Le Tour D'Alberta and assorted other places.

[drron]

Taking to long to do my other TR.So will separate off our Canadian trip and just add a few comments on our other stops on the way home.
So first our flight to Alberta.Our first flight on Westjet and our first and probably last trip to the Canadian Rockies.
Tuesday and a leisurely breakfast at the 4 Points.Check out and walk to the terminal.No ID check at check in.Then you have to put your own bags on the belt.One bag weighed 52lb but nothing said.
Next to security.The TSA has nothing on the Canadians.First you get an explosives check before getting to the screener.There all bags must be placed in trays.Then they all get an explosives check before heading to the Xrays.Sitting at the screen was an old woman(with all meanings of those words).No bag gets through without a very long look from her.The line is hardly moving.We get moved to another line.But as we get there the screener is changed to an old woman(only one meaning this time).He calls for a secondary check on all bags and doesn't look at the next bag until he gets the all clear.Fortunately we are not shunted of to the body scanner.Even my computer which has been through screening at least 200 times gets a secondary check.
Once again no ID check and I noticed one glaring security problem which I will say no more about.So their seeming thoroughness didn't reassure me at all.Needed a Starbucks after that.Another Canadian quirk noticed there-English words had to have a French translation but French words do not need an English equivalent.

So to our flight-
WS493. YWG-YYC. ETD-1200. Push back-1205. Take off-1214.
ETA-1305. Landed-1314. At gate-1322.
Seats 7C,D.Chose those so we would be across the aisle from each other.Problem was I in 7D was across the aisle from 8C.8A,C are rather large.No one in the B seat.Two off duty pilots get on.One sits in 5E.The other looks at 8B but decides to go down the back.No complimentary food.The POS get out their lunch-2 very big burgers each and a large box of donuts.
The security demonstration and introduction reminded me of early DJ-all FAs introduced and then the Captain plus sitting in the seat next to him is the First Officer to tell him where to go.
At take off 5D reclines leading to a concertina effect-

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8C keeps kicking the back of mrsdrron's seat and eventually tells her not to recline.Ran into him at the baggage carousel where he is on his phone trying to hire a CPAP machine because he forgot to bring his!
Our bags out nearly last but the Avis Preferred has us in our car only having to show my licence as we exit.Soon on the Trans Canada Highway,singing,on our way to the 4 Points.Reviewed here-
http://www.australianfrequentflyer....d-reviews/four-points-calgary-west-53954.html

 

[RooFlyer]

YYC - Calgary! My second home for the past 3 years. Never travelled Westjet though.

Never had a problem with Canadian security - but usually got a third degree interrogation at immigration (due to frequency of business trips ...).

Looking forward to adventures in the Rockies.

 

[drron]

After checking in and unpacking we decided on an early dinner.Mrsdrron had seen an ad for The Keg with a lobster special.Now we had been to one before many moons ago on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls.Weren't too impressed.However they have improved out of sight.The special was a 2lb lobster for $C42.It was bigger than supposedly heavier lobsters we have had in the past.We did start with an appetiser-scallops in bacon-

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Then mrsdrron had the lobster and I had the half lobster and sirloin-

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And the end result-

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At the 4 Points we took breakfast instead of the 250 points.This was a mistake and we would have been better off taking the breakfast at McDonalds acroos the road.Our 4 Points brekkie-

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The next day we went to the largest mall-Clinton Crossing to satisfy Mrsdrron's retail therapy needs.Canada really isn't a shopping destination.Though they did have a Lego show.No A380 but this-

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Just across the road was a Red Lobster which in Canada had a great mussel appetiser-

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Then into the CBD and an interesting indoor gardens-The Devonian Gardens-

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Next-off to Banff.

 

[drron]

Rooflyer Tasmania has been my second home over the last 6 years but sadly that looks like at an end.
So a couple of pictures from Calgary CBD-

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Thursday and off we set.Not too long and we get our first sight of the Rockies-

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Sadly fall had not yet arrived.But the scenery is still spectacular-

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More to come.

 

[drron]

Then we reached the Rockies,though not all is natural-

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[drron]

We made a stop at Canmore-an old mining town.Their Farmer's market was on and the fruit and veggies looked really good-

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The backdrop to the town was awe inspiring.Only one of the Mining town's pubs still stands-

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[drron]

We then drove on to Banff.We had some time to walk around before lunch.We had to check out Moo icecream which has been recommended on a few travel sites.Corny but amusing mementoes and good ice cream.

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Some misleading advertising-

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But great backdrop-

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Then we felt like lunch.A few restaurants had been recommended and we found ourselves outside one-the Maple Leaf.The lunch menu was limited and you could not order off the dinner menu.This was the best part-

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Mrsdrron had fish and chips and I had the game burger-

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The fish was overcooked and dry.My burger had a burnt bun,burnt bacon and burnt patty.Maccas would have been better and cheaper.As we left the Maitre'd said see you later and this time I just couldn't help myself and replied No you wont.
Next-The Fairmont.

 

[drron]

We checked into the Fairmont.We had booked the Gold floor.Got this as our welcome-

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A doubletree cookie is better.
A review of the Fairmont Banff-
http://www.australianfrequentflyer....riences-and-reviews/fairmont-banff-53949.html

A view of the Fairmont from the car park-

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The next morning we had breakfast in the lounge.Then went for a drive.First to the opposite side of the Bow River looking down at the Bow falls and back at the hotel.From here it will mainly be a pictorial report.

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And back up the Bow valley-

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[drron]

The day was overcast with scattered showers but didn't interfere with our enjoyment of the scenery as we continued along Tunnel mountain road.

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[RooFlyer]

I've spent the past 3 years commuting 6 times/year between Calgary AB (office base) and Golden BC (field base). Lunch alternated between Banff and Lake Louise. Wish I could have 'marked your card' before you went

In Banff I would have pointed you to the Wild Flour Café in Bear St. Full of Aussies in front of and behind the counter and the best coffee either side of the Rockies!

Fairmonts are well past their use-by date, but still occupy the dress circle locations across Canada.

Waiting to see if you hit Golden

 

[drron]

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[drron]

Sorry rooflyer we didn't make it to Golden.As it was this trip took 2 months so choices had to be made.Your suggestion couldn't have been worse than our lunch in Banff that's for sure.
But back to the pictorial,next was Lake Minnewanka-

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[drron]

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[Hvr]

Love the photos, now I have to go there.

 

[drron]

Definitely spectacular country.Now the drive back towards Banff passing an abandoned coal mining town,the emergency airstrip and meet our first wildlife-

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[drron]

The mountain goats weren't afraid.The drive to one of the ski areas gave us great views over Banff-

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[drron]

Even Elk are not afraid.We passed this one as he was heading into town whilst we drove out to the Vermillion lakes-

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[drron]

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[drron]

So the last of the Vermillion lakes,an example of Canadian engineering then back through town to the Fairmont golf course.

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[drron]

The future home of the AFF Golf Classic-

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