Alberta, Alberta, where you been so long?
Alberta, Alberta, where you been so long?
Ain't had no loving since you've been gone
Alberta, Alberta, where'd you stay last night?
Alberta, Alberta, where'd you stay last night?
Come home this morning, clothes don't fit you right
Alberta, Alberta, girl, you're on my mind
Alberta, Alberta, girl, you're on my mind
Ain't had no loving such a great long time
~ Eric Clapton
Hang on, hang on, hang on . . . Clapton is being sued? For five million dollars? Over this song? That's right. This bluesy classic appears on 1992's Unplugged, a very successful album for E.C. But apparently, instead of crediting Bo Carter for the original "Corrine, Corrina," Clapton mistakenly gave credit to Lead Belly, another blues singer. Lead Belly does have a song titled "Alberta," but it's a different song. Anyway, Carter's estate is suing. This news came out last fall; I have not been able to find an update on the status of the suit.
Yesterday, we crossed from British Columbia into the province of Alberta. I realize the song is about a woman, not a province, but hey, I love the song. And, oh, Alberta, where you been so long? Banff and Lake Louise have been on my bucket list for a very long time, and now I get to see what all the fuss is about. Sheer beauty. But how many snow-capped mountains and tall pine forests can one view before it becomes a ho-hum? Um, more than I've viewed, that's for sure.
We began yesterday with a drive through Yoho National Park on our way to Banff. First stop was Lake Louise. Was it beautiful? Yes. Were there lots of tourists? Yes. We took our obligatory pictures and then moved on. Opting for the more scenic and less-traveled Bow Valley Parkway, we headed toward Banff, pulling over at any potential viewing sites. That's how we ended up at Castle View. Now, on the map, it looked like an easy stroll to the viewpoint, despite being designated a 3.7 km distance. Hey, we can do that! What we did not realize was that it was all uphill! Two hours later, we reached the top, having scaled 1,062 feet! There we were at 6,670' elevation. We patted ourselves on the back and looked forward to the trek downhill, not realizing that it would be more punishing than the trek uphill. We're too old for this shit.
A glass of wine and an expensive dinner in our hotel's bistro was our reward for our efforts.
Today, we will try to see all the tourist traps in the area that we missed yesterday while hiking for four hours. Moraine Lake, Johnston Canyon and waterfalls, the town of Banff. One could easily spend a couple of weeks in this area and never run out of beautiful sights to see. Ah, but the road beckons. On to Okotoks.
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