brunch in Canmore - a new favourite place...

 

We took a recommendation from the local 'dining out guide' and headed to 'Craigs Waystation' for brunch yesterday.  It said it had won the local award for great breakfasts for several years running, which is always good to hear!!  I thought I'd pick something a little different to normal, and so I opted for the 'Mushroom benedict' - Two eggs benedict over grilled mushrooms on top of an English Muffin.  Served with their hashbrowns which are the nicest I've ever had.  

It was DELICIOUS!!!  It was AMAZING!!!  Sooooo glad I picked that.  Susannah had sausages and bacon with pancakes.  The sausages tasted really 'English'....and were yummy!!!  So was the bacon!!  We ended up taking a sausage back to the car for Rosie too :)

I was really impressed - and the service was really friendly too.  We ended up going again this morning!  There was a HUGE line up and I considered not bothering but the line up moved sooooo fast!!  within a couple of minutes they showed us to a table with an amazing mountain view - we had the same server and she even remembered our order.  Service was fast and the food was good :)   I couldn't eat anywhere NEAR as much today though :(  Neither could Susie - Rosie got a lot more today ;)  

The mountain view, of course, definitely adds to the enjoyment of the meal :)

Love

 

I posted a picture of this a couple of years ago too.... It is from a bench on the Grassi Lakes 'easy' Trail....and I think it's soooo beautiful.  I can totally relate to this lady who loved to walk in this part of Alberta that I too love so much.  How wonderful that people can rest here now and admire the view that she admired so many times in the past...what a legacy....and a bench that is appreciated by so many too :)

Supper....

After a long day of walking with Rosie, we headed back to the condo, washed up and changed, and headed out for supper.  We went to The Grizzly Paw as Susannahs friend had recommended their in-house made pop!!  Their food was also recommended in the Canmore dining out guide, so I was happy to try it!!  The atmosphere there is really good - and you can tell by the HUGE crowd there - especially the local scene, that it's a good place to eat!!  It's a pub downstairs, and restaurant upstairs...although you can eat in the pub too - just not so much room - and there is a heated patio too - in facet that was crowded when we arrived, because of the great weather!!

Susannah had a simple burger and fries, and tried their cream soda AND their root beer....MUCH preferring their root beer.  I tried their orange cream soda (orange pop) which was AMAZING!!  And I had their shepherds pie - which was cooked using one of their in-house brewed ales...you could really taste the flavour - delicious!!  It came with a 'roughage' salad as a side - but instead of a typical pathetic salad, this was a really great salad that had generous amounts of diced beetroot, egg, carrot etc etc....it was really tasty!!  Even better as the fact that prices are typical pub fare prices!!!  LOW!!!  It was much cheaper than I was expecting!!

By the end of the meal I was completely exhausted and finding it hard to stay awake....as you can see in the differences in the two pictures above - I just wanted to leave and get back to the condo!!  I did have a coffee while Susannah finished her dinner...hoping it would wake me up a little ;)

Saturday girls night!

 

Last night after we got home from having supper at The Paw, and after I'd soaked in the tub for a while, we settled down with a movie and did some henna tattoos!!  I had a lot of fun doing these with Val and Tess last year when we'd had a night away, and I thought Susannah would enjoy it too!  

We had a few near disasters with smudging our artwork, but all in all we're thrilled with what we did :)  and it was fun!!

Rosie snored through the whole thing beside us after her hike up the mountain :)

Bliss...

How I'd soak away my aches and stresses each evening :)  

Enjoying the view....

 

Rosie and I both enjoyed relaxing on the balcony...the weather was gorgeous - so lucky, as Canmore had received a big dump of snow on Thursday, but just a couple of days later and the temps were up and the snow was melting fast again :)  

My favourite time of day was getting up early and heading out for a walk with Rosie alone.  Susie and I struck a deal where she took Rosie for her last walk at night and I got up first thing in the morning to take her for her early walk.  It was nice being out walking when the roads were quiet and morning was crisp, no one to look at me as though I was crazy for chattering away to Rosie as I walk (does anyone else do that???  I always talk and talk to Rosie as I walk with her...I can't imagine walking in silence)

And of course getting to stare up at my mountains in peace and take in their incredible beauty. 

