A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

Photography

On the Trail: Lake Louise/Banff Gondola

As I try to get back into regular blogging (again) and work on some of these features, it’s time to dial back the clock nearly a year for this one. 

It’s crazy to think this trip to the Pacific Northwest and Canada was nearly a year ago. When getting on a plane didn’t require masks and worry. When the ability to go to places didn’t require six feet of separation. It’s nice to remember these things and hope they will get back there. 

This trip was a geocaching-based one and got bigger as it was planned. We covered a lot of miles and saw a lot, but one thing was getting to Banff and Banff National Park, even just for a day. I’d like to go back some day when I can spend more time there, that’s for sure. 

On this day, we hit two places – Lake Louise, and then the Banff Gondola. I’ll put the two of these together as they were on the same day. Be sure though – they are highly different. 

Lake Louise

First, by the time we reached Lake Louise, it was too late to get parking, so we had to get a shuttle. And that took forever, it seemed. We waited for one at the wrong spot and if we had just driven back up to one area, we would have been there much quicker. Alas, live and learn when you don’t know the area. 

But, we did arrive. And we explored. Though we didn’t go hiking up, we took the trail around the lake for a bit. It’s a striking area, that’s for sure. The Lake Louise “hike” was a bit more than four miles, but if you had time, there are many more miles to explore. And it seems quite a bit of different terrain, too.

Remember, though, that the Banff area is very touristy. And with that brings a lot of people. I think to visit a spot like Lake Louise would mean getting there very early, spend your time there and then try to get out of there by 12 or 1 p.m., and then go visit some areas that might not be as crowded. 

Lake Louise itself, though, is striking. The color of the water and the wandering trail that takes you around the outside of it is wonderful. There are also a few geocaches, which is cool. It’s truly amazing to see what kind of things nature can give you. 

And photo opportunities? Plenty! There’s no chance you could leave here and claim you didn’t have anything to take photos of, that;’s for sure. But don’t just focus on the photos, focus on the beauty. 

The great part about this trail was all of the different people. Because it’s not the most strenuous stroll you will take, there were people of all shapes and sizes. It’s nice when you can get that in a place like this because it allows everybody to enjoy the scenery and brilliance. 

Banff Gondola

This was a definite on the list to hit. The gondola ride up was a blast. And there weren’t many people when we got there.

Remember, we went in the fall, and later in the day. That’s a check mark to each item as that meant fewer people. When on top of the mountain, there are a series of “trails” that take you to different parts and viewpoints. While

I might not consider this a trail, per say, it’s nice to know when you get to the top of the gondola ride, it’s not just one viewpoint and back down you go. Instead, you can go find a bunch of different places and there’s also (of course) a gift shop at the top as well. 

We didn’t have issues parking here, but I could see where it could be tougher during tourist season. Either way, it’s worth coming to and experiencing this. 

When done, I would encourage you to jump down into Banff and explore a bit. We only got to do so for an hour or two (including dinner), but what a cool town. This is definitely a place I want to visit again – preferably in the spring or fall when there are fewer people. 

Final thoughts: 

Positives: Lake Louise is an amazing and relatively easy hike. If we had more time, I think we would have tried some of the other trails and maybe looked to see where things led. The Banff Gondola is a great experience and spending time at the top of the mountain is really wild. A lot of fun. 

Cons: Parking at Lake Louise. Do the research. Either get there really early, or know where the best place for the shuttles is. The gondola has a price tag, so make sure you know that ahead of time and make a reservation if possible. 

Overall: Both are well worth the time. Lake Louise is breathtaking. There are some great spots to stop and soak it in. I have no doubt if you explore the other trails, the views will be simply amazing as well. The gondola “trails” give you some awesome looks and make you appreciate where you are. Make no mistake – if you go to places like this, appreciate what you see. If you ever get the chance to visit the Banff area, spend more time there than I did. I really want to go back one day … it’s truly an amazing place. 

To watch a Relive video of this hike, please see below!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Photo Blogging Challenge: August 2020’s theme is …

Most of the themes for the PBC were decided at the beginning of the year. You know, when times were a bit better.

These themes have become a bit harder with everything going on, but I guess that’s why they call it a challenge. Some people might have different levels of difficulty, based on where you are in the world.

PBC logo

I’ll have a blog post coming out in the next day or so discussing this a bit more in-depth, but the longer this global pandemic goes on, the harder it gets to do some things. Maybe it’s mental or whatever, but times aren’t easy to get that creative. My juices don’t get flowing and I find myself putting things like this off. I need to start pushing myself again and I’d really like to do it through photography. So, hopefully I can bust out of this.

