Travel Alberta 2010 Vacation Guide

2010 OFFICIAL
TRAVELALBERTA.COM
1-800-ALBERTA
vacation GUIDE
explore
your
passion
From peaks to plains, Alberta has one of the finest settings ever handed to
a province. The snow spackled Rocky Mountains. Shimmering wheatfields.
Northern lights. The Calgary Stampede. West Edmonton Mall. Guest
ranches. Sunny skies. Canadian Badlands. Powder-perfect ski resorts.
Whether you’re looking for inspiration, action or relaxation – explore Alberta

your own way by delving into this Vacation Guide. Tailor your holiday
according to interest or region – each comes with its own unique feast of
holiday ideas. Scenic road trips, a massive festival guide, a handy map,
cost-saving tips and local wisdom – everything you need to design an
extraordinary holiday.
Cattle drive, south of Calgary

In this guide you will discover a host of holiday ideas in our six regions.
28
Each one captures particular experiences and adventures across Alberta.
Edmonton & Area
Edmonton
Known as Canada’s Festival City, this
& Area
bustling metropolis has always put
its arts and culture on centre stage.
38
TravelAlberta.com/Edmonton
Edmonton
Calgary & Area

Home of the Calgary Stampede, this
calgary
& Area
cosmopolitan dynamo is also the natural
gateway to the Canadian Rockies.
TravelAlberta.com/Calgary
48
Calgary Stampede
Canadian Rockies
The Canadian Rockies are legendary
for their breathtaking beauty,
canadian
rockies
charming villages, backcountry
lodges and alpine castles.
TravelAlberta.com/Rockies
58
Herbert Lake, Banff National Park
Alberta South
Loaded with natural and cultural
wonders, southern Alberta is famous
alberta
South
for the Canadian Badlands, buffalo
jumps and dinosaur bone beds.
TravelAlberta.com/South
66
Hoodoos, near Drumheller
Alberta Central
Checkered with golden prairies, grassy
foothills, shimmering lakes, sandy
central
alberta
beaches and rural charms, Alberta’s
heartland is a naturalist’s paradise.
74
TravelAlberta.com/Central
Crimson Lake
Alberta North
Can’t decide between remote lakes and the
comforts of home? Have both, as well as
alberta
north
the longest daylight hours in the summer,
prime birdwatching and historical sites.
TravelAlberta.com/North
Golden Eagle Resort, Fort McMurray
Wonders of Alberta..............2–3
Natural Discoveries............. 4–5
Outdoor Adventures.......... 6–7
Western Ways..................... 8–9
Families Matter..............10–11
Cities & Towns................12–13
Dining & Shopping.........14–15
Golf Getaways................16–17
Waterways......................18–19
Spas & Wellness.............20–21
Winter Escapes...............22–23
Resort to Perfection.......24–25
Festivals & Events...........26–27
Travel Essentials.................. 82
Official Alberta Vacation Guide 1

wonders of alberta
Waterpark, West Edmonton Mall
Columbia Icefields, Jasper

Calgary Stampede
National Park
Edmonton & Area Calgary & Area Canadian Rockies
You weigh your options carefully. Swim It’s early July and the Calgary Begin your day with a hefty feed of
with sea lions. Bungy jump over the Stampede has revamped its streets bison sausages and free range eggs in
world’s largest indoor wave pool. with hay bales, wooden fences and Banff, Lake Louise or Jasper and then
Watch hockey under a glass dome. free pancake breakfasts. After you head out to the Icefields Parkway, one
Barrel down a 14-storey, triple loop scarf that freebie down, you’ll realize of the most scenic drives on Earth.
roller coaster. They all sound like a gas. you’ve got to look the part so hustle Tumbling glaciers, lacy waterfalls,
off to Alberta Boot for the right meadows, saddles, cirques and tarns
And that’s before you discover there
footwear, Smithbilt Hats for an – this drive alone comes with its own
are 800 stores and services, 13 movie
authentic cowboy hat and Lammle’s distinct alpine language. You’ll learn
theatres, a casino and a colony of
for some serious western duds. Now these terms at the Columbia Icefield
African penguins at West Edmonton
that you’re geared up, swagger down Centre, located at the toe of North
Mall (WEM). And now you can explore
to Stampede Park, nab some rodeo America’s most accessible “living”
this mammoth place by hopping on a
tickets and head for the midway. glacier, the Athabasca. A specially
nifty battery-operated Segway. In a
designed all-terrain coach, the Ice
flash, you’re weaving and bobbing Cap off the day with a feast of prime
Explorer, takes you on a guided tour
between the throngs of faces trying to Alberta beef in a suite at the Lazy S
up the glacier’s belly as it slowly and
decide where to start. And then you club or join the masses for Beef on a
imperceptibly recedes into history.
hear it ... duelling keyboards at the Bun on the midway. Then it’s back to
Snow that fell thousands of years ago
new Red Piano Cajun Bistro where the stands for the No. 1 crowd-
crunches beneath your feet, at times
you must order a lobster Po’Boy and pleaser, the chuckwagon races, before
300 m (984 ft) thick. You’ll see miles
some Louisiana Crab Cakes. the fireworks that end every
of snowy icefields, recessional
Sometimes you just have to indulge Stampede evening with a literal bang.
moraines, a few of its 30,000
every urban need and there is no Still want more of our western ways?
crevasses and the dramatic effects
better place than at WEM. Would you Join the cowboys headin’ to
of global warming.
expect anything less from North Ranchman’s and two-step until the
America’s largest shopping and cows come home.
entertainment complex?
2 TravelAlberta.com 1-800-ALBERTA
Jasper National Park
Northern Lights, Assumption Reserve
Hoodoos, near Drumheller
Elk Island National Park

Alberta South Alberta Central Alberta North
Leave the arid, lunar-like landscape of We’re not suggesting you paddle the Cuddle up next to the other star
today’s Canadian Badlands and tiptoe 66-day voyageur route from Rocky gazers in your party and blow snow
back 75 million years to the land the Mountain House to Old Fort William rings into the frosty night air. Ah yes,
dinosaurs once roamed. Time travel that David Thompson did some 200 there’s one. No, that’s two explosions
is what you get on a hike or an years ago – but you wouldn’t be the you see. Everyone is spellbound as
archaeological dig at either the Royal first! Canoeing in these parts is still an that taut, black Alberta sky bends
Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in ideal way to see vast stretches of and stretches with strings of colour
Drumheller or Dinosaur Provincial untrameled wilderness. Independent that dance across the largest screen
Park. However unlikely it seems, paddlers can canoe many stretches you’ll ever find. Gold, red, purple,
guides will convince you that today’s of the North Saskatchewan River green – the entire night sky glows
swirl of canyons, coulees and hoodoos (Nordegg to Rocky Mountain House with the mesmerizing brilliance of
was once a lush tropical Eden for is very popular) or you can join a pulsing light. Think of yourself at
dinosaurs, crocodiles, sharks and voyageur canoe outfitter for a Mother Nature’s drive-in movie
turtles. Sit on the lip of Horseshoe multi-day paddle on this historic theatre … that’s what a northern
Canyon today and marvel at the waterway. When you’re in the bow of lights blockbuster looks like. Except
history of this place – it’s all laid out for your boat and round the leafy corner that you’ll likely get hot chocolate
you in stripes of bedrock, reminding us of the river to see the peak of the fort, instead of popcorn and your guides
of the last ice age that ended some known as Rocky Mountain House, it’s will come with telescopes, binoculars,
13,000 years ago. While you can hike an emotional moment for it’s a sight extra toques and loads of local lore.
independently through some of the that hasn’t shifted much since the Wild, electrifying, otherworldly these
badlands your appreciation for fossils, days of Thompson. Be sure to stop in lights in Alberta’s northern skies will
the ways of the dinosaurs and these at the interpretive centre for a cup of dazzle you with one of nature’s most
peculiar land formations will only be lavender tea, some Métis fiddling glorious performances.
heightened by a guide on a day dig or and jigging. Learn the ways of some
a week-long field experience. of our First Nations people, just as
Thompson did.
Look for this green symbol throughout this year’s Vacation Guide and you’ll discover
bargains galore – from free museum passes to pancake breakfasts.
In Alberta, sustainable tourism is about protecting our five UNESCO World
Heritage Sites and our network of 500 parks and protected areas. It’s
about seeking the delicate balance between wildlife demands and tourism
needs in Banff, Canada’s first national park.
It’s about inviting visitors to dig up our of thousands of boreal birds. It’s about
past in dinosaur beds in a manner that being culturally sensitive to spiritual
follows rigorous environmental sites run by our First Nations people. It’s
principles. It’s about conserving habitat about being a responsible traveller with
for massive flyways used by hundreds every step you tread. Go softly.
Big Horn Sheep, Kananaskis Country
Banff, Waterton Lakes and Jasper National Parks First established as
sanctuaries for wildlife, these parks are crisscrossed with hiking paths and
Athabasca Falls, Jasper National Park

horse-packing trails allowing visitors unparalleled accessibility. You’ll often
see elk, deer, mountain goats and bighorn sheep. All three parks surround
charming alpine villages, home to many of Alberta’s most luxurious resorts
and innovative restaurants.
Wood Buffalo National Park From a bush plane, zoom in on the largest
herd of free-roaming wood bison in the world – and discover other
conservation projects such as the remarkable return of the whooping crane.
Elk Island National Park Less than an hour from Edmonton, this park is
home to 250 species of birds and herds of free-roaming plains bison, wood
naturalist
bison, moose, deer and elk. The park protects aspen parkland, one of the
most endangered habitats in Canada.
Provincial Parks With more than 500 protected sites and parks throughout
Bruce Bembridge
Alberta, the list is too lengthy to repeat. Some of Alberta’s signature parks
include: Dinosaur Provincial Park, Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, Cypress
Hills Interprovincial Park and Kananaskis Country, which cradles nine
provincial parks. Want to loll about in powdery sand and bask in warm “I get to work at Lake
water? Head north to Cold Lake or Moose Lake provincial parks. Louise – what many say is
the most romantic place in
HooDoo You Believe? For centuries, the Canadian Badlands provided protection Canada. This is the place
for Aboriginal peoples as well as for gangs of outlaws – mostly renegade horse that artists, poets and
thieves. Blackfoot and Cree thought the huge pillars of wind-blasted sandstone writers describe as having the
(hoodoos) were petrified giants who came alive after dark. These oddly capped perfect composition. When
and twisted pillars are scattered all over the badlands with some of the finest people talk about getting
examples along Highway 10 South (a.k.a. the Hoodoo Trail). gripped by Rocky Mountain
fever, they’re talking about
Hiking How-To Parks Canada provides interpreters who run programs throughout being love struck with the
the summer, ranging from lakeside strolls to full day hikes. Private guides and place. Be warned – it’s a
knowledgeable tour operators span the province offering bird watching (Grande contagious condition.”
Prairie, Lesser Slave Lake and the Lakeland area are birding bonanzas), wildlife
safaris, full moon night hikes and other nature-related activities. Eco-adventure
guides can add an Aboriginal angle to an adventure and are found in the north.
Banff National Park
From food foraging to animal tracking – in places such as Fort McMurray, the
Peace River area, Lesser Slave Lake and Lac La Biche.
Mother Nature’s Frequent Flyers Hold a trained falcon, owl or eagle,

and discover the rehabilitation work at the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre in
Coaldale. An estimated 27,000 shorebirds and 250,000 waterfowl pass
over the tiny northern town of McLennan at the confluence of three major
Mountain Goat,
migration paths – the Mississippi, Pacific and Central. Every June, the
shores of Lesser Slave Lake twitter with thousands of songbirds that the
townspeople celebrate in a weekend Songbird Festival. While you’re in this
neck of the woods, visit the Boreal Centre for Bird Conservation, the only
place on Earth that studies boreal birds exclusively. Birders also flock to many
of the 250 lakes found in Alberta’s Lakeland region – prime habitat for more
than 230 resident and migratory birds, including warblers, woodpeckers,
ospreys, owls, turkey vultures and bald eagles.
Head to a national park on Canada Day, July 1, and

Grizzly Bear
you’ll get in for free! All gate entrance fees are waived.

If you can walk, you can hike. And one of the best ways to experience our
parks is to abandon our highways for the tranquillity of our backcountry.
From a mellow natural history hike with a park interpreter (available for
free at many of our national and provincial parks) to a teahouse tromp in
the Rockies, Alberta has a vast network of hiking trails.
Independent hikers can just lace up (2,485 mi) of trails in our Canadian
their boots and trek along classic, multi- Rockies. Or, history buffs can follow the
day backpacking routes such as Jasper’s era of steam train travel in northeastern
Skyline Trail, Banff’s Nigel-Jonas Pass Alberta, by hiking, cycling or horseback
Trail and Waterton’s Tamarack Trail. riding along the Iron Horse Trail, once
Ridge walks, high alpine meadows full used extensively by homesteaders and
of wildflowers and above-treeline European explorers.
rambles can be found on the 4,000 km
Rock Lake, near Hinton
Gear Up Riders of all levels will find the perfect mountain bike ride amidst
thousands of trails zigzagging through the mountains. There are about 600
km (373 mi) of designated trails – including fire roads or old logging roads –
Lake Louise, Banff National Park

in the mountain parks. The Canmore Nordic Centre, built for the XV Winter
Olympics, boasts an exhilarating 70 km (43 mi) tumble of trails. Kananaskis
Country, Waterton Lakes National Park, Crowsnest Pass, Canada Olympic Park
in Calgary and Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area near
Edmonton are other places with extensive mountain bike trails.
Fly High Get a bird’s-eye view of icefields, alpine lakes, wildlife and the
majestic Canadian Rockies by helicopter. Whether you use Canmore, Grande
Cache or the area around Nordegg, you’ll find helicopter operators equipped
to transport you to a world where you can heli-ski, heli-fish, heli-hike, or,
even do heli-yoga or heli-paint. If they can use a chopper to get you to some
remote wedge of wilderness, they will.
Rat’s Nest Cave, Canmore

Where the Sun Never Shines Explore 14 fragile caves in the Crowsnest Pass
Cox Hill, near Canmore

area, also home to the second longest, deepest cave in Canada (Yorkshire
Pot). Or venture into the many chambers in Cadomin Cave, 75 minutes
southwest of Edson, the Canmore Caverns, and nearby Rat’s Nest Cave.
However, the granddaddy of the lot is the Castleguard Cave, the longest in
Canada at 20.2 km (12.5 mi). But it’s best explored in the winter as the cave
often floods during summer. Be forewarned: many of these caves require
technical rock climbing skills, a guide and permission from the Alberta
Speleological Society. Will Gadd ice climber “Alberta is home – it’s
where I feel the most
Hostel to Hostel Road Trips On what is considered one of the world’s comfortable. Where the
most scenic drives – the Icefields Parkway – you’ll see many international light is right, the vibe
bike touring companies guiding cyclists along its wide shoulders, with familiar and the mountains
stays at charming lodges and resorts along the way. Independent cyclists always welcoming. Within
can do the same and bed down at numerous hostels that operate between a 30-minute walk from my
Banff and Jasper. door in Canmore, I can
hike, climb, kayak, ski and
Columbia Icefield Glacier Experience On a 6 km (3.7 mi) long chunk of ice throw rocks in
known as the Athabasca Glacier, a specially designed all-terrain coach glides Quarry Lake
you up the glacier’s belly. with my
daughter. Yet
Blaze New Trails Hop on an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) or a 4X4 and take I can be at an
advantage of some of the most spectacular landscapes in Alberta. Operators international
are equipped to rent or guide multi-day trips to prime fishing spots, wildlife airport within
viewing areas, waterfalls – even sand dunes – from the Rockies to the Red 90 minutes.”
Deer River, St. Paul up to Fort McMurray and beyond.
Grab the Roof of the World Climbers can scale dozens of routes at the
Wasootch Slabs, the Weeping Wall, the backside of Lake Louise and Mt.
Athabasca. Hire a qualified mountain guide (through the Association of
Canadian Mountain Guides) who will help you summit a peak in the Rockies.
Devils Thumb, Lake Louise
Don’t be shy – if you see a Parks Canada interpreter

out on a trail, ask them a question. Dubbed “rovers,” these
experts will regale you with local legends, lore and the park’s
unique history. And don’t forget how cheap camping is!

After a long day in the saddle, when you’re swapping yarns around a
crackling fire, you’ll realize you’re enjoying one of the most authentic
sustainable tourism experiences you can have in Alberta – a stay at a
working ranch. You’ll ride lonesome trails, round up cattle and learn about
the cowboy way of life from local families. Discover more at Alberta
Country Vacations Association.
Or, if you just can’t get enough of our are part of the worldwide Willing
Driftpile Powwow
western ways, volunteer at a farm Workers on Organic Farms (WWOOF)

where you’ll gain free food and lodging organization that matches volunteers
for labour. More than 30 Alberta farms with farm vacation experiences.
Calgary Stampede Don’t miss this 10 day summer whoop-up, known as the
“The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth,” where you can pony up to the bar
with rootin’, tootin’ cowboys or two-step till the cows come home.
Bow Falls, Banff National Park

The Cowboy Trail From Mayerthorpe to Cardston, drive this 700 km (435 mi)
scenic route and you’re guaranteed to spot cowboys ropin’ cattle, a country
fair or two, western art shops and small-town rodeos. The proximity to the
Canadian Rockies means you’ll also witness a great diversity of wildlife and
scenery. Superb historical sites such as Rocky Mountain House Museum,
Bar-U Ranch National Historic Site, the Remington Carriage Museum and
Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village also line this route.
Farm Tours If you thought Stampede grub such as cotton candy, corn dogs
Alberta Central
and Tom Thumb donuts were the foods that settled the West, you definitely
need to go on a farm tour. Daylong trips organized by the Calgary Stampede,
include a visit to a berry farm, a Hutterite colony, ranch and dairy farm,
where you learn about the origins of good food.
Chuckwagon Racing,
Aboriginal Adventures Tipi sleepovers are popular in the summer at
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, Elk Island Retreat and Blackfoot Crossing
Vermilion
Historical Park. The latter, an award-winning First Nations interpretive centre,
features a museum, dozens of medicine wheels, a tipi village and numerous
programs run by the Siksika people. Authentic Aboriginal programs offered in
the north are spots such as Métis Crossing, the Narrows Cultural Resort on
Lesser Slave Lake, O’Kimaw Peya ‘sew skwao traditional cultural camp near
homeplace ranch
Lac La Biche – plus there’s a fascinating network of museums known as the
Spirit of the Peace.
Home on the Range For real western hospitality, book a night at a guest
ranch. Some stays include guided trail riding through secluded canyons and
Mac Makenny
over mountain-top ridges and lodging in heritage log cabins. In the north, on
“My favourite time is
the shores of Whitefish Lake, you’ll find the Kikino Ranch, home to a herd of
springtime in the foothills.
bison and a cluster of log cabins. In the south, you’ll find the classic western
Feeding horses at 6:30 in the
movie ranch experience. The Rockies are known for their multi-day camps morning, saddling and grooming
that combine lodge stays with base camps. Certain expeditions are co-guided until breakfast. And then
by professionals who may be grizzly bear experts, professional photographers breakfast – coffee, eggs,
or botanists – depending on the theme of the trip. pancakes, bacon, toast, fruit
and more coffee. Then I like
Rootin’ Tootin’ Rodeos Sometimes it’s best to lean back and watch how the
to go riding in the sunshine
pros do it. Almost every small town in Alberta hosts a summer weekend rodeo. when the grass is turning
Watch real cowboys wrestle snorting steers into the mud, rope lightning-fast green and the crocuses are
calves and hold on for life atop buckin’ broncs. And remember – there’s also the starting to come up. Summer
Canadian Finals Rodeo in Edmonton each November and the Ponoka Stampede, is in front of us and life is
Alberta’s second largest outdoor rodeo and chuckwagon event. going on ... “
The Lowdown on our Western Ways

Alberta’s Forts Remington Carriage Museum
northamericanforts.com remingtoncarriagemuseum.com
Big Valley Jamboree Royal Alberta Museum
North Peace Stampede, Grimshaw
bigvalleyjamboree.com royalalbertamuseum.ca
Calgary Stampede Spirit of the Peace
calgarystampede.com albertaaboriginaltourism.com/
Glenbow Museum experiences
glenbow.org The Galt Museum
Heritage Park Historical Village galtmuseum.com
heritagepark.ca Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village whyte.org
kootenaibrownpioneervillage.org Wild West Shooting Centre
shootingcentre.com
In many families, certain holidays are like yardsticks, marks on a
doorjamb as the children grow. Perhaps you start off on a half-kilometer
ramble or a sleepover at the Calgary Zoo. Next, when they’re old enough to
sit on a horse, you might go on a multi-day horsepacking expedition.
Or take them to Alberta’s equivalent of things are common, and children can
Disneyland, a stay at West Edmonton learn firsthand about animals and
Mall. For family togetherness, try places they otherwise might only see
camping in a tipi at one of our five on TV or in zoos – and you don’t even
UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In need to charter a bush plane. Although
Alberta, intimate encounters with wild you could do that too!
Sleepover, Calgary Zoo
Teen Awakenings Fly off the 90 meter (295 ft) ski jump tower at Calgary’s
Canada Olympic Park, just like elite ski jumpers, and experience an
adrenaline rush that will knock your breath away. North America’s fastest
zipline rockets you through the air up to 140 km/h (86 mph). Also new is
the 3.3 m (10 ft) Z-pod, a giant bubble-like contraption (a.k.a. a Zorb) that
Hoodoos, Drumheller
lets you roll down the slopes like an insect in a cocoon.
West Edmonton Mall Bounce upside down on a bungy cord over a massive
indoor waterpark, scream down the Mindbender roller coaster, a ride that
brags of having the highest G-force on the planet, or jump on the spinning
roller coaster, Galaxy Orbiter. Meet the Pirates of Hollywood at Sea Lions’ Rock
where daily interactive shows feature the antics of California sea lions and take
an underwater Sea Life Cavern tour in the world’s largest indoor lake. “When our four
minister, alberta tourism, parks and recreation

