Pacific NW 12 - Banff

     So we were now nearing the end of our marvellous trip.  Banff was a short drive from Lake Louise, and after all the wild open spaces it seemed a complete metropolis, with the tourist throngs filling all the streets.  We stayed well up the hill from the town, in the busy but comfortable Rimrock Resort.  Gail and I ventured up the cable car to the top of the peak above, where there is a network of boardwalks over a kilometre long, giving amazing views of the valleys and mountains all around.
     By the time we were ready to go down, the clouds were closing in until there was nothing to see at all, and the weather continued to deteriorate.
     We arranged a late dinner and were put into a private room, just the four of us, and worked our way through a tasting menu with wines for each course, served by a slightly eccentric crew of waiters, who seemed eager to talk and crack jokes.  A really fantastic way to end this trip, as we gazed out into the valley below, siwrling with clouds and now sleet flurries.
    Next day, we struggled through a near blizzard, back to Calgary and finally split up, Gail direct to London, Kathleen to California for more travel, and Ian and I to Seattle for our return flight.  We had an overnight there in what must be the best airport hotel anywhere, Cedarbook Lodge, with extensive gardens and even a little wood in the grounds, and a very decent restaurant.

    So what will we remember from this trip?  The wildest, remotest places: the rainforest and the deserted beaches of Oregon; bear country in the Rockies; snow drifts above the clouds and vast mountain ranges; swollen rivers and waterfalls.  Also, surprisingly good food, with an emphasis on local produce, from the grandest set dinners to the home-baked goods in coffee shops in remote towns; and great beer and wine from the local craft breweries and wineries.  Our favourite spots were Yachats and Revelstoke, and the remote wilderness of Alpine Meadows.  All in all, it seemed as if the best places were the least visited, and these are the places we would likely return to.