Visitors to Banff Upper Hot Springs can rent a retro-style swimsuit. Chris LeBlanc photo

Ever wonder what it was like to swim in an old-timey swimsuit?

Me too, which is why I took the plunge and rented one for a couple of bucks when I visited the Banff Upper Hot Springs last week. Even better, my husband did, too.

Yeah, yeah, I know. Slipping into a swimsuit that someone else has worn sounds about as sanitary as borrowing a stranger’s underwear. We did it anyway – the suits are laundered after each use.

The hot springs are tucked on a hillside at the edge of Banff, in Alberta, Canada. You can see the steam rising from them from afar on cold winter days. When I disovered the bath house, a designated a federal heritage building, rented suits patterned after those worn in the 1930s, I couldn’t resist. (Learn more about the history of women’s swimwear here.)

We paid the attendant, then ducked into our respective changing rooms. When I emerged in the outdoor pool a few minutes later, I found Chris standing there, a little sheepishly, in a full-body, navy blue suit that buttoned over one shoulder. I sported an identical suit in a smaller size. (They’re unisex. Don’t think too hard, but Chris said his was less than comfortable.)

Not surprisingly, we were the only two of the 50 or so people soaking like dumplings in the hot water that day who were wearing the vintage suits.

We got looks.

Pam LeBlanc somehow talked her husband Chris into renting retro-style swimsuits at Banff Upper Hot Springs. Pam LeBlanc photo

More about the hot springs

Water temperatures hover between 98 and 104F in the pool, which is fed by naturally hot spring water rich in sulfate, calcium, bicarbonate, magnesium, and sodium. (During winter, when flow rates drop, it’s mixed with heated municipal water.)

Banff Upper Hot Springs are the only hot springs in Banff National Park that are open for swimming. The public isn’t allowed to get in other thermal springs, to protect the habitat of the endangered Banff Springs Snail.

We stuck around for about 20 minutes, taking in spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and providing a little entertainment for the other folks soaking.

My ruling? Fun. Not as fun as skinny dipping (what is?), but you can’t do this in public – if you can handle the bemused stares.

The hot springs are open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Entry is

$17.50 Canadian (about $13 US) for adults, $15.25 Canadian (about $13.30 US) for ages 3 to 17 and seniors 65 and up, and free for ages 3 and under. The swimsuit rental adds another $2.25 Canadian (about $1.75 US).

The main Barton Springs parking lot will close Feb. 15 for at least a year. Pam LeBlanc photo

Heads up, swimmers.

Crews are preparing to start work on the Barton Springs Bathhouse rehabilitation project, and that means parking is about to get tricky.

The parking lot on the north side of the pool will shut Feb. 15 and remain closed during construction, estimated to take at least a year. William Barton Drive, the road that runs in front of the pool entrance, will be closed except for emergency vehicles, construction deliveries and vehicles that need accessible parking.

The project, which includes access improvements, plumbing upgrades, structural repairs and restoration of the entry rotunda and changing rooms, is expected to finish in spring 2025.

A free Barton Springs shuttle runs weekends during the summer from One Texas Center to the park. Photo courtesy city of Austin

You’ve got options. During summer months, the Austin Parks and Recreation Department operates a free shuttle every 20 minutes on weekends only from One Texas Center parking garage at 505 Barton Springs Road, to the park. You can also park on the north side of the river near Austin High School and walk across the pedestrian bridge beneath Mopac to get to the park.

Or do like I do and pedal your bike.

Also of note? The pool will close Feb. 24 through March 8 for routine maintenance.

Pam LeBlanc, who says parks are one of the best things in her life, sits under the spillway at Blanco State Park. Photo by Chris LeBlanc

Lately, I’ve been waking up in the middle of the night a lot, with wild thoughts running through my mind.

I’m trying to tame the money brain – or at least avoid thinking about world problems or things I can’t control. Last night I focused on thinking about the best things in life.

I’m not referring to friends or family, which are a given and make everything better, or the fact that I was born in a place where I don’t have to struggle to survive. I’m talking about things beyond that that make me feel good both physically and mentally.

My list is long. I’ve had amazing opportunities to travel and meet interesting people. But honestly, it almost always comes down to the simplest things that make me happiest. And I get to do the things on my list often.

Here’s my list, in no particular order:

1. Reading books.
2. Coming home after a long trip.
3. Sipping a glass of wine outdoors, as the sun sets. Or tea with cream, as the sun rises.
4. Watching wildlife do its thing in a natural setting.
5. Hiking someplace that takes more than a day to reach.
6. Sleeping in a tent someplace remote.
7. Playing games (especially dominoes at the moment) with friends.
8. Finishing a hard swim practice or long run.
9. Dinner parties.
10. Parks.
11. Skinny dipping.

Jimmy Harvey, Marcy Stellfox and Chris LeBlanc enjoy malts at the soda fountain inside Harrel’s Kingsville Pharmacy. Pam LeBlanc photo

I love an old-fashioned soda fountain, and I found a classic, where I could perch on a bar stool and sip a strawberry milkshake, in downtown Kingsville, Texas.

