It was time to pack up and check out of the Chateau Lake Louise and head to Banff. Looking out the windows of our suite, it was obvious that the nice weather we had a couple of days ago was gone. Thick clouds have set in, creating the eerie scene in the photo below. Even under thick cloud, the area is still beautiful.
After packing up the car, we took another walk around the hotel and waterfront before heading out. Below is the lobby of the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.
Walking around outside, even the canoe rental dock was still busy in the cloudy weather, with several people milling about and a few canoes out on the lake.
Before driving down to Banff, we returned to Moraine Lake for a quick stop. We stopped here last year and climbed the rock pile. This year, we thought we’d walk the shoreline of the famous lake.
Here, Nadine is taking the hard way across a creek. I used the bridge.
Moraine Lake maintains a blue colour through the season, unlike Lake Louise which offers a series of shades of green. The water supplying Moraine Lake doesn’t contain the same amount of rock flour as Lake Louise (which gives the green colour), which is ground away from the surrounding glaciers.
Now at the end of the lake, this is about as far as we can go.
Leaving Moraine Lake for Banff, we were treated to a very nice surprise. As we turned on to Lake Louise Drive from Moraine Lake Road, this grizzly bear was grazing at the side of the road! This is the closest we have ever been to a live grizzly bear in the wild.
I captured a quick video of the grizzly through the car window.
Arriving in Banff, we returned to the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. We left the car with the valet and checked in to our room. We have a very big and nice 1 bedroom suite. It even has a walk-in closet! While not quite as updated as our room at the Chateau Lake Louise, it is certainly larger. Below is a photo of the bedroom.
Here is the living room.
Looking out one of the living room windows, we’re treated to a great view down the Bow River and the golf course.
Looking out a different window, we have a nice view looking down the Spray River.
With rain now starting to fall, we decided to have dinner at the hotel instead of heading into one of the many restaurants in town. Looking for a nice relaxed meal, we went to the Waldhaus Pub so Nadine could have some fondue while I had a nice burger.