Day 9-Canada
We went to Waterton for an early lunch and decided on the Taco Bar, but discovered that it only took cash and we had no Canadian money as we had been using cards everywhere. Scott went to an ATM and got some cash and we had a yummy lunch with cash left over. Part of each bill was transparent plastic and I thought that was interesting and different.
Remember how I wrote in the last post about Scott and I trying to hike to Bertha Falls and not finding the trail, then finding it and getting rained out? Well, today we went directly to Start, did not pass Go, and got to the parking lot with Brian and Jack in tow. We got all ready with water bottles but no insect repellent. Are we stupid or what? Bugs galore on this trail and many bites. Grrr. Anyway, the trail is narrow with high vegetation and we were just stepping on to it when a beautiful red fox stopped on the trail in front of us. There were other hikers coming down so the fox was getting boxed in and nervous. We watched it for a bit then got out of the way and let it come out of the maze and run off through the yard of the home right by the trailhead and parking lot.
The first part of the Lakeshore Trail goes high along the ridge above the lake shore and there were some wonderful views of the lake from up there.
We took the cut off to Bertha Falls and it was not a difficult hike with many lovely vistas. We got up to the falls and they were beautiful with slanted rocks that allowed the water to careen off and funnel down into a channel. We mountain-goated it around the overlook to get a better view and I wanted to stay there for a long time. The guys got bored and headed downstream to get in the water. The freezing cold water. We joined them and watched for a while then headed down, slashing at bugs all the way. A very nice hike with a lovely falls.
We got cleaned up and went to the dinner theatre where the summer cast performed in a cabaret-style atmosphere while we had some yummy food. Here the guys are performing “Walk Like a Man from “Jersey Boys”. 
Then we moved over to the main theatre to see “Annie”. Brian had features in the Bert Healey scene and the cabinet scene and was so funny, he had people rolling on the floor. He played the ventriloquist’s dummy in the radio show segment so his head was above a stuffed dummy body that sat on the table while he stood behind. Jack was the ventriloquist controlling him. Brian was so good at moving his head like a wooden dummy and delivering his lines, it was hilarious. He was Harold Ickes in the cabinet scene so he was the grumpy one that doesn’t think the sun will come out and then changes his mind. He went down on one knee crying at the hopefulness of it all and it was hilarious. He also had a dance break in NYC. The theatre had put on the show earlier in the year and the cast was mostly the same with the summer full-time cast filling out the ensemble and taking small roles. It was fun to see them doing lots of stage business in the background.
After the show we had to try Canadian slurpees because we had been told by multiple people how much better they are than in the States. There are all sorts of flavors and they are “ice, not foam” according to the connoisseurs. I’m not really a good judge since I haven’t had one in approximately 25 years, but I’ll take their word on the comparison. I did think it was tasty, however. And that was our last night in Canada.
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