Shhh.....Surprise for Evan!

It's a secret.....

Evan doesn't know it yet, but I've sent three of our panoramic photos from our Canadian adventure off to be printed on large canvases.  Each will measure 16x32 and will be some long awaited wall decor for Evan's room. 

Lake Moraine in Banff National Park, Alberta Canada.

Stopping off of the side of the road in Banff National Park, Alberta Canada.

Lake Louise in Banff National Park, Alberta Canada.

The photographs were taken on my iPhone with a free app called "Photosynth;" an app I highly recommend you download....right now! I use this app almost daily whether it's to capture panoramic scenery or to photograph a space for a project. You've probably tried to photograph a small space, it's nearly impossible to do unless you have a professional camera with an amazing wide angle lens. 

Here's how it works:

You open the Photosynth app on your phone and take multiple photos of a space moving only the camera (not your body). The program will 'stitch' the photos together almost seamlessly.  I edited the photos in Photoshop to clean up the edges and convert to black and white, but the same can be done with Paint.

Click here to check out Photosynth!

Banff - tastic!

After the Petrolium Show, Evan and I headed up to the Canadian Rockies for a nice weekend getaway.  In Calgary, you can see the mountains off in the distance and as you drive through scenic pastures, the mountains get more and more beautiful! 

While winding our way through the mountains, neither one of us could stop exclaiming our awe. Every five minutes, one of us would stop and point, "look!!!"

We spent our first day at Lake Louise which was a small little town and not much to do but eat, sit and marvel at the mountains all around.  With a loaf of French bread, some cheese and prosciutto, we were a happy couple!

Apparently, some pretty amazing chefs work their way up to Banff and Lake Louise. From several friends we heard we were about to have quite a gastronomic experience in the mountains. We were never disappointed and had some of the most fantastic food!  The Deer Creek Lodge on our first night had an amazing cheese and wild game meet plate. 

So many people recommended restaurants to us that it simply wasn't possible to eat at all of them. Of course we tried. On our last night we set out earlier than normal for dinner. Our first stop was a little hole-in-the-wall Greek restaurant, Barpa Bills, to get a Doner; a Doner is similar to a gyro.....but somehow better. 

Our second stop was the Sage Bistro, a highly praised place in the nearby town of Canmore. This was by far our favorite. The upstairs was a tapas style restaurant with an excellent drink and food menu. We split 2 drinks and 3 plates and could have easily stayed through closing! 

Our last stop was an English bar back in Banff where we enjoyed a fish and chips plate. I didn't have to eat for a week after this night!

Stopping at some waterfalls near Banff on
our way to Lake Louise.

Lake Louise
A fine sediment is created as the glaciers slowly slide down the mountains.
This fine dust is what makes the water appear a vivid but milky light teal color. 

Lake Moraine
This smaller lake is 5km higher in elevation than Lake Louise but no less beautiful.
A forest fire has left a huge pile of trees at the beach, a fun playground to explore.

Evan and I decided to visit a tea house at the  end of  a "nice walk."
The "walk" turned out to be a  2.5 mile vertical hike that we were not prepared for...
me in my white coat and ballerina flats and Evan in his cowboy boots. 

We were stopped several times by fully equipped hikers asking us
"what the hell are you doing climbing in that?"

Call us what you want, but we made it to the tea house...
uphill, through the snow (and ice and mud), against the wind, in our ridiculous outfits!
The view was spectacular and completely worth the strenuous trek!

Not a bad romantic getaway!

Exploration: Calgary

In early June, Evan had to travel Calgary, Alberta Canada to participate in a Petroleum conference. "Why not make a long weekend out of it with Erika? Ehh?" his boss asked him back in February. 

I'm not really sure he said "eh" but knowing how often he says "eh".....

 it wouldn't surprise me!

If you know me, you know I love to travel. I'm pretty sure my response went something like this.... 

"What?!? Hell ya!"

   

So I packed my bags and met Evan in Calgary on a stormy Wednesday evening.

On Thursday, Evan had to work at the conference all day. So, I put on my walking ballerina flats and headed out to see downtown Calgary. 

Downtown Calgary from Stephen Ave.

After finding Stephen Ave. - the hip part of down town - lunch quickly became my first priority. I spotted a small food truck with a long line.... always a great sign! I hopped in line and proceeded to order the messiest thing I could find on the menu....

Poutine!  It looks like worms crawling over soggy french fries but contrary to what you're thinking.... it was so delicious! Homemade french fries covered in gravy with melted cheese over the top.  I literally felt my heart punch me in the chest a few times after consuming this!  Not your everyday lunch!

After a full belly, off to explore!

Calgary Tower. it used to be the tallest structure in Calgary but has since been out built by a new beautiful office building.

The Glenbow Museum was a nice way to spend a few hours; the museum has an eclectic collection of artwork, native Canadian artifacts, gems and geodes, and interestingly enough, an exhibit on West Africa.

The Charles Russell gallery was by far my favorite- read about this artist here!

Charles Russell's paintings depicted the Wild West and his images leave you at the most pivotal moment of a story where you're dying to know what happens next!

"Herd Quit" by Charles Russell.

 I don't think it's possible to fully experience a country's culture without doing some local shopping!  I discovered a few malls, some fun shops, and an overly apparent sense of Canadian pride.

Brendan, Voytek, Evan, Matt

Finally, it was time to head back to the conference and celebrate the end of very successful show for Evan and his colleagues. Here are a few them celebrating!

Stay tuned to see more of my Canadian Adventure!  Part 2 - Banff-tastic!