Our second day in Canada took us through a very famous route called the Icefields Parkway, and it is considered one of the most scenic drives in North America. The Icefields Parkway traverses Alberta’s Banff and Jasper national parks in the central Canadian Rockies. It has been rumored that the Canadian Rockies are more beautiful than the U.S. Rocky Mountains. I’m just saying, that’s what they say! Typically travel on this road is recommended for summertime only. There can still be snow on the ground and only one gas station along the 146 mile road. For a regular car that might not be a big deal, but when pulling a fully loaded 7×12 trailer, you need a fill up!

When planning our #longislandtoalaska route, we knew instantly this would be a part of it! We couldn’t drive right by the Canadian Rockies without seeing them in all their glory! Little did we know, their glory was brought full force in the form of a small snow storm. We pulled into the town of Banff, which is the headquarters for Banff National Park. We stopped by the visitor center to get the daily report for the roads, grab some breakfast (at Evelyn’s Coffee Shop) and gas up for the first portion of the trip. (By the way, visitor centers are FULL of all sorts of good stuff. If on a trip, take 5 minutes to stop in. The people who work in them are there to help make your trip the absolute best. They want you to see the very best of their home!) On this particular morning, the weather forecast for the Icefields Parkway was less than encouraging. It was snowing, it had been snowing and it was going to continue to snow. Portions of the “parkway”, which is really a two lane road, were said to have icy conditions. The woman in the visitor center said, “oh, you’re pulling a trailer?! yah, it’s a hairy drive in snow. go slow, really slow.” Well, something to that effect that filled us with grief-stricken faces!

As we grabbed a quick breakfast and a coffee (I really needed a coffee that morning), we debated if we should still head up into the Icefields Parkway. Would it be safe? Wise? Would going be a sound decision? Then we threw all warnings out the window and headed straight into the snow. What can I say? We didn’t come all this way to miss out because of a measly snow storm. The drive was a little hairy at parts but a little more than half way through, the snow stopped falling, the sun came out and we could finally see the Canadian Rockies. And boy were they an amazing, gorgeous sight! It was another reminder of this incredibly breathtaking world we live on! That there is beauty around every corner, whether in the splendor of snow-capped mountains or the eyes of an innocent child. Beauty can always be found.

Here’s a look at that days drive through the lens of my iPhone.

started out as a rainy, overcast day

that’s not a white wall behind the huzband, just a blanket of snow EVERYWHERE

beautiful Lake Louise. don’t you see it? somewhere under all that snow?!

she found herself a big ol’ chunk of ice to snack on

driving throug

the trailer is creating it’s own little snow collection

just a random stoplight in the middle of it all. no biggie.

already I am being inspired by woman who are made of something deeper

it’s starting to clear up and we are starting to see what we should have all along

she found herself some more snow to eat

absolutely breathtaking!