We heard from all our friends that the best time of year to explore the mountains in Western Canada is August but that flights and hotels get booked up lightening speed.  So this was the first trip that we planned so long in advance - 8 months to be exact.  That’s reaaalllyy far in advance for a couple of late bookers like us.  We may have even rethought the entire trip if we knew I’d be 5.5 months pregnant trekking up that mountain to get to Lake Agnes Tea House!  I was seriously just thinking about those scones and a cup of hot hot tea that got me through that 3.5 km hike. 

We wanted to celebrate our 7 year anniversary doing something fun together, but without baby on board as the third wheel.  So we had our moms pull double duty to babysit Hayat while we re-experienced what it felt like to sleep in after 6:30am and not worry about poop explosions or nap times.  I meant, the baby’s poop explosions and nap times…no one else’s!

So here the highlights of our trip:

• Experiencing 0 degree temperatures in freakin’ August! I mean, they said the weather would be cooler, but 0 degrees?!

• Driving from Calgary to Jasper through the magnificent Icefield Parkway, then back again at the end of our trip.  If you like the mountains, then this drive is the most serene experience you’ll savour forever!

• Forgetting my gimbal mount back in Ottawa, driving back to Calgary after driving an hour out to purchase my now new and favourite gimbal, Zhiyun Crane 2 (thanks Joshua from Up North Wedding Films for the recommendation!).  Best decision getting the new crane, can’t wait to create a video of our trip.  For next time 🙂

• Sleeping in a 6 person shared dorm room in Jasper (apparently, we didn’t book our hotel early enough!), which was a pretty unique and fun experience.  Ali was my bunk bed buddy!

  Waking up at 5:30am to make sure we arrive at Lake Louise early enough to park.  We literally got the LAST remaining parking spot in the main section.  Then enjoyed a cup of coffee before we explored Lake Louise!

• Lake Agnes Tea House - WAS SO WORTH the exhausting, steep hike.  We didn’t end up going all the way up to the Beehive, I would have likely died on the way up haha, but the delicious scones, tuna sandwiches and hot herbal tea was worth every step of the way.  

• Sleeping in until 11am the very next day so we could enjoy a slower day of brunch at SunHouse Cafe (we went back again the next day because their avocado, egg breakfast sandwich and rich coffee was to die for!).

• Thanking God several times for buying a good pair of hiking shoes, despite them not looking ‘cute’.  Cute shoes have always been one of my travel essentials, but this time around, I opted for a solid sole and orange laces.  Best decision ever.

All in all, we waited way too long to explore our own backyard and we can’t wait to go back to Jasper and Banff - with 2 babies this time :). Enjoy these breathtaking views of Western Canada!