Trip to Canada- Part 1

So, we've been wanting to go to Banff and Jasper National Parks ever since we moved to Seattle and since having Jasper it has been a priority on our "to-go" list. We decided that we were going to try and make it there this summer but Rob was so swamped with his research that we were beginning to think that we would have to put it off. Then Rob got asked to speak at conference in Banff! We felt so blessed that this opportunity had popped up, plus it made the trip much more financially comfortable for us. We spent the first 7 days camping and hiking. Then we spent five days at a conference center in Banff and the last two making our way back to Seattle.

We took off on Saturday, September 3rd and drove through the North Cascades in Washington. We stayed in the Okanagon National Forest near the Cutthroat Lake trailhead. Perfect place to camp for almost free ($5)!!





In the morning, we decided to hike a little before getting in the car and driving all day.





Jasper found a log over the river that he was determined to climb across :)



Started driving and found these cool apple crates in Eastern Washington that I liked:



Jasper and Gideon spent most of the drive drawing and writing:



We camped the second night at Kekuli Bay Provincial Park in BC, Canada. The kids loved this campground because there was a little playground near by. Jasper kept asking if the playground was Jasper National Park :)





As we drove toward Banff, we passed a really interesting looking farm and decided to stop for a look and a potty break. What really had caught our eye was this "goat walk". It was this forty foot high structure that the goats walked up. On top, there was this wheel and if you filled up a little can with food down below, the goats could turn this wheel to bring the food up to them. It's hard to explain but quite a spectacular sight!







In addition to the goat walk, there were bales of hay to climb on, an animal petting area, and motorcycles for the kids to play on: