Our next two nights will be in the town of Radium Hot Springs (don't you love the name?). We arrived this morning and decided to do a driving tour of Kootenay National Park.
Visitors have been exploring this gem of a park, by car, since 1923, when the Banff-Windermere Highway first opened. Today, the 58-mile drive through the park connected us with history, via roadside plaques, as Highway 93 twisted and turned through valleys and over two mountain passes- what outstanding views! Interestingly, when it first opened, one government publication praised it as an excellent road for drivers because, "fear was practically eliminated”.
We've seen some pretty interesting warning signs in our travels, but this one was probably the most unique.
Our short explore today was to Marble Canyon with its deep carved chasms. Turquoise glacial waters and startling canyon walls grew more impressive along this short trail. Multiple bridges spanned the narrow gorge, crossing several times for exciting views of the river below. There is no really accurate way to describe the water here. It is a beautiful, milky blue. Much like the color of Skim Milk in our younger years (ha).
Every National Park in Canada has these darling red Adirondak chairs hidden about. The Red Chair Experience is all about connecting visitors with nature in Canada's most unique and treasured places. Whether it's a quiet place to enjoy an awe-inspiring view or an "I made it!" marker at the end of a rugged hike, a Red Chair offers you a place to relax and truly discover the best that Parks Canada has to offer.
Today, we had many opportunities to see more than just humans in nature. We felt pretty lucky.
Bighorn Sheep are everywhere.
And how about these darling Mountain Goats? I read that they like the mineral lick (a place where animals can go to lick essential mineral nutrients from a deposit of salts and other minerals) here on Highway 93. What a fortunate sighting for us.
This is where we will end our Independence Day. While a very non-traditional 4th, it was wonderful none-the-less! Wherever you are and however you celebrate, enjoy your day and the wonderful place we call home- America.
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2 comments:
Gorgeous!
I love the idea about the red chairs. Someone decided, 'hey, this is the best spot around for a view!'
]Remember when Audrey's friend almost had some bad luck with big horn sheep in Anza Borrego? That was scary!
Red chairs - reward! Beautiful bird, splendid butterfly, darling goats. We were stopped in the road once in Banff by a herd. They were looking in the car and we sat there until they decided to leave.
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