by Melissa Beckford
I can't tell you how excited I am to share these images. They are some of my proudest photographs and some of the most incredible views I have ever had the privilege of photographing in my life.
The Icefields Parkway - one of Lonely Planet's epic drives of the world - is so far beyond epic, there are no words. It's so stunning, we drove the full stretch TWICE!
Alberta Highway 93, as it is otherwise known, is a stretch of roadway travelling through both Banff and Jasper National Parks. Its peak usage runs in July & August when it can get mega busy and with the abundance of roadside wildlife and views of the Rockies, it's no wonder.
We travelled it in late September. It was quiet and we saw it in snow, sunshine and with the stunning autumnal colours creeping in too. A fab time to visit for sure!
The road is lined with towering mountains & turquoise waters.
And there are always photoshopped looking peaks on every horizon.
We had multiple occasions of deer spotting and with no other cars, it's easy just to stop and stare for a while.
Every viewpoint is like a Windows wallpaper...
...every cloudy backdrop like a watercolour.
With endless reflections, tree skimming streams and lighting reminiscent of a strategically lit photo-shoot.
I never expected the level of beauty to be so constant on this trip. I never knew something could be so endlessly incredible. Not like this.
And each time the sun sets on another day, you think you've seen it all. You've had your fill on this undeserved, natural phenomenon.
Then just like that, another day drops another stunner.
Even with the occasional 'local traffic', The Icefields Parkway is the drive that keeps on giving.
From out of nowhere, it drops you scenes like this...
...reflections like this...
... and chances like this:
Even in a messy car rammed with snacks, 'car-drobe' and miles of other beautiful road built up on our odometer, this two-laned tarmacked treasure is one of the most romantic locations we've experienced.
And as the sun changes in the sky, so do the views. Each day, each moment, offering you visuals unpredictable and unparalleled.
The colours will seem like someone popped the saturation into overdrive, the silence will make it seem like someone switched off the world but most memorable of all...
...the moment you realise you're there, breathing it all in, that moment will make you realise that you are 'living' - and it's in those times that you are REALLY living that will take your breath away.
- MTWP xxx
