Banff

If you are still with me, I am documenting our recent trip to Western Canada.

We departed The Chateau at Lake Louise and headed the short distance to our next destination The famous Banff Springs Hotel built in 1888, also a Canadian Pacific Railroad Hotel. Even though there was a major fire in 1926 the hotel regained it's original Scottish Baronial charm...looking much like a castle.

Our bus driver took us to a nearby lookout point, where we could get a better shot of the hotel. This is the first place where we could noticed a little smoke in the air. Sadly, western Canada had a very dry summer and an awful fire season.

This place was right up my alley, and since we had two nights here, I got lost several times snooping around

Could not get over the pretty views through the windows

and since the place is enormous, there are a lot of windows to look out

The Cascade Ballroom
and almost as many ballrooms to explore. This one had a particular interesting story attached to it.

click on photo to enlarge
Back in the late twenties a bride was headed down a staircase, all dressed for her formal wedding which was to be held in the Cascade Ballroom. She tripped and fell to her death and has become quite famous as the Ghost Bride...people report sights 

of her floating down this staircase...aww no that's not her, that's Tom :)

to be continued