Vacation 2013: Part 2

We're back to share Part 2 of our Vacation 2013 with you ~
How's your week been? Have you followed the links in our previous post to find more info about the places we visited along the way? There's definitely some gorgeous scenery and interesting flora & fauna to be found, not to mention the vastly changing landscapes to travel through in a matter of hours.

In today's post, we have some photos of the special side trip we took while passing through Yoho National Park and the Kicking Horse Pass, some snapshots of the seemingly endless Alberta Prairie, then back into the beautiful Bow Valley Parkway Highway 1A to connect with Highway 93 through Kootenay National Park, before heading northwards again to return home via the Fraser Canyon.

Cathedral Mountain View, Yoho National Park

Cathedral Mountain

Taking a slight detour at Field, in Yoho National Park, will take you to a view of Cathedral Mountain, elevation 3189m (10,463 ft) above sea level. 

Do a 360-degree turn in the spot you're standing and you'll see the fabulous Takakkaw Falls, a waterfall with year-round flow fed from Daly Glacier. "Takakkaw" is the Cree word meaning "it is magnificent" and it could not be described any other way. 

A walking path takes you to the bottom of the falls, where the mists from the water certainly refresh you on a hot summer day.

Bottom of Takakkaw Falls

Glacier Near Takakkaw Falls

These spectacular creations of nature are absolutely worth the detour off the hustle & bustle of the busy highway!!

From the cool mountain air of British Columbia to the hot, dry air of the Alberta Prairie... quite a change in landscapes... not to mention the temperature going up about 20 degrees in a matter of a few hours!!

Alberta Foothills

Prairie Hay Bales

Mother Nature didn't disappoint these 2 prairie-raised kids when she put on a fantastic light & sound show for us on our way home... both SD and I love thunderstorms, a very rare occurrence for where we live in Vancouver...

Summer Thunderstorm, Cochrane, AB

Heading further north and back into alpine landscape, reduced speeds along the Bow Valley Parkway, allowed us to watch this majestic bull elk, feeding his way up the slopes of the hill... he looked at all the tourists snapping photos and carried on without a care in the world...

Bull Elk In Full Velvet

Another roadside view point along the secluded old highway gave us this view of a stream trickling through the trees...

Alpine Stream, Bow Valley Parkway

Continuing our journey west, we headed through Kootenay National Park and were treated to a drive through the clouds.

Driving Through The Clouds, Kootenay Pass

And we just had to stop for a photo session with this family of mountain goats waiting for all the vehicles to be gone so they could cross the highway to the grassy slopes on the other side.

Mountain Goat Gymnastics

And then we were home... a trip full of old memories revisited... and new memories created ~ a trip to be treasured...

Have you taken a trip down memory lane with your loved ones recently... perhaps creating some new memories in the process?

Safe journeys, wherever your travels may take you ~ We'll see you next week...

...here In The Parlour