Sep 26 2009
Banff, Canada Day 6
We took a bit of a break from excursions on Day 5 and hung out in the center of town a bit more buying miscellaneous gifts for our family.
Today, we went on the Minnewanka Lake Cruise which we were originally made to think wasn’t so great, but we’re so happy we went. Minnewanka, which translates into ‘Water of the Spirits’ is largest lake in the Banff National Park and it’s just amazing. The water isn’t as much of an emerald color as Lake Louise was, but it was surrounded in every possible direction by some serious mountainous beauty.
I took over 1,000 pictures today, but I widdled that count down to the follow pictures that I like best. I hope they can convey even some of what we saw today.
This is one of the mountains down the street from the hotel.
This is how it looks going over the bridge that leads into the center of town.
We took a bus over to Minnewanka Lake around 11:30am.
Minnewanka Lake
At one end of Minnewanka Lake is what they call the ‘Devils Gap’.
So after the tour, we asked the tour bus to drop us off in the center of town. There was a fondue restaurant called the Grizzly House that we wanted to check out. They had a fairly adventureous menu selection including Wild Boar, Venison, Bear, Ostrich, Shark, Alligator, Frogs Legs and Buffalo, but we stuck with the surf and turf.
Why? We’re chicken? lol nah. I just wasn’t about to cook exotic food that I’ve never had before. Do I like Alligator rare? How the hell do I know?
As a side note, what’s the deal with fondue anyway? You go to a restaurant and pay a substantial amount of money for someone to give you food so you can cook it yourself? Seriously? Can’t I do that at home? lol
Anyways, overall the place was pretty good, but… I have to tell a story about some seriously bad customer service.
We ordered our food and we’re hanging out talking while another waitress (not ours) walks by with some food for someone else. As she does, I heard a clank right near our table followed by the waitress saying ‘oh damn’, but the waitress kept on walking towards her table to deliver the food so I thought maybe she bumped into something.
Meanwhile I look down and it appears that a 2 inch high small metal dish of garlic butter was laying upside down on the floor and a good portion of it was all over my sneaker and pants. I look back to the waitress at the table and she’s holding her tray of food, talking to her customers with what seemed zer0 concern for me. I watch her as she proceeds to put the food down on the table and chat away with her customers.
Finally, after 5 minutes she comes by our table, makes a poor attempt to make light of the situation through humor and eventually offers to have my clothes cleaned in what I thought was a sarcastic manner. After all, I was wearing jeans and sneakers, not a suit. In the end she walked away being aggitated which I don’t get. She didn’t have butter dumped on her while she was ignored.
Then I see her off to the side talking to OUR waitress explaining that she ‘had hot plates in her hand’ and I just had it. I got up and walked over to them both and said ‘I just want to make it clear. I’m not upset about getting butter on me. Shit happens. I am upset that you didn’t think to show concern for me and your mess before moving on to your customers.’ As I sit down the waitress comes over to my table and repeats ‘I’m sorry for my ignorance’ several times, but in a sarcastic annoyed way that got my hair up even more… but I dropped it of course.
You’ve got to be kidding me lol
Anyways, the food was good and OUR waitress was good. They offered us free desert which was appreciated.
Today has been a great day so far and tomorrow will probably be another. We’re going to go on the Glacier Trail Tour which is a full 9.5 hour day of various sites
- Lake Louise: A brief photo stop at the most famous lake in Canada
- Crowfoot Glacier: One of the day’s many up close glacier views.
- Peyto Lake: The classic emerald green jewel of the Canadian Rockies.
- Mistaya Canyon: A dramatic example of water’s sculpting power.
- Saskatchewan Crossing: A rest stop/coffee break and home to Canada’s largest postcard display.
- Mountain Picnic Lunch: Enjoy a hearty lunch with your choice of sandwich at a scenic stop along the Icefields Parkway.
- Cirrus Mountain: Look at the steep climb from the weeping wall and scope the avalanche slopes for wildlife.
- Bridal Veil Falls: Fantastic view over the Icefields Parkway and the falls.
- Columbia Icefields: Venture onto the Athabasca Glacier on the Ice Explorer! and visit the interpretive centre.
- Bow Lake: The headwaters of the mighty Bow River.
I have to go buy more batteries for my camera! lol.
