Jasper and area.....there are no words to adequately describe how beautiful it is.......

The mountains were calling us this weekend........Jim and I decided to take the Icefields Parkway highway to Jasper and explore a little bit........We hadn't been there since the girls were little and then it was just to drive through. The drive between Lake Louise and Jasper has been called the "most spectacular in the world' and indeed it is an absolutely breathtaking drive.
It was sunny when we started out early Saturday morning but as we got closer to Canmore, it poured!!! We finally drove through the shower and then the sun broke through. As you can see in this picture, the clouds are hanging low on the mountain. The rest of the drive to Jasper was beautiful.........
Jasper is not as big as Banff but a wonderful resort area with lots of little shops and places to see and a personality all it's own.........I loved it and would like to go back.........

The main street is so gorgeous with all the flowers and they were still in full bloom, hanging baskets, containers, gardens.......

These were the gardens in front of the Info Center right in the center of Jasper........

And here we are relaxing with our coffee and a book and the paper in the park right in the middle of town.......... Jasper became Canada's fifth national park on Sept. 14, 1907 so it was celebrating it's 100th birthday.........

We drove up to the closest lakes which are Patricia Lake and Pyramid Lake and on the way stopped for these guys and gals on horses enjoying their trail ride........

There is a lovely resort and lodge near here called the Pyramid Lake resort and just abit further on is a little bridge that takes you to a small island on this lake.......

So we walked around the island.......it was so beautiful and peaceful.........

Here we are sitting......listening to the "silence" and occasionally a loon........ I had managed to find a motel in Hinton, AB which had a couple of rooms left so that is where we stayed. Long weekend, people going out of town, and Jasper was full.....no place to be found plus being expensive!!!! Hinton is about 45 min. east of Jasper and another interesting place. It relies on coal, oil and gas and forest industries. It has been called the "gateway to the Rockies"......

Here we are in front of "Jasper" the friendly bear......

And right beside "Jasper" is......wouldn't you know it...... a 'CAR SHOW'. They just knew Jim was coming!!!!!!!

Today we drove to Mount Robson and what did we see but a mommy black bear and two little ones. I had just said "I want to see a bear" and I got my wish. They were being "berry" aggressive preparing for the long winter.......

Ta daaaaaa.......Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, 12, 972 feet to be exact......another interesting thing is the Fraser River (yes, the one down by Vancouver) has it's beginnings near here, it is merely a trickle here but as it makes it's way down to the Pacifac, it becomes a major waterway........

I didn't want to leave but you would need many more days to explore all there is to explore around this area!!!! We will be back....

This is just one of the many waterfalls along the Parkway.......

And finally coffee at Second Cup in Banff on our way home. What a wonderful weekend exploring places we hadn't seen before in such a beautiful place.