Canmore 坎莫尔

9/20: Nine years ago,  we came to Canada to visit the Banff National Park and stayed at Canmore, sitting outside the gates to the Banff National Park. That trip was with our kids, and we had a wonderful time. Today, just two of us revisited the familiar place and felt a strong nostalgia.

Our direct flight to Calgary was comfortable and smooth. After a little over an hour's drive, we arrived at the WorldMark Resort in Canmore. Once we checked in and dropped off our luggage, we went to the city center and had dinner at an Asian restaurant, Quatro Asian Bistro. We got the Crispy Pata, a Filipino dish of deep-fried pig' knuckles served with kimchara salad and homemade spiced vinegar sauce. It was huge and tasted delicious. We couldn't finish it, so we packed the big bones and some meat and brought them back to our hotel. We also had Pad Thai, which was good, but the taste was a little different from the Thai we used to have back in the U.S. Our hotel room had a full kitchen, and we went grocery shopping after dinner.

9/21: After a good night's rest, we made breakfast in our unit. Bacon, eggs, croissants, and coffee are our favorite kinds of breakfast. Then, it was time to head out and explore. We went for a long walk, a ten-mile stroll around Canmore.

We started with walking to the town center area, and there were some beautiful trails along the Bow River. The weather was great, the scenery was beautiful, and our spirits were high. We had a simple lunch in the town center and later had our afternoon coffee break. Eventually, we left the town center, headed towards the hills, strolled through some very nice neighborhoods, and stopped at Quarry Lake Park. This small park boasts picnic tables, a swimming area, walking trails, sightseeing benches, etc. The lake and surrounding area were peaceful, and trees were turning yellow, which was absolutely beautiful. From there, we walked back to our hotel.

9/22: We drove directly to Moraine Lake and Lake Louise nine years ago. Things changed a lot through the years. We had to grab special tickets online for park shuttles to get there this time. Tickets were hard to come by, but luckily, we got tickets for our preferred time slot after many tries. The ample parking lot for the park & ride was almost full when we arrived. We took the shuttle bus to Moraine Lake first, did some hiking/walking, had lunch there, and then took the shuttle bus to Lake Louise. Both attractions were crowded, and although the scenery was beautiful, it didn't quite capture the same feeling as before. Perhaps it's because of the autumn season, with the green of summer gone, the golden hues of fall yet to come. Nonetheless, we walked along the lakesides of both lakes, just like we did nine years ago.

In the evening, back in Canmore, we dined at a restaurant in the town center, and when we looked out the window, the Three Sisters peaks were right in front of us. Since coming to Canmore, we've searched for the perfect photography spot for the Three Sisters peaks. We took some photos near the hotel last night, but they didn't turn out as good as we hoped. After dinner, the two of us went out in pursuit of the perfect "shot."

9/23: We consecutively walked ten and eleven miles in the last two days. Today, we decided not to walk but instead visited a relative in Edmonton. Since it's about a four-hour drive each way, we got up early and headed out.

We passed through heavy fog before reaching Calgary, with very low visibility. It's been a while since we drove in such weather conditions. However, after passing Calgary, it was clear skies all the way. The cornfields, haystacks, and simple, beautiful houses on both sides of the road made it feel like we were back in Iowa, where we used to live, giving us a sense of tranquility and warmth.

Lunch was at a Hong Kong-style restaurant, and it was a delightful meal. We even took the remaining food with us and enjoyed some salt and pepper spare ribs on the way back to Canmore, which served as our dinner.

9/24: We arrived late last night after the long drive, so we planned for a more relaxed day today. Chenggang went hiking solo in the hills behind the hotel, covering 5.7 miles in about two and a half hours. Connie walked to the town center alone and was later joined by Chenggang, where we continued walking along the Bow River. The trees along the river were turning more yellow day by day. Each day, the town's scenery grew increasingly stunning.

Today should be relaxing since we did long walking/hiking in the first two full days, and we drove for long hours yesterday. But somehow, we managed to walk another ten miles by the end of the day. The weather here is so pleasant, and we genuinely enjoy our time.

9/25: We came to Canmore for relaxation, and the air here is fresh, with pleasant autumn scenery all around. However, we can't seem to sit still. The surrounding mountains have countless hiking trails, perfect for outdoor activities. While we've been averaging around ten miles of walking daily, the difficulty level has been relatively low. Today, Chenggang selected a hard trail from AllTrails. He hiked six miles in six hours, covering a steep 1.8-mile ascent of 2,700 feet in elevation, followed by a similarly steep descent. The challenging part of the trail has an average of 2000 ft elevation gain per mile and a similar slope on the way down. There was hardly any flat terrain to rest on along the way. Online reviews stated this trail was meant for mountain goats. He encountered only a few hikers after four hours of hiking. It was one of the most challenging hikes he had attempted. However, the view from the mountaintop was unparalleled, with the Three Sisters peaks right there. It was worth it.

