Crowsnest Pass Getaway

 The pandemic was starting to wear on us.  No matter what we would plan, it would eventually get cancelled and so we remained "on the couch, saving the world." 

Finally the Arctic Vortex lifted, the days were lengthening and the restaurants reopened.  It was time to hit the road.  

We took a little vacation to Crowsnest Pass.  To make getting there half the fun, we drove along Highway 22, following the foothills.  It was a beautiful day to see the mountain vistas in the distance and we had time to stop for lunch and coffee in little places like Sundre and Bragg Creek.  By the time we reached the southern end of the road, a stiff Southern Alberta wind was blowing, threatening to shove us off the highway!  

We arrived safely and settled into the cute little Gnome Home in Coleman.  Let the wind howl.  

The next morning was still quite windy as we ventured out to explore Coleman.  Founded in 1903, it's former glory was in the days of coal mining. The last mining operations ceased in the 1980s and the town has since been designated a National Historic Site.  The main street buildings had historical markers describing the building's former life.

We went to Blairmore which is the main commercial centre of the Crowsnest Pass.  It's still a bit of an 'old school' community with many places closed on Mondays!  We found a delightful coffeeshop called The Cherry on Top Bakery and Coffie Shop.  Just saying the name makes you happy.  

During our stay we found a few more coffee shops:  A Stone's Throw Cafe in Blairmore and the Crowsnest Cafe and Fly Shop in Coleman.  The fisherman was perusing the fly collection and happily dreaming of summer, although one could river fish at this time of year too.  

Tuesday was a beautiful day to try cross-country skiing.  The Allison Lake and Chinook Recreational area has an amazing network of ski trails and snowshoe trails.  We chose the easy trail along a summer roadway up to the lake.  Once we rounded the last bend, the wind hit us full-force, erasing the trail in short order.  

The next day we tried out the snowshoes we'd rented at Spry in Blairmore.  We had a blast stomping along the trail in the woods on top of the ridge, out of the wind with the sunshine filtering through the trees.  What a beautiful afternoon in God's creation.

Each night we found a different restaurant for dinner:  The Rum Runner, Limber Pine Smokehouse & Taberna, Tin Dogs Pub & Brewery, and The Pass Beer Co.  Our favourite meal was the ribs at the Tin Dogs.   All the food was excellent, as was the service. It was great to be able to eat out again, although the waistline might not think so.

But all good things must come to an end and Thursday morning we were back on the road home.  This time we took the faster route.  

Now we're dreaming and hoping for restrictions to lift so we can travel to other parts of Canada again.