Wet and Wild Wonders Besides West Edmonton Mall’s World Waterpark and boys were little
we camped a
Sherwood Park’s Millennium Place, visit the Wild Rapids Waterslide in Sylvan
lot as a family
Lake (home to 16 slides including the zero-gravity Sidewinder). Sylvan Lake
– usually on
is also a great place to windsurf, sail or make sand castles on one of Alberta’s lakes where
best beaches. The Collicutt Centre in Red Deer, leisure centres in Calgary, the they could
Douglas Fir Resort in Banff (romp around its new four-level indoor play waterski. Last
structure) and the TransAlta TriLeisure Centre in Spruce Grove are other summer, my
popular bets with kids. Young fishers should make a beeline to Cold Lake, boys joined
home to some of the best trout fishing around as well as sailing, me on our
windsurfing, jet skiing, water skiing and diving. Parks Tour in northern
Alberta where we discovered
Family Friendly Stays Hotels, motels and Bed and Breakfasts (B&Bs) a fantastic seven-lake canoe
throughout Alberta offer family plans, babysitting services, kids’ check-ins and loop in the Lakeland area and
Cindy Ady
menus, plus welcome packages. But the ultimate family-friendly dream the thrill of quadding. The
lodging goes to the Fantasyland Hotel in Edmonton for its theme rooms such days still end around a
as the Truck Rooms, Sports Rooms, Igloo Rooms, and so forth. Other unique campfire where everyone
stays include family camps, where activities and guides arrange the works, now roasts Mom, and
available at the YMCA’s Camp Chief Hector and the Royal Tyrrell Museum of fewer marshmallows!”
Palaeontology. Or, fall asleep in a tipi while listening to the coyotes howl at
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park or at Elk
Island Retreat.
Boredom Busters Starlabs, rooms of LEGO, hands-on galleries, special

Sea Lions’ Rock, West Edmonton Mall
exhibits – the TELUS World of Science in both Edmonton and Calgary has fun
down to a science. Find five interactive galleries in Edmonton’s science centre
plus an Imax theatre. In Calgary, exhibits that are part of the 2011 Project
Prototype Lab are now rolling out.
Sleep with the Wild Things Sleep next to an elephant or a giraffe in the
Destination Africa pavilion – at one of the Calgary Zoo’s popular sleepovers.
No time? Then just marvel at the 1,000-plus animals that inhabit the various
ecosystems on display. Whether you find yourself eye to eye with a giant
hippo, feeding an elephant or giggling over a gorilla – try to tear away from
Africa for a peek at the Canadian Wilds, a safari-type area devoted to many
of the mammals that call Alberta home.
Royal Tyrrell Museum,
Canada Olympic Park

Drumheller
If you’ve got a junior naturalist (aged 6-10) on your

hands check out the free program at the Whistlers
Campground, operated by the Friends of Jasper.
Our cities and towns may not have appeared on road maps before the
19th century but our First Nations people left carvings and indicators of
settlements as far back as 11,000 years. Discover our rich Aboriginal culture
at the Royal Alberta Museum in Edmonton and then complete your history
lesson with afternoon tea at the handsome Rutherford House – a stunning
Edwardian home that hosts special events throughout the summer.
In Calgary, take a trek through the you’ll stumble on life in Alberta,

Glenbow Museum – western Canada’s pre-1914. From wagon rides to
largest museum with over one million Gasoline Alley to a lesson in a
objects or visit the newly expanded one-room schoolhouse – this is a
Heritage Park Historical Village where family favourite.
Alberta Legislature Building, Edmonton
Olympic Legacy If you didn’t nab tickets to the 2010 Olympic Games – you
Calgary Flames, Pengrowth Saddledome

can enjoy Olympic history any time in Calgary. Grab hold of the spirit that
rocked this city in 1988 when it hosted the Winter Games by starting at the
Olympic Hall of Fame at Canada Olympic Park, on the western fringes of
Calgary. Jump on a bobsleigh and barrel down the very track Olympians train
on, or get an icy blast on a skeleton run at the Ice House.
Cultural Capital Edmonton’s renowned as Canada’s Festival City. The biggest

events include the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, the Edmonton International
Fringe Theatre Festival, the Heritage Festival and the Edmonton International
Street Performers Festival. But for flat-out massive, you must head to Capital
EX and Edfest for one of the country’s largest summer fairs.
painter
The Play’s the Thing Prime time for dance and theatre performances is
typically October through May, but the season doesn’t stop then – it just
moves outside and takes on a different beat. During the fall and winter you’ll
Dean Stanton
find the Alberta Ballet and both Calgary and Edmonton’s opera companies
perform at the Jubilee Auditoria in both cities. The Calgary Philharmonic
Orchestra, one of Canada’s top orchestras performs at the Jack Singer Concert
Hall. The province’s large resident theatre companies perform at the EPCOR “I’ve lived in
CENTRE in Calgary (home to four theatres) and Edmonton’s Citadel (with five
Calgary all my life and I
love city life, even when it
halls), the TransAlta Arts Barns and the Francis Winspear Centre. Described as
gets hectic. We’re lucky
one of the most acoustically perfect concert halls in Canada, the Winspear
because we can take detours
Centre is home to the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and hosts a wide to mountains, badlands and
variety of shows every year. It houses the $3 million Davis Concert Organ, beautiful landscapes. It’s no
the largest concert organ in Canada. wonder people come here to
see what I have! I’m
Exit, Stage Left Step outside our main urban hubs and you’ll also find
interested in pop culture,
top-notch facilities at The Banff Centre (don’t miss its summer-long,
current events and things that
international arts festival and Mountain Film and Book Fest in the fall) and on are playful. You’ll find
a smaller scale, Drumheller’s Rosebud Theatre, the Centre for the Arts in cowboys, horses, rockets and
Lethbridge and the Empress Theatre in Fort Macleod. astronauts in my art.”
Come spring and summer, theatre buffs will find Shakespeare in the Park (in both
major cities), the International Children’s Festival (every May, in Calgary and
Edmonton/St. Albert), Edmonton’s Fringe Festival (North America’s biggest), Fort
McMurray’s Interplay Festival and the unique Passion Play in the badlands.
Shakespeare in the Mountains, Banff
Grande Prairie Provincial Building,
From Whimsy to World-Class If you want to see just how big visual arts
projects can get, visit Edmonton’s Art Gallery of Alberta (slated to open its
$88-million renovation in early 2010), Calgary’s Glenbow Museum and the
Art Gallery of Calgary, all internationally recognized galleries renowned for
Grande Prairie
their western art collections as well as contemporary exhibits.
Hockey Night in Alberta Streak your face with red paint and you’ll be
baptised into the Calgary Flames club. Do the same with blue and you’ll be an
instant Oilers fan – the point is to attend a hockey game, in either Calgary (at
the Pengrowth Saddledome) or Edmonton (Rexall Place). Canada has only six
National Hockey League teams so both cities are wildly passionate about their
players, always evident at the post-game recaps which take over bars, pubs
2008 Ballet Prefigured Effect,
– and certain streets (The Red Mile in Calgary/The Blue Mile in Edmonton).
The Banff Centre
Buy an Experience Alberta’s History Pass and receive

unlimited admission to 18 provincial historic sites and
museums in Alberta for one year!
Alberta is a province that knows how to eat – and more than just the
regular cowboy fare of beef, flapjacks and beans. Today you’re as likely
to find fresh-from-the-field produce as you are creamy goat cheeses and
award-winning homemade Belgian chocolate, as well as locally raised
succulent game.
Such exotic fare is served in equally towers. In Calgary, amble down historic
eclectic spots, from hip martini bars to Stephen Avenue Walk, known as
casual bistros and classic steakhouses. Restaurant Row, where handsome
17 Avenue SW, Calgary
In Edmonton, you’ll find more than 60 100-year-old sandstone banks and

restaurants in the funky neighbourhood hotels have become home to the
of Old Strathcona plus more highbrow hottest young chefs and über creative
treats in the downtown forest of glass restaurant concepts.
Made in Alberta More than 70 per cent of Canada’s $15 billion beef industry
comes from this province and half of the cattle are exported to nearly 70
markets world wide. Remember, beef in Alberta is linked to pride. Albertans
Enjoying the Fountain, City Hall,

don’t want to serve a beef dish that’s anything less than magnificent,
whether it’s sliced or skewered or tucked into pita bread. Barley-fed
porterhouse steaks, silky filet mignon, marinated bison steaks, locally
ranched caribou and elk – people travel from afar just for a taste of what’s
grown among the wheat fields in the shadow of our Rocky Mountains.
Edmonton
For samples of Alberta’s freshest fare and a chance to meet locals, pop by
our farmers’ markets in Calgary and Edmonton. Both have hundreds of
booths, little food stands, artisan wares, buskers and are great spots for
food-for-the-road and Made in Alberta gifts. “I step out of my door
food activist and consultant

In the Canadian Rockies, you’ll find all-star chefs galore – with recent awards and into Alberta’s oldest
farmers’ market, now in
piling up at The Bison in Banff, the Post Hotel in Lake Louise and the Trough
downtown Edmonton. I run
in Canmore.
cooking classes up in the
Graze Around Alberta Regional specialties can be sampled anywhere in loft and we start by shopping
Alberta – but loyal foodies still love the sizzle of Dine Alberta, an annual at the market which is so
event held every fall that toasts what we grow. Other culinary events include full of fantastic Alberta
produce – from award-
the Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival, held every October in Banff,
winning cheeses
Gail Hall
Calgary and Edmonton; and Banff’s über-swanky International Wine & Food
to Alberta
Festival, also in October. beef. Now,
Retail Therapy Nothing will yank you out of the doldrums faster than a day because of the
at West Edmonton Mall (WEM). Imagine a space with 58 entrances, 100 move toward
nurturing local
eateries, 13 movie theatres, three postal codes, the world’s largest car park
producers, it
(holds 20,000 vehicles), wave pools and water parks, penguins and of
is a very
course, more than 800 stores and services plus two hotels. In keeping with exciting time
“big,” visit the newest covered mall to be built in Alberta in the past 20 to be involved
years – the massive CrossIron Mills in Balzac. in food.”
Go Beyond “the” Mall After you’ve shopped at WEM, hit Edmonton’s
bohemian, boutique-laced Whyte Avenue in the neighbourhood of Old
Strathcona, packed with one-of-a-kind shops that sell everything from
The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald, Edmonton
handmade shoes to Aboriginal art. If you’re hunting for an enormous bargain

bin head to South Edmonton Common. When fully developed, it will span
213,676 m2 (2.3 million sq ft) of retail space, making it the largest open-air
retail development in North America.
Many of Calgary’s shopping malls have been themed, from food to furniture to
fashion with the latter ruling at Southcentre, Chinook, Market Mall and the
Calgary Eaton Centre. Boutiques and art galleries line 17 Avenue SW, Kensington
Road and the Mission area. Calgary is also a great spot to pick up unique western
goods from cowboy boots to Stetsons, belt buckles, bolo ties and blue jeans.
Antique buffs should make a beeline to Inglewood, Calgary’s oldest

neighbourhood, or Edmonton’s Old Strathcona area. For a day trip to a town
that’s been revived around its antique finds, head south from Calgary to
Nanton where you can pick up an Antique and Art Walk map of the area.
Melrose Cafe & Bar, Calgary
Calgary Farmers’ Market
Adventurous foodies can sample dozens of tasty morsels

from more than 30 restaurants during summer festivals
such as A Taste of Calgary or A Taste of Edmonton.
Entrance is free. Samples are cheap.
Devil’s Cauldron, The Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course
Albertans know that when it comes to golf, far-away greens aren’t

necessarily greener. Wedged between Waterton Lakes Golf Club in the
south and the Athabasca Golf & Country Club in the north are more than
350 courses – more per capita than any other province in Canada.
Alberta golf burst onto the world stage relaxing atmosphere. Fairmont Hotels
in the 1920s when the Jasper Park & Resorts operates Jasper and its
Lodge Golf Club opened for business. famous cousin, The Banff Springs Golf
Today, it’s billed as the No.1 golf resort Club. Combined, these two Stanley
in Canada, by Score Golf. Players Thompson masterpieces provide
praise Jasper for its scenery, playability, players with a formidable one-two
and most importantly, its fun and punch in the world of golf.
Fairways to Heaven Golfing at a historic Stanley Thompson creation goes
beyond the game. Be sure to lunch at The Fairmont Banff Springs’
charming clubhouse with spectacular views of the castle-like hotel that
looms over the 14th hole. The par 3 Devil’s Cauldron (#4) is considered one
of the best golf holes in the world. Photographers say the 14th tee box at
Shaganappi, Calgary
The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge’s course rivals Pebble Beach for natural
Silvertip, Canmore
golfing beauty. Another Thompson work of art is Waterton Lakes Golf
Course, which is fun, not too tough and brags of mountain vistas, trees and
abundant wildlife. Designed in 1929, this course has recently been restored
to its original splendour.
With a backdrop of Rocky Mountain peaks, Silvertip is another big hitter,

ranked as one of North America’s most challenging courses. This carts-only
golf director
course exploits the site’s dramatic elevation changes, nearly 183 m (600 ft),
to create epic tee shots. While you’re in Canmore, golf Stewart Creek, loaded
with par 4s and a thoroughly modern design. Other notables like the
Kananaskis Country Golf Course include two 18-hole Robert Trent Jones
Ryan Vold
designed courses – Mount Lorette and Mount Kidd – named for the 3,048 m
(10,000 ft) peaks behind them. “Purists say a links course,
where sand is the base, is
City Greens In preparation for the 2007 CN Women’s Open, the Royal Mayfair
where the grass grows best
in Edmonton sunk $3.5 million into its course, installing a waterfall, a pro and what you can do the
shop and upgrading its landscaping. The Links of GlenEagles, on the outskirts most with in terms of design.
of Calgary, was another stop on the circuit in 2003 when the Professional That’s what Rod Whitman did
Golf Association’s Nationwide Tour was held here. Two other new favourites on my father’s land when he
in the Calgary golf scene include the River Spirit Golf Club, which last year designed Wolf Creek – built
earned the reputation of having the best and truest greens in the city and entirely on a natural sand belt.
the Sirocco Golf Club, which just opened a swanky new restaurant. But Alberta has so many
different land masses that
RedTail Landing Golf Club in the Edmonton area is a high-end links-style golf experiences here are
public course designed for all levels of players. Blackhawk Golf Club is incredibly varied, we blow many
tucked along the banks of the North Saskatchewan River just 10 minutes U.S. visitors away.”
west of Edmonton. Jagare Ridge Golf Club has bumped up the golfing
landscape of Edmonton to that of the Canadian Rockies. Northern Bear Golf
Club, southeast of Edmonton, is the only Jack Nicklaus signature golf course
in Alberta. Stop in at the clubhouse, constructed of glass and featuring a
seven m (23 ft) waterfall.
Dinosaur Trail Golf & Country Club,
The Wolf Creek Golf Resort 27 hole course, on the skirts of Ponoka, was
designed by Rod Whitman and has aptly transplanted Scottish traditions into
a stunning and surprising prairie landscape. Or, try your clubs at the St. Paul
Golf Club, home of long ball champ, Jamie Sadlowski.
Drumheller
On Par with Palace on Wheels On the roster of the ultra-luxurious railway

line, the Royal Canadian Pacific is the ever-popular Royal Clubhouse Golf
Excursion. This six day, high-end, golf trip includes daily rounds at some of
Alberta and B.C.’s top courses, with nights spent on board a most unique
Kananaskis Golf Course, Kananaskis Country
“clubhouse” that’s hosted the likes of Queen Elizabeth II, King George VI,
William Lyon Mackenzie King, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Winston Churchill.
Want to squeeze as many rounds of golf into a long

summer’s day? Head north where you can tee off as
late as 9 PM.
Our waters run deep in Alberta. For thousands of years Canada was traversed
by our First Nations people and French-Canadian voyageurs via birch-bark
canoes and so we have well developed “voyageur highways” in Alberta.
But if canoeing isn’t your thing, rent a 245 rivers and 315 creeks to choose
cottage on a northern lake, a cabin on from – this province is a water-fed
an alpine pond or check into a fishing dream. Whatever your fancy, fancy
lodge. Want to water ski, jet boat or our waterways.
go whitewater rafting? With 600 lakes,
Two Jack Lake, Banff National Park
Hooked on Alberta For a world-class fishing holiday, circle Alberta on your
map – it attracts both novice and expert with its waterways. If you love
fishing, this province is a dream. Rated as one of North America’s top 10
Margaret Lake, northern Alberta

trout streams, the world-famous Bow River is loaded with brown and
rainbow trout. In central Alberta – on numerous lakes such as Gull, Buck,
Moose and Pinehurst – catch pike, walleye, perch and lake whitefish. Most of
Alberta’s fly-in fishing lodges are in the north, on lakes full of back-snapping
pike, perch, walleye, lake trout and Arctic grayling.
Northern lakes such as Colin, Cornwall, Burstall and Charles are famous for
their lake trout, lake whitefish and northern pike (in the 9-13 kg/20-30 lb
range). Prime walleye pickings can be found at McLelland, Ryan and Barrow
lakes. Easy spots to haul in trout, burbot, emerald shiner and yellow perch “The Lake of Kastyn Stone
world champion waterskier

are in the south – the Crowsnest River, the Oldman, Travers Reservoir and is one of the finest places I
West Castle River. have ever skied. My perfect day
is waking up early and having a
Paddle Power For a northern wilderness venture, join a guide for either a sea
cup of hot chocolate on the
kayak or canoe expedition down spectacular rivers such as the Clearwater deck of my parents’ house
(Alberta’s first “heritage” river), the Peace or on Lesser Slave Lake (Alberta’s that overlooks Dodd’s Lake.
largest auto-accessible lake). To access rivers such as the Clearwater, you can Then I like to go for a ski
use a jet boat or a float plane to deposit you at the put-in. when the water is like glass.
Jaret Llewellyn
After that I often go golfing
Mellow canoe excursions can be arranged at some of the most photographed
with friends, then for a
lakes in North America – namely Moraine and Lake Louise. Other top bike ride over the ski hill and
mountain lakes to paddle include Two Jack, Minnewanka and Vermilion in back to my parents for a
Banff plus Pyramid, Patricia and Maligne lakes in Jasper National Park. barbeque.”
Cruise Control If you love the leisurely days of bygone paddlewheels, slip
onto the S.S. Moyie in Calgary or the Edmonton Queen Riverboat and enjoy
the gracious elegance of another age. The leisurely three hour Miss Mermaid
Cruise on Sylvan Lake combines cruising and dining on a 40 seat houseboat
as you glide from the Sylvan Lake marina to Honeymoon Bay and back. To
view the Rockies by boat, you can cruise among the towering peaks on
Waterton Lake, Lake Minnewanka in Banff or to Spirit Island on Maligne Lake
in Jasper, winner of the “Best Cruise in Canada 2007” award, by Reader’s
Digest magazine.
Waterton Lakes
National Park
Wind/Kitesurfing Legendary winds can whip across Alberta’s all-star lakes

– Keho, the Oldman Reservoir, Lake Newell, Beauvais, Waterton, Abraham
and Cold Lake – up to 100 km/h (62 mph), luring windsurfers and
kitesurfers galore.
Wild and Woolly Whitewater Enjoy white-knuckle river rafting on the

Red Deer River
mighty Smoky, Sheep Creek and Kakwa Rivers or tone it down a notch on the
still-roiling waters of the Athabasca, the Maligne, Red Deer, Kananaskis and
Slave. For a lazy canoe trip, float down the Milk River through the badlands
to Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, home of North America’s largest
collection of ancient, mysterious petroglyphs. Or, paddle the Lower Red Deer
River to Dinosaur Provincial Park, where you can go on a guided hike through
Maligne Lake, Jasper National Park
ancient fossil beds amidst the hoodoos.
Tightwads know the cheapest dip in Banff is at the Banff

Centre’s never-crowded, glass-roofed pool in the Sally
Borden Building. Massages are also available.
Medi-spas. Organic spas. Day spas. Destination spas. Urban spas. Alpine
spas. Hammams. Be prepared to be dazzled by the sort of spa experience
you can have in Alberta. As for treatments, they’re equally as dizzying.
Wildrose scrubs. Thalassotherapy wraps. Photofacials. Reiki. Rolfing.
From our bike paths and yoga studios Alberta will refresh your spirit and
to our gyms galore, Alberta is a healthy nurture your soul. For a higher state of
place. Whether you’re at a spa or on a consciousness, consider a heli-yoga
fitness retreat, a wellness getaway in holiday in the Rockies.
Willow Stream, The Fairmont Banff Springs
Canada’s First Spa So historic are Alberta’s hot springs that most Canadians
know precisely the link between our natural hot pools and how Banff
National Park was established. It was in the late 1800s that three railway
Bow Lake, Banff National Park

workers (near the present-day townsite of Banff) spotted a plume of steam
curling out of some rocks and discovered a cave bubbling with hot springs.
Spa, Grande Prairie

Today, you can slip back to those steamy days in the historic Upper Hot
Springs in Banff or Jasper’s newly renovated Miette Hot Springs, both of
which have spawned a huge spa industry in Alberta.
Destination Spas We mean overnight indulgences when we use this term,

knowing you’ll find many “destination” spas in hotels or resorts. You’ll find
spas in the North, such as those in Grande Prairie’s Podollan Inn and Holiday
yoga instructor
Inn as well as others in Fort McMurray. In central Alberta, discover The Inn &
Spa at Heartwood Manor in Drumheller that boasts of body polishes,
wellness soaks, hot stone therapy and numerous facials. The Rocky Mountain
towns of Canmore, Banff and Jasper are other spa hubs. At The Fairmont
Banff Springs is one of Canada’s largest spas, still partially fed with the
Kim Wiebe
natural mineral waters that first put this town on the map. Be sure to test the “Alberta
waters, so to speak, at Banff’s Red Earth Spa, which uses natural ingredients is a great place to
in their Essence of Canada treatment. If you’re visiting Banff in the winter, be in the health and wellness
warm up with a desert heat wrap at the Rimrock Resort Hotel or an Alpine industry. Although Albertans
Aroma-Detox at the Temple Mountain Spa in the Post Hotel in Lake Louise. work hard, they’re also very
Other spas in the Rockies include the Delta Lodge at Kananaskis, Verde in aware of health and fitness
Canmore, The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge and the Beloved Natural Healing and have the disposable
Centre in Jasper as well as Waterton’s Bayshore Inn. income to invest in their
health. The yoga community
Urban Day Spas Back in Alberta’s two main urban centres are scores of spas, here is very strong – you
ranging from the spacious high-end Stillwater Spa, in Calgary’s Hyatt Regency feel it in studios, in our
Hotel, to Edmonton’s Dtox Natural Hair and Skin Care. This salon is for clients parks, and even on our
concerned with allergies or who have sensitivities to the chemical mountaintops where I’ve
components often found in cosmetics. Other notables include Edmonton’s led a heli-yoga practice.”
Carrie’l Salon & Spa – a multiple award winner for best salon team and other
services. There’s also the Eveline Charles Salons & Spa group, as well as
Swizzlesticks, with salons in both Calgary and Edmonton. All of these day
spas offer individual treatments as well as full day packages, which often
include various massage therapies, reflexology and a multitude of esthetics.
Depending on the spa, Asian techniques may be emphasized or a clinical

Rimrock Resort Hotel, Banff
approach such as at Calgary’s Santé Spa (Canada’s first medi-spa) may be

taken. Here services go beyond the conventional to include Botox injections,
laser skin resurfacing, microdermabrasion and photofacials – some of these
treatments can only be performed by their physicians.
Om Sweet Om Whether you subscribe to Bikram or Ashtanga yoga – you will

find a host of facilities, courses, weekend workshops and overnight retreats
aimed at this white-hot sector. Drop-in classes are standard, allowing travellers
the flexibility to pick and choose a class across the province, with the highest
concentration of facilities found in Calgary and Edmonton. Heli-yoga practices
and overnight stays usually depart from Banff, Canmore and Cline River.
Banff Upper Hot Springs
Pop by a yoga shop and inquire about free classes.

