Big Bend on the Icefields Parkway

One of my favourite things from the trip I took with my daughter Victoria to Alberta last summer, was driving the Icefields Parkway. In one day, we did the entire drive from downtown Banff, all the way to Hinton, there were far too many sights to stop and see - but I really wish that I had stopped at them all anyway! We took detours to drive the Bow Hill Valley, a quick run into BC to see Numa Falls. The Crossing Cafe at Saskatchewan River Crossing was a very welcome place to stop and eat and stretch our legs, but man do they ever take advantage of the fact that they're the only place to stop. The prices there for literally everything were were astronomical. One of the stops we made was at Big Bend, which was roughly 2 hours from Downtown Banff and 2 hours to Hinton, so right about in the middle. Big Bend is one of the most recognizable viewpoints along the Icefields Parkway. It's a dramatic hairpin curve on the eastern side of the road overlooking the valley below. I took this photo from the viewpoint once you get around the bend and the view overlooks the valley and two distant waterfalls.