Excited though we were to have a couple of nights of luxury in a hotel the bit we were most excited about Mum and Kate’s Surprise trip was showing them a bit of what we had been up to. And that did NOT include sipping cocktails next to the pool.

With only 2 weeks notice of their trip we had struggled to find somewhere where we could camp and they could hire a cabin or similar. Made worse by the fact that it was the Bank holiday weekend so everywhere was rammed. We’d hoped to find somewhere in Banff so we could all experience the Rockies but it was impossible.

In my many searches I had found a place in the foothills of the Alberta Rockies called Panther River Adventures. They offered us a pitch for Frankie and a Hunters Tent for Mum and Kate. No idea what that would actually consist of, but fairly desperate by that stage, we booked it!

Just as when Dad and Carol joined us weeks ago now in Niagara, we were really anxious that the campsite would be nice and would be a true representation of the kind of camping we are doing and the experience we are having.

So we set off from Calgary on Saturday 2^nd with ever so slightly tender heads for the 3 hour journey North West to Panther River. I drove the hire car, which was most bizarre having not driven at all for 2 months and not having been IN a car for almost as long. I was definitely in the right vehicle as having stopped in Sundre for supplies we thought we were practically there. WRONG. We came off the main road onto a Forest Road where only I spotted the sign saying Panther River Adventures 65km ahead.

By the time we reached the Ranch Frankie was as dusty as we have ever seen her and John’s arms nearly jolted out of his shoulder bones from all the potholes. As we turned in off the ‘road’ a deer was stood in the middle of the yard staring straight at us and ran towards us. A truly magical moment, which was a very fitting start to our stay here.

2 sisters and their families run the Ranch, some of the most friendly and charming people we have met so far. All the camping pitches, cabins and tents are set along the Panther River with views of the Rockies and couldn’t be more beautiful a setting. The Hunters Tent was fabulous, set on a boarded floor with bunk beds and a wood-burning stove they were very cosy.  Although they had a few incidents with the stove resulting in burnt fingers and melted swim wear – I’ll leave it at that!!

But we all spent most of our time by our camp. We had 4 nights of outdoor cooking, campfires, star gazing, fishing in the river and generally just enjoying the view and incredible setting.

We drove out one day and visited Ya-Ha-Tinda Ranch, which is a Government Run Horse Rearing and Training Ranch. Not the nicest of days so we just about managed the short walk up to the Big Horn Falls and back before the heavens opened.

Not just rain but hail stones the size of marbles. So we had a very British picnic inside the steaming car and watched the comings and goings of the campgrounds full of Horseboxes.

We had promised the kids that we would do a proper horse trek but with only Mum and John having ever been on a horse before we were not too ambitious about what we would manage by way of a ‘trek’

Luckily for us we had the most fantastic guide in Hannah, a girl who has been working at Panther River each summer since she was 12 and who was both patient and completely lovely! That and the fact that we 6 made up the whole party on our 2-hour guided trek.

Our 2-hour trek started out with much hysteria about who would get which horse. As it was we were all suited perfectly to our gorgeous horses who luckily appeared to know what they were doing with very little guidance from their riders.

I had one moment when my horse and I took a little wander off in the opposite direction of everyone else but other than that our horses walked in a perfect line through up and over some of the most beautiful scenery we have seen so far.

We all surprised ourselves with the terrain we managed to negotiate (well our clever horses did!). Up some incredibly steep paths over fallen trees, through muddy paths, the shallows of the river, forests and then a mountain meadow where the view of the Rockies was just breath taking. We loved it all and felt completely exhilarated with the whole thing. Before we had even dismounted Charlie and Will were both asking when we could do it again.

It has now kicked off a whole lot of planning from the boys. They have written themselves a note now pinned on their notice board which reads “Grow up. Move to Calgary. Buy horses.”

We had a lovely time with our visitors and felt so happy that Panther River was exactly what we had all hoped for.