They often have them outside in a local park – or
sometimes in their very shop!
Alberta may look like the land of a million Christmas trees but it’s more
than just a pretty picture. Ski, ride, dogsled, ice fish, skate, snowshoe,
snowmobile or lounge under a twinkling tarp of northern lights. From our
legendary Rocky Mountain ski resorts to the lonely beauty of a frozen lake
in a northern forest, Alberta lets you step into its photo frame with plenty
of winter adventures.
Have you always wanted to soar like an Calgary, and rocket off the 90-meter
eagle, specifically Eddie “The Eagle” (295 ft) ski jump, just like Eddie. While
Edwards ... the Coke-bottled Brit who there, discover the heart-pounding thrill
stole the hearts of millions during of a bobsleigh ride. You may not be an
Calgary’s ’88 Winter Olympics? Then, Olympian but in Alberta you can
strap into North America’s fastest certainly pretend – this is where going
zipline at Canada Olympic Park in for gold is a winter pastime!
The Lake Louise Ski Area, Banff National Park
Downhill Skiing/Riding Deep in the south lies an unknown powder hound’s
heaven with basic slopeside accommodation called Castle Mountain. Just west
of Calgary lies Nakiska, home of the XV Winter Olympics. Farther west is Ski
Norquay, legendary for its hang-on-tight steeps and proximity to Banff.
Ice Fishing, Wabamun Lake

Sunshine Village brags of Canada’s longest ski season with a new wing of
suites just opening at the base of its runs. Largest in the Canadian Rockies,
Lake Louise consistently wins “best scenic views” of all Canadian resorts. Veer
north and you’ll find the family-friendly resort of Marmot Basin, in Jasper
National Park. Just remember – where there’s a major ski resort, there’s a
terrain park. (See more on page 54.)
Nordic Skiing Nordic racers from around the planet annually flock to the
Canadian Birkebeiner Ski Festival (every February), held in Edmonton and “Almost every day in Canmore
Olympic silver medalist cross country skiing

Strathcona County. Named for a Norwegian family renowned for saving the is a perfect day. But one
life of a crown prince by skiing 55 km (34 mi) over three mountain ranges, that I will always remember
it’s the biggest classic Nordic race in North America. Certainly the biggest was walking along the Bow
Nordic terrain can be found in the 70 km (43.5 mi) tumble of snowy hills at River a week after my
the Canmore Nordic Centre, the setting for the 1988 Winter Olympic Games daughter was born. She was
and where the world’s fastest cross country skiers will compete on February inside my jacket and it was
5 and 6, to qualify for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. cold and icebergs were
floating down the
Rev Up Those Engines Every winter Alberta grooms 5,000 km (3,107 mi) of steaming river.
white carpet into two fine lines, welcoming snowmobilers to award-winning The mountains
playgrounds all over the province. Whether it’s a southern loop in the were plastered
Crowsnest Pass area, Alberta’s Iron Horse Trail or on one of our frozen winter with snow and
roads in the North – the variety of snowmobiling terrain in Alberta is enough I felt like my
Sara Renner
eyes couldn’t
to rev up any engine.
handle so
Anglers – Drop Your Line If you just can’t get enough of fishing in the much beauty.
summer, don’t stop. Winter is when anglers build temporary sheds or simply I was
drill holes and drop lines in popular lakes such as Spray Lake (near Canmore) overwhelmed.”
and Upper Kananaskis Lake (stocked with rainbows). Combine a unique fly-in
ice fishing trip with snowmobiling on North Leland Lake. Various eco-tourism
lodges offer multi-adventure packages that combine ice fishing with
ski-joring, nordic skiing, ice climbing and winter camping.
Harness the Huskies Dogsledding will thrill every historical bone in your
body. Plenty of operators run services out of Canmore, Banff, Lake Louise,
Lake Louise, Banff National Park
Jasper and Rocky Mountain House – and will take you into the backcountry
for a gourmet picnic or a mug of hot cocoa ’round a ripping bonfire.
Star Gazing One of the most spectacular sights that link together many
northern towns such as Fort McMurray, Fort Chipewyan, Slave Lake and
Grande Prairie, is the northern lights. Tours are available out of Fort McMurray
and other northern communities.
Crawling the Canyons Canyons that roar with whitewater fury in the
summer and are utterly inaccessible get transformed in the winter into
wonderlands of ice. Curtains, walls and chambers of ice glow pearly shades
of iridescent blue and literally pop and hiss with beauty. Guided walks in
Waterton Lakes National Park
Banff’s Johnston Canyon and Jasper’s Maligne Canyon can be organized

through most hotels and outdoor hubs.
Rocky Mountains
Jasper in January is a bargain fest that discounts

everything from hotel rooms to lift tickets, special
events and attractions. Or, skate for free through a
frozen ice castle on Lake Louise.
Whether you fancy a basic campsite or an über-luxe suite at a resort, the
Alberta Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) should be your No. 1 go-to
site, with more than 1,200 annually inspected properties listed online.
Start here and discover eco-friendly fishing resorts, CPR bungalow camps,
lodges like Aurum, on the cliffs of even tipi stays and canvas-sided tent-
Abraham Lake or Mt. Engadine Lodge, cabins in spectacular wilderness settings
near an alpine meadow in Kananaskis are detailed at TravelAlberta.com/
Country. Charming backcountry accommodation.
properties, cottages, cabins, B&Bs, fly-in
Prince of Wales Hotel, Waterton Lakes National Park
Living the High Life Three of Canada’s most iconic properties have been built
in Alberta, at the toes of glaciers, alpine lakes or tucked in the crevices of rocks.
The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise,

The Fairmont Banff Springs, The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and The
Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge have recently been revamped to hold either a
spa, heritage centre, a floor of boutique suites or a conference centre… all
Banff National Park

are considered destinations in themselves and offer unique attributes such as
the spa at the Springs, the mountaineering program at the Chateau and golf
at the Lodge.
Bunk Down with History Historic backcountry lodges reflect Alberta’s

mountaineering roots, influenced by Swiss guides and early explorers.
Peace Valley Guest

There is a series of 13 rustic alpine huts found on glaciers, in alpine towns or
Ranch, Berwyn
in our national parks, operated by the Alpine Club of Canada. Typically they
cater to those looking for a humble property that will launch them into
remote adventures.
From Baker Creek in Banff to the Whistlers in Jasper are historic CPR
Shadow Lake Lodge,

Banff National Park
bungalow camps that run along the most scenic highways in Banff and
Jasper national parks. Most have been converted into clusters of charming log
cabins, usually cradling a main lodge and dining facility.
Charming Inns and B&Bs You’ll find them in cities, small villages and
sometimes in the middle of nowhere. Most are owner operated and offer
intimate surroundings, hearty fare and the opportunity to meet other
Aurum Lodge
travellers. History buffs should hop on a horse-drawn carriage at Fort
Edmonton Park and check into the Hotel Selkirk (a 1920s-style hotel), right in
the middle of this urban park.
Alan and Madeleine Ernst
Hostel Territory You’ll find architectural wonders, complete with boardrooms

and licensed restaurants, at hostels in Lake Louise and Banff (both are on the
“Any type of
top 10 list of hostels in North America). Others, such as those in Calgary and
tourism development
Edmonton rely on their convenient locations, while those along the Icefields
changes the nature of a
Parkway have been strategically positioned for cyclists, skiers and hikers. place, it leaves an impact.
Happy Campers Whether you’re hoofing it with your household on your back We wanted our lodge to
or loading up a luxurious RV, matters not – for camping in Alberta is not only
follow environmental
principles of sustainability
about stripped-down pleasures. Yes, the coffee always tastes better when
– but be more of an
brewed in a tin pot and bed-time snacks are always best when they’re gooey
accessory to the
s’mores, but Alberta’s campgrounds provide numerous options depending on untouched wilderness
your style of camping. around it, than the focal
Historic Backcountry Lodges Legendary lodges such as Skoki, Shovel Pass,
point. We didn’t want to
change the character of
Shadow Lake and Sundance require stamina, as you must hike, ski,
the area.”
snowshoe or horseback into these remote spots.
Lodging Options
Alberta Hotel & Lodging Charming Inns of Alberta
TravelAlberta.com/accommodation charminginnsofalberta.com
Alberta Bed & Breakfast Hostelling International
bbalberta.com
The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel
hihostels.ca
Alberta Country Vacations Alpine Club of Canada
albertacountryvacation.com alpineclubofcanada.com
Whether it’s a front- or backcountry campsite you want,

Alberta is laced with numerous affordable options. At
certain sites, you can even rent a tipi or a tent with all the
trappings – from sleeping bags to lawnchairs and cots.
Alberta Public Holidays
Holiday 2010 2011
New Year’s Day..............................................................January 1.......................... January 1
Alberta Family Day................................................... February 15...................... February 21
Good Friday.........................................................................April 2............................. April 22
Easter Monday....................................................................April 5............................. April 25
Victoria Day.......................................................................May 24..............................May 23
Canada Day.......................................................................... July 1................................. July 1
Heritage Day...................................................................August 2........................... August 1
Canada Day, Edmonton
Labour Day...............................................................September 6.................... September 5

Thanksgiving Day........................................................October 11........................October 10
Remembrance Day................................................ November 11...................November 11
Christmas Day.........................................................December 25 .................. December 25
Boxing Day..............................................................December 26................... December 26
Edmonton & Area Expo Latino Aug 27-29 Alberta Central
International Children’s Jun 1-5 Calgary Highland Games Sep 4 Kinsmen on the Pond Mar 6
Festival, St. Albert BBQ on the Bow Festival Sep 4-5 Hockey Tournament,
The Works: Art and Jun 25-Jul 7 Lac La Biche
Spruce Meadows, Masters Sep 8-12
Design Festival History Road, Reynolds- Jun 12 & 13
Calgary International Sep 23-Oct 3
Freewill Shakespeare Jun 29-Jul 25 Alberta Museum,
Film Festival
Festival Wetaskiwin
WordFest; Banff-Calgary Oct 12-17
Edmonton International Jul 9-18 Ponoka Stampede Jun 28-Jul 4
International Writers
Street Performers Festival Festival Ukrainian Pysanka Jul 2-4
Rexall Edmonton Indy Jul 23-25 Festival, Vegreville
Zoolights at the Nov 26-Jan 2
Edmonton’s Capital EX Jul 23-Aug 1 Calgary Zoo Westerner Days Fair Jul 21–25
and Exposition, Red Deer
A Taste of Edmonton Jul 23-Aug 1 Canadian Rockies Big Valley Jamboree, Jul 29-Aug 1
Edmonton Heritage Jul 31-Aug 2 Jasper in January Jan 15-31 Camrose
Festival
Ice Magic International Jan 22-24 Haying in the 30’s, Mallaig Jul 31-Aug 1
Edmonton Folk Aug 5-8 Ice Sculpture Competition,
Music Festival Voyage Days, Metis Aug 28-29
Lake Louise Crossing
Cariwest-Edmonton Aug 6-8 Rocky Mountain Wine & Apr 30-May2
Caribbean Arts Festival Thunder in The Valley, Sep 3-5
Food Festival Drayton Valley
Edmonton International Aug 12-22 Banff Summer Arts Festival May 1-Aug 31
Fringe Theatre Festival Canadian Professional Sep 10-12
Wild River Rendezvous, Jun 4-6 Chuckwagon Association
Edmonton Dragon Aug 20-22 Grande Cache Finals, Lloydminster
Boat Festival
Wild Mountain Music Jul 9-11 Canadian Pony Sept 10-12
Edmonton’s Labatt Aug 20-22 Festival, Hinton Chuckwagon Races,
Blues Festival Vegreville
Parks Day, All Jul 18
Symphony Under Sep 3-6 National Parks 22nd Annual World’s Oct 2-3
the Sky Festival Pumpkin Fair, Smoky Lake
Canadian Death Race, Jul 31-Aug 2
Edmonton International Sep 24-Oct 2 Grande Cache
Film Festival Alberta North
Mary Reimer Memorial Jul 31-Aug 2
Canadian Finals Rodeo Nov 10-14 Alberta Pond Hockey, Feb 11-14
Rodeo, Hinton
Peace River
Grey Cup Festival Nov 28 Canmore Folk Festival Jul 31-Aug 2
Winterplay Festival, Feb 26-28
Calgary & Area Behind the Scenery Aug 29-30 Fort McMurray
Wildlife Festival, Jasper
High Performance Rodeo Jan 7-31 Arctic Winter Games, Mar 6-13
20th Annual Canmore Sep 5 Grande Prairie
Enbridge playRites Festival Feb 3-Mar 7
Highland Games
of New Canadian Plays Reel Shorts Film Festival, Apr 19-25
Banff Mountain Book Oct 30-Nov 7 Grande Prairie
Calgary International Apr 1-30
and Film Festivals
Spoken Word Festival Slave Lake Songbird Fest, Jun 5-6
Christmas in November – Nov 6-19 Lesser Slave Lake
Calgary International May 25-29
Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge Provincial Park
Children’s Festival
Winterstart Festival, Nov 27-28 & Magnificent River Rats Jul 1-2
4th Street Lilac Festival May 30
Banff & Lake Louise Dec 4-5 Festival, Athabasca
HSBC Calgary Marathon May 30
Alberta South Riverboat Daze, Slave Lake Jul 8-10
Spruce Meadows, National Jun 9-13
Spectrum Festival, Jun 4-6 Peace Fest, Peace River Jul 9-10
Calgary C-Jazz Festival Jun 21-27
Medicine Hat Alberta Open Sand Jul 17
Spruce Meadows, Jul 7-11 Sculpture Championship,
North American Waterton Wildflower Jun 19-26
Festival, Waterton Lakes Slave Lake
Calgary Stampede Jul 9-18 National Park interPLAY Festival, Aug 6-8
Fiestaval Latin Festival Jul 16-18 The Medicine Hat JazzFest Jun 21-27 Fort McMurray
Calgary Folk Music Festival Jul 22-25 The Canadian Badlands Jul 9-11 & Golden Walleye Classic, Sep 4-5
Calgary Fringe Festival Jul 30-Aug 7 Passion Play, Drumheller 16-18 High Prairie
Calgary International Aug 5-8 Rum Runner Days & Jul 16-19
Blues Festival Thunder in the Valley,
Afrikadey Aug 9-14 Crowsnest Pass
Global Fest Aug 20-28 Medicine Hat Exhibition Jul 28-31

and Stampede
Calgary International Aug 21
Reggae Festival Whoop-Up Days, Aug 24-28
Lethbridge

Edmonton
& area TravelAlberta.com/
Edmonton
Edmonton Folk Music Festival
Capitalizing on Culture Edmonton is Canada’s Edmonton Attractions
Festival City with more than 30 annual music, arts Alberta Aviation Museum
albertaaviation
and cultural festivals. Some of the biggest crowd
museum.com
Santa Maria, West Edmonton Mall

pleasers take place in the Downtown Arts District
Alberta Legislature
and in Old Strathcona. Drawing world-class assembly.ab.ca/visitor
performers, they include: the Edmonton Folk Music Alberta Railway Museum
Festival, the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre railwaymuseum.ab.ca
Festival, the Edmonton International Jazz Festival, the Art Gallery of Alberta
artgalleryalberta.com
Heritage Festival and the Edmonton International
Edmonton & Area

Canadian Petroleum
Street Performers Festival. Sir Winston Churchill
Discovery Centre
Square anchors the Downtown Arts District, recently leducnumber1.com
redeveloped as a prime entertainment hub. It’s also Devonian Gardens
home to Tix On The Square, a one-stop shop for devonian.ualberta.ca
Edmonton’s top entertainment tickets. Framing the Edmonton Corn Maze
edmontoncornmaze.ca
square are cultural centrepieces such as the Francis
Elk Island National Park
Winspear Centre for Music, the Citadel Theatre and
pc.gc.ca/elkisland
the newly expanded Art Gallery of Alberta. Art lovers
Muttart Conservatory
Fort Edmonton Park

should make a beeline for 124 Street, a short fortedmontonpark.ca
distance away from the downtown core. This funky Muttart Conservatory
area is lined with galleries, cafes and bookshops – muttartconservatory.ca
precisely why the Gallery Walk was formed which Northern Alberta
Jubilee Auditorium
promotes both art and artists of merit, with a special
jubileeauditorium.com/
focus on Canadian artists and their work. Sports buffs northern
should check the National Hockey League’s Northlands
Edmonton Oilers and the Canadian Football League’s northlands.com
Edmonton Eskimos for game schedules. And Old Strathcona
oldstrathcona.ca
adrenaline junkies should inquire about the Canadian
Royal Alberta Museum
Finals Rodeo (largest indoor rodeo in western
royalalbertamuseum.ca
Canada) and the Rexall Edmonton Indy. The dynamic
Fringe Festival
Rutherford House
3.1 km (1.96 mi) race track at the city centre airport rutherfordhouse.ca
makes this one of the most thrilling stops on the Telephone Historical Centre
Indy Car Series calendar. telephonehistorical
centre.com
Oh Naturale Visit a steaming jungle and a hot desert TELUS World of Science
under the Muttart Conservatory’s four glass pyramids edmontonscience.com
located in the heart of Edmonton’s spectacular river Ukrainian Cultural
Heritage Village
valley. Walk through 190 acres of gardens and
tprc.alberta.ca/uchv
natural areas at the University of Alberta’s Devonian
Valley Zoo
Botanic Garden near Devon. Take advantage of the valleyzoo.ca
largest urban park system in North America, 22 West Edmonton Mall
Alberta’s capital lies in the geographic times that of Central Park in New York City. There are westedmall.com
heart of the province. Pulsing with more than 20 major parks in the river valley offering Attractions, Museums
cultural events, Edmonton is known for off-leash sites, playgrounds, picnic sites, outdoor & Art Galleries
edmonton.com
its historic neighbourhoods, superb skating as well as 150 km (93 mi) of walking and
museums and lengthy roster of biking trails. At the TELUS World of Science, gaze
festivals. However, the No. 1 crowd- upward at the stars in the largest planetarium dome
pleaser continues to be West in Canada. You’ll also find an Imax Theatre in this
Edmonton Mall. And shopping here complex as well as five interactive mind-boggling
galleries, loaded with creative programs.
won’t cost you a king’s ransom –
Alberta is the only province without a
provincial sales tax.

