For The Love of Travel

Bad gal heading for the “Badlands” today. Haha. “Badlands” means ‘extensive tracts of heavily eroded, uncultivable land with little vegetation’. And Horse Thief Canyon has breathtaking views of a previous glacier valley that was 1 km in depth! When the glacier melted, Red Deer River carved the canyon. 

Drumheller is definitely worth a stop if you are into dinosaurs – the Royal Tyrell Museum is the worldwide authoritative guide in all matters prehistoric!! And the township celebrates the critters with sculptures on most street corners…

A lovely drive on 11 Bridges to Wayne trail.

Hoo doo rock formations on the way back – they look like little chimney pots and are formed with soft rock topped by hard less easily eroded stone that protects each column from the elements. 

And then back to Calgary with the contrast of delightful prairie views (yellow crops foreground with strong puffy white/grey clouds and blue sky in the background; farmers taking in the hay crops leaving a white dust trail behind).

We travelled to the Pass to stay at mine hosts’ country retreat for a few days….a delightful mountain cottage, where local deer hop over the fence to sample delicious grasses and plants :). We had all weather possibilities while staying – rain, snow and brilliant blue days with sun. That’s the changeable Pass for you.

A visit to the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre to learn about the rock slide that buried part of the mining town of Frank in 1903. Over 82 million tons of limestone rock slid down Turtle Mountain within 100 seconds, obliterating the eastern edge of Frank, the Canadian Pacific Railway line and the coal mine, killing about 90 people. Also to learn about the worst coal mining disaster after a gas explosion, that occurred at Hillcrest in 1914 in the Pass, where 189 of 228 workers were killed. Very moving films and exhibits at the Centre that covered the history. 

A lovely photogenic Burmis tree, standing like a sentinel on Highway 3, that’s a limber pine that lived for over 300 years before it died around 1978. It is beautiful, in its rugged windswept way – a perfect symbol for the Pass, an image of tough survival against all odds – two different sunrise images for you.  Also visited the lovely Lundbreck Falls.

Then to Fort MacLeod and the Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo Jump development, which is a UNESCO Designated World Heritage site that preserves and interprets over 6,000 years of Plains Buffalo culture. Local First Nations’ (Piikani and Bloods) staff the facility. 

My friend Frits, as Director of Historic Sites Service and Archives for the Alberta government over 20 years, increased the Province’s museums and interpretive sites from 3 to 15, including the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre and H-S-I-B Jump. Very honoured that he was able to guide me around these 2 incredible sites and discuss the history.

Brilliant weather to explore Cardston (a town settled in 1887 by Mormons from Utah, with a striking temple and Fay Wray fountain), the Waterton Lakes National Park, the Prince of Wales Hotel and its surrounding mountains and Cameron Falls. 

And the incredible Cinnamon Bear bakery back in the Pass, with tempting savoury and sweet treats, like the Pecan Slice – nom, nom, nom!