Driving to Banff

We left Vancouver today for the last leg of our Canada trip.  We're going to Lake Louise and Banff, particularly the former where we will stay here, at Deer Lodge.   Which isn't the Lake Louise Inn, where I worked for a week or two in 1988, as one of the housekeeping staff (I just can't refer to myself as a maid, I really can't.  And I wasn't much of one, anyway.  In fact it would be insulting to maids to do so, even if I could bring myself to do it).  

Tonight, we're at Salmon Arm, which is a beautifully situated little town on the shores of Lake Shaswup, and surrounded by snow capped mountains (not as big as the Rockies will be, but they're getting bigger and bigger the closer we get).

It's taken us nearly five hours to get here, up the Coquihalla (No 5) Highway from near Vancouver.  This was a very high road, up through mountains, and it was snowing for a bit of the way.  Heavily enough for it to settle on the road, so I drove very slowly with my all-season tyres (luckily other cars were taking it slowly too).   We had been advised to take the Trans-Canada Highway (No 1) instead, though it takes a little longer, but the condition report flashing up on a screen before the turnoff / decision point said that both roads were 'Bare'.  I assume this means bare of snow (and not the other sort of Bear a hopeful Angus misheard me say, and nor was it any reference to Bear Grylls, whom we've both been keeping an eye out for, lurching out of the Rocky Mountains back to civilisation, and asking us for a lift).  So I opted for the quicker route.  But as other signs warn, conditions can change quickly in the mountains.  (Added later:  I heard the next morning two feet of snow fell on the Coquihalla yesterday!  Glad we made it through).

Tomorrow, we'll drive another four hours to Lake Louise, through the Glacier National Park (and Revelstoke, where an avalanche killed three people three weeks ago).

We saw a billboard on the way into Salmon Arm advertising the Holiday Inn Express, and what caught Angus's eye was the mention of a waterslide and pool.  So, deciding he could do with some comfortable physical activity after a day in the car, we went and got a room there, and it's lovely.  The pool and slide are fantastic, and very heated (indoors).  Also very crowded, but Angus enjoyed it a lot.  I had planned on having a spa and relaxing after the long drive and heavy concentration, but it was not a quiet relaxing atmosphere, with screams of excitement coming from the slide and pool nearby (many from my child) and lots of toddlers with their parents in the spa.

Oh well.  Back to our room (after a quick nip out to get some dinner - I was starving!) and ended up with KFC - our concession to Good Friday was not going for pepperoni pizza, and sticking to white meat (though not much of it really).

I didn't take many photos on the drive up today, as it wasn't really safe to stop much (one doesn't stop for photos in an area signed as 'Avalanche Area'.  I will tomorrow though, this scenery is among the most beautiful on the planet.