Jul 20

Jul 20 Travel Log: Alberta, Canada

Driving to Banff, it was my first time seeing the Rocky Mountains.

I was probably about 12 or 13 when I bought my travel journal at a small little store filled with odds and ends that didn't have much relevance to each other. You know the kind of store. The kind you wander into, not to look for anything in particular since you don't know what in particular they might have. This particular day they had a travel journal, a brown and black book with an elastic to shut it tight. I've brought this journal with me everywhere I've gone, documenting the foods and the smells of each village and each city I've visited. I'd like to share some of my entries, and some of my travels and discoveries with you, on Mumbles and Bumbles. We'll start at the end, with my most recent trip to Alberta for Stampede, for a reunion with my boyfriend and my housemate and for a little mid-summer vacation.

Now, my journals are usually split into two parts: the summary and the entries. The summary is my favourite part as it forces me to find what is special about each place I go to - it reminds me of the very distinct way each place made me feel. That's what I'm going to share with you.

Opening night of Stampede's spectacular evening show, the Barn Burner

First glance: Sprawling new communities; fluffy white clouds; rolling lush green hills (although I'm told that only happens for a rare part of the year); broken windshields on many cars; mountains that look like clouds hovering on the horizon; rivers flowing everywhere; the city peters out into development after development.

Johnson's Canyon Upper Falls at Banff National Park.

Smells like: Freshly mowed grass; mountain air (really no way to describe it); earthy and fresh and clean.

At the foot of the Rockies at Kananaskis Rafter 6 Ranch.

Reminds me of: Colorado or Wyoming, British Columbia, Northern Ontario (minus the mountains).

Kisses from Merlin after a long ride through the mountains.

Atmosphere: Both the city and the country feel attached to and intertwined with nature, the rivers snake through the city, connecting it all. Calgary is very relaxed, low-maintenance. Even an event as big and busy as Stampede doesn't seem stressful. Banff and the mountains are so blissful and therapeutic in an unanticipated way. It is so quiet, still and awe striking to be there.