Canadian Honeymoon: Part two.

So, part two.
Need I say again that we love Banff? Just so pretty..

This is the view from our resort hot tub. We went in the hot tub daily. It was cold outside but it was so beautiful and relaxing to soak and enjoy the view. Plus, we made friends. Our routine looked like: explore town in some way, enjoy the hot tub, get ready for an evening out or relaxing in. 

 We kept putting off the Banff Gondola because it was always cloudy with little to no view. But once we decided there wasn't going to be a better day, we went for it. The top of Banff was absolutely covered in snow and much colder. The gondola only fit 4 people max and was a fun and peaceful journey to the top.

This was the river viewpoint just below the Gondola ride. 

On our last morning we decided to wake up at dawn, literally, and make a second trip to Lake Louise since there was almost no visibility the first time. The weather forecast said the sun would indeed appear at dawn and be visible for the first time on our trip. So, we decided it would be worth it.

This is the view outside our upstairs window in our Condo. Hello glorious mountain!

The whole drive was gorgeous. Seriously beautiful. 

Lake Louise, round two:

He didn't speak English but he had two cameras and I hoped we would get something decent.. Finally someone who offered to take a photo and didn't disappoint. Good work, fellow tourist.

And then the clouds rolled back in.

This view greeted us as we reluctantly made the journey back towards to Calgary airport. We stopped at a great coffee shop for breakfast in Canmore, which was super cute. 

And then we left. The airport was bittersweet. I really loved vacationing with my new husband but was also excited to begin life in our new home together.

We give Banff two thumbs up.

Love,
The Stoicus

Canadian Honeymoon: Part 1

I am finally getting to blogging a little bit of recent life.. We finally have internet in our home so I don't have to plan all my web agenda for a coffee session. So..

Maybe you wondered, "Why did they go to Canada for their Honeymoon?" Or maybe you thought, "Well, that makes so much sense." As you may have guessed, we really wanted to go somewhere with cooler weather, mountains, cute areas to explore and more. My two requirements for our lodging were a Kitchen and a Fireplace. We found the perfect place with both. In guess you are thinking about visiting Banff, stay at the Hidden Ridge Resort. Great staff and treatment, beautiful cabin like condos, a great outdoor hot tub with a view, unlimited firewood & movie rentals, and more. Also, one of the only places above downtown with a view of the mountains from above. We are confident it was the perfect fit for us.

Anyway, after a 3am shuttle to LAX and an early flight the Tuesday after our wedding we arrived in Canada, worked our our rental car and began the drive to Banff National Park. We found fun radio stations and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. It already felt like such a fun new adventure together.

So, we loved our fully stoked 2 bedroom Banff home with a great Kitchen and more!

This is our walk from the Resort to downtown, probably not more than a mile. Peaceful, pretty and nice crisp air.

We quickly found our token coffee shop for the trip. There were multiple Evelyn's on the main downtown strip and definitely the best coffee and hang spot we found.

Everywhere we looked there were beautiful places alongside the road like this river. Having time with no agenda was the best. I am so thankful for a trip that allowed us to rest, enjoy new life and explore at whatever pace we felt like.

Can you believe we got snow? In late May? We finished our massage and drank tea while we watched it fall outside the window. Sigh..

We had free Roam bus passes to get around Banff. The bus came to our Resort every 40 minutes and was a worry free way to enjoy roaming the city and making friends. I am so grateful for the life partner I get for all sorts of adventures. I certainly am blessed by Charles and that I get to call him husband.

Isn't it lovely? Right about this time Charles fell in the mud in his nice jeans. I mean, something has to go wrong, right?

We loved every minute that we got to soak in the wedding we had just spent so much time building up to. Now, we were married and could simply be. Life got crazy (let's learn how to make big life decisions together right now) shortly after the Honeymoon so looking back I am all the more thankful for this time to begin our journey.

More to come of Lake Louise and other Banff adventures.

The Stoicus: Established May 19, 2013

Our day finally came! We're excited to share our day with you. It was so special, meaningful, fast and fun. We had such special people contribute to make it so excellent. My prayer is that the words we exchanged and the love we felt would be the foundation for our marriage and journey ahead.

Our ceremony and reception location: The Homestead Oak Glen.
Make Up: Our lovely friend Melanie Dilger / Hair: Myself
Flowers: Our talented friends Laura Quines & Rebecca Kridner
Dinner: Belinda's Authentic Mexican Food
Photography: Joel Austell
Videography: Lindley Atkinson
Our friends and family made our day so perfect. From the support, help setting up, celebration and much more.. We are so thankful!

Enjoy, please!

Give our highlight video a look. 






























 

 















 



























Here's to the beginning! Thanks for looking.

Love,

Charles + Phylicia