Lady MacDonald Country Inn was originally a farm two hundred years ago on the main road between Calgary and Banff then it became an Inn then twenty years it was rebuilt due to a fire. It has been a Bed and Breakfast Inn for the past twenty years and Peter and his wife Tammy have owned it for some ten years. As they are Swiss a lot of European tourist stay there.

Poor Richard couldn't eat his breakfast blueberry pancakes are not his thing he ate my fruit as I had a plate of fruit before. Outside was a bit cold and we thought it was misty but Peter said it was smoke from a burn off. This is all we needed as this morning we were taking the Gondola up to the top of Sulphur Mountain for 360 view of Banff and surrounding areas. Filled the Pontiac $123.9 drove to the Banff Information to check the mountain web cam and the lady there said it was best to go this morning as it look okay and in the afternoon it gets very busy. She was right there was hardly anyone there we had the gondola to ourselves up and back. Walked the wooden pathway to the top of the mountain where the Cosmic Ray Station and Weather Observatory where they measure the ultra violet light. You see squirrels everywhere. A negro father took his handicap son up and the poor boy was screaming nearly the whole way up especially when the father wanted to take a photo of them with the squirrel. We couldn't get away from them. Enjoyed the view from the very top all of Banff, the Bow River and valley, Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel with its golf course and on the other side Bow River Valley where we were yesterday when we went to Lake Louise. Back at the Gondola Station we watched the people walk up the trail from the bottom of the mountain to the top. Richard took photos of an older Asian lady who did the walk she wanted the photos to prove she did the walk.

Drove to the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel to have a Devonshire Tea but were too early so we drove back to Banff for a coffee and biscuit plus a walk around the town. Started to rain so we raced back to the car and had our lunch.

Next stop is the Lake Minnewanka Cruise which is only a 15 minute drive away and another winding road up and down a mountain. Tried to get there for the 2pm cruise (they go every half hour) but the car in front drove too slow plus there were a lot of other people there. Booked on the 3pm cruise so enjoyed a walk along the shore line of the lake. Walked back to the jetty to wait for the cruise (15 minutes before cruise) and joyed with the charter boat captains who took the tours. A lot of noisy Indians there taking heaps of photos and worse luck the Indian family sat behind us. Trying to listen to the Tour Guide was difficult with them laughing and talking so I was naughty and told them to be quiet. Lake Minnewanka had been flooded back in 1947 turned into a dam for hydro power for the war (a bit late to help the war for Calgary to make arms for the war). The town is at the bottom of the lake and divers dive there during the summer. the area is also an important habitat where bears feed on buffaloberries, their critical food source. Lots of other animals are there as well. Was a lovely cruise on the lake.

Today was a leisurely day exploring the sights of Banff back to lady MacDonald Inn at 5.30pm in time for an early dinner in the garden. Cooked all the pork on the BBQ (have some cold for lunch) and had dinner in the garden as usual for the last time then had some of Peter's lemon swiss cake for dessert. Told him we did the gondola ride first not last as the web cam showed the area was clear. Went upstairs to get our map of Canada and Peter wrote down some signs for us to see including the Dinosaur's at Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in Drumheller.

Phyllis Skyped again when I was in the shower so Richard caught up with the mail with Phyllis till I talked to her and exchanged news. Went online to Trip Advisor and booked one night in Brooks at Plains Motel with a kitchen. We didn't want to see anymore National Parks, rivers or lakes we just want to get around the prairies. Too tired again to catchup on the blog just paid accounts instead.