The town center has a river, and there are walking paths on both sides of it, offering picturesque views. Connie didn't want to challenge herself with hard mountain climbing, so she walked to the town center again, strolling along the river path and enjoying the autumn scenery. When she got tired, she found a restaurant on the main street in the city, where she sat down to enjoy her meal and watched tourists passing by. In addition to the riverside path, the town has many other trails where you can walk as far as you like. When Connie finally returned to the hotel, she realized she had walked almost another ten miles, even more mileage than Chenggang.

9/26: Today, we made our way back to Calgary from Canmore, and along the way, the autumn colors became more vibrant, with golden hues everywhere, much more beautiful than when we arrived last week. Before heading to the airport, we visited Prince's Island Park in Calgary, taking a leisurely walk along the park's trails and admiring the golden autumn leaves. We tried Arctic Char and Beef Tartare in the park's restaurant, which was delicious. We arrived at the airport several hours before our flight and headed to the airport lounge to wait. Our one-week Canadian autumn adventure has come to an end, and we had a great time.

九月二十一日：九年前来到加拿大小镇坎莫尔时还拖儿带女，与三家朋友一起度过美好的时光。今天我们俩故地重游，倍感亲切。昨晚来后，去市中心要了个油炸猪脚圈，味道不错。今天一早出去走了一大圈，十英里。好天气，好风景，好心情。

九月二十二日：上次还是开着车直接去班芙二湖 - 梦莲湖和路易斯湖，这次却要上网抢专车票才能去那里。一票难求，但最后阴差阳错还拿到了理想时间段的车票。旅游景点游客众多，景色虽是秀丽，但总觉得没有以前那种感受。也许是因为秋天的缘故，没了夏天的绿，只有秋天的枯黄。我们还是像以前一样沿着湖边走到湖尖。

傍晚回到Canmore，在一家餐厅里用餐，抬头从窗口望出去，三姐妹峰就在眼前。来Canmore这里后，就一直找三姐妹峰的最佳摄影点，昨晚在旅店附近拍了几张照，但总觉得不理想。饭后，两人出去追＂景＂。

九月二十四日：前面二天连着走了十英里和十一英里，昨天不走了，而是去埃德蒙顿看望亲戚。路过卡尔加里前大雾弥漫，能见度很低，好久没在这种气候下开车了。过了卡尔加里后就晴空万里，在去埃德蒙顿的路上，两边的玉米地，草垛，和简洁漂亮的小屋，就好像回到以前曾经居住过的爱荷华州，给人一种宁静而又温暖的感觉。中午在一家港式餐厅里美餐一顿，把剩菜也带上，在赶回Canmore的路上把椒盐排骨消灭了，算是晚餐了。

因为昨天开长途回来的很晚，今准备轻松一下。成刚一人在旅馆边的山上徒步5.7英里，二个半小时。又去镇中心与在那里漫步的佩民会合，继续在弓河边散步。说是放松放松，结果一天下来又走了十英里。现在这里的天气真舒服，我们很享受。

九月二十五日：说是来坎莫尔休闲的，这里空气清新，秋天景色宜人。但我们俩是闲不住的，周围山里有无数的徒步小道，实在是太适合户外活动了。之前虽每天都平均走十英里左右，但难度都不大。今天成刚在AllTrails 上选了条挑战性的徒步小道走走。六个英里走了六小时，上坡2.6英里爬高2700英尺，到山顶后又以同样坡度下山，一路上几乎没有平地可歇脚的。网上评论是这条小路是山羊走岀来了的。走了四个多小时才碰见几位徒步者。他一直想知道自己的极限在哪里，今天这个应该算是他的极限。不过，山顶的景色无与伦比，三姐妹峰近在眼前，也算值得了。

小镇中心有河，沿河二边都有小径，风景如画。佩民不想爬山挑战自己，便一个人走去镇里，沿着河边小径漫步赏秋，走累了在镇中心的步行街上找个饭店坐下边吃边看过往游客。吃饱喝足继续走，除了沿河小径，小镇里还有其它许多小径，想走多远就可以走多远。等回到旅馆发现又是走了近十英里，比成刚走了还多。

九月二十六日：今天打道回府，从Canmore 开车回到卡尔加里。沿途秋意渐浓，遍地金黄，比我们上周来的时候漂亮多了。在去机场之前，先去了卡尔加里的王子岛公园，沿着公园内的小径漫步，欣赏金色的秋叶。在公园餐厅里，品尝北极鲑和鞑靼牛肉，味道相当不错。然后早早来到机场，离登机还有好几个小时，就去了贵宾休息室侯机。一周加拿大秋游就此结束，玩得很开心。