Happy Birthday Bob!!
For Bob’s birthday we decided to drive to Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada. The epic vista of Prince of Wales Hotel and the peaks of Waterton greeted us as we approached the town on the shores of Upper Waterton Lake. The Hotel was constructed between 1926 and 1927, by the Great Northern Railway to lure American tourists north of the border during the prohibition era. The hotel was named after the Prince of Wales (later King Edward Vlll), in a transparent attempt to entice him to stay in the hotel on his visit to Canada in 1927, but the Prince stayed at a nearby ranch instead. We made dinner reservations to celebrate Bob’s birthday, then we went off to explore Waterton and some of the scenic drives. First we had a celebratory beer at a hotel on the edge of the Lake. Then we drove up to Cameron Lake at the end of the Akamina Parkway. At an elevation of 5400 feet this picturesque alpine lake, an aquamarine jewel nestled in the basin of the Rocky Mountains, offers the pristine beauty of a remote mountain environment. We walked out on the wharf for some photos and watched as a man went for a swim in the cool water. I would love to join him but not this time. Click on thumbnail to view images
We drove back to the Prince of Wales Hotel for dinner, at a table overlooking Upper Waterton Lake, and watched as a storm came across the Lake and a forest fire started at the end of the Lake. All during dinner we watched as helicopters dropped water on the fire to control it from spreading to far and too fast. We ate a great dinner and thanks to Bob for having another fabulous birthday on the road! Driving back to Montana we had a beautiful view of the Chief Mountain ( also called Old Chief Mountain), rising over 5,000 feet above the Great Plains which are immediately east of the mountain. The mountain is one of the most prominent peaks and rock formations along the Rocky Mountain Front, known as the Lewis Overthrust. Chief Mountain remains sacred to many First Nations peoples from both the US and Canada. Natives from all over North America travel to the base of the mountain for sweet grass ceremonies, placing of prayer flags and other religious rites. It is a very impressive mountain and especially at sunset.