Oh, Canada!

We felt we had sufficiently exhausted the United States side of Glacier National Park so we decided to drive a couple of hours north and see what the Canadian side had to offer in Waterton Lakes. We stopped in at Two Medicine Lake on the way. Two Medicine was the initial big attraction for Glacier National Park before the Going the Sun Road was built. People would take the train to East Glacier and stay at the lodge there built by the Great Northern Railroad, then head out on horseback from there to Two Medicine Lake. 

Fun history fact. All of Glacier’s chalets and lodges were in fact built by the Great Northern Railroad Company to keep well heeled adventurers in the states after World War One vs going to Europe to the Alps. Glacier was billed as the American Alps to attract those wealthy adventurers and one of our stops in Canada was at a hotel entirely constructed to attract those same well heeled adventurers during Prohibition since Canada ended theirs early. 

The Prince of Wales Hotel. Built to attract wealthy American adventurers during prohibition, its name comes from an attempt to get the then Prince of Wales in 1927 (later King Edward VII) to stay when he visited. He didn’t. 

Bison herd managed by Parks Canada. They occupied paddocks that can be driven through on a dirt road.

Cinnamon Bear! We spotted this juvenile cinnamon bear on our way back to the Canadian border. His fluffy butt was hanging out in the roadway while he was munching on the wildflowers growing there.

After driving Going the Sun Road one last time to cross the park, we headed back to camp for our final night and then it would be time to head home again.