Camping in Canada with Nana and Pepe
One of the best things about driving through the U.S. and Canada is that you don’t just get to experience the destination, you get to enjoy everything in between! On this leg, our main stop was Banff, but along the way we explored Lethbridge and Calgary, and on the drive back south, we passed through the stunning Waterton Lakes National Park.
Nana and Pepe rented the cutest camper van and met us in Banff. Pulling up with our windows rolled down, shouting “helloooo!” as we drove by their site, on the way to ours was so much fun! The kids could hardly wait for the truck to stop moving and immediately jumped out to give them hugs.
Demory was so sweet and planned ahead to bake with Nana, keeping up their special tradition. She had all the ingredients for cupcakes ready and waiting, excited to dive in as soon as Nana arrived. Meanwhile, Sayer wasted no time pulling Pepe off for a game of Transformers.
We all agree that the best part of Banff was being with Nana and Pepe but there were some pretty cool bonus bits too! On our first day, Nana and Pepe treated us to a gondola ride up Sulphur Mountain. The 360-degree views were absolutely breathtaking and gave us such a great sense of the whole area. The ride up was steep, and Grier was nervous but she faced her fears and did it (per usual)! On the way up, Nana and Pepe pointed out the historic hotel where they celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary, which was really sweet to see.
One of the coolest adventures was taking a crazy bus with gigantic wheels out onto Athabasca glacier! Just getting there was amazing. Driving through Jasper National Park, surrounded by glacier-carved valleys and following the most brilliantly teal-blue river, was awe-inspiring. Our guide gave such a clear explanation of glaciation that I finally understand the difference between an icefield and a glacier! We even got to drink the freshest, coldest water straight from the glacier itself. Our only regret was not bringing more water bottles to fill and take home!
Afterward, we made our way to the Skywalk, a glass walkway suspended over a canyon. And if Grier thought the gondola was scary, this took things to another level! But with a little engineering talk, encouragement, and reassurance that she was “connected to the mountain,” both she and Sayer bravely crossed. Unsurprisingly, Demory was not phased a bit.
We could not get enough of those unforgettable teal waters so we spent the rest of our time soaking it up in all the ways possible. We explored Johnston Canyon and its beautiful waterfalls, swam and paddled at Johnson Lake, and relaxed in the parks along the Bow River.
Banff was incredible, but what made it truly special was sharing it all with Nana and Pepe.