Whitefish - Glacier NP - Banff NP (9)

The weatherman got it right! We awoke in Whitefish to blue skies and no rain. We left hoping this would translate to the same over Glaciers mountains. With no rush in mind, we took our time getting to the park, stopping along the way to tour downtown Whitefish.

Once we reached West Glacier, we stopped for breakfast at one of the interesting village restaurants. The skies were not as clear here in the mountains, but were clearing fast under the warming sun.

We took another side trip to the Canadian Information Center. It was full of interesting exhibits and information.

Not the least of which was a full size replica of a T-Rex skeleton.

Soon we began the long assent up The Going to the Sun Road, headed to Logan Pass. This winding mountain road is 53 miles long, reaches an elevation of 6,646 ft and took over 30 years to build. No RV's are allowed due to the narrow width and tight turns. This road is also closed, due to snow, around eight months of the year.

We passed waterfalls at almost every turn. Road construction was common as well.

It is truly a magnificent road, made even more breathtaking this morning by the wispy clouds wrapped around the mountains.

Although The Going to the Sun Road only reaches an altitude of 6,646 ft, it seems much higher. Mainly because of the sheer vertical drops along side the entire road, and the jagged peaks of the mountains. Road closures due to avalanche and landslides are common.

This is Wild Goose Island on Lake St. Mary.

Obviously, we loved the view!

All too soon we reached the end of The Going to the Sun Road at the East Gate in St. Mary, MT.

Indian Tee Pees at St. Mary. These are actually for overnight rental, much like a hotel room.

After stopping to take a break, we again turned north and drove the short distance to the Canadian Border.

The crossing into Canada came at the Blackfeet community of Piegan, MT , and went smoothly. We quickly switched the Garmin GPS over to metric to make the Canadian speed limit conversions easier.

From the border, we drove north to Calgary. At nearly 1.2 million, we were impressed with the size of this city. We were also glad we skirted the west edge of the city, considering the rush hour traffic we encountered.

Soon we arrived in the Banff National Park, and the city of Banff. Tomorrow we explore The Icefield Parkway and Lake Louise. We plan to spend two nights here in Banff.

Strength lies in differences, not in similarities. ~Stephen Covey~

Strong lives are motivated by dynamic purposes. ~Kenneth Hildebrand ~