Page 33 - Vacation Country Travel Guide

little town of Rosebud, famous for lively dinner
theatre performance and fine arts community.
Continue along Hwy 9 to Drumheller where the
Dinosaur Trail begins. Heading out on North Dinosaur
Trail, just six kilometres west of Drumheller, the
Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology is arguably the
finest dinosaur museum in the world, with more than
140,000 specimens.
Continuing west on North Dinosaur Trail (Hwy
838) along the Red Deer River, the road climbs
steeply out of the valley onto the prairie benchland.
Stop at Horsethief Canyon Lookout for spectacular
views of the badlands, then cross the Red Deer on the
Bleriot Ferry, one of the few remaining cable ferries in
Alberta. The South Dinosaur Trail continues to Orkney
Hill Lookout for panoramic views of the Badlands.
Drumheller
Location: On Highway 56 near intersection of
Highways 9 and 10; 140 km (85 miles) northeast
of Calgary, 280 km (170 miles) southeast of
Edmonton in Alberta’s Badlands. Dinosaur Waterton Lakes National Park
Provincial Park lies to the southeast. Population: photo by:
www.mywaterton.ca
8029. Visitor Information: Drumheller & District
Chamber of Commerce, 60 - 1 Avenue West,
st
Drumheller, AB T0J 0Y0; Phone: (403) 823- off Highway 2. Population: 3230. Visitor miles south of Pincher Creek, AB; 33 miles west
8100; Email: tourisminfo@drumhellerchamber. Information: Phone: (403) 443-5822; Email: of Cardston, AB; 39 miles north of Babb, MT.
com; Website: www.traveldrumheller.com info@threehills.ca. Visitor Information: Waterton Lakes National
Park Headquarters, PO Box 200, Waterton Park,
Entering the Badlands valley of the Red Deer River Three Hills was incorporated as a village in AB Canada T0K 2M0; Phone: (403) 859-5133;
near Drumheller provides visitors with the unique 1912 and soon became a center for the surrounding Website: www.pc.gc.ca/waterton
opportunity to travel far back in time to the days of agricultural region. In 1922, the Prairie Bible Institute
the dinosaurs. Characterized by coulees, hoodoos, was established and the population of the town Located in the southwest corner of Alberta,
canyons and grasslands, the eerie landscape invites and neighboring communities grew until the 130- Waterton Lakes National Park combined with
exploration. Rich farmland is unexpectedly cut acre campus and the nearby hamlets of Grantville Montana’s Glacier National Park in 1932 to form
through by a twisting canyon of colorful layers of and Ruarkville were annexed. Three Hills hosted the world’s first International Peace Park. It is also
sandstone, mudstone, shale and coal dating back to the Alberta Seniors Games in 1998 because of the a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve as well as a
the late Cretaceous Period. The Drumheller Badlands large facilities at the Bible college. Built in 1954, Natural World Heritage Site, and in 2017 was named
are one of the few areas in the world where overlying the 4,300-seat Maxwell Memorial Tabernacle was the first International Dark Sky Park in the world.
sedimentary layers have been eroded to expose a high Canada’s largest religious auditorium before it was Featuring striking mountain scenery and fantastic
density array of entire skeletal remains. If your family demolished in 2005. wildlife viewing opportunities, there are hundreds of
has been swept up in the latest Jurassic era dinosaur miles of breathtaking hiking trails.
films, bring them here to explore the true size and Carway The historic MV International is the oldest
nature of these creatures who inhabited Earth for 165 Location: Alberta side of the Canadian border, operating wooden passenger vessel in Canada and
million years. north of the Port of Peigan border crossing in celebrated its 90th season of sightseeing cruises in
Montana, on Highway 2 (which turns into 2017. The Red Bus Tours are the oldest intact fleet
Dinosaur Provincial Park Highway 89 on the US side), 25 km south of of passenger vehicles in the world. These 17-person
Location: Northeast of the town of Brooks in Cardston. convertible touring sedans are cherished, elegant
icons, with multiple doors and roll-back canvas tops
southeast Alberta, off Trans-Canada Hwy 1.
The Carway border crossing is open year round allowing passengers to marvel at the views.
Dinosaur Provincial Park is 48 km (30 miles) from 7 AM to 11 PM; border crossing information is A beautiful 18-hole, Stanley Thompson-design
northeast of Brooks, while the Royal Tyrrell Museum available by calling 403-653-3009. Carway is one of golf course features bears and other wildlife as the
of Palaeontology is in Drumheller. Both share a the preferred entry points to Waterton Lakes National premier hazards. Enjoy guided horseback rides into
the backcountry, or rent a kayak, canoe or stand-
reputation for dinosaur fossils and magnificent Park to the west or Glacier National Park to the
badlands and many travelers assume incorrectly that southwest. Be sure to enjoy a pleasant, convenient up paddleboard. The townsite itself is a vibrant
community offering unique gift shops, plenty of
the two sites are one and the same. So if your summer duty free shopping experience at the unique Carway restaurants, nightlife that often features live music
travel plans include these very complementary Gift and Duty Free Shop.
destinations, then keep in mind that they are 170 km and fun 4-wheel pedal bikes. Accommodations
(105 miles) apart and it will take you three or four days The Cowboy Trail include the Bayshore Inn, Waterton Glacier Suites
to really experience them both. Along the foothills of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains and the grand, historic Prince of Wales Hotel.
lies a band of mixed forests and grasslands known Cardston
Medicine Hat for its serene beauty, moderate climate, wide variety Location: 25 miles east of Waterton Lakes
Location: On Trans-Canada Hwy 1 and Hwy 3, of wildlife and broad ecological diversity. Today, National Park; 40 miles south of Fort Macleod.
about midway between Cypress Hills Provincial communities along this spectacular corridor are linked Population: 3,500. Visitor Information: Tourist
Park in the far southeast corner of the province together by the Cowboy Trail, a ribbon of pavement Information Hut on Main Street at Lee Creek
and Dinosaur Provincial Park to the northwest; (primarily Highway 22) extending from Cardston near Bridge and Remington-Alberta Carriage Centre.
170 km northeast of Lethbridge and 300 km the Montana border up to Mayerthorpe, northwest of
southeast of Calgary. Population: 63,200. Edmonton. These communities share a rich Western Cardston is located where the vast sea of grass
Visitor Information: www.tourismmedicinehat. and Native heritage, and the Old West is still evident which is the Great Plains laps at the foot of the Rocky
com or 1-800-481-2822. in the art, food, hospitality and culture of the foothills Mountains, only thirty-two miles north of the eastern
residents. terminus of the Going-to-the-Sun Highway in Glacier
Three Hills National Park, Montana.
Location: In central Alberta, 120 km (70 miles) Waterton Lakes National Park The prime attractions arrayed around Cardston
northeast of Calgary on Secondary Road 583, Location: Junction of Highways 17, 6 and 5; 34 are the peaks and valleys of Waterton-Glacier

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