Ahh, Banff. It’s one of those places that’s surrounded by gorgeous mountains but a little difficult to explore without your own wheels. In my opinion, Banff should have the slogan Framed by Nature as per the photo above.

As much as it’s nice to try seeing as much as possible while on the road, vacation really shouldn’t be a constant go-go-go adventure. So yes, I did sleep in while staying both in Canmore and Banff. Some days I wandered through town and discovered that both tea and 1/2 strength lattes are tasty options when it’s cold out. Early on in my visit to Banff, I visited the Banff Park Museum, which houses a large collection of native wildlife specimens. The avian collection was rather impressive and definitely made me feel like a slacker on remembering my species. At least 3/4 of my ornithology lab was included in the museum’s collection!

On a rainy day, I visited the Whyte Museum of the Rockies. Initially I was hesitant to spend time there because it seemed to have a number of art exhibits. I’m sorry, but paintings of nude people, abstract concepts, or random objects simply don’t do anything for me. I can’t spend time trying to find the hidden meaning or analyzing the artist’s style. Probably over 50% of the Detroit Institute of Arts or the Louvre are lost on me because I just don’t see the point. On the other hand, show me landscapes and wildlife painted in beautiful colors, and I’ll look at one image after another! I’ll also want to own my favorites and decorate my non-existent home with them. 🙂 So with that in mind, I easily enjoyed the “Yellowstone to Yukon: The Journey of Wildlife and Art” exhibit. The rest of the museum gave a nice overview of Rockies-related history and exploration, so I’d definitely recommend a visit!










On my Sunday in town, I visited Rundle Memorial United Church, where I again realized how small churches can be. I was probably one of 15 people there that morning, but I was invited to chat and also come back in the evening for their free Thanksgiving dinner. Mmmm, turkey.

I wandered my way toward Tunnel Mountain and The Banff Centre for the Performing Arts to work up an appetite. Since the Banff Mountain Film Festival features such epic films, I was hoping to just find instant inspiration to be “badass.” Unfortunately I just found buildings perched on a scenic hillside. Oh well.

During the rest of my visit to Banff, I visited with a kiwi I found in my hostel (she asked if I was kiwi because she noticed the L&P sticker on my water bottle!), tasted the Canadian cuisine by trying poutine, and went for some hikes. On my last day in town, I decided to try out the Sulphur Mountain hike. At first I did my usual “Oh I don’t know if I’ll go all the way up and have time to get back to town to catch the bus to Canmore” thing but then my feet started going up the hill… and I couldn’t turn them around. I hate love it when that happens!

Either I’m a beast – which is unlikely – or the signs overestimated how long the hike to the top would take. I made it there without a problem and with plenty of time for pictures. The hike was a solid climb of switchbacks and sunshine, and I was happy to find snow near the top! I also found… the beacon of Banff!!

Or wait, maybe it was just the Sulphur Mountain Cosmic Ray Station. Either way, I had a burning desire to torch it. 🙂 Haha. I did cheat and take a free gondola ride back down the mountain to ensure I’d catch my bus. Luckily even though signs claimed it was about $15 to ride each way, nobody took my money at the top when I got on, and nobody asked for it at the bottom. Yesss.

Back in Canmore I was fortunate enough to make a connection for free housing through Trinity Bible Church! I stayed with a woman who works for another mushing business in the Bow Valley. We even went to a Bible study at a bar! While I stayed there, I rented a car to check out the Kananaskis Country. On my way I found some wind. And nice scenery. I love the freedom of the road.





How can people just jump into careers and miss all this?! Jumping ahead, I found this awesome store in Seattle called Metzger Maps. The place is just full of maps, travel books, globes, and travel information. If life is about settling down and getting in a groove, why do stores like that exist? Why should we care about what the rest of the world holds?

Easy. Because Gandalf tells us to.

“Home is now behind you. The world is ahead.”

But at the same time, it’s easy to see why the classic homey life is so appealing. I won’t lie; I’d love to have my own kitchen, bedroom, car, steady income, etc. I could keep in close touch with the same friends rather than meeting awesome people, working together for a few months, and then dispersing again. However, that typical lifestyle doesn’t quite exist for those of us who want to do and see it all. Sorry, world, we’re not all normal! Someday I’ll probably meet someone and adopt that life, but for now, I’m living for adventure.

If you haven’t read or seen “The Hobbit,” please go do so. Watch the scenery (NZ!), follow the story, and listen to Bilbo’s internal dilemma of home vs. life on the road. Bilbo and I (and most field biologists) are kindred spirits.

So once I’ve helped defeat a dragon, I’ll “go home.”