All-Star Capital Home to Thousands If you want to see a concert,
Edmonton and sports go a horse race, Capital EX, Canada’s national rodeo
together like hot dogs
championships or an NHL Edmonton Oilers game,
and baseball. Every
hockey fan should pay a they’re all at Northlands. The massive grounds house
trip to Rexall Place – the AgriCom, The Spectrum and Rexall Place, making
home ice for the National
this Edmonton’s premier entertainment centre which
Hockey League’s
Edmonton Oilers and the hosts more than 2,500 annual events, attracting
very arena where Wayne more than four million visitors every year.
Grand Prix
Gretzky led the Oilers to a
string of Stanley Cup Step Back in Time Old Strathcona Historic Area is
victories. Armchair
ranked as one of the top 10 shopping districts in
quarterbacks should try to
nab tickets to the 2010 Canada. This area is home to eight theatre companies,
Grey Cup or an Edmonton antique stores, a repertory cinema (the Princess),
“When I performed at
singer/songwriter
Eskimos game at
boutique hotels and loads of eclectic restaurants. Fort
Commonwealth Stadium, Capitol Ex in 2008, there was
Edmonton Park is one of the largest living history
where grass, not artificial such energy in the crowd,
I had forgotten what love
turf, rules the day. The parks in Canada where you can glide back in time by
Eskimos were playoff
contenders for 34
strolling through the streets of 1885, 1905 and 1920. there is in my hometown.
consecutive years – from Want to rest your weary feet? Take a ride on a Edmonton’s an easy place to
1972 to 2005 – a record be an artist – any kind
Kreesha Turner
horse-drawn wagon, a stage coach or an old
for a North American
fashioned street car. Pick up the pace with a ride on of artist. With
professional team.
the steam train that was renovated to accommodate the number
of festivals,
Dig a little deeper and
you’ll see how sports is the filming of The Assassination of Jesse James by the
woven into the very fabric Coward Robert Ford. What about rest for your weary concerts and
of Edmonton:
head? You can stay overnight at the Selkirk Hotel (first
performances
• Two former premiers of always going on
built in the 1920s) – featuring 30 new private guest
Alberta were members under our big,
rooms and a 65-seat dining room.
of the Canadian Football blue skies, it’s
amazing we’re
League’s Edmonton
Eskimos: Peter A Capital Tour Begin with a stroll through the
Lougheed and Don Alberta Legislature. Built from 1907 to 1912, the not all artists!”
Getty. Former Edmonton
province’s foremost historic structure is set amidst
Mayor Bill Smith also
played for the Eskimos. beautiful gardens and water displays. The
• The first outdoor hockey interpretive centre and gift shop is a favourite stop
game in National Hockey before or after a free guided tour. Once the site of
League history – the
the original Fort Edmonton, the spectacularly
Heritage Classic – was
played in Edmonton landscaped gardens of this impressive Beaux Arts
on Nov. 22, 2003, building are the perfect spot for a picnic. Its
where the Edmonton
fountains are a very popular place for getting your
Oilers took to the ice

against the Montreal feet wet on warm days. Next should be a walk
Canadiens as part of around what was formerly the residence of the first
the celebrations of the
six Lieutenant Governors. Known as the Alberta
Oilers’ 25th NHL season.
Government House, you can drop in on weekends to
• Figure skating stars
Jamie Salé and David view its collection of Canadian art. Visit the Royal
Pelletier, Kurt Browning Alberta Museum next door and take a peek beneath
and Kristi Yamaguchi all
the surface of the prairies, inside our Aboriginal
have ties to the city’s
Royal Glenora Club,
noted for its outstanding
coaching and drive for
athletic excellence.
Fort Edmonton Park
Many of Edmonton’s festivals are meant for those on a shoestring

budget. Downtown Edmonton pulses with free performances by
internationally known street acts – from magicians to comics –
for 10 days during the International Street Performers Festival.
Edmonton & Area
The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald

Fringe Festival
history or deep below the snow pack at the Wild Jetting About
Alberta Gallery. Always a hit with the small-fry is a Take a jet boat tour
through the heart of
visit to the Valley Zoo, home to more than 100 exotic
Edmonton or blast up
and native species. the Peace River to a
guest ranch.
It’s all in the Game Streak your face with blue paint
Corn Maze, Bon Accord

Men-Only Spas
and start the wave at an Edmonton Oilers hockey
Relax in the “Executive
game. Or, rip it up over the thumping beat of a Lounge” at The Board
lacrosse game with Edmonton’s Rush or at a football Room in Edmonton,
Edmonton & Area

game starring the Edmonton Eskimos. Prefer the Alberta’s first men-
only spa.
roar, grit and flames of open wheel racing? The
Rexall Edmonton Indy revs into high speed every Sky High
Most people don’t even
summer in the capital. Oh, and did we mention
know there are streetcar
Edmonton’s new Capitals baseball team and the Oil bridges in Edmonton – let
Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village
Kings junior hockey teams, and the fact the alone one that travels
over the world’s highest
Edmonton region boasts more than 70 golf courses?
streetcar bridge! The High
Level Streetcar operates
Just a Short Drive Away Elk Island National Park is
spring through fall giving
one of the finest spots to view wildlife in Alberta visitors a trip over the
and it’s just a 30-minute drive east of the capital. High Level Bridge – built
in 1912.
You’re bound to spot a few of the 1,700 elk, 600
plains bison and 375 wood bison, as well as deer,
moose and beaver that call this place home. Take up
a 9-hole round of golf in the park and then wind
down with an overnight in an authentic tipi at Elk
Island Retreat. In the early 1900s, this region was
home to the largest Ukrainian settlement in Canada.
Devonian Botanic Garden
The Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village provides

costumed interpreters who play historic characters
and recreate day-to-day activities which you can join
– from churning butter to painting eggs. The 30
Fort Edmonton
historic buildings on site are originals, moved here

and restored to preserve their heritage. Venture
south of the city to the Canadian Petroleum
Discovery Centre where oil production began in 1947
at the Leduc #1 Historic Site. Numerous exhibits
salute Alberta’s oil industry with information on its
history, technology and progress.
High Level Street Car
A-maze-ing Fun Sure, it’s corny but we’re not talking

about a few lonely cobs here. The Great Prairie Corn
Maze, just east of Bon Accord, transforms acres of
corn into an elaborate maze that can keep families
lost for hours. As can the five-km creation of twists
and turns that resembled a curler (at the Roar of the
Rings event) in 2009, found at the Edmonton Corn
Did you know that Edmonton’s first Maze. Another immensely popular corn maze is the
industry was actually fur, followed by Amazing Field Maze, just south of Leduc. Spanning
coal? Take a walking tour of the more than 10 acres, various messages get cut into
the corn each year. While you’re on the fringes of the
capital and learn that much of the
capital take an amble through St. Albert, home of a
original coal seam remains unmined,
top-notch International Children’s Festival and the
right below the downtown streets.
site of western Canada’s largest farmers’ market.
Go Fish From Mennonites to single operators, you’ll find
Did you know that Edmonton has
Even city slickers fish, as more than 200 vendors selling fresh, local produce –
there are operators and hosted the Commonwealth Games, the
every Saturday from July to September.
prime fishing holes within World Figure Skating Championships
the urban edges of the
Change Gears The best way to experience the and the World Championships in
provincial capital.
dozens of urban parks and recreation areas that Athletics? Just recently Hockey
Backcountry Bliss
meander through Edmonton is – slowly. Rather than
Dip deep along a perfectly Canada announced that in 2012, the
race through these green belts in your vehicle, rent
designed three day World Junior Championship will be
backcountry canoe circuit a bike or a Segway, or even a canoe for a leisurely
near Lac La Biche. held in Edmonton and Calgary. The
paddle down the North Saskatchewan River.
Options for canoeists include guided or unguided
facilities the public gets to use after
trips through the centre of the city. Edmonton these events are remarkable.
Canoe offers a series of canoe programs and
rentals. Cyclists should check out Velocity Cycle and
Instant Mountain Bike Rentals. For maps and bike
events, the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters’ Society
is a terrific resource.
Green Thumbs Up The Devonian Botanic Garden,

developed by the University of Alberta, lies just
southwest of the city. Discover Canada’s most northerly
botanic garden, 80 acres of display gardens and 100
acres of natural areas. Indoor show houses, tours, plant
The Francis Winspear Centre for Music
sales, and special events are yours to discover. When

there, be sure to visit the Kurimoto Japanese Garden
and the Sensory and Healing Garden.
Less than a Tank Away In the northwest wedge of

Edmonton is one of Alberta’s oldest settlements, the
city of St. Albert, seeped in French heritage. Historic
attractions here include the Father Lacombe Chapel,
Midway, Capital EX
built in 1861 by the pioneering priest and his Métis

helpers. It’s also the burial site for Lacombe, who
was a central figure in the area’s early days. Besides
the historic buildings perched above the Sturgeon
Father Lacombe Chapel, St. Albert
River is St. Albert Place, a contoured brick building

designed by Douglas Cardinal. Inside is the Musée
Héritage Museum. Other highlights in St. Albert
include its massive Saturday-only summer market,
the trail system at Red Willow Park and the
Fort Edmonton Park
Woodlands Water Play and Skateboard Park plus its

many historic murals.
Old is New Again The Art Gallery of Alberta (AGA),

designed by Randall Stout Architects, is set to rise
from the rubble as a new structure wrapped in curvy
steel ribbons. Slated to open Jan. 31, 2010, the gallery
space has nearly doubled and will showcase three
The Art Gallery of Alberta
floors of exhibitions. Opening shows include major

works by Edgar Degas, Yousuf Karsh, Janet Cardiff and
Georges Bures Miller.
Segway Tour
Edmonton & Area
River Valley
EDMONTON IN A DAY
Cariwest Caribbean Festival

Rutherford House
Old Strathcona
Morning Afternoon Evening
What a cool way to see a city wake Too nice to dine inside so I found a Was able to nab some tickets for an
up – by jet boat. Next to their little great outdoor bistro in Old Strathcona. outdoor concert tonight at Hawrelak
coolers, fishermen cast their lines into I think this is one of the coolest Park so I’m wolfing down an early
the North Saskatchewan River. neighbourhoods in all of Canada. dinner, overlooking the river valley
Cyclists pedal to work. Families of Poets are gathering next door… where I cycled this morning. The
ducks and geese snooze in the reeds. what’s “blink” poetry? Cornish game hen with a juniper
Even kayakers and canoeists seem berrysauce is crispy, almost like Peking
I’ve been seduced. I was trying to
to use the river as an early Duck. It’s sitting on a nest of white
decide which show to attend at the
morning playground. asparagus, crunchy beets and roasted
Fringe Festival when someone on
pine nuts. Sublime.
Rented a cool, new Segway and am stilts started rapping about jolly cows
now cruising through downtown and and lonely canola fields. Now I’m in a I know the Saturday afternoon blues
parts of the North Saskatchewan parade heading toward an outdoor jams at the Commercial Hotel are an
River Valley; biggest urban park in stage and he’s way off in front, like a institution but the nights give you lots
North America. The path system mad Pied Piper. to groove to, as well. Blues on Whyte
meanders from parks to golf courses, is exactly what you’d expect from an
Someone swooped out of a tree and
across historic bridges, past ponds über-swinging, Chicago-style blues
started doing the bunny hop. No one
and through forests. bar. Hot. Thick air. Sultry music. Big
is seated any longer. We’re all hanging
Dreamer brought down the house.
on to the waist in front of us, jumping
forward. Then backward. Then, a-1-2-3.
I’m laughing with absolute strangers.
Hundreds of them.

63
SMOKY LAKE
28
855
45
36
Elk Island
15
National TWO HILLS
EDMONTON Park
6 4
MUNDARE
1 2
3 VEGREVILLE
60 Beaverhill
Lake
TOFIELD
5
14
2 VIKING
TELUS World of Science
Airport
TravelAlberta.com/roadtrips
Cultural and
Heritage Loop Edmonton and Area road trip
Distance: 300 km (180 mi)

Travelling time: Two to three days by car
Begin: Edmonton
End: Edmonton
Edmonton & Area

Where can you experience the world’s largest indoor triple-loop
rollercoaster, eat a platter of perogies dished up by a Ukrainian Baba, see
Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village
bison up close and take in more festivals than you ever thought possible?
Edmonton. Use the capital as a base and fan out on short jaunts.
1 From Edmonton head east on Hwy 16 to Elk Island National Park. Get there
early as prime time for wildlife viewing is in the morning when the 1,700
elk, 600 plains bison and 375 wood bison are up and about. Whether you
drive, bike or hike through Canada’s smallest national park, there are plenty
of interpretive plaques and points of interest that explain the park’s
historical importance.
2 Follow the signs to nearby Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village. Costumed

interpreters lead you through more than 30 restored historic buildings and
then let you loose to experience numerous hands-on activities and games.
3 Make your way back to Edmonton and in keeping with our historic theme,
Fort Edmonton Park
visit Fort Edmonton Park. At one of Canada’s largest living history parks,
discover how our pioneers and fur traders lived, take a ride on a steam
train or relax on a ferris wheel, 1920s style.
4 Take a free tour of Alberta’s magnificent Legislature Building and marvel at

its Beaux Arts details and its elegant outdoor gardens and fountains. Next
on your urban tour, visit the Royal Alberta Museum where you’ll gain a
sense of the scope of Alberta’s natural and human history. In the evening,
poke around Old Strathcona, beloved for its bohemian ambiance and terrific
shopping. Dine at one of the area’s eclectic restaurants and then finish up
your night with a guided ghost tour.
5 Drive south on Hwy 2 to Leduc where oil was discovered on Feb. 13, 1947.
This very find transformed Edmonton into the Oil Capital of Canada – neatly
explained at the Leduc #1 Historic Site and the Canadian Petroleum
Discovery Centre and Hall of Fame. Here, you’ll also find a replica oil rig,
drilling equipment, photos and hands-on displays. Head back to Edmonton
on Hwy 60 and stop at the Devonian Botanic Gardens. Blissfully serene, a
walk through its Japanese Garden and around its extensive collection of
native and alpine plants is always a lovely escape.
Bison, Elk Island National Park
6 Spend a day at West Edmonton Mall. Here, you can splash around the
world’s largest indoor waterpark, flip around Galaxyland (home of the
mindbender, the world’s largest indoor triple loop rollercoaster), or enjoy
the one-stop shopping experience at the 800 plus stores and services and
re-energize at one of the 100 dining establishments.

calgary
& area TravelAlberta.com/
Calgary
Stephen Avenue Mall
Savour the City Get your bearings with a panoramic Calgary Attractions
sweep of the city from the observation deck of Bar U Ranch  
pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/ab/baru
Calgary’s premier landmark, the Calgary Tower,
Butterfield Acres
where you can dare to teeter across its glass floor at
butterfieldacres.com
160 m (525 ft). Time it right and you could dine at
Calaway Park
its newly renovated, ever-revolving, restaurant in the calawaypark.com
air – Sky 360. Then zip down for an amble along Calgary Attractions
Calgary Tower
Stephen Avenue Walk, a lovely historic strip of calgaryattractions.com
handsome sandstone buildings and high-end Calgary Farmers’ Market
calgaryfarmersmarket.ca
restaurants, galleries and shops. Enjoy the dynamic
Calgary Stampede
arts and music scene at a variety of stages including
calgarystampede.com
the EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing Arts and the
Calgary Tower
Grand Theatre. Taste the city’s cosmopolitan cuisine calgarytower.com
downtown or at any number of multicultural Calgary Zoo
calgary & Area

restaurants in eclectic neighbourhoods. Or, for an calgaryzoo.org
in-depth dining experience take a two-hour guided Canada Olympic Park
canadaolympicpark.ca
Urban Safari Tour that blends unique restaurants,
Downtown Skyline
Downtown Calgary
famed for regional cuisine, with a little architectural
downtowncalgary.com
soupçon and local insight into the regional food
Eau Claire Market
scene as well as the history of the city. eauclairemarket.com
Fish Creek Park
Child Friendly Calgary Look for the bright yellow
tpr.alberta.ca/parks/
sun and green streak of grass if you want the official fishcreek
seal of approval by “kid critics,” employed by an Fort Calgary Historic Park
organization that rates attractions, hotels and events fortcalgary.com
in Calgary according to children’s needs. Top marks Glenbow Museum
glenbow.org
go to the Calgary Zoo, renowned for its spectacular
Heritage Park
Destination Africa pavilion and the Canada Wilds
Historical Village
Glenbow Museum
area as well as its sleepovers, tours, free feedings, heritagepark.ca

demos and underwater viewing hippo pool. Other Inglewood Bird Sanctuary
big hits with families of all ages are Canada Olympic calgary.ca/parks/
naturecentre
Park (hop on the fastest zipline in North America or
Kananaskis – Calgary’s
try out its new Zorbing attraction where you roll
Mountain Playground
down a hill in a giant plastic bubble); Calaway Park tpr.alberta.ca/parks/
(western Canada’s largest outdoor amusement park); kananaskis/flashindex.asp
the Aerospace Museum; the TELUS World of Science; Lougheed House
lougheedhouse.com
Calgary Spaceport; Shakers Fun Centre and
Spruce Meadows
Butterfield Acres (a hands-on working farm).
Calgary pulses with a youthful, sprucemeadows.com
entrepreneurial energy yet it still Can you Hear the Drums? From the floor of a tipi, The Military Museums
themilitarymuseums.ca
respects its humble roots – most listen to an elder whisper tales of ancient ways. You
evident in the 10 day July whoop-up can almost hear the rumble of buffalo hooves
calgaryscience.ca
barrelling across the dusty prairies as you discover
known as the Calgary Stampede. The
thousands of years of history of First Nations people
city is known as the gateway to the
at Nitsitapiisinni: Our Way of Life, a permanent
Canadian Rockies, less than an hour’s
exhibit at Calgary’s Glenbow Museum. And be sure
drive away. Amble down one of the
to tour the Glenbow’s innovative gallery, Mavericks:
longest urban pathways in North An Incorrigible History of Alberta where the story of
America and rub elbows with folks who our colourful province is told through the eyes of 48
are cycling, jogging and roller-blading. mavericks. Ever wanted to wear a Northwest
Public Art
You’ll even see people fishing for trout Mounted Police uniform or spend time in a
in the Bow River – on their lunch hour! turn-of-the-century jail? Step right up to Fort Calgary

Did You Know? for a chance to relive the Wild West. Another
In addition to being one must-see is the $65 million expansion of Heritage
of Canada’s largest cities,
Park Historical Village, replete with a spiffy new car
Calgary is also one of the
youngest and fastest- museum, steam train rides, an antique midway, an
growing. Other nuggets old-fashioned bakery, candy store and school house
you need to know:
– all staffed by highly trained interpreters. Then
• Americans make up
march through another chapter of our history at the
Spruce Meadows
10 per cent of Calgary’s
one million plus also newly expanded, Military Museums – full of
population. vintage tanks, carriers and WWI paraphernalia.
• Calgary’s elegant
Stephen Avenue Walk Spine Tingling Fun Want to dazzle your guests or
became a National family with an unusual history lesson that might
Historic District
actually make their blood run cold… well, maybe
in 2002. “When I’m
calgary zoo
just tepid? Consider a night of ghostly entertainment
• The city has a healthy away from
that dips into the mischief, mayhem and murders
culinary scene, boasting Calgary I
miss the
of more than 3,700 of Calgary. All four ghost tours focus on historic
restaurants.
neighbourhoods – Downtown Calgary, Inglewood, space and
Brian Keating
•A
lthough Native
Blackfoot moved
Kensington and 17 Avenue SW – and are led by a freedom we
through the area of guide in a black cape with a proverbial lantern. have here. And
Calgary approximately the clear water
Which is the Biggest Rock of all? Just south of
2,000 years ago, of the Bow
River plus the
nobody stayed put until Calgary in the town of Okotoks is the largest glacial
about 300 years ago
when the Sarcee and
“erratic” in the world, weighing in at 18,000 tons. A easy access to
Stoney natives moved Calgary brewery, Big Rock, and Okotoks itself were mountains where
down from the North named for this giant rock dragged from the Jasper I love to hike and
and began warring on
area and deposited 10,000 years ago by glacial ice. backcountry ski. One of my
this turf.
favourite things to do in
Calgary is snorkel down the
• White settlers first The Adventures of “K Country” Take a short drive
arrived in Calgary in the
late 1700s. In 1875, Fort
west of Calgary, through the foothills of the Rockies, Bow, looking for fish.”
Calgary was built at the to Kananaskis Country. Discover horseback riding,
confluence of the Bow hiking, canoeing, rafting, fishing, bird watching,
and Elbow rivers.
overnight pack trips, guest lodges, heli tours and a
• The name “Calgary”
world-class hotel. An Olympic downhill ski hill, miles
comes from Calgary Bay,
a remote village on the of cross country ski trails and a 36-hole golf course
Isle of Mull in Scotland are all less than an hour west of Calgary.
and is said to translate
from Gaelic to “garden Jump to It! Spruce Meadows is one of the world’s
in the cove.”
top equestrian facilities that hosts 15 major horse
• Calgary is committed to
jumping competitions annually and offers more than
green spaces. We have
Heritage Park
29 major parks, 40 $6 million in prize money.

regional parks and a
total of 7,500 hectares More of our Western Ways You could be having a
of open spaces, Mojito at a sun-kissed rooftop restaurant in Calgary
including all parks.
over lunch and be ridin’ a snortin’, buckin’ bronco 30
• Calgary has the longest
minutes later. Your western fantasy lies just 15
continuous bike path in
Canada with 635 km minutes north of Calgary, near Balzac, where an Did you know the Caesar cocktail
(394 mi) of paved paths. arena is open year-round to put wannabe bronco
was first created in Calgary in 1969
by bartender Walter Chell? Today, the
Caesar is Canada’s No.1 selling
cocktail – more than 250 million
Caesars are downed every year. You
Take Calgary’s CTrain (a light rail transit system) downtown and you
must try one when you’re here.
won’t pay a cent. The route along 7 Avenue is a free-fare zone. 
calgary & Area
Seven Restolounge

Calgary Stampede Midway
riders through their paces. First, is Bull Riding 101 – The Bar U Ranch
a classroom-based, behind-the-chutes look at the Visit this national historic
site in Longview and
sport of bull riding. This is where you get to test your
discover our rich ranching
skills on the back of a mechanical bull. Get Bucked is history. Use a branding
the second course, aimed at graduates who have iron. Chow down on
buffalo burgers.
demonstrated enough chutzpah to ride a live bull in

a relatively safe, controlled environment. Fantasy Ultimate Amusement
Adventure Bull Riding is the world’s first bull riding Calgary’s Calaway Park is
western Canada’s largest
school that provides a gritty, personal experience outdoor amusement park,
into our wild and woolly past. home to 33 rides
including the Samba Spin
Other Nearby Nuggets No time to drive the entire as well as the Dream
Cowboy Trail? Settle for a sample by popping into Machine and Falling Ace.
Mini-golf, live shows, a
Bragg Creek, a funky “western” town, just 50 km midway and an RV park/
(30 mi) southwest of Calgary. This quaint hamlet is campground are part of
calgary & Area

the complex.
Fruit Stand near Bragg Creek
full of restaurants, boutiques, antique shops and craft

galleries. Nearby is Diamond Valley, “The Heart of
the Cowboy Trail,” which includes Turner Valley (tour
the Turner Valley Gas Plant Historic Site), Black
Diamond, Millarville (great farmers’ market on
Saturdays in the summer) and Longview (pop into
Ian Tyson’s Navajo Mug for a coffee and some
country tunes or pick up a chewy wedge of beef
jerky made right on the premises of the Longview
Jerky Shop). Can’t get enough of our western ways
and stunning high ranch country? Just south of
Longview is the Bar U Ranch National Historic Site,
a fantastic swath of land that tells the tale of how
Okotoks Erratic Rock
massive and powerful “corporate” ranches were,

in their day. Once stocked with 3,000 head of cattle
Kananaskis River
driven north from Montana, it was also renowned

throughout North America as a leading breeder
of Percherons – some of these draft horses run
free today on the ranch’s tumble of foothills.
Another area that celebrates Calgary’s western
roots is the nearby town of Cochrane. Be sure to
scoop up a cone from Mackay’s Ice Cream parlour
while you’re there.
Did you know that you can rove All-Star Workouts You might just find yourself
around Stampede Park any old time, working out next to an Olympic athlete at one of
not just during July’s 10 day shindig? North America’s biggest athletic centres, Calgary’s
Explore the grounds and you’ll Talisman Centre or Canada Olympic Park (COP) –
discover who the “Big Four” were. future home of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. At COP,
you’ll discover the legacy left by the XV Winter
These heroes are constantly mentioned
Olympics with its luge, skeleton and ski jumping
in Calgary for they were the four
facilities where Olympians from around the planet
businessmen who bankrolled Guy
still train. You’ll spot even more elite athletes in the
Canada Olympic Park
Weadick for $100,000 so he could

near future as WinSport Canada’s $276 million
kickstart the Stampede, back in 1912. expansion rolls out, making this Centre of Sport
The Big Four were: George Lane, A.E. Excellence the new home of Hockey Canada. Other
Cross, A.J. MacLean and Patrick Burns. popular athletic facilities include the speed skating

