Small American (and Canadian) towns, charming as they might be all tend to revolve around the same thing; malls and fast food drive thru’s. These towns serve an important purpose for trips like the one we are on as they become necessary fillers between destination points that we are ultimately aiming for. That said, for the most part we choose routes that are heavily researched beforehand to ensure that we get to see the best of a country so it will most often include iconic roads acknowledged as routes of outstanding natural beauty and these towns, mundane as they might be, often simply find themselves nestled in areas of paradise! Kamloops was no different and the route from Kamloops to Jasper where we are spending the night of the 10th was one dramatic vista after the next along Highways 5 and 16 of BC and even though the heavens opened halfway through our 500km leg it didn’t dampen the experience (much!).
Crossing from British Columbia into Alberta is a big thing for Max. The legal drinking age in the US is 21, British Columbia is 19 but in Alberta Max is legal to imbibe the local craft beers! We are spending the night at the Fairmont Jasper which is set on a beautiful lake in what is arguably one of the most beautiful parts of the world. The evening started slow after we had checked in and settled down but by midnight we had made a point of sampling all of the local craft beers and washed it down with dinner and an incredible bottle of Penfolds Grange. The thirst has been quenched and tomorrows headache will be a challenge for tomorrow!!
