Day 2 - Arrival in Banff
The lay of the land around Calgary was rather flat, but soon after we headed west along the Trans Canadian Highway that changed in a big way. The mountains began to loom in the distance, creating an impressive sight as they grew larger until we finally were amid these towering peaks. Their gray color dotted with snow (even though it was summer) made for a postcard moment. 
We stopped at Canmore just a little south of Banff to grab something to eat. It was a beautiful town - I mean how many times do you see a DQ with this sort of a backdrop! Here's a panorama shot of Canmore's main street.
We walked around Banff for a bit and got a bite to eat. One thing that strikes you is the flowers - they are everywhere you turn, as though every home and business has a florist on the premises to tend to them. By mid-afternoon we checked into the Rundlestone Lodge at the south end of Banff.
After dinner we decided to take a drive along the Bow River Parkway, a road that parallels the Bow River and a likely spot to see some wildlife. Although we didn't see any unusual wildlife the drive took us through some wonderful scenic parkland. (Click photo for full size image)
