Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: interestingness#50

One of the roads within Waterton Lakes National Park ends at Cameron Lake. We did several drives along the various roads - this photo was taken on 27 August 2014, our second day in the park. "At an elevation of 1646 meters (5400 ft) this picturesque alpine lake offers the pristine beauty of a remote mountain environment and is only a short drive from the Waterton Village. Getting to Cameron Lake is almost as beautiful as being there. Drive 16 km (10 miles) along the Akamina Parkway, which is clearly marked just outside the village. Twists and turns in the road will reveal numerous rustic picnic areas. You will also drive past Oil City - Western Canada's first oil well. This is a National Historic site. At the end of this short journey, you will feast your eyes on the stunningly beautiful views of Cameron Lake. Enjoy a picnic on the shores of this aquamarine wonder, explore the easy hiking trails that skirt the lake or rent a boat or a kayak for an even closer experience." From MyWaterton. www.mywaterton.ca/CameronLake.cfm

This photo was taken from in front of the unique Prince of Wales Hotel, high up above Waterton Lake. I've always loved this view with its layers of fading blue mountains. On the right hand side, you can see part of the town of Waterton, where friends, Cathy and Terry, and I, stayed for two nights on 26 and 27 August 2014. This park is about 276 km south of Calgary and roughly a three hour drive. During the time we were there, we explored all four drives in the area: the Akamina Pathway that leads to Cameron Lake; the Red Rock Parkway; the Chief Mountain Highway which takes you up to the US/Canada Customs; and the Bison Paddocks. This was a driving trip, not a hiking trip - which is just as well, as a young woman was attacked by a Cougar on one of the trails! For details about what we saw during this three-day trip, including Black Bears, Bison, Yellow-bellied Marmots, and one very scary storm that engulfed us (apparently it was a Mesocyclone), check this link for a previously posted photo. flic.kr/p/oHnHXv "In 1932, Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park was formed from Waterton and Glacier. It was dedicated to world peace by Sir Charles Arthur Mander on behalf of Rotary International. Although the park has a lot of diversity for its size, the main highlight is the Waterton lakes—the deepest in the Canadian Rockies—overlooked by the historic Prince of Wales Hotel National Historic Site. In 1979, Waterton and bordering Glacier National park in the US were designated as World Biosphere reserves, preserving mountains, prairie, lakes and freshwater wetlands ecosystems. Habitats represented in the parks' range include: prairie grasslands, aspen grove forests, alpine tundra/high meadows, lower subalpine forests, deciduous and coniferous forests. The park is part of the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, designated as World Heritage Site in 1995 for their distinctive climate, physiographic setting, mountain-prairie interface, and tri-ocean hydrographical divide. They are areas of significant scenic values with abundant and diverse flora and fauna" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterton_Lakes_National_Park This is the Labour Day weekend - I think almost everyone is busy as only nine photos from Contacts have appeared on my photostream today. Hope your weather is as sunny as it is here. Please drive safely if out on the roads.

I went for just a local walk today. Saw all sorts of things, but it was one of those walks where photo after photo was missed, when an insect flew away too quickly or a little bird was hidden by leaves. Fortunately, this brightly coloured beetle DID cooperate. Can't give an ID, so just enjoy its colours and pattern : )