Banff and Yoho National Parks

In July 2019 I was finally able to return to the incredible Rocky Mountain National Parks of Canada, 15 years after visiting them with my very first digital camera. There really are no words to describe these parks -- they are truly one of the most beautiful places anywhere on earth. The highlight of this trip was the incomparable Lake O'Hara. It's difficult to reach due to strict limits on the number of visitors, but those same limits have preserved this gorgeous destination unspoiled and uncrowded. I was fortunate enough to secure a bus ticket to the lake, and hiked the 7.5 mile alpine loop through the mountains around it -- my new number one favorite hike anywhere in the world.