Winds and Wakes “Oval” at the University of Calgary and numerous
Whether it’s summer or municipal pools and recreation complexes – many of
Chuckwagon Racing, Calgary Stampede

winter, winds always howl
which, like the Calgary Rotary Challenger Park, are
across Ghost Lake, luring
kitesurfers to this spot, multi-use, barrier-free facilities. If you’re more of a
just west of Calgary. spectator, check out the roster of games and
Hay Days concerts held at the Pengrowth Saddledome – home
Experience a dry float in a of the NHL Calgary Flames. Or, McMahon Stadium,
heated hay bath inspired where the Canadian Football League’s Calgary
by Alberta’s cowboy
country, and then expand Stampeders play.
your awareness with
pulsating light at Calgary’s Hollywood North Location, location, location – that’s
Sublime Spa. precisely what movie makers seek when they’re
preparing to shoot. If you experience déjà vu, say in
a place such as Ranchman’s Cookhouse (Calgary’s top
Wild Pony Race, Calgary Stampede

honky tonk dance hall), there’s a very good reason.
That’s precisely where the saloon scene in Brokeback
Mountain took place. Or, if Heritage Park looks
familiar it might be because Brad Pitt shot a scene
there featured in The Assassination of Jesse James
by the Coward Robert Ford. Even little coffee joints
such as the Dairy Lane Milk Bar in the
neighbourhood of West Hillhurst have made it big –
in this case in the recently shot, made-for-TV movie,
Blue Smoke, based on a Nora Roberts novel.
Calgary Stampede The 10-day summer shindig,

known as the “The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth,”
Saddle Bronc, Calgary Stampede
is more than just a midway or a rodeo. The corporate

Pengrowth Saddledome
city of more than a million shuts down, while parties

rev up. Streets are lined with hay bales. Pinstripes
get traded in for Wranglers and shiny belt buckles.
Free pancake breakfasts happen daily. Platters of
“prairie oysters,” get slurped back as people
celebrate our woolly past – when life was full of
buckin’ broncos, bulls, steers and corner saloons. But
the Stampede is also about the “New West” where
oil barons and entrepreneurs flourish, just like those
Bull Riding, Calgary Stampede
Stetson-wearing cowboys once did. This is exactly

the time where you can pony up to a bar with
rootin’ tootin’ cowboys or two-step till sun-up. While
the entire city gets gripped by Stampede fever the
epicentre is Stampede Park, where more than Did you know that Calgary is the
100,000 people converge each day. Here you’ll find
sunniest city in Canada, averaging
cowboys from all over the planet showing off their
332.93 days of sunshine each year?
skills at the world’s richest outdoor rodeo. Plus a
And the downtown core is crisscrossed
staggeringly large midway, agricultural shows,
with elevated, enclosed sidewalks?
big-act concerts and a nightly grandstand show

complete with fireworks. They call them Plus 15s as they’re
4.5 m (15 ft) above street level. There
are about 15 km (9.3 mi) of them,
linking malls to hotels, museums,
restaurants and office buildings.
Heritage
Park
CALGARY IN A DAY
calgary & Area

Ski Jumping, Canada Olympic Park
Children’s Day Camp, Canada

Olympic Park
River Cafe
Morning Afternoon Evening
The whoosh of hot air blasting into Raced over to the Calgary Farmers’ The days are long here in the summer
an enormous balloon is surprisingly Market and wolfed down the juiciest so we were able to enjoy a patio table
loud, but that only lasts a couple of Greek Souvlaki I’ve ever had. Bought a at the River Café until very late. Of
moments and then all is silent as we bag of cowboy popcorn for the road. course I had to order Alberta beef but
drift over our hotel. The sun begins to the view of Prince’s Island Park and
I was so close that I just popped over
sneak over the prairies, to the east, the lagoon and the downtown skyline
to Heritage Park where the S.S. Moyie
staining those tidy fields of wheat were just as tasty.
was about to leave the dock.
with streaks of purple, crimson, and
Scrambled on to this sternwheeler Some friendly local at dinner said we
then finally gold. Over the lip of the
and got a great history lesson while had to learn to two-step at the
basket I can see the rocks in the clear
we cruised around the Glenmore Ranchman’s, so we put on our
ribbon of water known as the Bow
Reservoir and then I checked out the western duds and went to this
that winds through Calgary. What’s
new Gasoline Alley. cookhouse and dancehall. We missed
that? A deer in the city? Dozens roam
the free dance lessons but how often
freely in Nose Hill Park. I look west I knew if I got to the Glenbow
do you to get to ride a bull? Sure it
and all I see is a wall of snow-kissed Museum I’d never want to leave so I
was mechanical, but what a hoot.
peaks, the Canadian Rockies. saved it for last. The Aboriginal
section is superb. Tipis were such an
Even though it was more than 20
ingenious design. And those sod huts
years ago that Calgary hosted the
pioneers lived in – with their
Winter Olympics, the spirit’s still very
chandeliers and pianos they brought
much alive at Canada Olympic Park
over from their homeland – must
(COP). I stood exactly where Eddie
have been so chilly in the winter.
the Eagle did on top of the 40 m
(120 ft) ski jump, closed my eyes and
yes, I jumped ... on North America’s
fastest zipline.
MAYERTHORPE
1 EDMONTON
North r
ve
ewan Ri
Saskatch
DRAYTON VALLEY
22
ROCKY
MOUNTAIN
HOUSE
RED DEER
Banff
2
National SUNDRE
Park 22
COCHRANE
CALGARY
Kananaskis
Country 3 22 Bow River
BRAGG CREEK
BLACK DIAMOND
TURNER VALLEY
LONGVIEW
22
Head-Smashed-In
Buffalo Jump
3
PINCHER
Crowsnest
Pass
4 CREEK
6 5
5 CARDSTON
Visitor Information Centre Waterton
Lakes
UNESCO World Heritage Site National Park
Airport
Bar U Ranch National Historic Site, Longview
The Cowboy Trail CALGARY and Area Road Trip

Travelling time: Three to five days by car
Begin: Mayerthorpe
End: Cardston
Explore Alberta’s historic Cowboy Trail and discover how the West
was really won through its art, history, food, hospitality and culture.
Saddlebronc Riding, Tsuu T’ina Nation
The trail begins in Mayerthorpe (northwest of Edmonton) and ends in

Rodeo and Powwow, Bragg Creek
Pincher Creek – a nudge above Montana. While it’s possible to drive

the entire distance, most people carve it into little two and three day
calgary & Area

loops, using Calgary as a logical fly-in gateway.
1 Head south on Hwy 22 from Mayerthorpe and be sure to stop in at Rocky

Mountain House, home to a newly expanded national historic site that
re-enacts the story of Canada’s fur trade and rugged voyageur life. Paddle
back in time in a voyageur canoe that will guide you down the North
Saskatchewan River, ending at this very site.
2 Head south and use Sundre as a base for wilderness trips or horseback
ventures into the Rocky Mountain Forest Reserve.
Remington Alberta Carriage
3 Small-town charmers include Bragg Creek (loaded with artisan and antique
shops plus hiking and mountain biking loops), Millarville (home to a massive
Museum, Cardston
farmers’ market held on Saturdays throughout the summer), Turner Valley (it
was here that Canada’s first major crude oil discovery was made), Black
Diamond and Longview. Just south of Longview lies the Bar U Ranch – full of
original buildings, ongoing archaeological digs and intriguing exhibits.
4 At the junction of Hwy 22 and Hwy 3 you’ll find Pincher Creek where you
can poke around Kootenai Brown’s Pioneer Village and then jog north to
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Here you’ll
Tsuu T’ina Nation, Bragg Creek
find the world’s largest, oldest and best preserved buffalo jump – plus a
fascinating museum.
5 To complete the official Cowboy Trail, travel south and then veer east on
Hwy 5 to Cardston where the Remington Carriage Museum houses one of
North America’s largest collections of carriages, buggies and wagons. It’s a
spectacular example of another era … the Wild, Wild West.  
Windsor Ridge, near Pincher Creek

CANADIAN
ROCKIES TravelAlberta.com/
Rockies
Tonquin Valley, Jasper National Park
Kananaskis Country – Cradles Nine Parks Less than Canadian Rockies
an hour’s drive west of Calgary lies “K Country.” While Destinations
Banff  
most of that swath is wilderness, tiny Kananaskis
banfflakelouise.com
Village has everything you need: a couple of fine
Banff Centre  
hotels, superb golf courses, a ski resort, bike loops, banffcentre.ca
Banff Upper Hot Springs

hiking trails, horseback riding and campgrounds, plus Banff National Park
plenty of wildlife without the crowds. pc.gc.ca/Banff
Canmore
Canmore – has Three Sisters Framed by one of the tourismcanmore.com
world’s most spectacular mountain ranges, Canmore Grande Cache
lies an hour west of Calgary – another gem in our grandecache.ca
crown of Rocky Mountain splendour. Sandwiched Hinton
town.hinton.ab.ca
between Banff National Park and Kananaskis Country,
Icefields Parkway
Canmore has plenty of condos and homes to rent,
Tonquin Valley, Jasper National Park
icefieldsparkway.ca
making it an ideal base for a family vacation. Loads of
Jasper
restaurants, art galleries, hikes, mountain bike trails, jaspercanadianrockies.com
golf courses, theatre, the Canmore Nordic Centre and Jasper National Park
festivals galore translate to something for everyone. pc.gc.ca/jasper
Kananaskis Country
Banff – is that a Castle in the Peaks? Located 130 kananaskisalberta.ca
CANADIAN ROCKIES
km (81 mi) west of Calgary, Banff National Park is a Lake Louise
UNESCO site that offers hundreds of hiking trails, banfflakelouise.com
pristine glacial-fed lakes, wildlife, horseback riding, ski Willmore Wilderness Park
willmorewilderness
resorts and a magnificent Stanley Thompson-designed
park.com
Icefields Parkway, Banff National Park
golf course – all in a protected national park setting.

The entire park occupies nearly 6,641 km2 (2,564 sq
mi) of land in which lie the charming town of Banff
and hamlet of Lake Louise. Look for award-winning
restaurants, theatres, museums, spas, a summer arts
festival, camping and world-class accommodation
such as two magnificent, historic Fairmont properties.
Art Matters At the base of Tunnel Mountain, flanking

the east side of the town of Banff, you’ll see a
cluster of buildings – like a kingdom unto its own.
Known as The Banff Centre, this “kingdom” began in
1933 as a two-week drama camp. Since then it’s
grown into an internationally recognized arts
complex that houses a conference centre (where
Lake Edith Cavell, Jasper
visitors can stay overnight if attending a

performance), two theatres, the town’s most scenic
National Park
You’re at the top of Tunnel Mountain, (and cheapest) swimming pool, a rock climbing wall,
breathing in pine-scented air, and art studios, galleries, artist-in-residence cottages, one
now know what Alberta-born folkie, of Canada’s biggest summer arts festivals and a
Joni Mitchell, was on about when she unique mountain film and book festival, in
sang I Can See Clearly Now. Clarity is November. From innovative jazz and poetry readings
all around – in the crisp air, in the to Indie band performances, theatre, ballet, classical
charm of a pretty town called Banff, in music, artists’ talks and workshops – this place is one
the whitewater froth of the Bow River of Banff’s artistic cornerstones.
and in all this Rocky Mountain space. Lake Louise – What Makes it that Colour? Find out
Lake Louise
Good thing you brought your boots, why Lake Louise, nestled at the foot of Victoria
your bike, your golf clubs ... Glacier, is known as the “Jewel of the Rockies,” and

Must-see in is one of the most photographed lakes in North
Jasper National Park America (along with its neighbour, Moraine Lake).
Athabasca Falls. Medicine
Ride a gondola. Trek to an historic log teahouse such
Lake. Columbia Icefield.

Mount Edith Cavell. Jasper as the one at Lake Agnes or the Plain of Six Glaciers.
Tramway. Pocahontas. Or, lace up your cross country ski (or hiking) boots
Lake Annette, Pyramid
and venture off into the nearby wilds for a
and Patricia Lakes. Lake
Edith. Sunwapta Falls. quintessential 11 km (7 mi) trek into Skoki Lodge,
Maligne Canyon. Maligne built in the ’30s. Ski at one of North America’s most
Lake. Punch Bowl Falls.
scenic resorts or simply write postcards while having
A Jasper Motorcycle/
Sidecar Tour. “high tea” at The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.
Must-see in Grande Take the High Road The Icefields Parkway (Hwy 93)
Cache, Hinton and Area
stretches 230 km (143 mi) from Banff National Park
owner, jasper adventure centre

Grande Cache Tourism &
Interpretive Centre. Hinton to Jasper, past a chain of massive glaciers and
Nordic Ski Centre. Hinton waterfalls that tumble down the Continental Divide.
Mtn. Bike Skills Park. Stop in at Peyto, Hector or Bow lakes and marvel at
Hoodoos. Miette Hot
Springs. Natural Resources the peculiar colour of water, due to deposits of glacial
Interpretive Park. Sulphur silt. Another must-see is the Columbia Icefield, 325
Gates. William A. Switzer km2 (125 sq mi) of ancient glacial ice, some of which “Like so
Provincial Park. Willmore
Wilderness Park. The you can see from the highway. Better yet, hike to the many of us transplants, I
Canadian Death Race. base of the Athabasca Glacier or take a tour on a came to Jasper for a year and
Brule Sand Dunes. specially designed coach, the “Ice Explorer.” never left. My favourite tour
is something we call the
Murray Morgan
Must-see in
Banff National Park Jasper – the Biggest of the “Jewels” Jasper National Sunburst Canoe Program. It
Bow Valley Parkway. Banff Park is Canada’s largest mountain park, spanning starts at 6:30 AM when I
Gondola. Cascade 10,878 km2 (4,200 sq mi). About a four-hour drive pick up our guests, coffee
Gardens. Banff Park
west of Edmonton, Jasper is known for its canoeing, and fresh croissants and head
out to Pyramid Lake where
Museum. Banff Summer
Arts Festival. Cave and kayaking, fishing, skiing, wildlife watching, cycling and
Basin National Historic hiking. Marvel at seven mountain ranges from the top we have a picnic on an island
Site. Johnston Canyon.
of the Jasper Tramway, take a cruise to picturesque and watch the sun wash over
Banff Upper Hot Springs. the Colin Range.”
The Fairmont Banff Spirit Island, or mountain bike on the endless trails
Springs. Bankhead. surrounding the town. In the town of Jasper, you’ll find
Vermilion Lakes. Bow
world class accommodation, eclectic dining, laid-back
Falls. Whyte Museum.
Lake Agnes Tea House. pubs and great museums.
Moraine Lake and Valley
Medicine Lake, Jasper National Park
of the Ten Peaks. The Rocky Mountain Fringes Veer beyond Jasper and
Fairmont Chateau Lake you’ll discover lesser-known hubs for outdoor
Louise. Lake Minnewanka.
enthusiasts such as the town of Hinton. Rugged
Must-see in scenery, endless outdoor adventures plus interpretive
Kananaskis Country tours about coal mining, forestry and natural resources
Bow Valley Provincial
surround this town on the Athabasca River. Visitors
Park. Kananaskis Village.
Peter Lougheed Provincial keen to hike, fish, camp, water ski or bike won’t want
Park. Sheep River to miss William A. Switzer Provincial Park. High in the
Provincial Park. Spray
foothills of the Rockies, the town of Grande Cache has
Valley Provincial Park.
Highwood Pass (highest a panoramic view of 21 mountain peaks and two river
road pass in Canada). valleys. Built on a mountain plateau, Grande Cache
faces south toward the Continental Divide and the
Did you know that two of Canada’s
Must-see in Canmore
Canmore Nordic Centre. pristine Willmore Wilderness Park and is another most iconic hotels look like castles –
Cougar Canyon. Grassi excellent centre for outdoor adventures. with their turrets, sweeping staircases
Lakes. Riverside Trail
and stunning surroundings? The
Networks. Canmore History Bubbles Up Two of Canada’s most historic
Museum & Geo- Fairmont Banff Springs and The
Science Centre. hot springs are in Banff and Jasper. Both offer
Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.
jaw-dropping views of peaks and valleys that appear
The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise,
Banff National Park
Official Alberta Vacation Guide

51
CANADIAN ROCKIES
Banff Avenue
to tumble around them. The Upper Hot Springs in Wildlife Wonders
Banff also offers spa facilities and the newly The chances you’ll spot
bighorn sheep, mule deer
renovated Miette Hot Springs in Jasper is more noted
and elk in our Rocky
for its nearby hikes and interpretive trails. Mountain parks are almost
a given. However,
All-Star Views Sometimes it’s effortless to zoom in on sightings of moose, bear,
a dazzling view – just drive the Icefields Parkway. But cougars, wolves and
caribou are far less likely
others take sweat. Here are a few breathtaking vistas
– apart from seeing them
Lake Louise
where you’re likely to burn through batteries, a displayed in a museum or
memory card and your quads! Peer over the ledge of in a heritage property.
Look for the latter at the
Ha Ling Peak in Canmore and spot Calgary’s bumpy
Banff Park Museum in
skyline – about 100 km (62 mi) away. Lake lovers will Banff, the Wildlife Museum
adore all the tarns and little lips of pearly blue lakes in Jasper, the new tourism
and interpretive centre in
along the backcountry route from Lake Louise to Skoki
Grande Cache, Num-Ti-Jah
Lodge. For wildflowers, the slog up Jonas Pass in Lodge (along the Icefields
Jasper National Park is worth every gasp. At the pass Parkway) and the Fairmont
properties in Banff, Lake
Big Horn Sheep, Rockies
you’ll see a 15 km (9.3 mi) long corridor filled with

Louise and Jasper.
delicate alpine flowers and the occasional caribou.
A Feast with a View
Also in Jasper is the multi-day hike along the Skyline
Best views from
Trail that places you on a 5 km (3.1 mi) ridge walk
CANADIAN ROCKIES
restaurants include the
that’ll stagger you with range upon range of snow posh Three Ravens at The
kissed peaks. Near the entrance to Willmore Banff Centre, the
five-diamond Eden in the
Wilderness Park, north of Jasper, look for the Sulphur Rimrock Hotel in Banff,
Gate Lookout which offers stunning views of the the lobby bar at The
sheer cliffs along the confluence of the Smoky and Fairmont Chateau Lake
Louise and the lakefront
Sulphur Rivers. Those who crave the jaw-dropping deck at The Fairmont
views but can’t hike the distance can always take a Jasper Park Lodge.
gondola ride in Banff, Sunshine Village, Lake Louise Wildlife Fence
Banff National Park
and Jasper that’ll whisk you to the top of a peak in That 2.4 m (7.8 ft) high
minutes. Want something divinely decadent? Go fence that stretches along
the Trans-Canada Hwy.,
heli-hiking and stay in a backcountry lodge.
between Banff and Lake
Louise, was built to
Horse Sense Twist around in your saddle and marvel
prevent wildlife from
at the windswept ridges that tumble into each other crossing the busy road.
Did you know that Banff is a Mecca under a taut, blue Alberta sky. You’ve worked hard Research says that 11
species of large mammals
for this view. Sun up, you were helping “cookie” fire
for artists? Guess that’s why there are have used the 24
up a campstove. By 9 AM you’d packed your gear underpasses and
so many art galleries! You’ll probably
and learned why you throw a stick in a cup o’ joe overpasses more than
see more black and white photos shot 94,000 times since 1996.
when you’re brewing a pot over a snapping fire. And
by Byron Harmon than any other That’s a lot of wildlife!
now, you’re high on a mountain pass listening to
photographer. He was an American twigs snap in the woods, searching for signs of What’s that You Hear?
who arrived in Banff in the early 1900s grizzlies. Yes, you can go on guided multi-day
If it’s autumn and you’re
on a golf course in the
and made it his mission to shoot every horsepacking trips with bear experts, biologists, Rockies, it’s likely a bull
major peak in the Rockies. horse whisperers or just plain ol’ cowboys. Plenty of elk bugling for a mate.
You’ll find them clanking
operators, guest ranches and themed “educational”
their racks and locking
horsepacking trips can be found in Canmore, Banff, their egos during the fall
Lake Louise, Jasper and Grande Cache. rut. Wherever you are, do
watch for animal crossings
as many golf courses have
widened their designs to
accommodate wildlife.
If you cycle along the Bow Valley Parkway, between Banff and Lake
Louise, there are at least 15 good reasons to stop – the precise number
of interpretive panels that connect visitors to the area!
Make Green the Colour
of Your Next Adventure Ski Destinations Marmot Basin
Located in Jasper National Park, Marmot
Choose an Alberta-based Castle Mountain Basin is one of the least crowded family
adventure company that
Just two-and-a-half hours south of Calgary, near the friendly ski areas in North America. Seven
applies sustainable
business principles to their town of Pincher Creek, lies Castle Mountain. Castle lifts (including the longest, new high-
activities. Whether they has long been a Mecca for hardcore skiers, powder speed quad chair, the Canadian Rockies
offer kayaking, rafting,
hounds and riders but with the opening of Mt. Haig, Express, in Alberta’s Rockies) service 84
hiking, biking or
horseback riding – ask if there’s a whole lot more terrain for beginners and trails. skimarmot.com
they use local suppliers intermediate skiers. skicastle.ca
for goods and services
and if each activity Nakiska
is led by a well-informed
Site of the 1988 Winter Olympic ski events, Nakiska
Sunshine Village, Banff National Park

interpreter/guide.
is the closest of the “big” mountain ski areas to
At the vanguard of
responsible tourism is Calgary and is an Alpine Canada Alpin (ACA) Training
Banff National Park where and Race Centre. Known for its groomed fall line
you’ll find Canada’s first
skiing, Nakiska boasts six lifts, 28 runs, a 735 m
all-hybrid electric transit
fleet, a.k.a. Roam. (2,412 ft) vertical rise, the longest magic carpet in
Impossible to miss, all Alberta, and has accommodation just moments from
four buses are painted
the daylodge. skinakiska.com
with wildlife imagery of
grizzlies, elk, goats and
Ski Norquay
wolves. These new
hybrids reduce emissions Located 10 minutes from the town of Banff, Ski The Lake Louise Ski Area, Banff National Park
and encourage tourists to Norquay offers well-groomed trails, 28 runs, a

park their cars and jump
503 m (1,650 ft) vertical rise, a great ski school, a
aboard Roam, instead.
night-lit terrain park, as well as a wide variety of
Ski Green
pricing options including hourly rates – a bonus for
Wind turbines may not be
powering our ski lifts, yet,
families. banffnorquay.com
but an increasing number
Sunshine Village
of Alberta’s ski resorts are
turning a green leaf. Home of the longest ski season in Canada, Sunshine
Upgraded snow making Village is known to have Canada’s best all-natural
systems at most resorts
means less water and
snow. Located 20 minutes from the town of Banff,
better energy efficiency. Sunshine Village encompasses three mountains,
Low-flow toilets, seven quad chairs, the world’s fastest eight-
Nakiska Ski Resort, Kananaskis Country
automatic shut-off devices

and organic food items
passenger gondola lift, 107 runs and a vertical rise
have become standard of 1,070 m (3,514 ft). There’s also a newly renovated
fare. What most fans of lodge on the hill, with a wing of new suites that just
the World Cup circuit,
which typically opens its
opened. skibanff.com
season at Lake Louise
The Lake Louise Ski Area
Mountain Resort don’t
know is that every night Canada’s single largest ski area offers 18 km2
segments of the race’s (11 sq mi) of terrain on four distinct mountain faces,
fencing are removed
allowing wildlife to roam
serviced by 11 lifts (including five quad chairs and
in the area. Regular one six-passenger gondola). Lake Louise has 139
monitoring confirms these runs and a vertical rise of 1,010 m (3,365 ft).
openings are frequently
Continually rated as “North America’s most scenic
Marmot Basin, Jasper National Park
used by deer, coyotes and

elk. In 2006, Sunshine resort,” this internationally renowned ski destination
Village Ski Resort was is an early season mainstay on the World Cup
awarded the Silver Eagle
award for ‘Excellence in
Downhill circuit. skilouise.com
Water Conservation.’ In
four years they reduced
their water usage by 29
per cent and their
water-related operating
costs by 40 per cent.
Top of Banff Gondola, Banff National Park
BANFF AND LAKE LOUISE IN A DAY
Moraine Lake, Banff National Park

Eddie Burger Bar, Banff
CANADIAN ROCKIES
Morning Afternoon No need to pack much – hearty
How often do you wake up in a Jumped on a Roam (one of Banff’s soups, loaves, muffins and dozens of
castle? I arrived late last night so I hybrid-electric buses) and was at the types of tea are available at both!
had no idea how big and sumptuous Cave and Basin National Historic Site
Evening
The Fairmont Banff Springs actually in moments. This is a great little
The sun was sliding over Victoria
is. Fossils embedded in their stone museum that tells how the discovery
Glacier when I got back down to Lake
staircases. Knights in armour tucked of the hot springs turned into
Louise so I just nabbed a window seat
in niches. A golf course so stunning I Canada’s first national park. I love
in the Lakeview Lounge and soaked it
wish I played. mountaineering legends so I ambled
all in. Decided I wanted more so I
through the Whyte Museum of the
The concierge told me I could run up drove to nearby Moraine Lake where I
Canadian Rockies. Could have spent
Sulphur Mountain and take the sat outside listening to the lodgepole
all day there, but I wanted to see
gondola back down. Can I actually run pines creak and moan in the breeze.
Banff’s wildlife so I hurried over to
up 1,000 m (3,000 ft) to the summit? What should I order – steelhead trout
the Banff Park Museum. Who knew
It’s supposed to have panoramic views with a mango salsa or Alberta beef?
that Banff once had a zoo? And that
of the Bow Valley and a cool little My waiter tells me there are more
grizzly bears could be blonde or
boardwalk to the Sanson Peak remarkable hikes that fan out from
almost black?
Meteorological Station. If Norm this valley ... perhaps I should stay
Sanson hiked up here thousands of Grabbed a burger in Banff and drove another day?
times – even into his ’80s – to record to Lake Louise where I went on a tea
the weather, surely I can do it once. house tromp. First, I took all those
switchbacks up to the log charmer at
Let’s just agree that Norm was
Lake Agnes and then took the high
extraordinarily fit! Decided to go for a
traverse over to the original tea
dip in the historic Upper Hot Springs as
house at the Plain of Six Glaciers.
they’re just at the base of the gondola.
Perfect antidote for sore muscles.

