Is it really named after George Clooney's Aunt?

My Salute to Jasper continues today with the story of Rosemary's Rock which we passed on our way from Maligne Lake back to the townsite. This stately stone sits in the rushing water of Maligne River which joins Maligne Lake to eventually the Athabasca River. Our tour guide Dieter told his version of how the rock got it's name. I sure hope I remember it correctly. The rock, in my opinion, should have been called Marilyn's Rock as the story has it that Marilyn Monroe climbed on top of the rock when she was in Jasper back in the early 50's filming the movie "River of No Return". As she attempted to jump off, she twisted her ankle and that was basically the start of her addiction to pain killers. I can't recall if Marilyn jumping off the rock was part of the movie or a little something she did on her own time. But regardless of Marilyn's claim to fame with it, it's called Rosemary's Rock ... because jazz singer Rosemary Clooney also made a trip to Jasper and climbed the rock ... so it was named after her. If you know it differently, please let me know. Of course Rosemary is George Clooney's aunt.

Back to the movie "River of No Return", have you seen it? You should even if it's just for the scenery of the Canadian Wilderness. The movie was filmed in Banff and Jasper ... it's a dynamic adventure story starring Marilyn Monroe who is magical and beautiful. Robert Mitchum is in the film as well and is the perfect match for Marilyn and visually, it's perfect in this outdoor adventure. This movie was Marilyn's second and final western and Robert and her did their own stunts in this film, resulting in several mishaps that delayed production. Because of that, watch for a few noticeable errors: When Robert and Marilyn are in the cave, Robert trips (stumbles) when he is walking over to hang up Marilyn's bloomers to dry. It appears he stumbles over his feet. Marilyn was forced to do the film against their will, due to contractual obligations. She expressed her frustration over the script which she considered below par. However, the film was a box office hit upon its release and remains a popular classic western. It's available now on DVD.

Seeing Rosemary's Rock is just one of many free things you can do on your visit to Jasper. There are also many lakes that you can simply pull over to have a picnic such as Patricia and Pyramid Lakes where fishing, boating (no gas motors allowed), and hiking are extremely popular. You can rent what you need to play on the lake and down the road from the resort you can go horse-back riding. The stables are terrific and full of very large horses! The Athabasca Falls are among the most powerful and breathtaking falls in the Rocky Mountains. The Athabasca River thunders through a narrow gorge where the walls have been smoothed and potholes are created by the sheer force of the rushing water carrying sand and rock. Don't miss them on your next trip to Jasper - it's well worth the drive.

And watch for the wildlife as you make your way through the mountains. We saw the most magnificent Black Bear on our travels ... from the safety of our vehicle of course. Always have your camera ready - you just never know when one of these priceless photos opportunities may come your way. Here's a picture of the one we saw.

Tomorrow, there's a ton of history to the Historic Jasper Park Lodge - reasons why even if you don't stay there, you must make a visit!

~Seanna~