At the beginning of the month, I ventured north with my brother, our passports, and our golf clubs. Our travels took us through the rolling plains of North Dakota and Saskatchewan, the mountains of Alberta and British Columbia, and the bustling energy of one of Canada’s best-kept secrets: Calgary. With our schedule only allowing for one day to explore the city of Calgary, we decided to make the most of our time in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies before heading west towards Banff.
As we entered the city of Calgary, we were welcomed with cool temperatures and light rainfall that made for comfortable walking weather. After shopping at Lululemon for Team Canada Olympic Gear, we parked downtown and set out to find lunch. After a few blocks of walking, we discovered the JINYA Ramen Bar and enjoyed carefully prepared beef and noodles in a spicy broth that had been simmering for more than twenty hours. The staff was delightful and wished us well as we made our way back to the car and onwards towards the Calgary Zoo.
At the Calgary Zoo, we had two main objectives: find the polar bears and red pandas. As we wandered around the zoo and watched our favorite animals, it was a joy to see so many children, adults, and young people engaged and excited in their surroundings. The Calgary Zoo is one of many institutions working in collaboration with the Wilder Institute to accelerate the conservation of animals and train the conservation practitioners of tomorrow. Whether protecting at-risk populations, helping return endangered species to the wild, or influencing government policy, the Wilder Institute and the Calgary Zoo have partnered together to achieve a common goal: “restore the balance between wildlife and human life”. By employing a staff focused on interacting with its visitors, the Calgary Zoo is doing a tremendous job of influencing and educating its visitors about the animals and the dangers facing each species.
The next morning, my brother and I made one last push towards our final destination: Banff. As the sun rose behind us, we wove our way beneath the mountains until we reached the Lake Louise Ski Resort. From there, we took a shuttle to Lake Louise and spent the rest of our day hiking to the St. Agnes Tea House, climbing through the fog to the lookout from Little Beehive, walking around Lake Louise, and celebrating with champagne at the Fairmont’s Lake Louise Chateau. After our adventures concluded, Andrew from the Moraine Lake Bus Company gave us one final quest: take the scenic Bow Valley Parkway back to downtown Banff instead of the Trans-Canada Highway. Just five minutes into our side quest, we were rewarded with a grizzly bear sighting. Over the course of nearly twenty minutes, we had the opportunity to sit with fifteen other cars as the bear ate berries from bushes growing near the train tracks running alongside the road. We watched until a train horn broke the silence and sent each of us on our way for the evening.
Our final day in Canada was a memorable one as we had the opportunity to play a round of golf at the Fairmont’s Banff Springs Golf Course. We immediately encountered wildlife when a small herd of elk ran across the driving range as we were warming up. Soon after, we began our round under the shadows of Mount Rundle while an elk bull stood next to us on the first tee box. Over the course of four hours, we made new friends with our playing partners, the course staff, and the wildlife that continued to enjoy the fairways with us. Upon completion of the round, we loaded up our car and began our journey home.
Canada offered my brother and me a sense of peace from the moment we arrived to the moment we departed. We felt the security of the mountains, the freedom of the rivers, and the calmness of the lakes and their bright blue waters. We witnessed the fragility of nature in the evidence of burned forests, the excitement of adventure in each other, and the importance of preserving the wilderness for the animals who call it home. There are so many individuals and organizations doing incredible work to preserve life at the fifty-first parallel, and I encourage you to do all you can to further those efforts. Whether through support of nonprofits, contributions through tourism, or conversations with friends and family, keep up the good work! Cheers!
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