BRI
To Edmonton
TIS
40
H
GRANDE
McLeod
1
COL
CACHE
Willmore HINTON
Wilderness
UM
Park 40
Sm
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Riv
er
2 JASPER Jasper
ver
NORDEGG
National
Brazeau Ri
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Ath
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CA ca COLUMBIA Abraham Riv
93
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Riv
CENTRE
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er
AN 3 r
at
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LD r
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P
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OU KW
NT AY 4 LAKE LOUISE
AI
NS
FIELD
5 1A 6
CANMORE
BANFF
40
To Kananaskis
Visitor Information Centre Country
UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge
The Icefields Parkway CANADIAN ROCKIES road trip
Distance: 230 km (142 mi) (Parkway alone)

Travelling time: About two to five days by car
Begin: Edmonton
End: Calgary
Ride the “backbone of the continent.” The Icefields Parkway, between

Jasper and Lake Louise, boasts mountain peaks as high as 3,300 m
(11,000 ft), more than 100 glaciers, subalpine meadows, ice-blue
lakes and wildlife. Considered one of the world’s top 10 most scenic
drives, the parkway can be driven year-round.
Columbia Icefields,
1 Head west from Edmonton on Hwy 16 to the Cadomin Caves, near Hinton.
These caves are the best known in Alberta. At Hinton take a stunning
side trip north to Grande Cache, home of the Canadian Death Race and
the gateway to the spectacular Willmore Wilderness Park: 4,600 km2
CANADIAN ROCKIES
(1,840 sq mi) of mountain wilderness accessible only on foot or horseback.
2 While in Jasper, take Canada’s most scenic boat tour (according to Reader’s
Digest magazine, 2007) on Maligne Lake, golf, or have tea and a spa
The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge
treatment at the luxurious Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. Then again, you
could hike the half-day Bald Hills loop, join a multi-day horse pack trip
along the Skyline Trail, explore the old mining town known as Pocahontas,
or simply relax in the newly restored Miette Hot Springs.
3 From Jasper, follow the spectacular Icefields Parkway south to Banff National
Park. Points of interest include Sunwapta Falls, Parker Ridge, Panther Falls
and Peyto Lake Lookout. Just remember – if you make only one stop, let it be
the Columbia Icefield Centre. Here, you can hop on a specially designed Ice
Explorer for a tour up the icy tongue of the Athabasca Glacier, zigzagged by
crevasses, lateral moraines and ice that formed 400 years ago.
Herbert Lake, Banff National Park
4 In the tiny village of Lake Louise, you will find two of the most photographed
lakes in the world – Lake Louise and its neighbour, Moraine Lake. Trek to
backcountry tea houses, rent a canoe for a leisurely paddle across these lakes
or hire a guide for a technical climb – the roster is rich for outdoor enthusiasts
and, actually, anyone who enjoys gazing at grandeur.
5 From Lake Louise, take the scenic Bow Valley Parkway (Hwy 1A) to Banff,
stopping at Baker Creek and Johnston Canyon (great spots for a picnic, hike
or overnight). Then use the town of Banff as a base and explore its past by
starting at the Cave and Basin Centennial Centre. In the summer, hop on
the Banff Gondola or take a boat ride on Lake Minnewanka. Culture buffs
Lac Beauvert, Jasper National Park
should check out the summer-long arts festival at The Banff Centre.
6 As you head east to Calgary, squeeze in more outdoor adventures in

Kananaskis Country, a sharp detour south off the Trans-Canada Hwy. A
small village with two hotels and a hostel serves as a great base for
golfers, hikers, cyclists, anglers and skiers plus there are numerous places
to camp in this park.

ALBERTA
SOUTH TravelAlberta.com/
South
Milk River, Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park
Historical Highs Nowhere is the transition from Alberta South
prairie to peak more dramatic than at Waterton- Destinations
Blackfoot Crossing
Glacier International Peace Park, a UNESCO World
Historical Park
Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park

Heritage Site. Straddling the Canada/U.S. border, this blackfootcrossing.ca
park has exceptionally rich plant and mammal life. Canadian Badlands
In the rolling foothills nearby, visit Cardston, a town canadianbadlands.com
established in 1887 by Mormon pioneers who Crown of the Continent
crownofthecontinent.org
travelled from Utah in one of the last great covered
Cypress Hills 
wagon migrations. The Remington Carriage Museum
Interprovincial Park
takes you back to the horse and buggy days with tprc.alberta.ca/parks
carriage rides and the largest collection of horse Dinosaur Provincial Park
drawn vehicles in North America. Explore the history tprc.alberta.ca/parks
of the clay industry in Medicine Hat and see the Drumheller
traveldrumheller.com
world’s largest exhibit of Medalta pottery and Hycroft
Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park
Head-Smashed-In
china (once used exclusively by CPR-owned hotels).
Buffalo Jump
Then step outside and if the endless prairie sky head-smashed-in.com
doesn’t make your head wobble, the 20-storey-tall Lethbridge
Saamis Tepee, certainly will. From here, amble down chinookcountry.com
into the Seven Persons coulee, an enormously rich Medicine Hat
tourismmedicinehat.com
archaeological site where experts believe some 83
Waterton Lakes
million artifacts lie buried!
National Park
pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/
Where the Dinosaurs Roamed Prepare to be awed
waterton
by the eerie beauty of the Canadian Badlands. At
Tread Softly
Dinosaur Provincial Park, another UNESCO World
Leave lighter footprints by
ALBERTA SOUTH
Heritage Site, tiptoe in the footsteps of the dinosaurs taking local transit. In the
and see where complete dinosaur skeletons have tiny town of Waterton,
Dinosaur Provincial Park
been unearthed. At the heart of Dino-land is rent an Italian Surry –

these romantic bicycles
Drumheller – just two hours from Dinosaur Provincial built for two are complete
Park – which offers all the conveniences of a modern with four wheels, a jaunty
town and all the intrigue of 70 million years of bench-like seat, steering
wheel and hand brakes.
geological history. Just outside Drumheller, the newly
renovated Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology Great Canadian
Barn Dance
has an extensive display of dinosaur skeletons and a
For a toe-tappin’ good
huge roster of special programs. There’s no need to time mosey up to an old
hustle back to a large urban centre – plenty of fashioned barn dance and
enjoy a hearty beef
charming rural towns offer a wide range of
dinner, available every
accommodation, such as Rosebud. Famous for its weekend in the summer
old-fashioned dinner theatre productions you can in Hill Spring.
chow down on a country style meal in the The Tenderfoot’s
Mercantile Dining Room with live music and then Almanac
Southern Alberta can turn you into a enjoy a first-rate play. Other family favourites are
fossil hunting with a guide
happy shutterbug. If its ethereal
Beyond the Pavement Southern Alberta is a Mecca from the Royal Tyrrell
evening light doesn’t seduce you, then Museum near Drumheller,
for fly fishers and ranch-goers. Guided, all-inclusive
its three UNESCO World Heritage Sites horseback riding in
fly fishing operations are popular on the Old Man, Waterton and camping
just might. Paddle past ancient Crowsnest and Castle rivers. Want to haul in a near the hoodoos in
petroglyphs and pictographs. Bed monster fish that predates dinosaurs? Then join a
Writing-on-Stone
Provincial Park.
down in a tipi. Peek over a buffalo guided sturgeon fishing trip on the South
jump. Fly fish, horseback ride – or just Saskatchewan River. Ranches offer horseback riding,
listen to the wind moan through the cattle roundups, mountain biking and whitewater
hoodoos of the Canadian Badlands.   rafting. Just shop around.

The Turning of Time Buried in History Drive through the Crowsnest Pass in
Hold an original plate in southern Alberta and you immediately feel tiny and
Frank Slide from Bellevue Underground

your hand and you might
inconsequential when entering the shadow of Turtle
be spirited back to the
Mountain. The rocks are the size of condos and the
Mine, Bellevue, Crowsnest Pass

’20s when Alberta Clay
Products and Medalta slide still looks fresh… there’s no vegetation, just a 90
Potteries were shipping
ton jumble of jagged boulders that the wind
stoneware all over the
globe. The Medicine Hat hopscotches around. On April 29, 1903, at 4:10 AM,
Historic Clay District’s the entire face of this mountain peeled away,
150-acre working
pummelling the town of Frank (pop. 600), killing 92
industrial museum is
massive and its new people. The tales of survival, bizarre warning systems,
visiting artist program is luck, fate and how those in the mine were spared,
very innovative. So is the
are legendary in these parts. A newly renovated
old beehive kiln, its
interpretive centre is loaded with local anecdotes, “I love
Interpreter at head-smashed-in buffalo jump

collection of 30,000
pieces, the factory tour – award-winning films and a seismic monitoring system. Alberta for
this land is my
where there were once
It’s also a great place to connect with old-timers who
18 kilns – and funky
galleries. Discover more are still thrilled to tell the tales of Frank. book. It’s my
about the “Hat,” by history. It’s
ambling through its Rock Stars Under a full moon, paddle down the Milk who I am. The
historic downtown and River in Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park and listen language I speak
along the Esplanade.
Download a walking tour
to the wind hiss through the coulees and canyons of comes from this
at: tourismmedicinehat. the Canadian Badlands. Hoodoos rise out of the land. The air I
com/documents/ sandy shores as though sculpted by the hands of breathe is the
HISTORICAL
fairies into otherworldly shapes. The warm breezes same as what ran
through my
WALKINGTOUR2.pdf
that blow off the prairies nuzzle your back just as
Blackfoot Crossing
they have for thousands of years. Members of the ancestors. The sweat that
Historical Park ran though their pores is
Conrad Little Leaf
Blackfoot Nation believe this is the place where their

Perched on a windswept the same as mine. I thank
ancestors were brought to die. The bodies were
the Great Spirit for the
bluff on the Siksika Nation
Reserve, an hour east of trussed to the branches in big cottonwoods lining the
Calgary, this $33 million beautiful place he’s laid out
historical park overlooks Milk River while others were lodged in caves in the for me.”
one of the most significant nearby eroded sandstone cliffs. No one knows the
sites in Canadian history. exact dates of this place. Even the Blackfoot call it
This is where the famous
Treaty No. 7 was signed in Ayin’eep (“It Has Been Written”) because it existed
1877, a groundbreaking before they came. Today the site contains the largest
agreement that allowed collection of native rock art in North America.
the peaceful settling of
traditional Blackfoot A Starry, Starry Night Cypress Hills Interprovincial
Horseshoe Canyon, Cypress Hills
territory. This is also where

Chief Crowfoot is buried. Park, where people have lived for 10,000 years, is
In the shape of a stylized the only park to straddle two provinces (Alberta and
tipi, this eco-friendly Saskatchewan) and is the highest point between the
museum – Canada’s largest Rockies and Labrador, resulting in a unique
Aboriginal museum – is
artfully decorated with ecosystem. Some 400 plant species, 37 species of
Blackfoot symbols from a mammals, four ecological zones, parkland, foothills
buffalo-jump entranceway and boreal forest have been recorded here. In 2008,
to an eagle-feather fan
above the doorway. Inside Cypress Hills received its “Dark-Sky Preserve” status
you’ll find the requisite – because of its programs that profile the night skies,
museum, artifacts, guided including astronomy, night hikes, and nocturnal
walking tours, art gallery,
gift shop, restaurant, wildlife ‘watching.’
theatre, visual exhibitions
– even tipi sleepovers.
Play chess for free on Medicine Hat’s giant chess board.
Located near the Esplanade, it’s also close to the public
library where there’s free Internet access.
Powwow Teepee Village, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo
Jump, near Fort Macleod
TWO UNESCO SITES IN A DAY
The Fort Museum of the North West
Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park

Mounted Police, Fort Macleod
ALBERTA SOUTH
Morning Afternoon that date back 5,700 years. The area
Woke up to the smell of bacon and Got lucky and wandered into the Fort on top of the cliff is where it all
coffee and drifted back again. Must Museum when the Mounted Police began … the Blackfoot’s intricate
have been the fluffy duvet and crisp Musical Ride was about to start. system of stone cairns that formed
mountain air in the town of Waterton Learned how those Mounties get their drive lanes forcing the bison to
because I rarely sleep in. Couldn’t get boots so shiny. They buff them with stampede off the precipice.
enough of the views so we took the floor polish. Really. I might get a pair
Evening
scenic boat tour that stops in the custom made for me (at Calgary’s
While the wind whipped the flaps at
United States. Posted a memo for Alberta Boot store).
the top of our tipi, I leaned against an
peace on their park bulletin board
I finally made it to Head-Smashed-In authentic backboard and listened,
and scanned the shores for grizzlies
Buffalo Jump and can see why it’s a really listened, to an elder whisper
on the way back.
UNESCO site. This 305-meter-long tales of Napi and other mythical
Popped into Fort Macleod for a bison (1,000 ft) jump is the oldest, largest, creatures that ruled our First Nations
burger, en route to Head-Smashed-In and best-preserved buffalo jump on people for centuries. The low thud of
Buffalo Jump but got sidetracked at Earth. Blackfoot elders who operate drums and distant yelp of coyotes
The Empress Theatre. Turns out it’s many of the programs at this site say stirred something deep inside me, as
the oldest operating theatre in the it earned its name when a young I slunk deeper in my sleeping bag.
province and once had vaudevillian brave stood at the bottom of the Of all the experiences that have
acts from as far away as New York jump to watch buffalo barrel off the connected me to our Aboriginal
and Australia. I wanted to curl up on edge of the cliff. people, a stay in an authentic tipi on
one of their love seats and watch these hallowed grounds is IT.
The crowds started thinning so I
tonight’s show but I’m camping at
ambled along the grassy cliff tops
the Jump.
peering over into the scrub where
archaeologists claim skeletons lie,
some 11 meters (36.09 ft) deep,

Badlands
Circle Tour
See page 65
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COALHURST 3
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MACLEOD LETHBRIDGE 41
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Provincial
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, near Fort Macleod
62
Wa
Waterton 6 CARDSTON Writing-on-Stone

Lakes MILK RIVER Park
5
Provincial Park
National Park
PORT OF PORT OF
SWEETGRASS WHITLASH WILD HORSE
PORT OF CHIEF PORT OF PORT OF
MOUNTAIN PEIGAN DEL BONITA
WEST GLACIER M O N TA N A
Visitor Information Centre

Airport
U.S. Ports of Entry
Reel Adventures ALBERTA SOUTH road trips
Distance: About 400 km (249 mi)

Travelling time: One to two days by car
Begin: Drumheller
End: Fort Macleod
Alberta has been a popular backdrop for Hollywood for decades with
southern Alberta’s style of frontier history and unspoiled wilderness an
Royal Tyrrell Museum, Drumheller
all-star favourite. On this road trip we sneak behind the camera to look at
places featured in classics such as Unforgiven and Brokeback Mountain.
1 There’s plenty to see around Drumheller, as Clint Eastwood discovered when

filming Unforgiven, his Oscar-winning western. About 17 km (10.5 mi) west
of Drumheller, on Hwy 9, the prairies dissolve into the spectacular Horseshoe
Canyon in the Drumheller Valley. Next to the valley was the location of
Morgan Freeman’s shack in Unforgiven. While in Drumheller do what Brad
Pitt and Angelina Jolie did when filming Jesse James and take your children
to the Royal Tyrrell Museum. Western fans will also find more scenes from
Unforgiven in Brooks, Stettler and Longview (along the Cowboy Trail). Head
south on Hwy 56 from Drumheller to the Trans-Canada and then veer west
to Cluny where you’ll see signs for Blackfoot Crossing. Stop at this national
historic site that is steeped in the history of the Blackfoot people and then
ALBERTA SOUTH
carry on westward to Hwy 22 and then drop south to Longview.
2 This stunning ranch country has been the backdrop for numerous westerns
– just ask the folks at the Longview Jerky Shop while picking up a pack of
chewy beef. They served Clint Eastwood while Unforgiven was being shot.
Next, head south along the Cowboy Trail to the tiny town of Cowley, where
some Brokeback Mountain scenes featuring Jack’s 1950 GMC truck were
filmed outside the town’s fire hall. In the Savory Suite Café on Railway
Avenue in the post office building, look for the “Brokeback Mountain was
Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park
filmed here” plaque.
3 From Cowley, head east on Hwy 3 past the wind turbines near Pincher
Creek to Fort Macleod – the backdrop for several scenes in Brokeback
Mountain and Passchendaele. The town of 3,000 has maintained its
historic Main Street where you’ll see the Red Coat Inn, the temporary digs
for the cast and crew for both movies. While on Main Street, head to the
Photo Plus/The Source Apartment Building where you’ll spy the staircase
leading to Ennis and Alma’s apartment. A poster commemorates the
controversial Brokeback smooch scene. While here, look for the Queen’s
Hotel, built of sandstone in 1903. Inside is the dance-floor locale, Cassie’s
Bar, from Brokeback. The streetscape was used in Passchendaele to
represent 1917 downtown Calgary. Just down the block is Alberta’s oldest
Reesor Lake, Cypress Hills
theatre, the enchanting Empress, which still runs movies and hosts top
stage presentations. Of course, while you’re in Fort Macleod do as Ennis did

and have a meal at the Java Shop, near the Greyhound Depot and don’t
forget to tour The Fort – Museum of the North West Mounted Police.
For more Reel Adventures, visit albertamoviemaps.com.

64
TravelAlberta.com 1-800-ALBERTA
Hoodoos, Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park
Badlands Circle Tour ALBERTA SOUTH road trip
Distance: Distance varies with loops

Travelling time: About three to four days by car
Begin: Drumheller
End: Calgary or Edmonton
Refer to map on page 62
On this excursion, marvel at Alberta’s two-billion-year-old geological

history – on full display in the lunar-like landscape known as the
Royal Tyrrell Museum, Drumheller
Canadian Badlands. Listen to the wind whistle around canyons,

explore ancient bone beds, Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park and
enjoy remarkable dinner theatre.
1 Whether you begin in Calgary or Edmonton, aim for the world’s largest
dinosaur in Drumheller. The information stop at this attraction doubles as
the Drumheller Tourist Information Centre and is the perfect starting point
for several short drives. Head west on the Dinosaur Trail, a 48 km (30 mi)
route through the Drumheller Valley.
2 Continue west to the Little Church, described as being able to seat

thousands but only six at a time. Continue north to Horsethief Canyon for a
spectacular view of the badlands. Then, cross the Red Deer River on the
Chin Reservoir, near Taber
Bleriot Ferry, one of the last remaining cable-operated ferries in Alberta.
ALBERTA SOUTH
Head back to Drumheller to the Royal Tyrrell Museum, home of more than
35 dinosaur skeletons, interactive galleries and innovative programs.
3 Next, head west on Hwy 9 for Horseshoe Canyon – a picturesque pocket of

badlands representing 70 million years of history. Travel further west on
Hwy 9, then south on Hwy 840 to Rosebud for dinner theatre.
4 Back in Drumheller, look for the Hoodoo Trail, a 25 km (15.5 mi) drive east
along Hwy 10 which takes you to Canada’s most complete coal mine
Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site,
experience. Explore the newly excavated 61 meter (200 ft) long tunnel at
the Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site. At this point zigzag south to Cluny.
5 From Cluny, follow signs to Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park. A stylized tipi
serves as the interpretive centre where ancient legends are told through
innovative methods. Outside you’ll find medicine wheels, Chief Crowfoot’s
East Coulee
gravesite and a tipi village where you can camp overnight.
6 Head east on Hwy 1 and north to Dinosaur Provincial Park on Hwy 36. The
Field station (where 35 species of dinosaurs have been found) offers
guided walks and popular badlands bus tours.
Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park
7 S tay east on Hwy 1 to Medicine Hat. Here you can visit the world’s tallest
tipi and tour the Medicine Hat Historic Clay District. Other diversions include
Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, the Windmill Museum in Etzikom, Devil’s
Coulee Dinosaur Heritage Museum in Warner and Writing-on-Stone
Provincial Park near Milk River. Then head back to Calgary or Edmonton via
Hwy 2 or Hwy 22.

