The Great Outdoors!

Have any of you ever spent much time in Banff or Jasper? If yes, then you will know exactly what we're talking about when we say "amazing" and "breathtaking." If no, then put it on your to-do list because these National Parks are worth the time and money-just ask the thousands of international tourists that fly, drive, and sail to this location every year just to catch a glimpse of the bluest blue of Lake Louise or the humbling statures of the snow topped Rockies.

After spending our first day sleeping in a parking lot in downtown Banff to be next to a repair shop (turns out we had blown an exhaust gasket on the drive) we decided to suck it up and pay for campgrounds as we traveled through. It was well worth it as we both enjoyed much needed down time in some of the best scenery that Canada has to offer.

Banff was filled with hiking and fun campfire activities.

One such campfire activity was spider dogs. What's a spider dog you may ask? Well, Hazen has prepared a little DIY demonstration for all you camping enthusiasts.

Step 1: Tools you will need- 1 hotdog, 1 knife & 1 roasting stick

Step 2: Slice in an X pattern 1/3 of the length of the hotdog on both ends. Leave the 1/3 in the middle to mount your spider dog on the stick.

Step 3: Above the flames, roast both sets of 4 legs like so...

Step 4: Enjoy au natural or with your favorite dog toppings (Hazen likes mustard)

No camping trip is complete without a spider dog, or 6.

We then headed off to Lake Louise for that sought after blue water. Fun Fact: The blue you see in the water comes from the weight of the glaciers grinding against the underlying rock which forms "rock flour." The rock flour travels down to the lake via glacial streams and the result is this undeniable blue.

Hazen spent much of his downtime fashioning a makeshift gasket from tin foil and gasket sealant to get us through the parks because no one could help us. Thank goodness one of us is handy with the tools....
At Lake Louise we embarked on one of the most breathtaking hikes. While most passers through enjoy the splendor of Lake Louise itself, some choose to hike up behind it to it's sister lakes- Mirror and Agnes. These lakes are certainly smaller but equally as beautiful.

Heading North, we adventured out onto the Columbia Ice Fields, a glacier that is cascading down a valley like frozen class 5 rapids.

Don't worry, we didn't make the treacherous hike over crevasses so deep you can't see the bottom - we hopped their little shuttle bus out to a safe spot.

The parks were fantastic, but we did learn a few lessons while we were there...
Rules of the Road:
8. If your van is making a noise, it's probably broken.
9. They are able to make you pay through the nose when there is no gas, groceries or liquor for hours.
10. Wildlife is one of nature's amazing gifts, but that is no excuse to slam on the breaks every 5km, running your fellow drivers off the road just to take a picture of yet another furry creature.