Out and About with Friends in the Rockies

Vancouver

On August 31st, we were visited by two dear friends from Germany who wanted to explore the Rocky Mountains with us. Shortly after their arrival, we headed to the beautiful rooftop terrace of our hotel to discuss our travel plans and enjoy some snacks. Dining on a rooftop in Vancouver is undoubtedly fantastic, but the delight of the evening was amplified by the joy of seeing our friends again and hearing stories from Lummerland! We were able to share how we had been doing over the past two months.

Kelowna

A few days later, we picked up the rental car and set off towards Kelowna, a large city by Okanagan Lake, where we also took a dip. The water was so cold that one would normally say, 'close your eyes and go for it,' but that would have been a shame, as the foothills of the Rocky Mountains were visible in the background. Our tough friend even stayed in the water for 30 minutes! Hats off for enduring those water temperatures!

Revelstoke

The next morning, we wanted to fill up quickly and then continue to Revelstoke, a place in the southeast of British Columbia. But 'just quickly filling up' is easier said than done. We had to wrap our heads around the unique gas station system, which is particularly distinct when you want to pay in cash, like us. First, you have to estimate how much money you want to spend on gas, pay that amount at the always friendly attendant, who then unlocks the pump. You then walk to your car and can fill up. The friendly staff also pointed out that the system in the next town might be entirely different—something we can confirm, as during our first encounter with a rental car, it took two employees and a phone call with the manager to fill our car with gas.

The drive to Revelstoke was beautiful: a picnic by a turquoise lake, numerous mountains, endless forests, and a stop at one of the many waterfalls, all in glorious sunshine. Our charming hotel also had some surprises: it was rustic and cozy with vintage cars and other exhibits from past eras, had a lovely pool, a billiard room, and even a painted game of 'Heaven and Hell' and was located right by Three Valley Lake, which we could see from our balconies. You could have rented canoes there, but we decided to drive up Mount Revelstoke to enjoy the fascinating nature and the enormous views. At the last minute (the bigger the group, the harder the time management...), we managed to get to the hotel restaurant thanks to some clever persuasion—and the very nice waitress even shared her recipe for the perfect ranch dressing, while Mr. Ärmel had to defend his poutine (which is just as dreadful as it sounds) against a ravenous late friend.

Banff – would love to return

The following day, we headed back to Banff. The drive through the Rocky Mountains is simply magnificent. Mountains, forests, and lakes alternate with more mountains, forests, and lakes, so even our critical friend (who said, “I can find forests, mountains, and even lakes in Europe too”) had to admit that nothing in Europe compares to these dimensions.

We looked forward to returning to Banff, a familiar place with beautiful mountain scenery—and to pick up a forgotten adapter. What we missed despite all the beauty was the vibrancy of the hostel, although we had a large suite to ourselves due to a booking error. However, we will refrain from providing further descriptions of Banff—repetitions and laudatory adjectives eventually bore the readers.

Not Jasper but Valemount

With heavy hearts, we had to say goodbye to Banff after two nights and head towards Valemount, a place we only aimed for because Jasper and parts of the amazing national park of the same name were unfortunately still closed to tourists due to devastating wildfires. This route is rightly considered the most beautiful route in Western Canada. The rock peaks, numerous glaciers, and lushly covered mountains are simply breathtaking. Accordingly, we made many stops to enjoy nature.

A particularly special experience was the Columbia Icefield, despite its already noticeable shrinkage—partly due to climate change caused by humans. We walked to the icefield and let ourselves be blown by the wind. Then it became sad as we approached Jasper National Park, where the fire had raged. Driving for almost an hour through an area where there were mostly burned trees was depressing and sad, allowing us to grasp the dramatic extent of the disaster.

In Valemount—which we wouldn’t have aimed for without the natural disaster—we stayed in a hotel primarily rented by truckers, which gave it a very down-to-earth charm, somewhere between a hotel and a motel. In this town, you could truly soak up a lot of local color, being a very small non-touristic place. Pick-ups and North American trucks with long noses carrying logs from the vast forests were everywhere.

A place whose town center consists of almost two gas stations may not seem very inviting at first, but there were also nice corners to discover. Even though we didn’t see the promised spawning salmon, we at least briefly spotted an otter, who surely missed the salmon just as much.

Culinary options were dominated by classic diners and fast food chains. However, we can highly praise the Caribou Grill—despite a very meat-heavy menu, we were able to enjoy delicious vegan alternatives in a tastefully Canadian atmosphere. The fact that the very friendly waiter mistook us for Franco-Canadians due to a misunderstanding and bid us farewell with “Bonne nuit” reconciled us with our German accents.