Jasper

Since Gail’s sore ankle has made it difficult for her to walk any distance we have used our visit to Jasper just to relax. For two whole days we have been able to take short excursions around the town near our hotel and just enjoy the extraordinary weather. Our hotel room has a small kitchen which has allowed us to skip the restaurants, shop at a little grocery store and make our own meals. Tomorrow it’s back to the 05:30 wake up for the start of our second Rocky Mountaineer trip back to Vancouver via Kamloops.

You have undoubtedly noticed that my choice in photography subjects is the scenery. At times I think I should focus more on the towns we visit but I never seem to do so. I have added a few photos of the scenes from the vicinity of our hotel but I thought you might like my version of Jasper versus Banff, the towns, that is.

The two towns have a very different feel. The first thing I notice is that Banff feels busy, even frenetic. Parking is difficult and often simply unavailable at many places one might like to stop and visit. Jasper, on the other side, feels calm and relaxed. Parking is easily available but there are few places of interest in the town. It is just a small town not a small city. Jasper is today much as I remember Banff 20 years ago. The people you see around town also make it feel different. The general age of the population seems much younger and trendier in Banff and everyone seems to be in a hurry. In Jasper people seem a bit older and more laid back. Banff is under construction. Tower cranes dot the skyline everywhere you look. I have yet to see a major construction site in Jasper. If you want a different perspective here is a link to another, broader comparison.

When you check out the photos you may notice there is no Day 21 but nothing is missing. The rail route tomorrow closely follows the highway both of which follow the North Thompson River. There is a map in the photo album.