ALBERTA
central TravelAlberta.com/
Central
Abraham Lake, near Nordegg
Central Wonders Alberta Central is massive, for it Alberta Central
stretches from the tumble of the Rockies in the west Destinations
Alberta’s Lakeland
to the prairies in the east. Within this area lies:
albertaslakeland.ca
Bighorn Country, famous for its 700 km (434 mi) of
Boomtown Trail
hiking trails, crosscountry skiing, horseback riding, boomtowntrail.com
hunting, fishing, rafting, canoeing and kayaking; Brazeau Regional Tourism
Kootenay Plains Ecological Reserve, southwest of brazeautourism.ca
Nordegg, featuring natural grasslands and dozens of Camrose
Lac La Biche
tourismcamrose.com
species of birds, mammals and amphibians
Kalyna Country
uncommon to other Rocky Mountain passes; David
kalynacountry.com
Thompson Highway, Hwy 11, named after the
Lac La Biche Region
explorer who was one of the world’s most prolific laclabicheregion.com
cartographers and fur traders; Alberta’s Lakeland, Lacombe Tourism
aptly named for its 250 lakes, white sandy beaches, lacombetourism.com
Rocky Mountain House National
3,200 campsites and 400 km (248 mi) of trails. Lloydminster

lloydminstertourism.ca
Retrace those Early Footsteps Can’t get enough of Nordegg West Tourism
David Thompson – even if you did spend time delving travelnordegg.com
into his life at the newly expanded Rocky Mountain Prairies to Peaks Tourism
Historic Site
prairies2peaks.ca
House National Historic Site? Then head to Lac La
Red Deer
Biche, one of the earliest western hubs of the fur
tourismreddeer.net
trade (1798) and home of the oldest sawn lumber
Rocky Mountain House
building in Alberta. Southeast, near Elk Point, lies Fort whereadventure
George-Buckingham House – two rival trading posts, begins.com
Battle River Trestle, near Wainwright
constructed side by side in 1792. Interpretive displays Rocky Mountain House

National Historic Site
offer a glimpse into the lives of Thompson, the
pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/ab/
voyageurs and natives affected by the posts. Further rockymountain/
west and south, explore the historic churches and index_e.asp
other sites in a 20,000 km2 (7,722 sq mi) swath of Sylvan Lake
town.sylvan-lake.ab.ca
rich farmland in one of Canada’s oldest Ukrainian and
Trail of the Buffalo
ALBERTA central
East European settlements, Kalyna Country. This area,
trailofthebuffalo.com
the world’s largest Ecomuseum, includes Lamont
Larger than Life
County, also known as the church capital of North
Every province has them
America, where you’ll find 47 churches – more, per – those wacky, tacky icons
capita, than anywhere else on this continent. Poking that make for goofy
out of the rich ranchland and charming towns are photos. Line up at
Vegreville for a shot with
distinctive “onion-domed” sanctuaries of the Ukrainian the world’s largest Easter
pioneers that reflect architectural traditions that hark egg or head to Vilna,
back to Byzantine Christianity in Eastern Europe. home of the giant
mushrooms or St. Paul,
Pick Away at our Past Just south of the town where you’ll find the
From the dizzying heights of the Rocky world’s first UFO landing
Mountains you drop into central of Provost lies a massive area studded with pad. Don’t forget Andrew,
Alberta. Down heritage rivers that arrowheads, buffalo bone fragments and shards of home to the world’s
pottery that date back 3,000 to 5,000 years. Known largest mallard duck and
David Thompson paddled to forts once Donalda, proud to cast a
as the Bodo Archaeological Site, the centre is open beam from the world’s
lined with beaver pelts and striped
to visitors until the end of August, with new tallest lamp.
Hudson’s Bay blankets. The landscape
programs slated for 2010. Call 1-780-753-6353 to
gives way to boreal forests, tree-lined book a tour.
lakes, lonely grain elevators and
checkered fields. Want cultural and
geographic diversity? You just found it
– magnified – in Alberta Central.

Wildlife Guaranteed Scandinavian Surprises The lovingly restored
Just east of Edmonton lies buildings in the tiny towns of Markerville and
tiny, fenced-in Elk Island
St. Edmund’s Blue Church, Big Valley

Dickson provide a remarkable trip back to the
National Park – an “island”
of conservation for bison, pioneer days of central Alberta. A century ago,
elk, moose, deer, beaver, settlers from Iceland and Denmark cleared and
coyotes and a variety of
drained this boggy land to create farms and unique
birds. With approximately
3,000 large mammals, the communities. One of the highlights is the Markerville
park is one of the best Creamery (circa 1932) which illustrates how butter
spots in Alberta for wildlife
was made in earlier days. The other must-see is a
watching. Serious birders
who wish to join a visit to the Stephansson House Provincial Historic
mountain bluebird banding Site. Stephan G. Stephansson (1853-1927) was a
program can do so at the
farmer by day and a prolific poet by night. Many
Ellis Bird Farm (available in
Icelanders today make the pilgrimage to Markerville
singer/songwriter
June and July). Others will
enjoy the self-guided trails, to visit Stephansson’s house, where he raised eight
educational programs, tea
children. Just south of Markerville is Dickson, the
room and wildlife habitat.
Another great base for oldest Danish settlement in western Canada where
birders is Thunder Lake you can visit the Dickson Store Museum, beautifully
Provincial Park, near
restored to appear as it did during the 1930s.
Barrhead, where “One of my
Ben Crane
favourite lines I’ve ever
numerous colonies of
Even Stephen Halfway between Edmonton and
blue herons reside.
Calgary is Red Deer, a modern, thriving city where written is ‘wherever I go I
More Central Diversions
half the folks cheer for the Edmonton Oilers and the find the last place on that
Sylvan Lake’s sandy
other half for the Calgary Flames. See for yourself dirt road is the first thing on
my mind.’ Besides living within
beaches have made this
resort one of Alberta’s at the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame & Museum,
favourites since 1901. It’s two hours of mountains,
where more than 6,000 artifacts of sports history,
now just as famous for its grasslands and the badlands
trivia and games reflect their love for anything
waterslide park, boating, what I miss when I’m on
campgrounds and scenic athletic. You’ll find chuckwagon races and livestock the road is the lack of fear
cruises aboard the Miss
Mermaid. Other beaches
shows at Westerner Days plus a reconstruction of a we have here. No banana
worth the drive include fort originally built in 1885 during the Riel Rebellion spiders or snakes will eat us
the ones in Bonnyville, at the Fort Normandeau Historic Site and for lunch – the worst thing
Cold Lake and Lac La Biche. Interpretive Centre. we have are mosquitoes and
they never last long.”
In Innisfail on Wednesday
afternoons in the summer, Unique Urban Landscapes Camrose: Tour the
watch a demonstration at
the RCMP Police Dog downtown district lined with 100-year-old
Service Training Centre – buildings. Country music fans should bring a blanket
the only one of its kind in or a comfy chair for the four-day Big Valley Country
Canada. Or, poke into the
1911 Camrose Railway Music Jamboree, Canada’s biggest country music
Station Museum, full of festival, held annually in early August. Lacombe:
local railway heritage and Named after the famous priest and diplomat,
an archive library. In
Carstairs, visit PaSu Farms Father Albert Lacombe, the town is lined with
Sylvan Lake Marina
– a working sheep farm Edwardian edifices, including a unique flatiron

that also has a large building. Cold Lake: Visit Canadian Forces Base
restaurant and boutique full
of exhibits that focus on 4wing, especially during Maple Flag where you can
wool and sheepskin view the crews in training and watch simulated air
products. Visit Lac La Biche combat drills. Lloydminster: Canada’s only
in March when the Winter
Festival of Speed takes two-province city has a divided population; 60 per
over the frozen expanse cent live in Alberta, the rest in Saskatchewan.
of the lake, turning it into
an adrenaline addict’s
dream. Snowmobile
racing, motorbike and
ATV racing plus a pond In the summer, take a free 60-minute guided tour of a sawmill or
hockey tournament also
takes place.
pulp mill through the Whitecourt Chamber of Commerce. To book,
call 1-780-778-5363.
Reynolds Alberta Museum, Wetaskiwin
WETASKIWIN AND STETTLER IN A DAY
Reynolds Alberta Museum
Alberta Prairie Railway
Alberta Prairie Railway

Excursions, Stettler
Excursions, Stettler
Morning I felt like a character in The Great Evening
I admit it – I thought I’d be the last Gatsby or Out of Africa. With a scarf Arrived in Big Valley, confused. I’m
person to find a museum devoted to swirled around my head we took off not sure if it’s what I consumed in the
transportation remotely interesting. in the museum’s old biplane and Lone Star Saloon or if I’m just thick,
But I’ve just finished “working” on an swooped around for 10 glorious but I can’t separate the characters
ALBERTA central
assembly line for Model T’s and had minutes. Flying is so different when from the theatre company from the
my photo taken with Tin Lizzie at the the wind is whooshing around you passengers. We’re all wandering
Reynolds-Alberta Museum in and the cows in the fields far below around this cute town trying to solve
Wetaskiwin. Before that I saw a 1929 appear like plastic toys. Still don’t the mystery by chatting to locals
Duesenburg Phaeton Royale Model J understand how the lines separating before we settle down to a country
(only kind in the world) and a 1913 crops stay so straight. It was a dinner, served in the old town hall.
Chevy Classic Six (oldest known Chevy checkerboard of colours up there.
Laughed all the way back to Stettler
in the world), but how they transform
Afternoon with my new friends (one of them
these heaps in the restoration studio is
Arrived in Stettler just in time to the “murderer”).
what really boggled my mind.
scoop up our tickets for the Murder
Mystery run on the Alberta Prairie
Railway steam train. Within
moments of chugging away we’d
witnessed a shoot-out, met a
Mountie, and spied our first coyote
loping across a farmer’s field.

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Airport
Abraham Lake near Nordegg
Alberta’s
Yellowhead Highway ALBERTA central road trips

Travelling time: About four days by car
Begin: Lloydminster
End: Jasper
You’ll love what this cultural venture along the Yellowhead Highway
(Hwy 16) has to offer. Named for a golden-haired trapper, Pierre
Royal Alberta Museum, Edmonton
Bostonais, who once led fur traders through the Rocky Mountains,
what you’ll find today is a journey through some of Alberta’s most
expansive territories.
1 Begin in Lloydminster, the only city in Canada to straddle two provinces.

Settled by the British Barr colonists, this area was wholly dependent upon
agriculture until 1933 when oil and gas were discovered.
2 Head west along the Trans-Canada/Yellowhead Highway to Vegreville,

famous for its Pysanka, a giant Ukrainian Easter Egg, more than 7 m (23 ft)
long and 5.5 m (18 ft) wide, weighing 2,270 kg (5,000 lb). Continue west
to the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, where Ukrainian pioneer life in
east central Alberta is re-enacted.
3 Visit the Royal Alberta Museum in Edmonton and discover 11,000 years
and 500 generations of history. Next, visit Canada’s largest living history
park – Fort Edmonton.
4 Continue west on Hwy 16 past the murals of Stony Plain, Wabamun Lake
and Pembina River Provincial Park to Edson. Once used by early settlers to
ALBERTA central
access the North, this town now houses the Galloway Station Museum,
jammed with artifacts, as well as a 1917 caboose and 1964 Lockheed jet
that sits in the RCMP Centennial Park. Just west lies Hornbeck Provincial
Recreation Area complete with campground and fishing in Sundance Creek,
noted mostly for its trout, perch, burbot and lake chub.
5 Just 20 minutes east of Jasper National Park is Hinton, where coal mining
and the forestry industry still play major roles in the town’s economy. Take
an unusual tour of a coal mine, pulp mill or sawmill and gain a unique
Historic Site
perspective on Alberta’s past.
6 Jasper National Park, Canada’s largest mountain national park, is loaded

with wildlife. It’s also historic – teeming with stories of fur traders, gold
seekers, miners, railway workers and intrepid explorers whose tales are
told at the Jasper-Yellowhead Museum and Archives. The range of outdoor
activities in Jasper is vast: wildlife viewing, fishing, rafting, golfing,
Pysanka Festival, Vegreville
horseback riding and hiking. And those are just a start.

David Thompson
ALBERTA central road trips Explorer’s Trail
Travelling time: One to three days by car
Begin: Stettler
End: Saskatchewan River Crossing
One of the most spectacular gateways to the Rockies is the David

Thompson Highway (Hwy 11), a tranquil alternative to the popular
Trans-Canada (Hwy 1). Named after one of the world’s greatest

geographers, this “trail” officially begins in Stettler and heads west
along Hwy 11 to the junction of Hwy 93, skimming through prairie farmland,
the foothills, remote wilderness areas and several historic sites.
Historic Site
1 Begin in Stettler, where you’ll find one of Canada’s last remaining
passenger steam trains operated by Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions.
This historic adventure links Stettler with Big Valley, and offers a variety
of “themed” excursions.
2 Continue west on Hwy 11 to Red Deer, and visit Waskasoo Park, Fort
Normandeau, Heritage Ranch, Kerry Wood Nature Centre and the Red Deer
& District Museum.
3 Just west of Red Deer lies Sylvan Lake – western Canada’s largest outdoor
waterpark surrounded by sandy beaches, a large marina, fishing, golfing
and camping facilities.
Sylvan Lake
4 Follow Hwy 11 west to Rocky Mountain House, where you should visit the
newly renovated national historic site – home of an excellent visitor centre,
the ruins of four forts and a buffalo paddock.
5 Continue west to Nordegg, then to Abraham Lake, one of Alberta’s largest

reservoirs. Then the highway enters the Kootenay Plains Ecological Reserve
Stephansson House, Markerville
– precisely the spot where David Thompson traded goods with the
Kootenay Indians in 1800.
6 Keep west to Saskatchewan River Crossing where this trail ends at the
junction of Hwy 93, just inside Banff National Park. It was from here, in
1807, that David Thompson continued his trek over the Rockies into
present-day British Columbia. From Saskatchewan River Crossing, visitors
may journey north via the Icefields Parkway to Jasper and then east to
Edmonton on the Yellowhead Highway (Hwy 16). Or, turn south on the
Icefields Parkway (Hwy 93) to Lake Louise and Banff.
Waskasoo Park, Red Deer
The Boomtown Trail ALBERTA central road trips

Travelling time: About one to two days
Begin: Calgary
End: Camrose
An alternate route between Calgary and Edmonton is Hwy 21 a.k.a.

the Boomtown Trail, studded with “boomtown” architecture. Whether
it’s nostalgia for the Wild West or the lure of towns that reinvent
Donalda Lamp Museum, Donalda
themselves, you’ll find it somewhere on the Boomtown Trail.
1 Head east of Calgary on Hwy 1 to Strathmore, then zigzag north and east
to the lovely town of Rosebud, famous for its popular dinner theatre and
School of the Arts. Little craft stores, a tiny museum and the actual theatre
have breathed new life into a handful of turn-of-the-century buildings.
2 From Rosebud, meander north and west on to the Boomtown Trail toward
Three Hills. When you see Hwy 581 jog west on it and follow the signs to
the Custom Woolen Mills, a working museum. Here, history is replayed as
raw wool is processed on unique machines that date back to the industrial
revolution. Many items such as comforters, handwoven blankets and
sweaters are sold on the premises.
3 Next, weave back to Hwy 21 through towns such as Three Hills and Trochu,
Rosebud Theatre
famous for their excellent golf courses. Also at Trochu is an Arboretum (100
different plant species) plus the St. Ann Ranch & Trading Co. originally built
as a francophone settlement in 1905. Now a provincial historic site, St.
Ann’s features several museums, an interpretive centre, a tea room, as well
ALBERTA central
as a handsome B&B. Another nearby side-trip is a jaunt to Dry Island
Parade, Hivernant Rendezvous, Big Valley
Buffalo Jump Provincial Park, where Cree Indians stampeded bison over a
cliff some 2,000 years ago. Just north on Hwy 56 lies Big Valley, a perfect
replica of a frontier town complete with two art galleries, a fudge factory,
tea room and barber shop.
4 Back on Hwy 21 point your compass north to Bashaw where an original

boomtown theatre has been restored to its 1915 glory. This is a good point
at which to jog east on Hwy 53 to Donalda where you can see the world’s
largest lamp, some 12 m (42 ft) high. Right beside it is the largest
collection of oil lamps in North America, about 850 of them! Before
returning to the Boomtown Trail, head north on Hwy 56 to Meeting Creek,
Grain Elevator, Ukrainian Cultural Heritage
where one of the finest examples of an early grain elevator, complete with
hydraulic engine, is open to the public.
5 From here, jog north along the shores of Dried Meat Lake or west to
Hwy 21 and then north to Camrose. If you time it perfectly (arriving the
Village, east of Edmonton
first weekend in August) you will find yourself at one of Canada’s

premiere country music festivals, the Big Valley Jamboree. Otherwise you’ll
discover Camrose is yet another boomtown on the Trail, first settled by
Scandinavians in the late 1800s. As a tribute, a 10 m (30 ft) Viking longship
is on display in the Bill Fowler Centre.  

ALBERTA
north TravelAlberta.com/
North
Lesser Slave Lake
Huge, Wild and Right Next Door There’s something Alberta North
about the North that elevates the soul and soothes Destinations
Athabasca
the spirit. Perhaps it’s the fact there are more birds
athabascacountry.com
Grande Prairie Regional College

here than people. More sunny hours (in the
Fort Chipewyan
summer) than not. More history than anywhere else woodbuffalo.ab.ca/
in Alberta. Whatever your motivation for visiting visitors
Alberta North, you’ll find what so many visitors are Fort McMurray
fortmcmurraytourism.com
searching for these days – “authenticity.” There’s no
Grande Prairie
room or reason for pretence in this sparsely
gptourism.ca
populated swath of rugged beauty – just boreal
Peace River
forests, immense space and dozens of warm lakes, mightypeace.com
wide rivers, sandy beaches and wildlife. RV travellers Slave Lake
and other motorists will find good, paved roads and lesserslavelake.ca
abundant places to rest or relax, thanks to numerous Wood Buffalo
Kakwa Falls, near Grande Cache
National Park
provincial recreation and natural areas and dozens of
pc.gc.ca/woodbuffalo
lovely, quiet campgrounds, many of them on the
Fort McMurray
waterfront. Those visitors wanting the comforts of
Take a tour of the Oil
small towns or urban centres – from Grande Prairie Sands Discovery Centre. In
to Lesser Slave Lake, Athabasca, Fort McMurray and the winter, watch the
Peace River – will be pleasantly surprised at the northern lights.
amenities and services available. Grande Prairie

Go birding and search for
Marvel at Mother Nature’s Treasures What’s green trumpeter swans.
and white – no – yellow and mauve and purple all
over? The aurora borealis, a.k.a. the northern lights,
dance and flicker across Alberta’s northern landscape
Northern Lights, Fort McMurray
all year-round, but most sharply from October

through March. The province’s best viewing platform
is the fur-trading post, and now oil capital, Fort
McMurray. Numerous tours take visitors out on
guided photo safaris that start late at night when the
Peace River
colours are brightest. During the day guests can go

dog-sledding, cross country skiing, snowmobiling,
downhill skiing, skating or snuggle up on a
horse-drawn sleigh ride.
Queen Elizabeth Provincial Park,
Modern Amenities to Backcountry Basics En route

ALBERTA North
to the Alaska Highway, visit Grande Prairie to see

trumpeter swans and the Great Northern Casino. This
fully modern city, a.k.a. the “Shopping Capital of the
near Grimshaw
North,” is loaded with malls, theatres and museums

Make northern Alberta the backdrop plus it offers excellent bird watching, fishing and
for an outdoor experience of a lifetime hunting opportunities. The two must-see attractions
are the Grande Prairie Museum in Muskoseepi Park
by horseback, canoe/kayak, jet boat,
which has a surprisingly large and eclectic collection
North Peace Stampede, Grimshaw
ATV, or simply by foot. Experienced

of artifacts from dinosaur bones (found nearby) to
guides will help you catch the big one,
pioneer and farming implements as well as the
see many of its 230 species of birds, Grande Prairie Regional College, designed by
learn traditional Aboriginal uses of renowned architect Douglas Cardinal. Just south,
plants, and take you to places where Kakwa Wildland Park, provides a breathtaking
bison, deer, moose, bears and wolves backcountry experience, framed by mountains,
still roam freely. foothills, meadows, streams and rivers. Nestled in a

A Northern Catch majestic valley where three rivers converge, the
Don’t think that all of town of Peace River boasts excellent cuisine and
Alberta cuisine is off the
amenities plus the spectacular beauty of the valley
hoof. Try the superb
walleye fish cakes that are and numerous outdoor adventures from ranch stays
served in fishing lodges all to jet boat excursions.
over the North. Here’s a
recipe from John Semple of Hooked on Alberta For a world class fishing holiday,
Lesser Slave Lake

Points North Adventures:
circle northern Alberta on your map as it attracts
Fish Cakes
both novice and expert with its hundreds of lakes on
1 lb. minced walleye
the Canadian Shield, plus its rivers and spring-fed
1 small can of crab
meat, drained creeks. There’s more water here than any other area
2 to 3 green onions, in the province. And the range of lodging is almost
chopped as extensive as the species of fish. Choose from
“When I was growing up, all
Canadian Freestyle skier

1/4 cup finely chopped houseboats and rustic fly-in cabins to luxurious
red pepper
lodges, tipis and camps. Let’s dip below the surface
I could do for some air was
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped huck myself off anything –
of just one lake – Lesser Slave (the largest vehicle
parsley picnic tables, roof tops.
accessible lake in Alberta, only two and a half hours
1/4 cup of mayonnaise Anything. Not much has
1/2 cup of seasoned north of Edmonton). This lake is home to more than changed ... I’m still hucking
myself into the air –
bread crumbs 15 fish species which can be caught from shore but
Mix all ingredients. the pros say it’s much better to take a boat (rentals more air. But
Form into patties. Dip in
eggwash. Coat with available in town). The walleye is said to grow up to Ryan Blais I still come
seasoned breadcrumbs. 9 kg (20 lbs), the northern walleye up to 4 kg (10 home to
Fry in small amount lbs). Every lake in the North has its water-fed Grande Prairie
of vegetable oil until
legends – that’s why so many anglers fly from where I can
be riverboating
crisp, about 3 minutes
each side. one to another.
or skidooing
Haying in the ’30s Discover Dunvegan This historic town in the Peace within three
Every August long
River Valley is the site of one of Alberta’s earliest fur minutes
of town.”
weekend, the town of
Mallaig recreates Alberta’s trading posts and missionary centres. Interpreters
past with an event that dressed in period costume guide you through 19th
uses horse drawn
century log buildings, meticulously restored. Equally
equipment to perform tasks
from haying and threshing impressive is the entryway – over the longest
to road construction and suspension bridge in Alberta. Dunvegan Provincial
shingle making.
Park is laced with paved walking trails, 67 campsites,
a boat launch and u-pick gardens.
Fort McMurray’s Must-Visits At Fort McMurray you

can canoe or jet boat along the historic routes of
Near Fort McMurray
Highway 2 near Dunvegan
Alberta’s earliest hunters, trappers and explorers.

