Laundry Day in Banff - Katie & Nate are Coming!

We arrived yesterday in Banff. What a thrill to be back! It is busy here. It is by my estimate 1/3 more crowded that it was 15 years ago. There are cranes  on Banff Ave. (Main Street) doing construction. You can now take a free shuttle bus up to the Banff Hot Springs. Granted we arrived on a Friday afternoon in the middle of the peak vacation period, but the change was noticeable.  One of the thinks I noticed was that there are flower baskets everywhere. The last time we were here, there were so many elk roaming through downtown that everybody who had flowers had them wrapped in chicken wire to prevent browsing. Have not seen any elk yet but with the flowers unguarded I fear that the increase of people and traffic the elk have moved out of town.

The town has still has its charm its vibe. I am on an octagonal bench outside the visitors center this fine Saturday morning and two girls are speaking German behind me. A saxophonist busker is playing across the street and a guy we heard playing classical violin solos in the parklet off to my right is setting up for his day of busking. And now folks speaking French have joined the scene. Saturday morning breakfast smells waft up and down the street. It is a bluebird clear day and the mountain peaks that surround the town are providing the background.

The most important thing second only to having clean underwear come out of the laundry, is that Katie and Nate arrive this afternoon. We can't wait. As we came into town our phones woke up and we got a text saying that they were boarding. Kate said she was going to take a picture of the pool with a newspaper and the sparkling clear water she was turning over to Sarah, aka, the mistress of green algae.

Wifi here is flakey and we hope to be able to post pictures tomorrow as we stay at the Lake Louise Hostel tomorrow and Monday.