There’s one thing particular about hitting the open street in Canada that calls to the traveler’s soul. You’re surrounded by majestic mountains, turquoise lakes, and wide-open skies in all instructions, making the journey simply as memorable because the vacation spot. Right here is my advice for an ideal street journey for households from Calgary via Alberta’s Badlands, together with Drumheller, the dinosaur capital of the world.
Begin in Calgary, the Gateway to the Canadian Rockies
This cosmopolitan metropolis blends trendy sophistication with the cowboy spirit, the place smooth skyscrapers meet the guts of the Stampede. Be sure you go to the highest of Calgary Tower the place you’ll be able to see beautiful views for miles.
Each July, the Calgary Stampede showcases a 10-day occasion that includes the world’s largest out of doors rodeo, a parade, stage reveals, rides and video games, purchasing, live shows, chuckwagon racing, and Indigenous experiences. The Calgary Stampede is probably the most genuine and memorable Western expertise you’ll be able to pack right into a trip.
One other nice venue for households is Heritage Park Historic Village, which mixes journey, discovery, and enjoyable, that includes Western Canada’s historical past. Tour the park on an vintage steam practice, set sail aboard Calgary’s solely paddlewheel ship, go to the livestock on the ranch, and find out about Blackfoot tradition within the First Nations space.
Head Towards Drumheller
The experience to Drumheller is about 90 minutes away, however you’ll really feel such as you’re driving on one other planet. As you traverse via Alberta’s rolling prairies, the panorama immediately shifts into one thing altogether sudden — canyons, hoodoos, and dramatic cliffs that look otherworldly. That is Drumheller, the guts of Canada’s Badlands, the place the dinosaurs used to roam.
Your first cease needs to be the world-famous Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology, a treasure trove of dinosaur skeletons and fossils. This crown jewel takes you thru greater than three billion years of life on Earth, with a few of the most spectacular dinosaur fossils ever unearthed. Strolling via the galleries, I used to be amazed at how life-like the shows have been, marveling at how scientists piece collectively the previous from tiny fragments of bone and earth. Image a larger-than-life Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton and exquisitely preserved fossil beds that inform the story of Alberta’s historic inhabitants.
With hands-on reveals and interactive shows, it’s a spot the place historical past comes alive for each youngsters and adults. Tons of children at school teams have been wide-eyed with surprise, their imaginations sparked by the giants hovering over them.
A prehistoric skeleton at Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology / Picture by Mira Temkin
Dinosaur Tracks, Distilleries, and Drumheller Delights
Drumheller has its share of kitschy appeal, too. You may’t miss the World’s Largest Dinosaur, standing some 86 toes excessive, a T. rex statue proper in the course of city. Climb the 106 steps to the highest, and also you’ll be rewarded with a enjoyable (and barely surreal) view from contained in the dino’s mouth!
Picture by Mira Temkin
Downtown Drumheller is a throwback to small-town Alberta, with cozy cafes, retro diners, and pleasant, smiling faces. We carried out from Berta Burritos, a Mexican meals truck and ate it on the Drum Distilling Firm, together with native brews.
Subsequent, drive via the Dinosaur Path, a scenic loop that winds via the Badlands, roughly 30 miles lengthy. Every flip revealed one thing new — eroded coulees, layers of sandstone and shale, and, in fact, the well-known hoodoos, these tall, mushroom-shaped rock pillars shaped over hundreds of thousands of years. We stopped usually to take images and hike quick trails, feeling the magic of standing in a spot the place dinosaurs as soon as roamed.
Drum Distilling Firm / Picture by Mira Temkin
As night fell, we drove out to Horseshoe Canyon, the place the golden gentle illuminated the layers of rock in breathtaking colours. It was the right finale to our street journey — a reminder that Drumheller is extra than simply fossils and historical past. It’s a vacation spot of surprise, magnificence, and discovery.
The place to Keep: Ramada Inn with Indoor Waterpark
The perfect place for households to remain is the Ramada Inn Wyndham Drumheller Lodge and Suites that has its personal indoor water park with a big waterslide and scorching tub. Get pleasure from complimentary continental breakfast every day from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. in addition to free web. Most rooms have a fridge and microwave. Free parking. This family-friendly resort has an awesome location for all there may be to see and do in Drumheller.
The place to Eat: Dyno Mite Eating Suggestions
An incredible place for burgers, hand-cut fries and ice cream is Asteroid. It’s additionally enjoyable place for teenagers to hang around. I additionally suggest Whif’s Flapjack Home for nice pancakes and Bernie and the Boys Bistro.
Street Tripping Alberta, Canada
What I beloved most about this Canadian street journey was the liberty — the prospect to cease the place I happy, linger over views, and discover little gems off the overwhelmed path. The journey from Calgary via the Rockies was greater than a street journey. It was an immersion into nature’s grand design, a reminder that a few of the world’s most awe-inspiring magnificence is only a automobile experience away.
So pack up the automobile, cue up your favourite playlist, and hit the street to Drumheller. It’s a journey again in time you’ll always remember.
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Mira Temkin is a Chicago-based journey author who makes a speciality of multi-gen and skip journey for households. Her tales cowl locations throughout the globe with an emphasis on studying in regards to the world. Her tales have appeared in Orbitz, Travelocity, Discover.com, and extra. She may be reached at [email protected].
