The Icefields Parkway to the Athabasca Glacier

I'm running out of superlatives for this beautiful and diverse country. Today I drove the Icefields Parkway to the Athabasca Glacier. The entire road is 230 kilometers long and connects Jasper National Park with Banff National Park. It was about 100 kilometers to the glacier today. The Parkway is considered one of the most beautiful highways in the world and passes through the mountain landscape of the Canadian Rockies. I can only agree with that. Rarely have I traveled a more beautiful route by car. Behind every curve awaited another incredibly beautiful panorama and I didn't want to drive faster than 60 km/h because I was afraid of missing something. So I took all the time in the world and drove relaxed towards the glacier. Along the way, I took breaks, took photos, and enjoyed the view and fresh, cool air. In less than 20 minutes of driving, I had the first black bear in front of my camera. Another amazing feeling and I took my time watching the bear eat for a while. After about three hours, I arrived at the glacier. There is a large tourism center there, which offers many activities around the ice field. Today I would even have been willing to buy a package of three activities, a bus ride to the glacier, a boat trip, and a gondola ride in Banff. In the 2017 flyer, the fun cost 150 dollars. Today, the package would have cost 194 dollars and that was definitely my pain threshold reached and I decided against it. Unfortunately, all activities here cost so much money that I always think three times whether I should do it or not, and so far, apart from the CN Tower in Toronto, I haven't spent any money on such things. But today, I didn't regret it because I parked my car at the center and put on my hiking shoes. Yes, I could finally take them out of my luggage. Then I walked about 2 kilometers towards the glacier. There was a reasonably well-maintained hiking trail over rock and snow. At the top, I was very proud of myself and had a very good view of the glacier. With the bus, you could have gone further up and walked directly over the glacier. But for this price, count me out :D When I was back down, I drove back towards Jasper with the car and had my lunch break at a very small but beautiful waterfall. Then, with two more stops at waterfalls, I slowly made my way back towards Jasper. In the morning, due to the fog and clouds, you couldn't see much, so the view on the way back was even more beautiful. Unfortunately, about 30 minutes before Jasper, it started raining heavily again, so my plan for the evening was ruined. I wanted to hike around a lake where there is a chance to encounter moose. I was at the lake, but the rest fell through. However, on the way home, I saw a deer by the roadside. I took over 300 photos today, I think that says it all. It was a really great day and I have selected the best pictures for you again :) I will be able to drive the same road again in two days when I go to Banff. I'm already looking forward to it, even if I will probably cover today's section a little faster.