Summer Memories...Part II The View From a Mountain Top

When I started the post about my vacation I realized that I had not posted the pictures from my honeymoon 2 years ago. So I decided I should do that as this is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. We went to Waterton International Peace Park or Waterton/Glacier International Park. This park is both in Canada and USA...they best way to get from one to the other is by boat.

One of the first things you see when you enter the park is the Prince of Wales hotel there is a long history about this hotel and it is one of the oldest buildings in the park. But the best part of this hotel is the view...

From this hotel you can look down Lower Waterton lake onto the town and it is a spectacular view. The boat that takes you to the USA side of the park travels down this lake and the view is spectacular. My husband and I took the evening cruise across to the American side...

There were huge forest fires going on in British Columbia at the time and the smoke was coming in and causing a bit of a haze but the view was still spectacular...we were amazed. They keep the border clean up so either side you look up you can see where Canada ends and USA begins. We even saw an Eagle on our trip :)

The next part of our adventure was Cameron Lake, this was another spectacular view. We were told that there was only one way to truly enjoy the beauty of Cameron Lake and that was in a canoe so we hoped in and headed out...

The water was an amazing green...I had been told that was because of the minerals that came down when the glacier melted into the lake. Yes that white stuff is glacial snow...and yes the water is very cold. It is about 50-60 feet deep and crystal clear you can see all the way to the bottom and it looks like you can just reach in and touch it but trust me you can't. We were there in July and there was still a huge piece of Glacier Ice on the side so we pull up to check it out...it is so hard and solid it feels like a very large frozen rock.

This is a shot of the waterfall coming down the mountain into the lake...you can't see this if you don't jump in the canoe and go out to see it.

The view from the other end of the lake isn't as beautiful but so peaceful. They don't allow any boats with motors on this lake so it is so quiet, you are surrounded by moutains and water, I don't think there is much better ways to see God's beauty than this.

Another awesome thing to see is Red Rock Canyon, this is a pretty easy hike but the view is amazing...and not for reasons like the other places in Waterton. As the name states the rocks in this area are a very brilliant red...

A little way down the this area is the Balkston Falls another beautiful sight...

For me the best part of this beautiful country was a hike up the Bear's Hump, the name comes from the look of the mountain. It is quite a hike for beginners like me anyway, I think it is like 1 1/2 kms or something like that, and is pretty straight up...but all I can say is you will never experience a view like that from the top of the Bear's hump...

A real simple hike if you want to call it that is Cameron Falls...this beautiful little waterfall is right in the town. There is a short hike up the side of it and you can look down on the falls...

As you start on this hike you encounter this sign...now it doesn't seem like much, what kind of fool would jump off the top of a waterfall into the water below right? Well we know a fool that would do just that. When at this park as children my husband's uncle decided to jump...so this sign is for fools just like him :)

Here are some more beautiful shots of things right in town...this is the view from our hotel room...

This is the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) office just down the street from our hotel ...

This is the little deer that came right up to our hotel door...

This is an amazingly beautiful place and I recommend it to anyone, if you are just looking for beautiful scenery or if you are looking for amazing hikes (I hear there is a 17 km hike, Crypt Lake, through a tunnel that the view is to die for...one day I will go on this hike) this is the place. Alberta has two moutain towns that are world known Banff and Jasper...but this place is just as beautiful but not as loaded with tourists.