Hi everyone! I’m back from a mini vacation out to the Canmore/Banff area wanted to share some wonderful pics. I hope they will help remind all my fellow writers to make time for the beauty around us. Writing is stressful, and breaks can help us get in tune with our creativity. So get out there and look, smell…experience!
This is the world famous Banff Springs Hotel from the back. We drove around the front but I couldn’t get a good shot from the car. It was amazing, and even had a bag piper playing on the stone steps. I don’t even want to think how much it would cost to stay here!
Another spectacular view of the mountains. Just incredible!!
Okay, so I had to get a shot of this tree I found on a hiking trail. It reminded me of Medusa with the branches growing every which way. I don’t know which mountain we were climbing up, but we dubbed it ‘Hello Kitty Mountain” because the top peaks reminded us of cat ears.
This is Little Bows Falls, a fierce roaring tumult of water that makes me scared to wonder what a ‘Big Bow Falls’ might look like…
I thought this was a nice view from the cliff side above Little Bow…
Here’s another cool-looking tree, clinging to the cliffs above ‘Little Bow Falls’. I figure this must be close to the starting point of the Bow, a major river bisecting Calgary (which runs right past my house). That’s oldest there, leaning on the stone pillar…
In Banff we took the kids to an Indian Trading Post. It’s been years since I’ve been in one, and I’ve missed the smell of leather from the moccasins and other tanned products.
Imagine my surprise when I also came across a decades-old news article regarding a creature found in Lake Superior: a MERMAN!
And here, irrefutable PROOF that mermen exist! I mean, they had its skeleton in a glass showcase, people! So OF COURSE THIS IS THE GENUINE ARTICLE.
Just remember, you saw it here first!
This is my view from the softest, thickest bed of moss you could possibly imagine. My family and I lay here for quite a while, staring up at the clouds high above us. Had I been alone, I probably would have fallen asleep it was so comfy, and no bugs to speak of. Heaven!
Finally a pretty flower I found springing up from the mossy undergrowth.
Have you stopped to smell the flowers lately?
Becca Puglisi is an international speaker, writing coach, and bestselling author of The Emotion Thesaurus and its sequels. Her books are available in five languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. She is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge with others through her Writers Helping Writers blog and via One Stop For Writers—a powerhouse online library created to help writers elevate their storytelling.
Thanks for sharing, Angela. Even though I live amidst mountains on Vancouver Island, I occasionally yearn for the mountains of Alberta which provided many varied outdoor experiences when I lived in Calgary. 🙂
awesome pictures!!!!
Wonderful photos. Thanks for allowing this glimpse in to your holiday. Thanks also for stopping by my blog today. 🙂
Thanks, Brown-eyed girl and PJ. Hazardgal and Courtney, I know I love it when others post pics of their travels, family or homes–it’s like seeing another piece of the puzzle and getting to know them a bit more. I’m just glad to share these great photos. Too I figure they may help with anyone writing about the area or mountains in general.
I love love love these fantastic glimpses of your vacations. The pictures are always fantabulous and make me forget I’m staring at a computer screen. 🙂
This was as good as watching the travel channel! Glad you all had fun!
Nice pics! And you are so right. Breaks can be a wonderful thing!
I LOVE this area. Hiking there is almost spiritual.
Great pictures!
Thanks Danyelle!
Nice to see you here, Issac and Bigwords!
Spanwarrior, the Merman was actually pretty cheesy–you could see where the fur was glued on a whatnot. But hey, I had to get a shot of it, right?
Martha, I agree–the small tiny teeth are pretty freaky!
Big Plain V–hope you had a great time and got lots of R & R.
Becca, it’s a different kind of beauty–one we Canucks sometimes take for granted because it’s so close. I loved Florida, especially the sound of the breeze rustling through the palm fronds. I’d love to have my own palm…
Oh my gosh, that’s so beautiful. Florida has its pretty spots, but I do miss being within driving distance of the mountains. Sounds like you all had a great time!
Lovely. I’m just back from vacation myself, but we mostly stayed home and relaxed.
omg that is a freaky picture!
You don’t have to gloat so much. 🙂
I’ll stop to smell the flowers when I fall over.
That is gorgeous! Lovely pictures. And the mermen… wow. I want to go see for myself though.
zany!
Beautiful pictures! Thanks for sharing. 😀
That’s awesome, if somewhat creepy, that they have the skeleton-ish of a merman on display. 😀