July's Hotter Half

After we returned from our trip, we definitely needed to take it easy for a while. So we did. Lots of lounging, reading, and generally taking it easy. But the next week, I was feeling like summer was slipping away and we hadn't yet gotten to do some of the things that are best to do on a weekday afternoon, rather than a weekend. Things like rock climbing, which Hadley requested for her birthday activity. Hadley loves it, Owen tolerates it, but even he enjoyed the new giant place nearby. There were lots of kid-friendly bouldering routes, a balcony of self-belay short routes, and a huge kids' room besides all of that.

We also learned that they both enjoy old-school roller skating! Before I could even lace up, Hadley was on the floor, but she was smiling!

I think their times on ice skates helped them a wee bit on the mechanics of moving in wheeled shoes. Owen seemed to pick it up pretty quickly, and Hadley appreciated the rolling guide contraption, much like the one she used on the ice rink. At least this place had a separate area in the back for beginners, so they could practice without being trampled, although they could have used a better A/C. We got so sweaty from working all of these oddly underused muscles! Look at that concentration!

If you don't already know, Hadley is tenacious and stubborn. She fell more times than I can recall, but she got up every time determined not to let those skates win. And most of the times she was even smiling! She went around the big rink several times with the faster skaters streaming by her like a rock in a brook. Here's one of her test spins without the guide; I also like it because Owen nearly eats it in the background.

Another fun activity I came across was the 'Kids Bowl Free' program, where you just pay for shoe rentals, potentially for 2 free games every day of summer. Again, Hadley loves it, Owen does not. I think it's because, even with bumpers in the gutters, Hadley somehow always manages to get a higher score than him. I suppose it's a little unsettling to realize that you aren't going to beat your little sibling at everything every time...

despite her crazy run up.

One afternoon I surprised the kids with a field trip! That's right. I signed us up for an Amazon distribution center tour, so we could see how they work their magic. It was pretty fascinating to see the robots zipping around under columns of bins filled to the brim with stuff and the packaging area's conveyor belts with boxes whizzing by. You'll just have to take my word for it, because they don't allow pictures inside the warehouse. But we did get one outside (pool hair, don't care!) and one with their props.

Then there was that one time when it was actually pleasant in Houston in July! So nice, in fact, that we sought out patio seating for dinner. How bizarre, but so welcome! The kids ran off and got hot in the play area and then sought out the large fan next to our table. I had to laugh at their wind-blown hair; obviously, Owen's hairstyle is one directional.

And finally, to wrap up July, Hadley got to attend art camp with her neighbor friend. She loves being busy and missed school all summer, so it was doubly fun to go do art in a studio every day for a week. Especially for the aspiring artist!

Homeward Bound

After Lake Louise, we headed west and soon crossed back into British Columbia. 

The highway traversed through gorgeous mountainscapes, cliffside tunnels, and picturesque river valleys, amid rain, waterfalls, and fog in Yoho, Glacier, and Revelstoke National Parks. Once we reached Revelstoke, we needed some lunch. We happened upon a tasty ski-town bakery/brewery and I just had to order some poutine before we left Canada. The kids were not interested in even trying poutine, and I honestly don't get the big deal about fries with cheese curds and gravy...

By mid-afternoon we rolled into our hotel in Kelowna, BC. This hotel had waterslides in their pool area, so you can guess what the first request was after we got into our room!

After dinner, we ventured to a local brewery. It was such a cool place - an old 2-story tobacco warehouse that has been converted into lots of unique seating areas, a counter in a Winnebago-like trailer, a bowling alley, bocce court, and picnic tables. We taught the kids how to play 31 and had a good ol' time. (Until Hadley lost, that is... but that's another story for another time.)

Then I suggested that we walk a couple of blocks to Kelowna's Waterfront Park on Okanagan Lake. What a lovely little city! We were sad that Vancouver couldn't fit on this trip's agenda, but Kelowna was a great substitute. 

More lake water! But this water wasn't nearly as cold as that in Banff, and it was so pretty and soothing at sunset.

How many pictures do I have of these two playing in sand?! A lot! But they have such a wonderful time doing that at every beach, I guess I feel compelled to try to capture some of the joy on film. Did it work?

The next day we were USA-bound! Kelowna is considered to be in both wine and lake country, which was pretty obvious on our way south of the city. Vineyards and orchards abound along lots of lakeshore almost all the way to the border. I didn't get a great picture, since I was driving for most of that stretch, but I did get one that gives an idea. (No, I wasn't driving at the time!)

