Banff

I spent about a week there, and I could have spent a lot longer. Much longer. Didn't have enough time to drive up to Jasper or through the Icefields Parkway (rated one of the top drives in the world!) so definitely want to come back. 

The pictures above are from Lake Louise, which is one of the most famous/touristy lakes there! For good reason - it is SO pretty. The water is so blue. There are so many hikes around there, and a well-known hotel right next to it called Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, which was quite pricey so we didn't stay there, but it was mentioned in many blogs I read before going. 

We did the hike up to the Lake Agnes Tea House, which is a cute little tea house that is accessible only by hiking in and out, so staff have to make that trek every day to run it. It was so cute and so worth it. We got tea biscuits and jam, and also some hot cocoa I think. There was a long line when we got there of other fellow hikers making the trek. 

After that we continued on to The Plain of Six Glaciers trail, which was a beautiful winding hike up to some pretty stunning glacier valleys. It was a little smoky when we were there because of nearby fires during that season. Still pretty. It was such an enjoyable hike. Not a lot of people made it all the up, so it was nice to have a solitary moment at the end of the trail, surrounded by these huge, beautiful mountain cliffs carved by glaciers. 

Coming back down, we made our way through some foresty areas, and finally back to Lake Louise, where the beautiful, stunning blue made its appearance through the trees.