We woke up to the first rays of sunlight gently streaming into our dome - the sunrise was perfectly visible right from our bed. The golden light over the rolling yellow hills was the most peaceful sight to start the day
After getting ready, we set out toward Jasper for breakfast. On the way, we came across a stunning green lake that instantly caught our attention. Unlike the other turquoise-blue lakes we’d been seeing throughout the Rockies, this one shimmered in deep shades of emerald and jade, almost glowing in the morning light. It was so unique and mesmerizing that we had to stop for a while just to take it all in.
Once we reached Jasper downtown, we found this beautiful café called Otto, and it turned out to be an absolute gem. The coffee was rich and aromatic, the green smoothie was perfectly refreshing, and the pastries were melt-in-your-mouth good - a wonderful breakfast experience to start the day.
While sitting by the window, I noticed a mountain in the distance that looked exactly like Mount Kailash, with its perfect pyramid shape towering gracefully over the valley. It instantly became the highlight of my morning! I couldn’t wait to see it up close, and from the looks of it, it seemed to lie somewhere along the Icefields Parkway, which we planned to drive the next day.
After breakfast, we explored a couple of small lakes around Jasper before making our way to the iconic Maligne Lake. The drive was scenic and beautiful, though at times bittersweet - we passed through vast stretches of forest still recovering from last year’s wildfires. Seeing the burnt trees was heartbreaking, yet there was something poetic about their silhouettes standing tall against the blue sky, with new green life slowly emerging beneath.
When we finally reached Maligne Lake, the view left us speechless - the glacier-capped peaks in the distance reflecting over the mirror-like water created a postcard-perfect scene. We walked over two miles along the lakeshore, and as we moved closer, the glacier mountains seemed to rise right in front of us. The air was crisp, the scenery unreal, and the silence of nature absolutely soothing.
While driving back we saw black bear and wild goats, which was super cool!
On the way back, we decided to grab dinner at a local brewery near our dome, and it was one of the best meals of the trip. The Brussels sprouts were perfectly roasted, the salad fresh and flavorful, and the craft beers — each one better than the last! Brewery-hopping has become a tradition on all our trips, and we were so happy to continue that ritual here in Jasper too.
After dinner, we returned to our dome, lit up the fire pit, and spent a couple of hours just sitting under the stars, soaking in the warmth and the crackle of the fire. The weather was perfect — cool enough to enjoy the flames, with the smell of wood smoke lingering in the air. Eventually, with that cozy scent clinging to our clothes and hair, we drifted off to sleep — another magical day in the Canadian Rockies beautifully wrapped up.
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