If you missed Part 1, be sure to go back and enjoy the adventures of Coach-Net member, Sharon B., as she takes you through her travels from Florida to the West Coast. She continues her journey in Part 2 to the Canadian Rockies — enjoy the ride!

I had a couple of weeks at home to plan the next leg of my 2017 Walkabout to the Canadian Rockies. I had never seen the rhododendron bloom on the Blue Ridge Parkway, so that was the start of my trip North.

You can see why it is hard to leave the Blue Ridge, there was so much to see, and it was less crowded than Smoky Mountains National Park.  Plus, this was June and there was still snow in the Canadian Rockies. I didn’t want to drive in snow. I had never seen Grand Teton National Park, so I headed west. Here are a few reasons why Grand Teton National Park is now one of my favorite places.

After a week at Grand Tetons, I headed to Glacier NP via Beartooth Highway.  We boondocked at a pullout on top of the mountain. In the morning, a herd of mountain goats greeted us.

I had a boondock site in West Glacier, but it was so far away, I drove to the park early to snag a “first come, first served” campsite. I discovered a once-in-10-years Beargrass superbloom at Logan Pass, hiked a bit, and enjoyed the waterfalls.

Finally, it was time to head across the Canadian Border to Banff.  Moraine Lake was crowded at 7PM! And Lake Louise – I was there before sunrise to find parking. It paid off when the clouds turned pink.

While Lake Louise gets all the press, here are two very beautiful, less known photo hot spots.

Heading up the Icefields Parkway toward Jasper, you find Bow Lake,  Bow Glacier, the Columbia Icefields Visitor Center, and Athabasca Glacier.

I scouted Jasper for a week, but it was blanketed by smoke from wildfires that caused an evacuation about 50 miles the west.

The smoke cleared one day for a photo of Lake Mystaya, but that was all, so I headed South down the Icefields Parkway, back to the US border. I wasn’t quite ready to go home, so I turned West again…but that is another blog

About the author:

Coach-Net Member, Sharon B., has a passion for landscape photography and loves to RV with her cat, Lily.  You can also follow her on Instagram @sharon.burgess_.