50 Things to Do List--#41 White Water Rafting!

While we were in Banff National Park—having experiences and checking what we can off my 50 Things List we added on White Water Rafting on the Kananaskis River with Canadian Rockies Rafting on our way home.

But before that we did another little hike around the town of Banff down from Main Street to Bow Falls. The town had an awesome market set up that morning so we did a little shopping (I added a wooden spoon to my collection —its official I know collect wooden spoons from my travels along with Starbucks mugs) and some new jewelry! So far I have wooden spoons from Norway, Windsor Castle, Neuschwanstein Castle, Munich and now Banff!

Support local—you are literally making someone’s hopes and dreams happen when you buy from a local artisan!

Banff National Park is truly amazing and I know why people travel the world to visit. Sarah had the fun idea to book us into a Hostel! Which I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED—seriously, you think I didn’t have any fun in my 20’s! Well here we are the 50 year old crowd, staying at a hostel!

Don’t ask why there is wrapping paper in my hands…ok ask. It was a good deal. Enough said, hahahahaha!

But we did enjoy the hostel, we booked the room to ourselves so it was just us and I showered across the hall. It was another experience I can now say I have done!

Seriously, look at how gorgeous! Notice the Canada Goose in the corner, they were all over this path!

I will have so many great photos to scrapbook! We had the most amazing weather for this trip. It is like the universe wanted me to have this experience.

On our way along the path to Bow Falls we stopped so many times for photo opportunities and to just look at the beautiful world.

I don’t know why, but isn’t the sound of rushing water to a waterfall so amazing? It reminds us of how powerful this force of nature is and every drop that falls is different and creates its own ripple effect. Maybe that is like people?

After our hike back to our car it was destination WHITE WATER RAFTING. I think it was along this drive that Sarah casually mentioned we needed to wear wetsuits. WTF. Let me tell you….

Getting that wetsuit on was an EXPERIENCE (this deserved capital letters). We basically needed to help each other wiggle, pull, push body parts around to get into these things. And the booties…I was momentarily concerned they were going to be a permanent part of my body. And these are the only photo evidence you have that we did this! The rapids were class 3 so despite my desire to document things, we didn’t. We lived in the moment and locked the experience into our hearts.

Peeling off the wetsuit was also not for the faint of heart. But I am happy we had them on because the water was still pretty cold and we were able to get out of our raft at one point and swim around!

Overall, these 3 days with these 2 girl friends, doing all the things was amazing. Coming home with windswept hair and a sunburn and a heart full of memories was just what I needed.