Cardston, Alberta, Canada

Temple #2
Cardston Alberta, Canada
July 18, 2013


     Our second Temple together was one we never guessed we'd get to so soon. First thoughts are probably, ‘how in the world is Cardston Alberta, Canada, the next temple?’
     Well, it's a fun story, and it was a fantastic trip. Before Ivy got her endowments out, we had a trip planned the week after Ivy’s birthday. It was really Ivys family’s trip, and I was lucky enough to join in. We were still only engaged at this point, being two months away from our wedding.
     The trip was to Thompson Falls, Montana, a small town in the middle of pine forests and clear rivers. Why there? Ivy’s aunt, Patti, has a cabin there. This gave the chance for the Kunz family to make a week long trip to the breathtaking state of Montana.
     While at the cabin we had a fabulous time. It is next to a scenic lake, where we swam and kayaked. We also enjoyed many hours just sitting and relaxing, enjoying the view and scenery of the area.
       One day while we were in Montana, the decision was made to go to Glacier National Park, which was only a few hours away from the cabin. We made the journey in a day, drove through the stunning park, and even went on into Canada. Unfortunately Ivy’s dad Darcy, and her brother and sister in law, Klint and Jodi, didn't have their passports. So those poor, saddened three stayed at a gas station and enjoyed the views there.
     The rest of us, which included Ivys mom Vera, Ivy's sister Heidi and Heidi's husband Trevor, went on to the little town of Cardston Alberta, just across the border, in the wonderful Canadian Country. This was the first time to Canada for all of us but Vera.
     Once we crossed the border into Canada, the landscape turned drastically from snow covered mountains, to waving flat fields of grass, with not a hill in sight.
     Canada isn't much different than the states, and Cardston was a quaint town, very kind feeling, and the temple was easy to find. A fun fact: Mormons were the ones who settled Cardston and a lot of the surrounding areas. Hence why there are now three temples in Alberta.
     It was fun to drive through the small town, and then race to see who could spot the Temple first. The Cardston Temple is quite different then most temples. It is more square, and has no steeples, which obviously means no Angel Moroni. It is only one of four temples that does not have any spires, making it unique. It was also the first temple built out of the United States.
     The temple is beautiful, as of course all are, but it has a different beauty, like a modern castle. It is also amazing on the inside in many ways. As you go through a session, you go through different rooms, which only seven other temples are that way. In one room, the decor and curtains were purple, where usually it's white. It was gorgeous and elegant.
     The Cardston Temple was amazing, and it was fun going to it with Ivys family, and it being Ivy and mine’s second temple together made it special, especially since it was in Canada!
     We then headed back to Montana, where we enjoyed a lot of the rest of the day in Glacier National Park (no, we did not see any bears). It is a stunning park, and a must see.
      Afterwards, we went back to the cabin, and enjoyed the rest of the week in that area. Montana holds a lot of beauty, with grand mountains and crystal rivers, yet the Cardston Temple in that small town was one of our top highlights of this trip.

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