Ok, so this wasn't in Banff, this hike is in Kanaskis Country. We met Conor's sisters and their kids to do this. This was our first time seeing the Larsens (!!!!), minus Cora, on our trip and it was SO MUCH FUN to have so many of the cousins together bonding so hard. Family is the best! This hike was great, Liz knows how to pick them. It had it all; majestic mountain, wildflowers, frigid lake, huge boulders. I mean, what more could you want?? Conor got into Chester Lake with Seger and Evan, what a hunk. I just want to go back and backpack through the Rockies. Added that to my bucket list for sure! There's so much to explore and I want to do it all!

From Moraine Lake, we rode the bus to Lake Louise, which was very gorgeous, but dare I say I liked Moraine better? Lake Louise definitely had a more touristy feel and the girls were getting tired from our big day. Nevertheless, we enjoyed our time there!

Hiking from Lake Moraine to Consolation Lakes was I think my favorite hike of the trip. This was what I wanted! I felt deep, complete happiness spending time in the woods with some of my family. The hike was so great. A very doable amount of elevation gain, a great distance. The forest smelled amazing! And the huge boulders at the lake shore were so striking. This is what I wanted. This was it. It was perfect. I highly recommend doing this hike if you visit Moraine Lake.

I just had to do Moraine Lake while we were in Banff. We decided to use the bus system and there's just something so wonderful about available public transit. We liked riding the bus and I was happy to do it! Moraine Lake is gorgeous. That blue is so vibrant and unreal. We liked hiking around the rockpile snapping photos and people watching, but I was glad I looked into doing a hike in the area.

When we went to Calgary, I decided to do a little mini vacation and spend some time in Banff. Moving forward, this is going to be a must! We left E and Maeve with Conor's sister, Liz (THANK YOU!) and spent 2 nights with Holly, Greta and Ira. On our first day, we hiked Tunnel Mountain and enjoyed sweeping views of Banff. The Canadian Rockies are ridiculously beautiful!