After a long, arduous summer, including cutting and disposing of a large dead tree in our backyard and Hurricane Claudette, we thought a trip to Colorado would be nice. Since everything was in readiness for the possibility of another storm, we took off for a nine day drive to Colorado Rocky Mountains and back.
Returning home to the suffocating heat and humidity, everything still boarded up for the storm season, it seemed a good time for a trip to the Canadian Rockies. Probably our last extended trip because life’s normal process has a way of slowing us down as we age. We took a week to plan and make reservations to fly from Dallas-Fort Worth airport to Calgary, Canada on the 12th of August. After visiting with family in the Fort Worth area, we parked our suburban in a Fort Worth parking lot, took their shuttle bus to the airport and by 2:30 p.m. mountain time, we were in the cool, dry climate of Canada. What a wonderful change! There had been some concern about entering Canadian Customs since the 9/11 attacks, but a certified birth certificate and driver’s license was all we needed.
We rented a small car (very small) for two weeks and just relaxed. The only problem was, after driving a suburban for several years, a small car took some getting used to, plus three cushions to sit on. Having taken many trips to Alaska and Canada, the Banff National Park and Rocky Mountains are still our favorite place to visit. The rugged mountains have many glaciers and are snow covered all year round. Even though it’s usually warm during the day, when evening comes it’s so cool and pleasant; we hate to go inside. Days are long in the summer so there’s lots of time to enjoy the outdoors.
We visited Kananaskis Village, Canmore, Banff and Lake Louise, these being where the 1988 Winter Olympics took place, then on to Jasper, Hinton and Valemont-about 450 miles and later returned the same route.
Prices are high on food and lodging, but the Canadians fill the plates and we usually try to eat all of it. We’ll worry about a few pounds and choelestrol when we get home. Everything there costs more, but the money exchange is pretty good. We use the credit card so when the statement comes in, the cost is already converted to US dollars and it doesn’t hurt so much.
The lakes are turquoise color, mostly fed by glacial run-off. There are many deep, narrow canyons, breathtaking waterfalls, vivid colored flowers, wild animals and nice clean highways to drive on. The white mountain goats and bull elk are especially interesting. They pay no attention to tourists and just keep on grazing. The goats are normally found at a salt-lick alongside the road. Animals were not plentiful this time because the weather was dry and hotter than usual, also, this time of year they move up to higher altitudes for better food sources. We traveled a little later this year than before.
Our visit to Valemont was special because the King Salmon, also called Cohos, were spawning in a small stream at the edge of town. We could stand on a footbridge overlooking the creek or watch from the creek bank. The water was shallow, perfectly clear, and running over a bed of rock and sand at a gentle pace. The largest salmon were about 36 to 40 inches long and a beautiful red color. Naturally they all die after spawning but their offspring will return in a few years for the same ritual. It’s a spectacular view and we could have watched for hours. A few miles from Valemont we find Mount Robson, highest point in the Canadian Rockies. Due to forest fires this year smoke obscured the mountain views, but we have seen it all in previous years. We just enjoyed being in one of our dream places and remembered hiking a trail around the base of the mountain with a cold, milky stream rushing by. New run-off from the glaciers cause the milky color before it settles out to the turquoise color in the lakes. Alas, that was during our younger, more agile years.
At Columbia Glacier we rod a ice buggy (bus) far upon the glacier to get a real feel of Mother Nature. There we were wearing coats in August, drinking water from the glacier (which is supposed to give you ten extra years of life) and standing in awe of so much ice and snow which never melts. The glaciers are receding but so slowly we couldn’t see a difference within the sixteen years of traveling through the area. As we grow older, we appreciate the wonder of it all so much more.
Late afternoon we rode the Lake Louise Gondolia to the top of the ski slopes. Another awesome view overlooking Lake Louise Village and farther on to Lake Louise Chateau, an enormous, only for the wealthy, lodge. That eliminated us. Even through there were a lot of tourists around the lake, it was so cool and peaceful just to sit and enjoy. Well, maybe I shot a few pictures also, since I always carry two cameras.
A really great two weeks until that unbelievable flight back to DFW airport on Tuesday, August 26th. I didn’t like to fly before and I like it even less now. It was to be a 3 1/2 hour flight, but, nearing Amarillo, the pilot learned there was a thunderstorm over the airport, so for quite some time we were circling over Amarillo, Wichita Falls, Oklahoma City and finally had to land in Tulsa to refuel. There were 13 planes ahead of us and it took at least two hours, just sitting there, before we were in the air again. At last, we were on our way to DFW, a short flight. A beautiful landing in a beautiful airplane, but, with all the delays, no available gate. almost three hours later, just sitting there again, we had a gate but the ground crew had gone home. Pretty soon another crew came on duty and about 1:00 a.m. after eleven hours on this airplane, with only one bag of pretzels, soft drinks and ice water, we collected our luggage and proceeded to catch the parking lot shuttle back to our suburban in Fort Worth. Too late – they wouldn’t run until morning.
Catching a shuttle to a nearby hotel, we were checked in about 2:00 a.m. After a short sleep, a hotel shuttle back to the airport, and a parking lot shuttle back to our car, we arrived at my sisters home around noon on Wednesday. The three of us had a good nap and some food, so by this time it all seemed like a dream (or nightmare) and was just something to laugh about. I made a vow never to fly again, but, thinking it over, maybe I would consider just one more flight. Alaska next summer? That is, if our health and fiances hold out.
On Thursday we had an uneventful drive back to Edna, mowing the yard there, then on Friday on to POC and all the heat and humidity, yard work and other everyday, boring routines. Oh well, it’s home, and we love it. (except hurricane season).
Clyde and Nelda Holloway called Port O’Connor home for 37 years. After Clyde’s passing in 2013 at the age of 95, Nelda relocated to the Fort Worth area to be near family.
Nelda, age 90. fondly remembers her years in Port O’Connor and keeps up with what’s going on via Facebook.
