Have you ever been hit in the face with such exceptional natural beauty that you feel almost overwhelmed and not worthy? Here we were driving through the Canadian Rockies in Banff, Lake Louise, Emerald Lake & surrounds and every corner we turned was so awe inspiring it almost felt surreal, as though nature was taking us for a ride and laughing at us. It was not only humbling but also enriching to be at the mercy of mother nature.

Sometimes you have a real affinity with a place, a connection that forms the minute you set foot in an area or a town. It can be the characters and people you meet on your journey, the general vibe of a town, the architecture, the climate, the views, the culinary delights, the local wine, the wildlife…or it can be a combination of some or all of the above. But, when you form a connection with a place that really touches your inner core and quite frankly, awakens your spirit… it can be a monumental experience that leaves you thirsty for more. It can also be quite rare to find this.

Out of all the places I’ve visited in the world I’ve formed ‘my top favourites list’ all due to this connection and being enamoured by a place immediately. A place you don’t want to leave. A place you can imagine setting up shop or moving to live. This partnership doesn’t creep up on you, rather it slaps you in the face with such force you can’t think of anywhere you’d rather be. These places include Scotland, New York, Queenstown, and now Canada. (Then there’s my ‘close second list’ which includes the likes of Boston, Barcelona, Ningaloo Reef, Tasmania, Vanuatu, Africa…the list goes on).

But, I digress (again!)…back to the Canadian Rockies, which, were inescapably jaw droppingly gorgeous! A vista that is so extroverted in its beauty that for the first time in my life I was lost for words. The best I could come up with was some very heavy handed expletives, followed by a neat collaboration of dancing feet. Add a few happy twirls and high pitched squeals and that pretty much summed up the moment.

Make sure you include the drives along the Icefields Parkway which is essentially a few hours drive with zero phone reception and nothing but the awe inspiring mountains and ice fields. Also don’t forget to drive along the Bow Valley Parkway near Banff to get your best chance at spotting bears, mousse, elk, eagles and other Canadian wildlife.

One Comment

  • It feels so good to experience and appreciate nature in areas like this, where everything is simply on a grand scale. It also can be quite calming and serene while being quite overwhelming. Just love everything nature has to offer and the Rockies should be on everybody’s must-see list.

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