Three Kids and a Dog: Happy New Year from Canada!

Two years ago, before the world shut down, we bought a trip to Lake Louise/Banff, Canada, in a live auction for charity. Little did we know at the time that we wouldn't be able to take this trip until almost two years later. In fact, Canada was closed to everyone up until August of this year. So we booked and rebooked and waited.

Up until November, we still weren't sure we would be able to go (we had pushed the trip all the way until the end of 2021 to give us the best possible chance). Peyton and Hailey had not received the go ahead for the COVID vaccine for their age groups and we could not travel outside the country (for school) without them being fully vaccinated. Then it happened. In mid-November, the FDA and the CDC authorized the vaccine for 5-11 year olds and so Peyton and Hailey became fully vaccinated on December 14 (two weeks after their last shot on Nov. 30). The trip was a go.

Our joy was short-lived though. The number of COVID cases continued to rise due the Omicron variant and it was growing increasingly tough to get tests. We planned PCR tests for the day after Xmas but weren't sure we'd receive our results in time. The night before we left on the 28th, we were still not sure the trip would happen. We received two test results at 5pm, two more at 10pm and our final test at 11pm. The trip was a go. At midnight, we received an email that our flight was changed (yet again since our direct flights had already changed into long connections in early December - Thanks United!). We spent two hours on the phone that night before our trip trying to get a better connection. Finally, we did but we had to fly two hours east to go four hours back in the other direction. Still, we made it.

The weather was freezing. We knew it would be cold while we were there so had decided in advance not to ski. Instead we planned a 2-hour hike to Johnston Falls where we saw two (the upper and lower) frozen waterfalls. After, we tried a local sweet treat called a Beaver Trail and explored a bit of Banff. We wanted to go to the hot springs but the locals talked it down saying it was just a hot pool and it was really crowded anyway so we headed back to our hotel's hot tub. A much better pick.

Peyton planned the next day since it was her birthday including an amazing dog sledding experience where we got to drive the sleds. Tom and Peyton went in one sled while Austen, Hailey and I were in the other. We had guides for every three sleds and the dogs did really well but after a pit stop on a frozen lake our dogs took off with just Hailey in the sled all by herself after the guide unhooked the sled and didn't realize the back hook wasn't attached and I wasn't on the brake. Luckily he was a professional musher from Norway and sprinted after the sled with Austen and me trailing behind and finally was able to stop it. Hailey rather enjoyed herself and just thought we were going really fast. She didn't even know we weren't behind her. Austen caught the whole thing on his Go Pro which made for some great video.

After dog sledding, we went shopping and had a fun dinner in Banff at Three Bears Brewing Company. When dinner ended, we ventured over to the Cascade Gardens to a story walk complete with some awesome lights, a light snowfall and a tale about hope amidst adversity by some animals (very apropos given the COVID times).

The next day was New Year's Eve and we started the morning by taking our proctored COVID tests to get back into the U.S. the next day. After we all tested negative, we took a sleigh ride around Lake Louise - it was gorgeous but so cold! To warm up, we wandered around the hotel for a scavenger hunt and shopped some more (lots of sweatshirts were bought). That afternoon, we ventured out to snowshoe with a guide (so fun) before warming up again in the hotel's hot tub.

The kids did great on all the activities especially Hailey although she grew cold the quickest especially snowshoeing although she managed to last in 0 degree Fahrenheit weather for almost two hours. That night we had a special fondue New Year's dinner in the hotel restaurant and prepared for our return back home the next morning (another trip change the day before had us getting up at 3:30am for an 8am flight).

Driving the 2 1/2 hours back to Calgary for our 8am flight at 4am was brutal. But we didn't have a choice. COVID coupled by snowstorms in Chicago had left us with less planes/crews. We got to the airport only to find out that we would be headed to Toronto but wouldn't be getting home until Sunday. We needed to spend the night in Toronto as there were no flights heading home to Chicago until Sunday. We made the best of it though and rented a car at the airport to drive to Niagara Falls. The weather was rain/sleet but the kids still got to see the falls to end their trip.

The next morning, our flight was delayed about an hour and a half but we made it back to Chicago minus three out of four bags (they arrived this morning - two days later).

It was definitely a trip we'll remember (especially because Austen and Peyton got to experience first class once each way - they loved it and so did Tom!). Banff and Lake Louise are absolutely gorgeous. I have not met a place in Canada that I have not liked and been blown away by its sheer beauty.

Traveling was difficult. The COVID tests weren't terrible (although Austen did have to submit to another random COVID test at the Montreal airport on the way to Canada) but the flight changes and cancellations were the most difficult to deal with. It took a lot out of me that's for sure. But we made some great memories with our kids and ushered in 2022 with hope and excitement and ready to take on all of the new adventures in store of our family.