July 23 Banff, Alberta

Banff

We all got an early start to our day to take advantage of the cooler, cloudy weather. We set off for the Banff Gondola that would take us over 7,000 feet in elevation to have a panoramic view of the Rockies and all the beautiful scenery around us. The towering Banff Springs Hotel looked like a toy house from our height atop the mountain. There was a winding boardwalk that takes you up and around to the very peak of a mountain. Many of us raced to the top of the path to marvel in the view. Catching our breath became increasingly difficult with the thinning air and the breathtaking view. It is one thing to see things like this on postcards and websites, but to witness it first hand was beautiful. We ate our sack lunches at the top of the trail. After soaking in the sky and scenery, we descended back down the boardwalk, then down the gondola. It was time to prepare for our show today. Our venue was a simple gazebo in the middle of central park in Banff. The crowd was drawn from downtown by distant music and voices. Many people that attended the concert were sitting on the lawn of the park. Midway into the set, the clouds moved in quickly and it began to drizzle. The next minute it had stopped and was clear once again. We prepared for rain by covering the important stage equipment and having the bus ready to go just in case. The boys sang What A Wonderful World while it drizzled yet the sun was out. It was quite the sight. Our preparations payed off because after our last song and a frantic take down it began to rain harder. As soon as the boys were on the bus and the staff packed up the truck, it began to pour and the wind threw the raindrops in swirls and sweeps. Only a few of us got wet but we warmed up and dried off at the restaurant we had dinner at. It’s still hard to get used to the sun setting passed 9 o’clock. By the time we were through with dinner and back at the hotel, it was almost time for bed but it was still bright daylight outside. Nonetheless, tomorrow would be a day full of sightseeing and travelling and we needed all the rest we could get.