We were counting down the days to begin our 2024 summer adventure across multiple continents. The destination – the Canadian Rockies – had been on my parents bucket list for over a decade, and my mom couldn’t have been more thrilled that both my sister and I were able to coordinate schedules to be there with our families. After hugs at the airport, Gaurav upgraded our rental car to a jeep which Ayaan and I were excited about for the off-roading opportunities it presented. We zoomed off towards Banff, and before long, we were admiring the magnificence of the alluring mountains dotted with glaciers and the pleasant sounds of the bright-blue river flowing beneath. Despite the destination being a second time visit for Gaurav and I, the grandeur and beauty of Banff was nothing short of incredible, as proven by the gasps of “wow” that could be heard throughout the drive.

Our first stop was Lake Minniwanka where Nani decided to create an impromptu video of how she’d decided this was going to be the vacation of a lifetime! We all chimed in, supporting her goal and excitement with some moves and jumps thrown in for effect. Next, we headed to Johnstone Canyon, where Mother Nature greeted us with a downpour which didn’t deter my determined mother from making it to the lower falls. Ariana too was a trouper and covered most of the way despite having a broken toe.

The next day was Father’s Day which we celebrated with lunch at the majestic Fairmont Banff overlooking the valley and lake below. The day was accentuated by a visit to the upper hot springs in Banff where natural mineral water soothed us, and an impromptu bowling competition where Ayaan beat us for a win.

The following day started with a hike around Emerald Lake, which we remembered vividly as the lake that’s color lives up to its name. We then headed to Takkakaw Falls which was in its full glory. Ayaan enjoyed climbing the rocks all the way to the top with Dhara Masi and Shloka to feel the strength of the mist upon their faces, which they seemed to love experiencing together.

Early the next morning, we ventured out for the epic drive from Banff to Jasper with jaw-dropping views at every turn, including the epic icefields parkway. Bow Lake was stunning but the turquoise blue waters of Peyto Lake had us all gasping with “wows” at every turn. The snow was coming down hard as we trailed the path to Peyto lake which added to the beauty of its glacial waters. Ari and Nani created songs and danced together in the snow, the first time Nani had felt snowfall on her face. At the Icefields parkway, Nani and Shloka took the bus tour atop the glacier while the rest of us walked to its foot. Gaurav and I noticed the material retreat of the glacier since we’d last seen it, and they’ve also fenced off the walk onto the glacier likely to preserve it. It was nevertheless beautiful and the kids enjoyed walking onto the smaller ice fields. Ayaan was disappointed not to be able to watch Ronaldo play for his country in the Euro Cup so walking on ice was a half way decent consolation prize. We ended with a stop at Sunwapta falls before checking into the hotel for a relaxed evening. The audio-tour that we purchased in Get Your Guide for a self-guided experience was well worth it, as we particularly enjoyed the quizzes after each section.

This morning, Dhara and I got an early start to a 3-hour hike called the ‘Valley of the 5 Lakes’. The trailhead was a short 12-minute drive from the town of Jasper and the hike rewarded us with stunning views of emerald green and turquoise lakes, picture-perfect reflections of the trees and snow-capped mountains above. There were few other people on the trail which had us both admire the beauty while also refreshing our bear encounter strategies. Overall, a morning well spent while Gaurav and Nani entertained the kids on a variety of other smaller lakes including Pyramid Lake and Medicine Lake. After lunch, we took the famous Jasper tramway atop the peak where we then ascended further on a snow covered path for epic views of the entire Jasper area included the Athabasca river. Ayaan enjoyed hiking toward the mountain summit after the rest of us retreated due to Ariana’s broken toe. Following our multiple hikes, we rewarded ourselves with cocktails at the Fairmont Jasper followed by a game of tag with the kids at the foot of the lake.

Today we were rewarded with many unexpected wildlife encounters. After a short hike with Nani around Maligne Canyon and lunch at the wilderness lodge, we headed into town to watch the soccer Euro Cup game over beers. Later, we all traversed Maligne lake and once the drizzle slowed, we enjoyed some sun by the picnic tables overlooking the lake. We saw a big mama bear with 2 baby cubs in the valley, not far from us where I got a chance to test the hyped-up 3x zoom of my new iPhone 15 pro that I’d purchased primarily for wildlife memories. It did not disappoint! We also saw a large herd of white mountain goat who were quite aggressive with their peers and marked their territory when their perceived grass was being eaten. Last, and quite possibly my favorite, was a large herd of cow elk with the head of the herd successfully communicating to cars on both sides to stop so that the herd could pass. Watching tens of cow elk, large and small, run in unison for a couple of miles until they finally felt safe enough to cross the street was extremely spellbounding – and we were grateful to have watched it.

The next day we started our journey back down the Icefields parkway to lake Louise with a short stop at Athabasca Falls. Lake Louise, and its turquoise blue hue against the backdrop of the glacier, was stunning albeit swarmed with much more tourists than when we had last visited nearly a decade ago. Dhara and Nani declared it their favorite lake and it was hard to disagree. That evening, we enjoyed 3 hours of live music in the gazebo of our hotel, over campfire, s’mores and a bottle of wine. The night ended with an inebriated Dhara and I dancing to a rendition of ‘Country Roads’, much to Shloka’s chagrin which only added to our pleasure.

On our last night which we spent in Calgary, Gaurav had booked ‘The Living Room’ for dinner where we enjoyed multiple courses of fondue satisfying nani’s craving. After dropping the kids with Nani, Gaurav and I headed to a bar for hookah. The next day after a short stint at Prince Park by the river, we headed to the airport and spent a few hours together at the lounge before departing for Tokyo. This was the first chance I got to have a real conversation with Nani and I was grateful for that time together, and pleased that she rated this part of her 2-month journey in three Americas the best!