Winter Wonderland: Beautiful Blue Skies in Banff

So this post is a little overdue... like almost a week overdue.  I started it the evening of our last day in Banff and then we wound up at the hospital with Logan.  And though it is now a little outdated, I still wanted to share our last day in Banff, as it was absolutely fantastic!

Our last day of vacation was a perfect, perfect day.  Super sunny, blue skies and by midday it was relatively mild.  It's on days like this that I miss running the most.

Man... those were the days... miss this!

We got up early and, for once, could see the mawmits from our hotel.

They were, in fact, right across the road from our hotel,
but I didn't get a picture

We headed to the Banff gondola first thing in the morning and had the whole place virtually to ourselves.

The views from the top?? 

Stunning. 

Astonishingly beautiful. 

Enchanting. 

Outstanding.  

That's the Banff Springs hotel you see
in the top portion of the photo.
Which looked so majestic here.

Exquisite.  

Um... I'm out of adjectives here.  Let's just say it was really, really pretty.

We enjoyed our requisite chai latte at the bottom of the mountain - yes, there was even a Starbucks at the base of Sulphur Mountain!!!  I love it out West! 

And then we headed back along the Bow Valley Parkway, on our way to Lake Louise.  Even though we had done this exact drive the day before, both kids needed a nap.  So we decided to take this longer route, in hopes of getting refreshed children, along with some beautiful photos now that the sun was out.  

Lake Louise was well worth the drive.

 

The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise

 

 

 

We even got to enjoy a little sleigh ride through the wintery woods.

 

And Logan got his fix of playing in the snow (well, almost!). 

 

  
 And by the end of the day, we were all pooped.

But tired or not, no tantrums were gonna ruin this day.  I just snapped a few pics and walked right on past them...

On the top of the mountain

In the restaurant where we had lunch in Lake Louise.
Yes, with everyone staring and giving me looks
as if I'm a terrible mother because I ignore these fits.

Didn't snap a picture of the one we had going through security at the airport on our way home (because I wouldn't let him play in the full-body scan thing-a-ma-jiggy, might I add).  The security guard looked at me and said (referring to his tantrum) "that's the third one I've seen today".  To which I responded, "oh, I've seen many more than three already...".

But the flight was great and we all made it home safe and sound.  

And I've already been busy in the kitchen in my first less than a full week home, making feta spinach pie with whole-wheat crust.  (BIG FAIL!).  Since I had no spinach, I used leeks I had previously chopped and frozen.  And for some odd reason, it didn't cross my mind that I had to cook them beforehand.  So they were semi-raw.  And I didn't measure the butter for the crust because I was in a rush.  And ended up having to piece the crust together because I couldn't roll it.  And then it didn't taste all that good.  But at least we had something for dinner... 

I've also made some of my mom's bran muffins and a (no) cream of vegetable soup (yes! again!).  

Stay tuned for the other couple of (new) recipes I've whipped up since getting back from vacation :)