A Travel Dream Comes True in Lake Louise
In 1999 the Mucho Man and I were in New Zealand, where we’d just given birth to a new web design business and our first baby.
After travelling round the world for 12 years I was trying to settle down and do the sensible, grown up family thing. But it was tough for a travel fiend like me to stay in one place so whenever I had a spare moment I could be found reading travel books, talking about travel and covertly planning my next trip.
My armchair travels got a shot in the arm when the Mucho Man and I scored a web design job for a major wholesale travel agency. Now I could pore over their travel brochures and photos for hours on end and call it work.
Travel brochures always have the best photos, way better than any snap I could take, so all the travel photos were amazing and I was soon dreaming of traveling to just about every destination they covered.
But one travel destination grabbed my attention like no other – a photo of Lake Louise in the Rocky Mountains of Canada.
Just looking at this photo by Banff Lake Louise Tourism of a milky aqua lake surrounded by pine clad and snow-capped mountains made me yearn to go to Lake Louise more than anywhere else in the world.
Lake Louise and its mountain setting looked so ethereal, mystical and peaceful. It seemed to offer the perfect antidote to my hectic life as a start up business owner and new mum.
I vowed then and there that one day I’d visit Canada and see Lake Louise with my own eyes. I knew I had to make it happen, I just didn’t know how or when.
Fast forward 13 years. My baby was now a teenager with a brother and a sister who conspired to keep me busy and keep me at our home in Australia where we now lived.
My life had changed a bit over the years but my love of travel had never abated. I still dreamed of making it to the Canadian Rockies one day and visiting Lake Louise.
So when I was invited to visit Canada I jumped at the chance and seeing Lake Louise was top of my wish list.
When I visited Lake Louise in early June the lake was still partially frozen, the water not yet completely opaque blue.
A first glimpse of Lake Louise through the trees – when the sun’s shining you can see the aqua blue color caused by the high mineral content waters
While it didn’t look exactly the same as that travel brochure picture it was still magical, and riding on horseback through the forest to the far side of the lake on horseback let me see a side of the Lake Louise many don’t.
Chateau Lake Louise is a bit of eyesore but I hear the do a wonderful afternoon tea with views to die for
I waited a long time to see Lake Louise and traveled a long way to get there.
Lake Louise was named after Queen Victoria’s fourth daughter but she never saw the lovely lake that bore her name. Now I have and I hope you get to see it too.
Finally there at Lake Louise
Find out more about traveling to and around Lake Louise
I was a guest of the Canadian Tourism Commission and Travel Alberta during my trip to Banff and Lake Louise. You can find out more about visiting Alberta and Lake Louise on the Travel Alberta website.
Are Lake Louise and the Canadian Rocky Mountains on your travel wish list?
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i went when i was a little kid, and the views have always stayed with me. amazing place!!
Hi Jessica,
Yes, Lake Louise is special:)
I love Lake Louise and have been there three times. The Canadian Rockies is one of my favourite places in the world and I’d love to get back there to do some more hiking.
Did you also go to Moraine Lake? It’s very close to Lake Louise and is equally stunning. There’s also a wonderful hike that goes from Moraine Lake to Consolation Lakes, which is suitable for all ages. I did it with my two brothers, one of my nieces and two nephews (the youngest was about 10 years old).
Thanks for you blog… it’s reminded me of some fun times :)
Hi Karen,
So beautiful and fabulous hiking – I can see why you’d go back:) Yes, we popped in at Moraine Lake but it was very brief, no time for walking so that’s a hike I’d like to take. Glad reading about Lake Louise brought back some happy memories:)
I’d love to visit here too! I’ve been to the Rockies in BC but not Alberta. A friend of mine lived and worked out there for 3 years (just moved home to Nova Scotia) and she loved it!
Hi Kim,
Glad you’ve seen the Rockies, I loved the Banff, Lake Louise area.
Oh, that is one of my dream destinations, too. I think it is just breathtaking. I hope to one day spend a quiet holiday at the lodge, there. So glad you got to visit!
Hi Wanderlust,
I was lucky, hope you make it there too:)
The photos you see of Lake Louise dressed in white in the winter months make you think that you should go there at this time but you forget that it is as stunning when the snow has melted. Your photo of the lake with the snow capped mountains in the background is so inviting! That bucket list is getting longer!
Hi Jenny,
Yes, funny how that happens:)
They are now Annabel, and I want to ride a horse around the lake too! What a fantastic way to see the lake, to see anywhere in fact.
When I was young my absolute top ambition was to go to Zanzibar, the most exotice-sounding pace name in the world. And I did get there and it was totally fab, and even went scuba diving… and then had the kids…
Still looking forward to Guam and Truk Lagoon one day… better get those kids diving!
Hi Seana,
Yes, I do enjoy a little horse ride every now and then. So glad you got to go to your special place too:)
I’m more of a beach person. Posts like this make me think twice though. :)
Hi K aye,
I love mountains and lakes too. Variety makes us appreciate each more:)
I will add LAKE LOUISE to my list! Great photos! Lisa
Hi Lisa,
Hurray:)
Funny how our lives change but the seeds of who we really are and our deepest desires still keep burning. What a fabulous location and how wonderful to get the opportunity to visit. Canada is definitely on my bucket list.