We arrived in Banff National Park, Tunnel Mountain camp ground in mid-June and pulled into a campsite that resembled parralel parking. There were 8 tiered, level roadways, each with 50 crescent moon shaped pull thru pads for RVs. Our view from one side was of a forest of pine trees and thick grassy meadows; the other side was a view of a mountain. 
Each National park we have been to this year is undergoing some construction, mostly re-paving, and this camp ground entrance is experiencing a complete makeover. We were setting up the trailer our first day in camp after driving in from Taber, Alberta. I was outside doing my chores in setting up while Jennifer was doing her part in the trailer when I hear a rapid ratcheting sound. No it couldn’t be!, I’m thinking we just had the slide-out’s gear box replaced. I go around to see what’s up and I was right, it wasn’t the gear box we replaced, it was the other side’s gear box! Are you kidding me? Internet searches in the car and phone calls later I find a dealer 2 hours away, north of Calgary in Carstairs. They have the part in stock and they can replace it, on Monday. Today is Friday. The other dealers could not help due to parts or time available. One fella offered to book us in 16 days down the road. Western humour I guess.
For the next few days we had to slide our butts up and along the counter to get into the kitchen area of the trailer. We ended up using our tool box on one side and our stacking trailer levelers on the other to help us get up and over. Monday morning we were up and gone before 7am to get to Carstairs RV Centre before 9. Much like the previous Open Range dealer the staff was friendly and helpful. We were taken in right away and told where to go to get breakfast while the work was done. We drove 20 minutes to the town of Olds where we ate, picked up some groceries and checked out the liquor stores, including the Loblaw Liquor Superstore. It’s a standalone building in the same parking lot as the Superstore and it has all the right stuff, including President Choice beer for about a buck a can. We got back to Carstairs RV where we found our trailer fixed, the warranty claim all taken care of, and a spare slide gear box on order for us to take with us to Alaska and back.
There are several trails that surround the campground with one that branches off to several others. We walked one trail that meandered through the campground and came across a small herd of 8 Elk, two that had young calves. We stood off and used the zoom lens to capture some nice photos as they moved through the sites trying to get away from a mid-aged couple that kept following them. I couldn’t help but call out to them to explain the error of their ways, but, to no avail.
We were in Banff town area for 4 days and used that time to explore some of the trails and attractions. The Banff Gondola is well worth the cost. The centre at the summit as well as the well constructed trail that leads to an old weather station on a second summit provides spectacular views and photo-ops of the mountains, valleys, river, and town site.
A walk through the town led us to the Bow River Falls where more photos and videos jumped into our cameras. Two museums, one of which has had very minimal change since it was built in the 30’s. It was free due to Canada’s 150 year celebration. The first dealt with the mountains and the explorers while the second show cased the animals of the mountains. Jennifer and I had talked many times about taking a horseback camping trip in the Rockies so on one morning we signed up for a 3-hour horseback guided tour of the hills overlooking Banff and the Bow River as a trial run. The 3-hour tour was enough to convince us that the 4 to 7 days tour was going to leave an impression, in our butts.
Also near town was the Banff Caves and Hot Springs which we took in. The cave was interesting but quite small. Why Parks Canada installed a bench near at the top of the viewing platform is beyond me. It’s a 30m walk to it with about 4 steps. All it does is encourage people to sit and prevent anyone else from gaining the view until they get up and go. The Hot Springs is now a large pool heated by the springs to a 39 C temperature. Sitting in it made us think and laugh about Sheldon Cooper’s reaction to the place.
Some trails were closed due to the snow still remaining both on the trails and due to the avalanche risks. We decided to drive the Bow River Highway up to Johnson Canyon as it is described as a perfect spot to see wildlife this time of year as the Elk calves attract the predators. The highway was closed at the south end, where the animals are, due to a marathon run. Seems like the perfect time to gather a bunch of slow runners together.
We did drive further north and gained access to the canyon from the there. It’s a long hike up and down narrow trail areas. It is better to get there early. All the places we have be to we get there early as you can see the place without waiting or peeking over and around shoulders. Each of the places we have been to in Banff all have reserved bus parking areas and we passed a couple of busloads of people on our way back to the truck as we left the canyon. How you could get photos and videos like these with a throng of people is beyond me.