We started the day just as we had planned. A visit to the Kangaroo Creek Farm in Kelowna, BC. We have been there before, however they have made some big changes since our last visit. First we went to visit the Capybaras, which are the world largest rodent. They love veggies and feel like straw when you pet them. They are very approachable and only stand as high as your knee, and if the capybaras don’t want to visit they just walk away. In the same area is a large barn full of birds and reptiles. We really enjoyed this area, especially Moose. A budgie fell asleep nestled into his ear, and we held a large cockatoo who liked being called beautiful while you scratched her head. Now for the lizards, Moose was in his element. He was holding an Eyelash Crested Gecko as I watched. But this gecko was watching me as much as I was watching him…and then it happened…The little lizard LEPT from Moose’s careful hands and launched right onto my chest!!! YES! I did scream and the barn full of people looked immediately to my direction.
Once I recovered from my gecko attack, I say with tongue in cheek, we headed over to see the Emus. Here Moose had his own attack…by a pen guarding rooster! We initially thought ‘How cute, he’s following us’ so Moose went in for the pet and was met by the PECK! At this point we decided it was time to head to the kangaroo pen. Bowie quickly saw an albino kangaroo and immediately fell in love. She is quite convinced we should get one…not sure I agree. The Kangaroo Creek Farm has quite a few species of kangaroos: Red Kangaroos (the largest type), Bennett Wallabies, Common Wallaros and Dama Wallabies. They all wander or lie around free around the farm and you are able to pet their backs and feed them greens provided by the knowledgeable staff. We will certainly be back when our travels take us this way!
We headed on the road again travelling from Kelowna to Vernon, making one stop in Coldstream Valley to take in the view of Kalamalka Lake. Chris always enjoys this spot, as it reminds him of travels with his Mom and Dad through the Okanagan for holidays. Its vibrant green water is an unrivaled sight. From here we travelled on Highway 1 with beautiful BC lakes along the way until we reached the summit of Rogers Pass.
Rogers pass was one of the highlights of the day for me. Not only were we surrounded by the Rocky Mountains, but the sun was shining with the mountain breeze. This is as BC as you can get. Bowie hand fed Steller Jays, Moose rang the bell and I raked the Memory garden, which was made to honour those lost in the 1910 Avalanche. Did you know that the the all-weather Trans-Canada Highway opened over the pass in 1962? I didn’t! Once we finished exploring we descended the mountain until we reached Golden, BC. In Golden signage advised that Hwy 1 was closed for construction and we had to reroute through Radium Hot Springs. Great…that adds 1.5 hours minimum to our trip to Banff, which was already a late arrival.
What was initially a nuisance turned into a wildlife viewing experience. Kootenay National Park is full of beautiful mountains, grassy meadows, creek beds, and wildlife galore. We were so fortunate to stumble across a black bear just as we were entering the park. How exciting!! But there’s more. As we navigated through the red rock cliffs we came across a herd of Great Horned Sheep, something I’ve only seem once before. We watched as they ate at the side of the road, and the mature adults were alert and wary of oncoming vehicles. I could have watched them all day, but time was not on our side, so we carried on.
We saw a moose as dusk was upon us in our final stretch out of the park. We arrived in Banff Late…9pm. We checked into our hotel at the Buffalo Mountain Lodge, ordered dinner and settled in for the night. What a rustic, cozy place. We felt at home with the fire place, exposed beams and claw foot tub. The kids were in bed quickly. I enjoyed a late night bathbomb and facemask in the tub.
Ready to explore Banff today. Talk soon xo Mel