Then we would head back to the condo, I would give Rosie fresh water and pour myself a coffee and we'd sit outside on the balcony for a while until Susannah decided to wake up/ get up :) 

settling in...

 

It didn't take Rosie long to settle in to the hotel room and make herself comfortable on my bed.  She was my little shadow the whole weekend and didn't leave my side, even when I went for a bath :)  She was as good as gold the WHOLE time.  Not one bark the whole time we were gone...never once ran off - actually she never does anyway...even off leash she always stick like glue to our sides...and she got adoring hellos from everyone we met - frequently people asked if they could pet her :)  The receptionist even asked f she could pet her and give her a treat :)  

After being told no once, Rosie even ignored the bunnies that hop about all over the place in Canmore :)  She was a total dream to take on a trip :)

Snapshots from hiking...

Frozen iced up steps to Grassi Lakes....

The reason we had to turn back and head down the trail and back up the other trail to the Grassi Lakes....there was no way to get beyond the waterfall view:

Grassi Lakes, Canmore

Today we hiked up to Grassi Lakes TWICE!!!  :)  First we took the more difficult trail which is much prettier and more fun...actually an easier trail to hike on your legs, but is narrower and you have to cross some small waterfalls and climb stairs which were completely iced up today (hence us walking back down to the car and then back up the easier (more tiring) trail..... In all its about 7km or so...of uneven/ uncleared pathways.  

We have hiked up to the lakes a few times before but always in the Summer, and we were really keen to see them in the snow.  It was well worth the climb even if we had to do it twice :)  

Friday fill ins!!

And...here we go! 

1. In the near darkness I can hear drip, drip, drip from melting snow off of the roof top.

2. I can not reply to Emails til further notice.

3. But this is where I truly belong - and one day I will either live here full time or part time.

4. As a child I loved to paddle, catch minnows and jump stepping stones in the stream. 

5. It's always nice to know I'm going to wake up here in Canmore :) .

6. Dogs truly love unconditionally and are wonderful friends and pleasant company.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to taking a walk with Susannah and Rosie to the store for a few groceries, then relaxing in the bath , tomorrow my plans include breakfast out with Susannah, then hiking somewhere with her and Rosie all day - then Susie wants to have supper at the Grizzly Paw so she can try their home made pop as recommended by her friend Julia - then back to relax in the hot tub with a book before bed and Sunday, I want to check out of the room then head out for brunch to our chosen restaurant before starting the long and sad drive away from this place towards home - but so pleased to see my home and children!


You can find the Friday Fill-ins HERE

Back in the place I love......

*  <3  *

Mountain backdrop...

Weekend getaway...

The condo we're staying in this weekend is actually owned by a family, but rented out by Bellstar when the family don't use it.  It's slightly different from the suites with rented before here - in that it has different bedding, a mat by the door, a few extra pictures and decorations here and there....and the table was laid attractively when we arrived.  There is also a guestbook here you can read and sign - full of messages from people from all over the world who have stayed in this condo.  Apart from that though, everything else is exactly the same, and if you hadn't stayed here before, you wouldn't know it wasn't part of the hotel - you still have all the housekeeping, tea/coffee...towels, little extras etc etc...

The pool is open unless the temperature or windchill drops below -20c Each block of condo's has it's own hot tub, underground parking...etc etc....

Admiring her first view of the mountains...

I don't think Rosie quite knew what to make of today.....of the hotel, the long car trip, her first elevator ride...her walks on the leash to the store and out to pee.....she seemed a little bewildered, unsure, happy to be with us...excited, nervous.....

She is quite clingy for sure - I had a long bath this evening and Rosie slept on the floor beside the bath tub the whole time.  I do love how well behaved Rosie is these days - such a friendly dog, and for a dog who NEVER walks on a leash at home - and is always free to run about, she is EXCELLENT on a leash...she always is - when we walk to the mail box even.  Mind you, even off leash she tends to walk right beside us.  Amber, her sister, always used to run off as soon as she could, and pull on the leash.....but Rosie always stays with us and walks beside us....and if someone is walking much slower than the others she will often stop and wait for them - she likes her 'family' to stay together <3

Right now she's asleep in the corner of the bedroom on the floor - it's soooo warm in here despite the window being open wide - I think she's too hot to sleep on the bed tonight!!