JASPER - a piece of PARADISE!

I hope you had a great weekend - luckily we didn't get the snow that Calgary got .. well, the moisture would have been good I suppose.  I spent the weekend in Jasper - we didn't get any snow at all. I never know how badly I need a getaway until I escape the city.  When was the last time you took a trip to Jasper? Maybe it was back in the winter to do some skiing, last summer to do some hiking or maybe you just drove through Jasper on your way to BC.  My husband and I try to go at least three or four times a year. When I tell friends we are going for the weekend, I always get the "just for the weekend - isn't that a long way to drive for a weekend" comment.  I used to think that way as well especially after growing up in Calgary where a trip to the mountains took less than an hour. But our thoughts changed a few tears ago when we realized that even a weekend getaway to the mountains was so relaxing and so therapeutic. Even the almost four hour drive seems like it flies by now - we discuss issues that we need to, plan our weekend, plan our future. We use the time to have a conversation which can be rare at times as we are both so busy.

We try to escape the city by noon on Friday and come back after dinner Sunday. It's amazing what 48 hours can do for your soul and how you feel after breathing some fresh mountain air.  We often take for granted the natural beauty we have so close to Edmonton. It's the same beauty that tourists travel from all over the world to see.  Until you talk to someone from Germany, Japan or Australia, you will never appreciate the scenery in our backyard.  I met a couple from Germany on one of our trips to Jasper that changed my way of thinking.  When I asked them what they loved most about being not just in Canada but the mountains, they said "the space!" They were simply amazed that they could drive for miles and miles and not see a house or even people for that matter. That wild animals like Deer, Elk, Mountain Goats and Moose could roam free and that they had the right away within the National Park. That for the first time in their lives they were healthy - that they were breathing better, living better and loving life more than ever. That they wanted to stay. I look at tourists differently now - I see their smiles and even though I don't always understand what they are saying, I know they are happy, in total amazement of what they see and it makes me see Jasper and the Rocky Mountains in a whole new way.  Jasper National Park is the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies and it's the wildest as well as its international renowned for wildlife viewing and is home to some of North America's rarest animals including grizzly bears, caribou and wolves.  You could spend hours just watching the wildlife.

There are many things to do when you get to Jasper .. of course in the winter, there's skiing but as we get closer to summer, I want to take some time to tell you about some of the fantastic things you can do for your holidays or for a getaway weekend.   There are so many things you can do if budget is no option and even more if it is - there's a ton of FREE or low cost activities for the whole family.

So for the next week or so, it's my Salute to Jasper. Now you know why I LOVE it so much, tomorrow I'll tell you a bit more of what awaits you. In fact, details on how you can visit the second largest glacier-fed lake in the world .. and it's only just a short drive from Edmonton.

~Seanna~