So we’ve reached August. The eighth month of the year and we continue into the home stretch of this not-friendly year. Thanks for sticking with us.

The new theme is below!

So with that in mind, let’s look at the monthly “group” challenges:

Challenge 1: Tell others about this photo blogging challenge and get some friends to come join us.  Let’s see if we can get people interested in the challenge again.

Challenge 2: Make friends with your camera and see what you can come up with. Have fun!

Challenge 3 is at the end of this post (the theme!).

Before this, here’s some housekeeping items. For those who might be new to the challenge, here’s how it works.

  • See the theme (first day of the month);
  • Take photos throughout the month (don’t use old ones!);
  • Select five photos and create a blog post;
  • Come back here and link up on the final day of the month;
  • Use the official hashtag — #Photoblogchal — on social media posts;
  • Hopefully go visit and comment on other blogs.

That’s it. There’s no rules on equipment or anything else. Blog posts can be short and to the point, or in-depth. Interpret the themes as you see fit.

The one big rule?

Have fun!

This month’s theme? Sports. This should and could be good. Maybe you’ve started a new hobby? Or worked on an old one? Maybe you’ve found other ways of keeping busy through all of this. Show us! Please make sure your blog post publishes Monday, August 31. Then come back here and link up.

If you think you are going to take part in this, drop a comment below so we can see who all might be trying to tackle this challenge!

There is also a Facebook group for those who are interested.

If you would like to visit the history of the challenge, which started in 2013, please go to the Photo Blogging Challenge page for more!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Photo Blogging Challenge (July 2020): Letters

Talk about a wide-open theme for interpretation.

Letters can cover a whole heap of different things, so it will be interesting to see how people look at things. For me? I kind of went toward a mixture of things, but it was with the idea of the written letter.

When I was younger, I used to love writing letters. I’ve recently discovered a whole new and modern world of pen pals. That is cool because with technology, it’s nice that people still like to take the time to write.

A lot of the newer people who pen pal are uber creative, too. It’s not just writing a letter but so many things that make it a personal and very cool experience. The accounts on Instagram are aplenty if you want to look.

So far, my experience with pen pals is mixed. I have one I made earlier this year and I’m up on the next round of writing. I have an idea on what I want to do and am getting everything together. I also am supposed to start one other person, and I’ve been working slowly on it. It’s a fun and creative process. I’ve sent one other and I hope it’s arrived as I sent it more than two months ago. Maybe it wasn’t what they were expecting. Not sure. Hopefully it went through and all was good. A couple of others were going to start one with me, so I await those in hopes they come through.

Letters overall are fun. They make up a lot of things and as I was working on this, I tended to notice so many items and the letters that go with them.

Below is my take. I hope you enjoyed this month’s challenge!

I also hope, during this time, you are taking care of yourselves, staying healthy, and being safe. Without anything further, here are my five for the month!

1. Stamps

If you are going to send good old snail mail, you need stamps These are four stamps I won in an Instagram contest. How cool are these? Most news stamps, at least that I see in the US, are sticky back etc. They are essentially stickers. The old-school stamps like this are very cool to find. These are definitely older and not sure what I will do with them as I almost don’t want to use them.

2. Stencils

I’m trying to get more consistent with a bullet journal. My way of doing things, though, is using it as a journal. I want to get track of things. Be creative. Have fun. I don’t want it to be a planner, though I do have calendars and stuff in it to mark down important things. I’m still trying to find my style, though.

3. Snail mail

This was the first pen pal letter I received this year. I’ve since sent and then received another. I am working on the next response. Love the wax seal and this inspired me to get some of these as well!

4. Washi tape

As I find my own style with journaling and writing letters, I am trying to get creative. And I’ve discovered washi tape, which is awesome to have. It’s very useful. These are ones I recently received, and I like how those words (letters!) are in English and Chinese.

5. Hand-written signs

For those who know me, you might know I do love signs. And I really like hand-written ones because I feel it’s a slice of Americana. This is one that’s been hanging in my town for a while. I pass it a bunch when I am walking.

And there are my five for the month!

If you took part in this month’s challenge, make sure to link up below.

And for those of you who participated, make sure you try and get to other people’s blogs and comment (here, too!).

Let’s continue to grow this challenge and have a strong community. Come back and check out the others who link later on, too! NOTE: We have a Facebook group for those who participate in the challenge and are interested. I’ll post any announcements there and hopefully it can be a place where things are discussed and some interaction etc. You can access it here.

Make sure, too, to come back tomorrow to see August’s theme!

