Calgary – The Start of Our Northern Rockies Adventure

Aug 24, 2026 Day 1 – Hyatt, Calgary, Canada

We arrived in Calgary on August 24th to begin The Northern Rockies tour with Smithsonian Journeys, guided by Darcie Reynolds of Odyssey and Maria Banks — a contract educator for Smithsonian who is also a NASA scientist by day and a Broadway harpist by night and weekends.

This magnificent tour carries us through nearly 1,000 miles of wilderness — not pristine, but wild. It is not groomed to our desires; its beauty lies in its boundless space, its isolation, and its quiet struggle to survive and stay in balance. To experience it fully, in all its multifaceted splendor, you need flexibility and a sense of wonder.