Lake-hopping continues today, with a trip to the must-visit Lake Louise. This is the postcard landmark of Canada, and probably one of the most photographed lakes in the world. Hence it is no wonder that it wasn’t easy to secure a parking lot there, and certainly a challenge to snap a photograph without at least a stranger’s arms in it. Lake Louise IS gorgeous. It is a turquoise lake with a backdrop of mountains and glaciers, but at the time when we were there in late May, the lake was still partially frozen. A tip for photographers is to just walk a little distance down the path, where you’d realize there are fewer people, and the view is still as great.

We did not have enough time here, so a hike plan was forgone. I can imagine how picturesque it would have been, to hike to a higher spot that overlooked the lake and the surrounding Rockies. We did have some fun camwhoring just at the lake, and savouring the feeling of being “inside” a real-life postcard.

Very near to Lake Louise, is another well-known lake – Moraine Lake. I read that Moraine Lake is not as frequently visited by tourists, and is hence an underrated place. I have to agree – personally I think Moraine Lake is as beautiful as her better-known cousin Lake Louise, and minus the huge crowds! It was frozen over, so we could all walk on the lake. It was the first time that I walked on a frozen lake -- the feeling was unnerving but surreal.

We drove ourselves back into Banff town, to head the other way to go to Sulphur Mountain. This was another popular tourist attraction, where a 8-minute Banff Gondola ride would take you up to the summit ridge of Sulphur Mountain, offering GREAT 360-degree views of the surrounding Rocky mountains. We had lunch at the top of the mountain ridge, with unblocked views of the landscape around. You get to eat and gaze at the faraway towns, rivers and valleys far below. It was as if you were at the top of the world, and everything was calm, revitalizing and vast below you. It was pretty shiok!

Still at the top, we followed the path to reach the highest point at the other end, Sanson’s Peak, where a meteorological observatory building still stood. We began to feel a little unwilling to leave as the time brought us closer and closer to evening. This was the last stop of our road trip segment, and we would be leaving the postcard-perfect Canadian Rockies for good. It had been such a pleasure driving in this part of the country, and I secretly wished that I would be back here again. 

It was a 1.5-hour drive to Calgary, where we would fly out of Alberta. We had really good Japanese food at a restaurant nearby the airport, before reluctantly returning the trustworthy Dodge SUV. WL and I would be flying to the nation’s capital Ottawa, and CY to London, a city in Ontario.