We attended a short safety talk and was taught the correct way to hold a paddle before going to kit up in wet suit, helmets, life jacket etc.
now, Dis Dieters, isn't it a great feeling to not be handed a 'large' size???? v v chuffed when I get 'medium' and although I can get the wetsuit up easily over legs hips and waist I encounter a bit of a problem with my top half. To the general glee of the half dozen men watching us get suited up they watch as I struggle to get 'the girls' zipped up. I look like I have one very large breast in the middle of my torso, ah, well, never mind!
No pics though I'm afraid, as all our stuff had to be left on the bus.
We rode the rapids (a grade 3, grade 5 is scary stuff!) and it was amazing, a really good adventure. Callum got over his nerves immediately and was so confident by the end of it that he was allowed to guide the raft in and was offered a job!
The whole trip lasted around 4 or 5 hours and we were shattered at the end of it, it was darn hard work!
so, back to Banff to meet with mum and Dad for dinner at Tony Romas and a not-so-early night.

Day 5: Lakes day and some pics at last!

 

[saratogagirl]

sounds great Carol, sorry to hear you had problems with your girls, they can be a nuicence can't they ! looking forward to more and some piccies

 

[natalielongstaff]

a POOH! what a smell! worse than the ging gang gooleyers first thing in the morning!

i presume you meant everyone else and not me

 

[florida sun]

Trust you to have a problem with "The girls" , great report so far

 

[irongirlof12]

lovely piccies Carol.

 

[carolfoy]

so, not too early a start today before checking th epimp mobile out of the garage (i.e. me telling Callum to get out and run round with the door key then jump up and down frantically on the pressure gauge that opens the door )
So we head out onto the Bow Valley Parkway to Lake Louise, you can take the Trans Canda Highway but the BVP is much prettier ans is the 'old' road.
Eyes are peeled for Bears at all times!
Heading into Louise village we decide to go straight out to Moraine Lake before the tour busses get there, a few pics of Moraine for you

buoyed up by our white water experience Callum and I decide to take to the water in kayaks

(my mum took the pics thats why we look like we're paddling down hill )

we hung around here for ages as its just so beautiful, I personally think its much prettier than Louise its more photographed sister lake. We mooched down to Louise for lunchtime.

and again spent a couple of hours wandering around before giving in to the lure of over priced but very lovely ice creams from the Chateau.

we went to Louise village for a spot of lunch then decided to head back towards Banff and take a look at Lake Minnewanka, th elargest lake in the Banff national park

(that ones for you, Rob!)
Minnewanka doesn't have the glacial beauty of the other lakes but is a hotspot for scuba divers (warning: must be adept at ice cold diving!)

while we were here we witnessed a very spectacular thuderstorm, it had been boiling hot all day but suddenly the mountains reverberated with the most tremendous noise, it was great!

back to Banff then for an evening meal at 'Earls' then we're on to our last day in Banff!

day 6: mooching in Banff!

 

[florida sun]

Wow!!!! Some brilliant photos there hon, it looks beautiful