Day 25 Town of Banff

Took a day off from hiking and explored the mountain town of Banff. I was surprised how big it was. Strolled the streets early before the rest of the tourists were out and about. Lots of name brand stores like Columbia, Patagonia and Lululemon line the main street, but my favorite is Roots, which is a Canadian chain that I haven’t seen since we boated the Great Loop. I had to buy their “limited, locally embroidered” Banff sweatshirt. John got himself a “cool as a moose” tshirt in the -  where else?! - Cool as a Moose store. Tasted tea in the 1888 Old Craig Cabin, now Jolene’s Tea. Very well preserved, it is one of the oldest buildings in Banff.  Bought a locally made, colorful, comfy blanket in an artisan shop. We will NOT be cold tonight in our camper! Had a delicious lunch of lamb stew and bangers and mash at the vintage Irish pub. After walking off some of the calories, we drove around the quaint town with its stone churches, museums, schools and the famous historic Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, “Canada’s most famous resort”. A few movies have been filmed at this massive, spectacular place and the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Queen Elizabeth have stayed there. It was originally constructed as the Banff Springs Hotel in 1888 as one of the grand railway hotels. We were going to stop in for a drink but couldn’t get near the place because of parking. So we headed back down the scenic TransCanada Hwy to our campsite. Excited for tomorrow when we drive the Icefield Parkway and tour a glacier.