GLACIER NATIONAL PARK/JASPER/BANF/LAKE LOUISE

An extended family trip for my grandfather's birthday took us to Glacier National Park, Jasper, Banf, and Lake Louise in the early 90's. Our party of 16 plus included aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, a great uncle, grandparents, and parents. It is unusual to find a family this size on a trip together for any length of time, but more unusual to find a family this size who gets along so well over an almost fourteen day duration. Camping at Glacier National Park included a drive up the famous "Going to the Sun Road" taking visitors through beautiful scenery of mountains, waterfalls, and wildflowers. Hikes to mountain lakes allowed us to take in the breathless views of the towers of mountains for which this park is visited by millions every year. Wildflowers were spectacular and offered a colorful blanket of yellows, oranges, pinks, and purples against the white coats of the many goats that wander the mountain sides. Chalets built in the 1800's, early 1900's were a reminder of the history that permeates this wilderness area between Canada and the U.S. After our time at Glacier our travels took us up into Canada to Jasper, Banf, and Lake Louise where magnificent waterfalls showed off the ability of nature to carve and create masterpieces displaying God's power and beauty. Horseback rides, glacier climbing, and wading in mountain water provided extra activities for both kids and adults alike. Many beautiful and captivating areas exist in our country, however, I'm not sure that any other place can rival this section of North America, unless it is Alaska.