It didn’t hurt that the milkshake I got at Harrel’s Kingsville Pharmacy cost less than $4, either.

My friends and I wandered into the pharmacy after a visit to the King Ranch Saddle Shop last weekend. As we were piling back into our truck, I noticed a sign for the soda fountain in the window of the pharmacy across the street.

The four of us grabbed seats at the bar in Harrel’s Soda Fountain, located at the back of the pharmacy. When we flipped open the menu, we found prices straight out of the 1980s – $3.75 for a milkshake, a little more for a malt, about $5 for a plate of enchiladas, even less for a hamburger. We watched, amazed, as a server whipped up an enormous banana split that cost just $5.

Read more: Ten things to know if you’re planning a trip to the Maldives Islands

And this after the soda fountain raised prices last year. In January 2023, the shop made the local TV news when it bumped the cost a hamburger from $2.75 to $3.75.

This banana split will set you back just $5 at the soda fountain inside Harrel’s Kingsville Pharmacy. Pam LeBlanc photo

We ordered shakes and malts, and twirled on our seats as we took in the old-school ambiance of the place. Nearly every table was full; the metal malt-mixing machine hardly stopped buzzing.

The history of the Kingsville soda fountain

Nick Harrel Sr. opened the business in 1916 and added a soda fountain – which offered curb service – in the 1920s. Originally it seated just 25 people. Today there’s room for 75. The place wasn’t air conditioned until the 1940s.

Harrel’s grandson, pharmacist Nick Harrel III, recognizable for his handlebar mustache and colorful socks (they’re featured on the pharmacy’s page on Facebook regularly), runs the operation today.

Regulars come to Harrel’s, at 204 E. Kleberg Ave., for the cheap prices and local camaraderie. I loved that. But even more, I loved the blast of nostalgia I got with every slurp of my shake.

I ran a mile and a half yesterday.
That might not sound like much – it didn’t to me, just a year ago. But that was before I took an ungraceful spill while snow skiing on the Ides of March last year, detaching my ACL and sustaining other assorted bodily damage. Running after ACL surgery is a big deal.

Pam LeBlanc wraps up a 1.5 mile run while visiting a friend’s house in Baffin Bay this weekend. It takes a long time to start running after ACL surgery. Chris LeBlanc photo

I underwent reconstruction surgery in May, spent four months tottering around on crutches, and have been trying to strengthen my quad, which turned into a wimpy, hotdog-like appendage in the interim, ever since.

At first, I couldn’t even straighten my leg. Or bend it all the way. I’d stack sacks of popcorn on it to try to get full extension. And it hurt.

I gradually advanced to doing squats and stepping on and off a low box. And I resumed my four-or five times a week swim practice as soon as I was cleared.

Lately, though, I can sense real progress. Two or three months ago, my physical therapist watched as I lurched down the hallway of the Texas Orthopedics office, in a sad attempt to run. I held onto bars as I hopped delicately up and down, trying to get my leg used to impact.

But soon it didn’t hurt so much. I increased the distance bit by bit. This week, I ran a mile and a half without stopping with hardly any discomfort. Then I did it again the next day.

Can you see that smile on my face?

Running’s not my main sport – swimming holds that honor. But I love to cross train to stay fit, and I appreciate the simplicity of putting on my running shoes and walking out the door to get a workout in when I’m traveling.

I’m so sick of going to physical therapy. I’m tired of having a knee that doesn’t feel strong or stable. I want to ski again.

But my doctor told me last week that the graft is solid as a rock. He’s confident I’ll be back to all my usual antics before long. And if this week’s runs are any indication, I believe him.

Pam LeBlanc got sick while traveling in the Maldives Islands and wound up in a clinic getting three units of fluids. Chris LeBlanc photo

Fact: It sucks to get sick while traveling, especially if you’re in a foreign country.

But it happens. And in the last year, it’s happened to me a lot, from a torn ACL while skiing in Idaho to a bout of gastrointestinal distress in Bangkok, vomiting in the Marshall Islands and Covid in Alaska.

This time, I found myself in the fetal position on the bathroom floor while traveling in the Maldives Islands. After two bouts of vomiting and some serious diarrhea, I was dehydrated and weak.

Luckily, the resort where I was staying, Siyam World, had a staff doctor. They sent him over to check on me. The doctor called a tiny ambulance, which transported me to the island’s medical clinic.

Read more: Ten things to know before you plan a trip to the Maldives Islands

There, I received two units of fluids and some anti-nausea medication. After a few hours, I headed back to my room.

I woke once more that night, sick yet again – and that earned me another trip to the clinic and another IV of fluids the next morning.

In all, I lost about two days of action – then passed it to my husband Chris, who got a less intense version of my bug. But without the IV fluids, my recovery likely would have taken longer.

My advice? If you get sick when you’re at an island resort (or anywhere, really) reach out to the front desk. There might be a doctor on staff. If there’s not, they’ll probably be able to tell you where to find medical help.

You spent money to take the trip – it’s worth a doctor’s visit to make sure you’re able to enjoy it.