Road Trippin - Part 5 - The Nanny and Bumps Effect

The Nanny and Bumps Effect: 

the effect of two people who bring weather events with them wherever they go!!

Once again we woke to snow and it continued as we made our way into Banff.  Banff is a much larger version of Jasper.  It is very tourist driven yet retains its small town feel – at least in winter anyway.  It has a number of souveneir stores, plenty of good cafes and eateries and is small enough to be able to walk around easily within an hour or so.  After strolling around town for a while we headed over to the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.  Georgeous, georgeous, georgeous!! It’s façade is magnificent with stone walls and castle like turrets.  The interior is also very elegant and whilst we did not get to see the inside of one of the hotel rooms (which you can stay at  from as little as $399CAD a night!!!!!) we did get to stroll through the shopping area.  It was great to see that, unlike a number of other souvenir stores we have been to, most of the items for sale were goods made in Canada by local artisans and not manufactured en mass in China or India. 

These tunnels are designed to allow wildlife to cross the highway safely overhead.

Banff has some awesome views of the Rocky Mountains

How about this as a way to walk 3 year olds around town?
Two day care walkers at each end of a rope, while the 3 year olds hold onto it.
As they cross the road the children have been taught to hold one hand up to let
motorists know they are crossing the street. They looked like little colourful penguins as they strolled around town.

Dad and a little marble friend hanging out in an art gallery in the Banff Springs Hotel

As has become routine whenever we visit a town, we stopped for coffee before heading on the road again. We headed back towards Lake Louise before heading out of Banff National Park into Kootenay National Park, otherwise known as the Kootenays.  This mountain range is as lovely and magnificent as the Rockies and encompasses the Selkirk, Monashee and Purcell Mountain ranges. 

Our drive took us past towering mountain sides, numerous frozen waterfalls and into the town of Radium, home of the Radium Hot Springs.  Just as we pulled up at the Hot Springs the Nanny and Bumps effect once again kicked in and a good amount of hail greeted us.  The hail was the size of small marbles but thankfully did not have the same punch.  Canadian hail is basically compacted snow that’s been tossed and turned in the clouds to form balls.  It causes no where near the damage that Australian hail does. 

Bren, the boys and I took a dip in the Radium Hot Spring pools.  The pools look just like a public swimming pool however the temperature is much much higher and the water a whole lot more therapeutic.  The volume of water in the pool is replenished every 8 hours from water drawn from the natural hot springs so although chlorine is used in the pools to kill certain bacteria it doesn’t smell of it. 

Our bed for the night was in Radium itself which is a short drive from the pools.  The drive from the pools to Radium took us through a narrow section of road with high walled canyons on either side.  At one point where the road turns the view of the mountains ahead is totally obscured by the canyon. 

Whilst eating dinner at a local restaurant we noticed that the sky had cleared and stars were twinkling!.  With that in mind Bren and I braved the cold later in the evening with our tripod and wide angle lens hoping once again to catch and capture a glimpse (or more) of the northern lights.  We stayed outside for an hour or so until the cold once again forced us inside – the northern lights again making a no show.  At least we don’t think so.  After looking back at the photos I think that we captured  a very faint glimpse of the green haze typical of northern lights.

After speaking with some local residents here we found out that Radium is home to mobs of big horned sheep that take up residence on rocky hillsides and the lush green grass of the local golf course.  On our way out of town we went on a mission to find them. This we did in just the places we were told they would be.  They are apparently quite used to human contact and don’t mind a pat (we did not try this!!!).  It seems that other creatures wander Radium streets as well judging by the many fenced and rock covered gardens and yards that dominate landscape designs here.  One would assume this is to keep deer and sheep at bay – its not a bad way to omit mowing from the list of weekly chores as well.

Another of Radium's local critters