We're going on a bear hunt.....

Early to bed, early to rise, and a7pm bedtime meant a 5am rise. Still, the sun coming up over Calgary was a beautiful sight. I watched it from my hotel balcony wearing my hotel robe. My feet were cold thought because there were no slippers. I crashed about a bit till Ian woke up, then made coffee and slipped back into bed to do some revision on fighting off bears. I came to the conclusion I haven't a prayer so if the inevitable happens it's been nice knowing you. Backing slowly away I can do, no chance with the tree climbing, and punching one will only end in one result. Bear watch showed a sighting in kananaskis town last week and that's inevitably where we were headed. 

I feel a bit more confident that I may escape a cougar though. 

Well, maybe not. 

my pamphlet didn't even mention coming face to face with a wolf. Presumably you are toast so it's not worth the ink. 

Eventually we rose and found they the Canadians deem the Euros important enough to have on Tv, so we watched the first half of turkey v Croatia (0-1) before going for the one and only free breakfast on our tour. We made the most of it, I had a fry up followed by toast followed by pancakes with maple syrup just to try out the pancake machine. 

That's sausage by the way. 

We negotiated the lift for the last time (that's another story) and checked out. 

Before heading to bear country we had decided to take a trip up the Calgary tower. In our other trips around the city we had noticed that it has probably the highest tramp to non-tramp ratio in the world. This morning was no different with Ian thinking that he would be homeless himself if he gave money to all the people who asked for it. We waded through them heartlessly, we are so not going to heaven, and paid to ascend the tower. 

It had one of those horrid glass floors that some of us don't like. We spotted the Olympic plaza (or tramp towers) from the top, and took a stroll down. 

Then back up Sidney Street ( aka tramp boulevard) a pedestrian thoroughfare that comes alive at night. And we took in a Tim Hortons for coffee. It didn't live up to the hype I'm afraid. 

It was then time to head for our first stop, kananaskis. Ian familiarised himself with all the bells and whistles on the car, including the heated rear seats (Vicky) before we joined the Trans Canadian Highway. It was busier than I expected so we weren't surprised that no wildlife appeared. We called in at barrier lake, imaginatively named after a dam, and tentatively took a stroll looking behind us all the way. Still no sign of any big game, although Ian did see an ant. 

We then called at a national park info centre, where a ground squirrel was spotted! As well as this fella

As we approached the hotel, searching the hills and woods, bemoaning the lack of even a bird, it happened. A big black bear lumbered across the road and into the trees. A real, live, Black Bear. Wow! We were so excited and it was gone too quick, that we didn't manage to get a photo, but it made the day. 

The Delta Lodge at Kananasis was the next hotel, a great big sprawling ski lodge with a huge foyer, with no-one in it.    

The rooms were once again enormous. 

Two big beds may be useful for American visitors but we always make do with just the one. 

After settling in we went down to the pool for a swim, no-one else was in there so it was lovely. The hot tub was huge, and red hot. No more than 30 people are allowed at a time, but there was just us. We finished off with a sauna, enormous and empty. Next time for tea. There are lots of restaurants here, five I think, and after looking at the menus and prices in a cavernous empty hallway we headed for the pub. People!! There were three people at the bar. No tables were occupied however so we chose one and sat down. The waitress was once again very nice, and a pleasant meal ensued watching the Stanley cup (ice hockey), in fact a couple more people came in to drink beer and watch the hockey. Then off to bed , we had lasted till 9 o'clock. I wonder if there are any more guests at this enormous hotel, maybe we will find out tomorrow. 

Food watch

Sorry, forgot to take a photo but we both had burgers with fries and onion rings

Ian 6/10 chips were nice but standard burger

Jackie 8/10   I don't very often have burgers so I enjoyed mine, and we got loads of onion rings

Now for some addendums

Chris - I can't help it if my FONT is wrong, or my spellings, I am in a car or eating or tired and it's NOT MY FOLT ANYWAY.

VIcky - Do NOT watch game of thrones till we get back.

And about that, I see Gatwicks runway has cracked up and we are in bear country so may not get back anyway. So Chris needs to keep the grass short and Vicky needs to keep sweating away doing the washing and ironing.