September 2026 Family Update
The biggest news to report for September is that I finally made it to Banff! This has been a bucket list item, but I decided to move it up the list after so many of my friends were raving about it. Now I see what all the fuss was about. I would absolutely go back, but mostly just to see Peyto Lake. Overall, Banff felt like I was in a movie. The terrain was so different from home. The mountains are so tall and I was constantly looking up. Many of them were also snow-capped. The color of the lakes was gorgeous and shades of blue that I’ve ever seen before, thanks to a mineral from the glacier run-off. I’m used to Oceans but they are transparent. The lakes of the Canadian Rockies were opaque and rich in color. I remain incredibly grateful to be able-bodied enough to hike to these locations and to have clear enough vision for these experiences.
Itinerary:
- Mon – Fly into Calgary – Direct on WestJet – Stay at Airport Marriott
- Tue – Pickup Rental Car – Pickleball in Calgary – Drive to Banff
- Wed – Banff Gondola – Bow Lake – Explore downtown
- Thur – Bus Tour for Lake Louise & Moraine Lake
- Fri – Drive Icefields Parkway to Mystaya Canyon and Peyto Lake
- Sat – Drive Back to Calgary – Direct Flight Home
This plan actually worked really well. Each day was just enough adventure with plenty of downtime. The order in which we saw the attractions was also great. It just kept getting better and better. Peyto lake was an incredible way to end the trip. The whole trip went quite smoothly! If I were going again for the first time, I’d do it this exact same way and go this exact same week. It was about a week before prime larch season so the crowd weren’t as heavy. We definitely noticed the town filling up more and more each day especially as we approached the weekend.
We flew back to Nashville just in time to see the Eagles takeover the city and play the Titans. The game was a NAILBITTER and it was insanely HOT but I had a great time and was happy to see the Eagles get the win!
As for the rest of September, we helped our friends move to their new place and had our first game night at their place. Also, played pickleball, obviously.
Plus, I got my first Mahjong set and I can’t wait to play with it. It’s GORGEOUS! I researched for months before I finally settled on this one and I love it so much. OH, oh!!! And I grew a cantaloupe.
I wrapped up September celebrating the Autumnal equinox at Pearl. I look forward to every event like this. Sonia does a great job of helping us to honor the change of seasons with thoughtful questions. This time, I realized that there’s not much I want to change about my life. It’s been a long road to get here but life is as sweet as it has ever been.