The border agent let us go despite our possession of Canadian bananas and a souvenir ornament, and we crossed back into the land of working cell phones and green currency.

A night in Washington, another in Idaho, more hotel pools, more Elvis sandwiches (PB, banana, and honey), and we were nearly home. But mostly, it was a lot of time in the car for 3 days, and not much that was picture-worthy. We did stop randomly in Oregon for a pit stop and more Elvis sandwiches (ugh, no more of those for a long time!) near Weatherby. We realized, once we pulled in, that we had stopped at this same rest stop a few years prior (de ja vu), and it had some interesting history about the nearby Oregon Trail.

Pretty exciting to make these kind of long road trips now that we have two experienced travelers riding with us! I will say that two weeks felt like maybe too long to be on vacation together...? But, we did it and we survived and thrived. Next vacation may be a beach house in one place though...

Banff Lakes

Day 2 in Banff was a tale of two lakes. It could have been three lakes (or probably even more!), but I was outvoted. So, two it was. Anyway, we were becoming pretty good at the whole bus transit routine (not counting that time where we got on the wrong color blue bus and took the one-way scenic route up a mountain and through the entire campground and back...). We were thoroughly entertained by a ground squirrel colony while we waited for the bus.

We started at Johnson Lake, which was a deep emerald green color. The morning was calm and the lake was perfect for reflections.

It was a pretty small lake, so we decided to do the loop trail around it (~2 miles). We enjoyed the relatively quiet trail and all of the different perspectives as we walked around it. It was surrounded by mountains so the view changed a lot.

But about halfway through, there was a loud group that we could hear all the way across the lake! That was a little detracting from the experience, but we headed toward the red chairs (the group's hangout) anyway and snapped a quick photo before finishing the hike.

By the time we reached the start, Johnson Lake's "beach" was getting crowded. We stopped and ate our lunch at a picnic table, and an emboldened squirrel touched my knee under the table. I was imagining a giant spider or something equally terrifying, so I jumped, gasped, and startled the poor thing. Time to move on.

A short bus ride away was Lake Minnewanka, which was a lake full of some of the clearest, coldest water these toes have felt. Of course, it was surrounded by huge, dramatic mountains and is the largest and deepest lake in the area. Enough with the stunning scenery already! Apparently, when they dammed the lake again in the 1940s, it flooded the original resort village, which makes it a popular scuba spot, too.

We had intended to do a short hike around part of the lake to a canyon, but the kids were so enthralled with the water that we scratched that and just enjoyed the lake. Timid toes checking out the chilly water. One source said the lake temperature is around 36-37 degrees F - we're talking instant tingling and numbness in just a few seconds!

There were several natural jetties that were fun to explore - some even through cold water crossings, if your feet could stand it.

We eventually found a little hidden beach, which was a nice quiet area. It was a warm, sunny Saturday afternoon, so the picnic area was full of families and groups grilling and chilling. Maybe next time we'll find a sitter and splurge on the sunset beer cruise!

And of course, we couldn't let the red chair(s) go undocumented, despite the weary traveler who sat in one of the chairs our entire stay. Hello? Photo Op! Mo-ove! Just kidding. I would never interrupt someone's joy in nature... 

After a few hours, we grew tired of being in the sun and headed back to the hotel to pack up, as the next day we'd be heading west to start our return route. Overnight, a front had blown in with rain and the next day was much cooler. The fog clinging to the mountains was a little eerie on our way to Lake Louise.

Lake Louise was on my bucket list, and I was a little bummed that the weather had turned and the fog obscured the glacier a little, but I was still pretty excited to be there! It is truly amazing and spectacular, even in imperfect conditions. 

I had read that you had to show up early to fit in the parking lot (true!), and we had to drive about 45 minutes from Banff to get there, plus check out of our hotel, so we had our earliest morning by far to accomplish all of that. And let's just say that some of our party were not pleased to be out in the cold, early morning to look at another lake. Too bad! Suck it up, buttercups! Few things are done just for mom, and this was one of my only requests. 

Ideally, we would have hiked up to the teahouses and made a day of it, but the weather, temperaments, and schedule did not allow us to do that. Instead, we trudged down the crowded, mucky path a ways just to see the view back to the famous Chateau Lake Louise, and then we trudged back to the car to continue our journey.