A Weekend of Trains!!!
Those of you who know me well know that I am infatuated with trains. A huge draw factor of my Inglewood condo was the train line right behind it. This, I quickly learned, was not everyone's feeling, but I loved sitting and watching the train roll slowly by - when it wasn't screeching, that is. The Canadian Pacific Railway has contributed to Canada's history in many ways, both good and bad, from exploration of the West to immigration of foreign workers. We drive by the train tracks every time we visit British Columbia and each time I am drawn the those two parallel lines of steel running straight into the horizon. My instincts are to hop on the next rail car and find out just where all these tracks have been laid.
It's that time of year again for my corporation's Annual General Meeting, and the idea of spending two nights in beautiful Lake Louise was considered. Both Bryan and I agreed this would be a great getaway for us both. Last year we drove our motorcycles up to Jasper, but having the bikes with us, we couldn't travel down the gravel roads or hike as much as we had hoped. This year, the Jeep is our mode of transportation, the best option for sightseeing and learning as much as I can about the history of trains in the area.
My first attempt at the AGM weekend was cancelled due to the flooding that occurred in the mountains, Canmore and Calgary, June 20, 2013. Despite my reservation stating that no cancellations would be accepted, I am very pleased with the service both Expedia and the Fairmont Lake Louise provided, and the understanding that came with circumstances out of our control. Once the highway at Canmore was re-opened, I quickly rebooked our weekend getaway, even more eager than ever to visit the small town.
We arrived in good time Friday evening, having missed out of most of the headache of Calgary rush hour traffic. After a quick pit stop on the outskirts of the city, we drove straight through to Lake Louise and checked into our hotel. Upon check-in, the agent waived our $30 per day parking fee and helped us set up our weekend. We found our room and then set out to explore the hotel before a late dinner at Lago, the Italian restaurant on site. The weather was gorgeous so we spend some time outside taking pictures of the magnificent azure blue lake. I wanted to jump in and swim around in that lovely water so bad, but I understand it is a mountain lake and thus very frigid! The hotel grounds out to the lake are set up with a number of different colorful flowers, so we engaged some photo opportunities before returning inside. Unfortunately, the Victoria Ballroom was being used for weddings all weekend so I wasn't able check this room out. It's a passion of mine to seek out the most luxurious and historic ballroom I can find because I can actually feel what it would have been like to live and party in those rooms in the early 20th century.
Lago was a spacious, rustic restaurant set on the far east wing of the hotel. Tables have mismatched chairs and some offer seating for a truly large Italian family! We lucked out and scored a table by the window and I had some fun trying to practice my Italian from the menu. The wine was very good (yes, they had a Montelpulcino d'Abruzzo) and our foccacia bread was to die for. The bread had clearly been freshly baked within minutes of our arrival and literally melted in our mouths. Bryan couldn' get enough!
For dinner, Bryan tried a wild boar cannelloni dish and was very impressed (at least I thought so from the noises of satisfaction coming from his side of the table). My bison lasagna was served on a large plate and the portion was huge, but it was absolutely amazing. So tasty! I know I shouldn't have eaten the entire piece, but it was too good to resist! We passed on dessert, and decided that it was time for bed. We took a few extra minutes to walk off our meal by exploring more corridors and checking out all the little nooks and crannies we could find. Bed time was much needed, and we had a very busy day planned for Saturday...
It's that time of year again for my corporation's Annual General Meeting, and the idea of spending two nights in beautiful Lake Louise was considered. Both Bryan and I agreed this would be a great getaway for us both. Last year we drove our motorcycles up to Jasper, but having the bikes with us, we couldn't travel down the gravel roads or hike as much as we had hoped. This year, the Jeep is our mode of transportation, the best option for sightseeing and learning as much as I can about the history of trains in the area.
My first attempt at the AGM weekend was cancelled due to the flooding that occurred in the mountains, Canmore and Calgary, June 20, 2013. Despite my reservation stating that no cancellations would be accepted, I am very pleased with the service both Expedia and the Fairmont Lake Louise provided, and the understanding that came with circumstances out of our control. Once the highway at Canmore was re-opened, I quickly rebooked our weekend getaway, even more eager than ever to visit the small town.
We arrived in good time Friday evening, having missed out of most of the headache of Calgary rush hour traffic. After a quick pit stop on the outskirts of the city, we drove straight through to Lake Louise and checked into our hotel. Upon check-in, the agent waived our $30 per day parking fee and helped us set up our weekend. We found our room and then set out to explore the hotel before a late dinner at Lago, the Italian restaurant on site. The weather was gorgeous so we spend some time outside taking pictures of the magnificent azure blue lake. I wanted to jump in and swim around in that lovely water so bad, but I understand it is a mountain lake and thus very frigid! The hotel grounds out to the lake are set up with a number of different colorful flowers, so we engaged some photo opportunities before returning inside. Unfortunately, the Victoria Ballroom was being used for weddings all weekend so I wasn't able check this room out. It's a passion of mine to seek out the most luxurious and historic ballroom I can find because I can actually feel what it would have been like to live and party in those rooms in the early 20th century.
Lago was a spacious, rustic restaurant set on the far east wing of the hotel. Tables have mismatched chairs and some offer seating for a truly large Italian family! We lucked out and scored a table by the window and I had some fun trying to practice my Italian from the menu. The wine was very good (yes, they had a Montelpulcino d'Abruzzo) and our foccacia bread was to die for. The bread had clearly been freshly baked within minutes of our arrival and literally melted in our mouths. Bryan couldn' get enough!
For dinner, Bryan tried a wild boar cannelloni dish and was very impressed (at least I thought so from the noises of satisfaction coming from his side of the table). My bison lasagna was served on a large plate and the portion was huge, but it was absolutely amazing. So tasty! I know I shouldn't have eaten the entire piece, but it was too good to resist! We passed on dessert, and decided that it was time for bed. We took a few extra minutes to walk off our meal by exploring more corridors and checking out all the little nooks and crannies we could find. Bed time was much needed, and we had a very busy day planned for Saturday...
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