Alaskan Adventure: Day 21 & 22. Travel day from Waterton National Park to Banff National Park with a stop at “Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump and the first day visit to downtown Banff.

When we raised the front blind we discovered a crack in the front windshield. There was a little chip in the glass right at the bottom. Must have happened several days earlier when traveling from Glacier to Waterton but the crack going up was new. Hopefully will not get worse.

Leaving Waterton on another sunny day we stopped at an overlook with a wide open view of the open grasslands.

Explanation of the area. We have seen lots of antelopes and deer on our travels but either too far away or no place to stop for photos.

We stopped to see the “Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump” World Heritage Site because, curiosity.

Explanation of where the name came from is not what we expected.

Looking out from above – the Buffalo’s perspective.

Looking up from below – the Indians perspective.

Picture doesn’t give the impression of how high and dangerous the cliffs are.

Illustration and diorama of the buffalo jump kill site.

Interesting to learn about all the planning and prep that went into this.

Seeing small herds of buffalo in Custer State Park was great but sort of sad to know they once ruled the plains.

Winter Count Robe records with symbols the most important thing that happened each year.

Napi is Indian name for “the creator”. I thought erratics were just random glacial left behinds, not grouped in a “train”.

There was an Indian “Fancy Dancer” at the Visitors Center with lots of people sitting around watching. Way too loud for me. We left quickly because of the amplified noise and because the mosquitoes were fierce!

We left Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump and headed north toward Calgary on Highway 2 but had to turn around and backtrack due to a bad accident that they told us would block the road for several hours. It worked out well because that sent us to Highway 22 that was a beautiful drive along the edge of the mountains instead of across the open plains. Photo above is our campsite at Banff called Tunnel Mountain Trailer Court. We stayed here 5 nights.

On our first day we rode the “Roam” shuttle bus from the campground into downtown Banff. A quick stop at the Visitors Center then stopped at a bank to get some Canadian money. We walked the main street with lots of expensive shops (Banff Avenue) down to the Bow River and then along the river to the Bow Falls.

Tourists and flowers in Banff.

The beginning of Bow Falls (on the Bow River). The town of Banff is in the Bow River Valley and Bow Glacier is the primary origin of the river. After walking the trail along the rapids for awhile we headed back into town for lunch at Indian Curry House.

Reading two books as we travel. “No Ordinary Woman” was recommended by Becky’s sister Deanne. Interesting story of a Quaker woman from Philadelphia area who loved the Canadian Rockies and had a significant part in the history of the Banff/Jasper area. “Jesus the King” is a Tim Keller book on the Gospel of Mark.

Favorite Bible reading for the day: Isaiah 66: 1-2

This is what the Lord says:
“Heaven is my throne,
    and the earth is my footstool.
Where is the house that you would build for me,
    and where will my resting place be?
All these things my hand has made,
    and so all these things came into being,”
        declares the Lord.
“But this is the one to whom I will look favorably:
    to the one who is humble and contrite in spirit,
        and who trembles at my message