Camptour 12th Part: Banff

In Banff we stayed for the first time longer than one night. And I have to say, it makes a difference whether one or two. With two nights you have a whole day on site, don't have to pack and unpack all the cables and hoses for a day, and don't have to drive. And if the sun is shining from the sky, it makes a big contribution to relaxation :)

After our arrival, we used the remaining day to take a walk into the city center. We had barely left the campsite when we suddenly stood in front of a herd of female moose. They were grazing in the forest next to the road. We also saw traces of them on the way to the city.
We liked the city center of Banff immediately. It is a cute tourist town, with many small shops and typical souvenir shops. After a city walk with souvenir shopping, we took the bus back to the campsite. Since the possibilities of moving around the city with a large motorhome are very limited, it makes everything easier if a campsite has a bus connection. Unfortunately, a rarity.

We wanted to make full use of the bright sunshine, so we chose a pitch with a fire pit. For dinner, we had fire potatoes, salad, sausages, bread on a stick, and for dessert marshmallows and grilled bananas. Delicious :)

Our first full day in one place started with a leisurely breakfast in the sun. Anna and Kerstin took a walk while I slept a little longer (only a little, but I really don't have to get up at half past seven on vacation ;) ). As their walk took longer, I started to set up breakfast outside. I didn't stay alone for long, the animals here are not shy at all. A meerkat eyed me from a few meters away and I had to chase away a squirrel from our breakfast table several times :D. The signs indicating that you should not leave food unattended are quite justified. Fortunately, no bears showed up.

After breakfast, we got on the bus and went to the Banff Hot Springs. These hot springs are located just outside the town and lure with 40 degrees hot water and a view of the mountains. The first steps into the water were damn hot, but then it became very pleasant. At least for a few minutes. After a short time, we realized why everyone around us kept going up to the edge and just let their legs dangle in the water. There were also signs next to the pool stating that you should only stay in the water for ten minutes. As pleasant as the water was, I quickly noticed that the heat was affecting my circulation. After an hour in and out of the water, I had enough. Anna and Kerstin wanted to stay longer, so I said goodbye and made my way back to the city center. Since the campsites in the national parks are sparsely equipped and only have the most important connections such as water and electricity (if at all), there was no thought of WLAN. However, WLAN is very helpful for planning the route and booking further campsites, so a Starbucks is very convenient ;)

We let the relaxed day end again in front of the fire.