The final day of a vacation is never fun, but to be honest, I was mostly glad that this one was coming to an end. 11 days of winter weather in the Canadian Rockies had been tough on me. No, I hadn’t caught the flu or lost any toes to frostbite. But constantly battling the cold weather, trudging through snow, and driving on slush and ice had taken its toll on me. I love you, Canada, but I probably won’t be back during wintertime, any time soon.
I spent the final night at the Banff Boundary Lodge — which is more like a condo complex than a hotel. As the name suggests, it’s located just outside the southern boundary of Banff National Park, in the community of Harvey Heights. It’s practically Canmore, and don’t worry, the Tim Horton’s is just a few kilometers away. My “room” had two bedrooms, and best of all, a gas fireplace. I was warm for the first time in a week and a half.
Heading to Calgary’s airport might have been somewhat of a relief, but the toughest part of making my final drive was the view in the rear-view mirror. As you head towards Calgary, for at least a half-hour or more, you can glance behind you and see the mountains, all lined up, calling for you to return. Sadly, I don’t have a Drivelapse camera pointed out the back window, so you’ll have to settle for the view looking forward, as I drove Highway 1 into the city.
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