Photo Blogging Challenge: August 2020 results

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Food Photo Challenge (July 2020): Summer drink

When I was younger, my summer drink of choice was always beer.

Now, let’s remember our younger days. The beer was often cheap, and something light as you could get through more.

Things change, as you will see below.

Before we go on, though, if you are new to the Food Photo Challenge, check out this post, which explains everything. Also, the linkup for this month’s theme will stay live for about a week, so join in even if it’s later!

Food Photo Challenge logo

Simply put, though, each month there will be a theme (announced at the end of this post) and on the 28th of each month, come back and link up.

So we keep moving forward with these food photos and it will be fun to see what kind of things happen with this theme.

Let’s check out this month. 

Theme: Summer drink

There are so many items you can choose from. It could be a cool, refreshing iced tea. It could be flavored (or regular water). It could be a lot of things.

I love water and drink a lot of it.

But when things call for a true summer drink, I don’t mind something with a bit extra in it.

As I noted earlier a cold, light beer used to be my choice, especially after a softball game. As I aged, though, I tend to enjoy better beer — and a lot of them don’t really work as a “refreshing” summer drink. For example, I love Guinness. And though I can drink it quicker if “needed,” it’s really a waste. So beers like that just don’t count here.

When it comes to liquor, my tastes are a bit more tight in that I don’t like a lot of things. I like rum. I like vodka. And I like fruity drinks as they are refreshing and smooth.

Enter the Blue Hawaii.

This is a drink I had for the first time a bit more than a year ago on a trip to Canada. Earlier this year I got everything I needed to make them and I’ve enjoyed the process. Every once in a while, I need a refreshing drink.

This one does it.

There’s rum, vodka, and blue curacao in it. The fruity aspect is pineapple juice and some sour mix. Shake it up, put over crushed ice and away you go.

I tried to add a bit more to this photo and drink with the fruit. When I got done with my photos, the drink was definitely refreshing!

That’s my submission for the month and I am looking forward to seeing who else is taking part in this challenge and what they have to offer!

If you took part in the challenge, please make sure to link up below. Also, make sure you visit everybody else’s posts (and do come back to see who may have linked up after you!)! 

Let’s, too, try and grow this challenge. Tell others and invite them. And, as always, one can check out the Facebook group for this challenge and others as well. You can access the group here. 

The linkup is below, but how about August?

The theme for August is: Dessert. Come back on August 28 to link up!

Food Photo Challenge: July 2020

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Photo Blogging Challenge: July 2020’s theme is …

Another month is here and it seems like they are just all merging together … at least for the past several months.

So the summer months are here. Some places seem to be living like normal. Other places not so much. What is happening in our world now is pretty scary, so I just hope you are all safe and healthy, take precautions to protect yourselves, and watch out for the rest of humanity.

PBC logo

Still, it’s a time when things are amplified. The US has their elections heating up. Things around the world have become really crazy. But we all have to find ways to keep sane, healthy, and safe. And how do some of us do it? Photography can help and it’s my hope this challenge helps each of you somehow stay calm, at least for a few moments of your day or week!

And now we move ahead to July. This month is pretty good as I am on vacation for a couple of weeks. And I am hoping I can get some blog reading, writing, and commenting done as well! So, let’s move on with our challenge!

The new theme is below!

So with that in mind, let’s look at the monthly “group” challenges:

Challenge 1: Tell others about this photo blogging challenge and get some friends to come join us.  Let’s see if we can get people interested in the challenge again.

Challenge 2: Make friends with your camera and see what you can come up with. Have fun!

Challenge 3 is at the end of this post (the theme!).

Before this, here’s some housekeeping items. For those who might be new to the challenge, here’s how it works.

  • See the theme (first day of the month);
  • Take photos throughout the month (don’t use old ones!);
  • Select five photos and create a blog post;
  • Come back here and link up on the final day of the month;
  • Use the official hashtag — #Photoblogchal — on social media posts;
  • Hopefully go visit and comment on other blogs.

That’s it. There’s no rules on equipment or anything else. Blog posts can be short and to the point, or in-depth. Interpret the themes as you see fit.

The one big rule?

Have fun!

This month’s theme? Letters. This should and could be good. Maybe you’ve started a new hobby? Or worked on an old one? Maybe you’ve found other ways of keeping busy through all of this. Show us! Please make sure your blog post publishes Friday, July 31. Then come back here and link up.

If you think you are going to take part in this, drop a comment below so we can see who all might be trying to tackle this challenge!

There is also a Facebook group for those who are interested.

If you would like to visit the history of the challenge, which started in 2013, please go to the Photo Blogging Challenge page for more!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!