Experience the Oil Sands Discovery Centre from the
seat of a 150 ton truck or marvel at the town’s
colourful past at Fort McMurray Heritage Park. Next
to the shopping malls, luxe hotels and spas are golf
courses where you can tee off at 11 PM (the sun
barely sets here in the height of summer), scuba Did you know that you’ll find
dive or skydive plus enjoy a vast network of hiking everything you need in the North’s
trails and spectacular sand dunes. Just new is the urban centres? Grocery stores. Camping
35,303 m2 (380,000 sq ft) Suncor Community Leisure shops. Museums. Even spas!
Centre with two field houses, a running track, curling
Fort Assiniboine
rink, hockey rink, library and squash courts.
Aboriginal Dancer, near Slave Lake
Official Alberta Vacation Guide

77
ALBERTA North
More Northern Northern Adventures Thanks to the “Magnificent
Grandeur River Rats Festival,” historic Athabasca is fast
Alberta Professional
becoming known as Northern Alberta’s “Festival
Marten Mountain, Lesser Slave Lake

Outfitters Society
apos.ab.ca Town.” But it’s far more than that, evident in its
Boreal Centre for heritage buildings and its history as a boatbuilding
Bird Conservation hub. Indeed, 150 years ago, this is where
borealbirdcentre.ca
paddlewheelers and scows came to be repaired
Provincial Park
Fort Chipewyan
before loading up with furs for their return journey,
Bicentennial Museum
woodbuffalo.ab.ca/ eastward. Robert Service, the renowned poet, lived
visitors at Athabasca Landing for a time and captures those
Fort Vermilion wild and woolly days in much of his early work.
Heritage Centre
Just a couple of hours northwest of Athabasca is
geocities.com/
Lesser Slave Lake, the largest recreational lake in
Salt Plains, Wood Buffalo National Park

fort_vermilion
Historic Dunvegan Alberta, with 108 km (67 mi) of sandy beaches and
albertaparks.ca clear warm water. It’s bordered by two beautiful
Oil Sands Discovery Centre provincial parks; Lesser Slave Lake and Hilliard’s Bay
oilsandsdiscovery.com
where you can camp, fish, boat, kayak, hunt, ice
Sticky Business fish and golf. Special annual events include the
Oh, the things that stick! Sand Sculpture Championship, Songbird Festival and
Oil in Alberta was first
reported in 1719 by a the Elks Pro Rodeo.
Cree Native who brought
samples of the tar sands Climb the Roof of Alberta The largest national park
to Fort Churchill. He told in Canada, Wood Buffalo National Park, is an
them the First Nations astounding 45,000 km2 (17,100 sq mi) of protected
people used the gooey
stuff to waterproof their land. This UNESCO site boasts the biggest herd of
birch bark canoes. wood bison in the world (about 5,000) where these
Hilliards Bay Provincial Park
magnificent beasts still roam as freely as they have

for thousands of years. Endangered species such as
the whooping crane and peregrine falcon also call
the park home. They keep company with more than
one million ducks, geese and swans that migrate
Bucketwheel Reclaimer,
through the park each year. Launch your Wood

Buffalo adventure from Fort Chipewyan (Alberta’s
Fort McMurray
most remote community) on the western shores of

Lake Athabasca. More than 200 years of history are
on display at the Fort Chipewyan Bicentennial
Museum. Marvel at murals in the local Roman
Wood Buffalo National Park
Catholic Church that were painted with blueberry

and cranberry juice mixed with fish oils. Discover
more about the Dene people with an interpretive
tour focused on fishing, wildlife viewing and native
Driftpile Powwow
cooking. Fort Chipewyan is accessible by boat, plane

and winter road.
Sink your chops into a tasty bison “smokie” with coleslaw, potato salad, pickles and lemonade. All for free
– every Wednesday during summer at Grande Prairie’s Visitor Information Centre.
Alberta Open Sand Sculpture Championship,
Lesser Slave Lake
LESSER SLAVE LAKE AND MCLENNAN IN A DAY
Devonshire Beach, Lesser Slave Lake

Kimiwan Lake Birdwalk, McLennan
Provincial Park
Sandhill Crane
Morning sooooo rare; the chances are less planks were vibrating. I looked up
I yank on my toque and head lamp than one per cent. Learned the and the sky was plastered with white
and swing out of my bunk bed at The Boreal Centre has banded 50,000 flapping wings. I thought I was in a
Nest, a cool little hostel at the Boreal birds in its 15 year history. Nat Geo centrefold.
Centre for Bird Conservation on Lesser
Afternoon Evening
Slave Lake. We wander down to the
Added an American red-start, a I heard there were nightly skits at the
banding lab. We can hear the birds
Tennessee warbler, flycatchers, Marten River Campground, at the
starting to twitter and chirp. The
chickadees, a red-eyed vireo and north end of Slave Lake Provincial
coffee’s on. The mist is starting to curl
a tundra swan to my life list. Park, but I didn’t think they’d haul me
off the lake.
up on stage and dress me up like a
ALBERTA North
Hopped in my car for a 90-minute

So far, I’ve caught three little warblers flying squirrel. That’s when other
drive west to another birder’s
in the net lines. Placing the first one human-sized “birds” began pecking
paradise – Kimiwan Lake, which they
in a little yellow bag was a struggle at me, twittering with environmental
say is “The Bird Capital of Canada,”
but I’m slowly getting the hang of it. messages and singing wacky songs
close to the town of McLennan. All I
Measuring their wingspan and that were so funny, I cracked up.
can see are waterfowl. I have my
muscles and snapping a little Then the interpreters (university
scope out on the boardwalk and I see
aluminum band on their spindly legs drama students from all across
geese, mallards, grebes, pintails,
takes experts less than a minute. Canada) punted me off the stage
wigeons, mergansers, scaups.
They’re so small, I worry I might calling me a bird brain and a
A guide tells me that 250,000
break one in two. not-so-fair feathered friend.
waterfowl and 27,000 shorebirds live
We caught a flycatcher with an old, or migrate through here every year.
battered band on its leg. The head
It’s so hot here that I just lay down
researcher went wild because he’d
on the boardwalk for a little siesta
put that very band on this bird’s leg
and it started shaking. Truly, the
10 years ago. Recapturing a bird is

N O RT HW E ST T E R R I TO R I ES
Bistcho
Lake
Wood Buffalo Lake

National Athabasca
Park
HIGH LEVEL FORT

58
58 Lake CHIPEWYAN
Claire
RAINBOW LAKE
5Boyer FORT VERMILION
88
BRITISH
e r LA CRETE
Riv 697
er
SASKATCH
sca Riv
aga
nch
Chi
35
Athab
COLUMBIA
ver
Peace Ri
MANNING
EWAN
FORT McMURRAY
CLEARDALE RED EARTH
64 4 CREEK
HINES
CREEK
GRIMSHAW PEACE RIVER 88 North
FAIRVIEW 2 Utikuma Wabasca
DUNVEGAN 2 Lake Lake
WABASCA
GIROUXVILLE South
SPIRIT Wabasca 63
RIVER 49 Lake
FALHER McLENNAN 754
6 49 Lesser Slave Lake Winefred
Lake
SEXSMITH Calling
BEAVERLODGE 43
HIGH
PRAIRIE 3 SLAVE LAKE Lake
GRANDE VALLEYVIEW 33 2
PRAIRIE
44 2 55
ATHABASCA 55 LAC
LA BICHE
2
Northern Alberta
Heritage Trail
Dunvegan Bridge, near Fairview
LEGAL
MORINVILLE

1
To Edmonton
Airport
Northern Alberta
Heritage Trail ALBERTA north road trip
Distance: Varies with route

Travelling time: About seven to 12 days by car
Begin: Edmonton
End: Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie or High Level
Immerse yourself in this spectacular northern landscape by touring

its many historic sites that pay homage to pioneering roots that reach
Chez Dube Country Inn, Fort McMurray
back to the 1700s. Churches, museums and interpretive programs tell

the tales of the heroic pioneers, missionaries and Aboriginals who
settled this vast area.
1 Play a round of 1920s-style miniature golf at Fort Edmonton Park or stay a

night in the restored 1920s Hotel Selkirk. Then travel north on Hwy 2 to
St. Albert for a tour of the Father Lacombe Chapel, the Musée Heritage
Museum and a 1909 replica of a train station. Continue north to Morinville to
the St. Jean Baptiste Church and then on to the famous murals in Legal, the
heart of French culture in Alberta. End in the historic town of Athabasca and
enjoy self-guided tours of the town and riverfront.
2 From Athabasca, head east on Hwy 55 to Amber Valley and visit the
museum that celebrates the history of the black pioneers. Be sure to tour the
Lac La Biche Mission, full of role-playing interpreters who’ll spirit you back
150 years. Zip back to Hwy 63 and then start heading north to Fort McMurray
where you’ll find the Heritage Park Museum and the Oil Sands Discovery
Peace River
Centre. Further north is Fort Chipewyan, Alberta’s oldest settlement.
3 Steer west of Athabasca on Hwy 2 into the Lesser Slave Lake region, where
David Thompson arrived in 1799, via canoe. Whatever you do, don’t miss
Grouard, once a Roman Catholic mission and later a gold-seeker’s hub.
4 Head north on Hwy 2 to Peace River to see the gravesite of Twelve Foot
Davis, named for the fortune he made from a 4 m (12 ft) gold claim in the
Guest Ranch, Beaverlodge
Klondike. En route, visit the Northern Alberta Historic Railways Museum in

ALBERTA North
McLennan and detour on to Hwy 49 to Girouxville to visit its museum of

5,000 artifacts.
5 Highlights along the Mackenzie, Hwy 35, include the Old Hospital Gallery &
Museum and the Battle River Pioneer Museum in Manning. Stay north until
High Level (home of the Mackenzie Crossroads Museum) and then head
east on Hwy 58 to Fort Vermilion (see the Heritage Centre collection).
Turn south to La Crete, a thriving Mennonite community reflected in its
Mennonite Heritage Village.
Black Bear, Lesser Slave Lake
6 Drive south on Hwy 35 to Grimshaw, jog west and south to Grande Prairie
and stop along Hwy 2, at numerous historic sites. Pop into the Fairview
Pioneer Museum, the original fur trade post at Historic Dunvegan Provincial
Park, Spirit River’s Settlement Museum, Sexsmith’s 1916 blacksmith shop
museum, Beaverlodge’s Centennial Museum as well as the Heritage
Discovery Centre in Grande Prairie.

Rocky Mountaineer
Travel essentials
U.S. Ports of Entry Customs and Immigration Visitors to Canada require a Rail Travel Alberta is served by VIA Rail scheduled
International visitors valid passport, proof of identity or other travel service. Stops are scheduled in Edmonton and Jasper.
driving to Canada can documents. Contact: Western Hemisphere Travel Call 1-888-842-7245 (in North America) or the VIA
use any of the following Initiative knowyourborder.gov; Passport Canada number in your area for reservations and information. In
ports of entry:
ppt.gc.ca; nearest Canadian Consulate or Embassy the U.S., VIA Rail can be booked through AMTRAK at
Alberta
cic.gc.ca; Canadian Border Services Agency 1-800-872-7245.
Aden
Carway cbsa-asfc.gc.ca Rocky Mountaineer offers service from Calgary, Banff
Del Bonita Weapons Revolvers, pistols, fully automatic firearms and Jasper to the West Coast of British Columbia. These
Wild Horse and other weapons and self-defence sprays (e.g. mace, routes through Canada’s Rockies are considered some
Coutts
pepper spray) are prohibited entry into Canada. All of the world’s classic rail trips. For details, visit:
Chief Mountain
firearms (e.g. hunting rifles, shotguns) must be rockymountaineer.com
Montana
declared. To obtain information on firearms legislation, Motorcoach Travel Special tours and services are
Whitlash
Piegan please call the Canadian Firearms Centre inquiry line available throughout Alberta including the Rockies.
Del Bonita at 1-800-731-4000. Drivers and guides offer historical information and
Wild Horse
Banking and Currency Traveller’s cheques and credit insight into the area.
Sweetgrass
Chief Mountain cards are accepted at most commercial establishments, Brewster Vacations: 1-403-762-6700 or in
banks and currency exchange offices. Banking hours are North America: 1-866-606-6700 
Average Temperatures
generally 9:30 AM to 4 PM, Monday to Friday; some Greyhound Bus Lines: 1-800-661-8747
Summer:
banks are open Saturdays. Most automated teller Red Arrow Motor Coach: 1-800-232-1958
June to August
machines (ATMs) accept one or more of the following
20°C (68°F) Health and Travel Insurance Alberta has an excellent
networks: Interac, Cirrus or Plus. They are found at
Fall: health care system; however, the health care plan does
September to November banks and in retail areas.
not cover out-of-province visitors. Clarify your coverage
11°C (52°F) Taxes Alberta is the only province in Canada with no before entering Alberta through your personal insurance
Winter: Provincial Sales Tax (PST). There is a four per cent carrier. Contact your local travel agent for further details.
December to February Tourism Levy on accommodation. The Canadian
-11°C (12°F) Highway Travel Alberta is accessible from the east and
Government charges a five per cent Goods & Services
Spring: west by two officially designated Trans-Canada routes.
Tax (GST) on most purchases. The Foreign Convention
March to May Hwy 1 crosses Alberta in the South and the Trans-
and Tour Incentive Program (FCTIP) provides a tax
9°C (48°F) Canada Yellowhead Hwy (Hwy 16) crosses Central
rebate to visitors purchasing tour packages that include
Metric Conversion Alberta. North-South travel is provided on Queen
short-term in Canada. For more information in
Canada uses the metric Elizabeth II Hwy, or you may want to take the scenic
Canada: call 1-800-668-4748; outside Canada, call
system. All highway and route through the mountain parks on the spectacular
1-902-432-5604; or visit cra-arc.gc.ca/tax
traffic indicators are in km Icefields Parkway (Hwy 93).
and km/h, gas is sold by Tipping The average tip in Canada is 15 per cent.
Camping Camping is available throughout the province in
the liter, temperature is However, depending on the level and the nature of the
measured in Celsius, and private campgrounds and resorts, national parks and
service, tipping may range from 10 per cent to more
the electrical current is provincial parks. Reservations can be made at private
than 20 per cent. Tips are generally given for good
110 volts. campgrounds and at certain parks. Camping fees range
service by food and beverage servers in bars and
Distance: from $10-$40 per night depending on services. To receive
restaurants, taxi drivers, tour guides, hotel bellman and
1 kilometer = 0.62 miles a campground guide, call Travel Alberta at 1-800-ALBERTA
estheticians. While it is not required to tip other service
Speed: (252-3782), stop in at a visitor information centre, or visit:
staff, you are at your liberty to do so.
100 km/h = 62 mph TravelAlberta.com/camping
Volume: Air Travel Alberta is home to two international airports,
Alberta Public Holidays (please see page 26)
3.8 liters = 1 U.S. gallon one in Edmonton and one in Calgary. Easy access to
Temperature: Alberta from more than 100 cities world wide is
25°C (77°F) available with most major airlines and charter
companies. For specific information on scheduled and
charter flights, contact your local travel agent.
You could win a free seven-day holiday to Alberta by simply completing the survey at
TravelAlberta.com/survey. And after reading this Vacation Guide you’ll be able to
customize your trip for two.
Hostelling in Alberta Hostels vary from basic (bed, operate local and regional visitor information centres
Contact
kitchen facilities) to superior standards (family rooms, that offer detailed travel information. A number of
laundry facilities, licensed café, showers, sauna). Alberta these have been recognized as accredited centres that Phone
Toll-free Canada & U.S.
offers 15 hostels in Banff, Jasper (along the Icefields provide a broad range of amenities and services.
1-800-ALBERTA
Parkway), Kananaskis Country, David Thompson Country, Operating hours at visitor information centres vary, and (252-3782)
Calgary and Edmonton. For more details, visit hihostels.ca many are seasonal. International
or contact Central Reservations at 1-866-762-4122, or 1-780-427-4321
Meetings and Conventions There are visitor and
e-mail: centralres.pm@hihostels.ca
convention centres in Calgary, Edmonton, the Canadian E-mail
Fishing and Hunting Regulations Fishing licences Rockies and many of the smaller cities, which are able travelinfo@
outside the national parks can be purchased from select TravelAlberta.com
to host meetings and conventions. The full-service
sporting good stores, convenience stores and some gas resorts, hotels, lodges and restaurants in Alberta’s Fax
stations. For details, call: 1-888-944-5494. 1-780-427-0867
most popular destinations are ideal sites for conferences
Hunting regulations and special licensing requirements and meetings. A Meetings, Convention & Incentive Post
Travel Alberta
vary depending on the type of hunting. Hunting is Travel Guide is also available from Travel Alberta.
Box 2500 Edmonton
absolutely prohibited in the national parks. For Visit: TravelAlberta.com/meetings Alberta, Canada T5J 2Z4
everything you need to know about fishing and hunting Travel Alberta Guides Drop by a Visitor Information Travel Alberta assumes no
in Alberta, visit: mywildalberta.com Centre for a Travel Alberta Vacation Guide, responsibility or liability in
Pets Owners must accompany their pets when entering Accommodation Guide, Campground Guide or connection with the
services listed and
Canada. Owners of dogs and cats must bring a Official Road Map. Call 1-800-ALBERTA (252-3782) to
provided by the operators.
certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian clearly order any of these guides or do so online at: While every effort is made
identifying the pet and certifying that it has been TravelAlberta.com/guides to ensure the information
vaccinated against rabies within the preceding 36 Be Responsible Whether you’re in one of Alberta’s contained in the brochure
months. There are exceptions made for seeing-eye is correct, Travel Alberta
urban centres, the badlands, prairies or the Rockies,
disclaims any liability in
dogs and puppies or kittens that are younger than three you can respect our environment by being a negligence or otherwise
months old. For more details on border crossings with responsible visitor: for any loss or damage
a pet, contact: that may occur as a result
• If you fly to Alberta, consider purchasing carbon offsets.
Canadian Border Services Agency of reliance upon any of
Independent agencies funnel these carbon offsets, or this material. All
Within Canada, call: 1-800-461-9999 voluntary donations, into renewable-energy research, information is accurate at
Outside Canada, call: 1-204-983-3500 or   reforestation projects and other carbon-reduction press time but is subject
1-506-636-5064 or visit: cbsa-asfc.gc.ca schemes. Visit aircanada.ca or offsetters.ca for more to change without notice.
Travel Alberta provides
Renting an Automobile All car rental companies have a details on carbon offset programs.
this publication for
strong network of outlets in Alberta. To rent a car you • Become familiar with local cultures and information purposes only.
must be 21 years old and hold a valid driver’s licence communities, especially those of our First Nations’ Travel Alberta does not
and a major credit card. (A small surcharge may apply people. Take time to listen to the people. Encourage endorse any of the
to drivers under 25 years of age). persons or entities listed
local conservation efforts.
in this publication or make
Renting a Motorhome/RV Renting a motorhome is a • Respect the natural environment of the places you visit. any representations or
convenient way to explore Alberta. You may purchase warranties as to their
• Choose products that are reusable and recyclable.
insurance at the time of rental. For best rates, it is reliability, financial
recommended that bookings be made three to four • Buy goods and services from companies that respect condition and suitability
the environment. for any particular purpose.
months in advance.
You are advised to make
Visitor Information Centres Knowledgeable and • Support the integrity of your destination – whether it’s your own inquiries of any
friendly Alberta specialists await you at the 10 noted for its architecture, heritage, cuisine, aesthetics person or entity in this
or ecology. publication to determine if
provincial Travel Alberta Visitor Information Centres,
he/she/it is satisfactory
strategically located along key highways and at border • Choose those (hotels, airlines, resorts, tour operators for your purposes. All
entry points. Stop in for a variety of province-wide and suppliers) who advance energy and rights reserved. No
tourism information including all Travel Alberta guides environmental conservation; water and air quality; material may be
and official road map. Let our specialists help customize recycling; safe management of waste and toxic reproduced from this
publication without prior
your vacation in Alberta. materials; noise abatement; community involvement;
written permission from
To complement the provincial information services and which provide experienced, well-trained staff Travel Alberta.  
network, more than 100 communities across Alberta dedicated to strong principles of conservation.
Some photographs in
this publication are
courtesy of the Canadian
Tourism Commission.

Must Attend We hope this Vacation Guide moves you to new places both physically and
• Banff Summer Arts Festival
emotionally. More planning tips to help you ...
• Calgary Stampede
• Edmonton International
Fringe Festival Package Tours Let a professional tour massive festivals from the Calgary
• The Canadian Badlands operator design an itinerary for you. Stampede to the Edmonton Fringe.
Passion Play Choose from North American and In winter, the focus is on skiing and
• Big Valley Jamboree International based tour operators who snowboarding. Summer days are long,
• Magnificent River Rats Festival offer fully escorted tours, fly/drive sunny, hot and simply stunning. Winter is
• Banff Mountain Film Festival
packages, and a variety of independent marked by fluffy snow and sunny skies
Must Experience “Land Only” packages. We’ve made it – perfect for skiing. Late spring and early
• Columbia Icefields easy for you to link directly to tour fall are also lovely times to visit, marked
• NHL Hockey Game operators in the country of your choice. by fewer visitors and lower prices.
• Royal Tyrrell Museum
For a complete list visit: TravelAlberta.
• Spirit Island Boat Cruise What to Pack The diversity in Alberta
com and click on Packages and Tours.
• Horseback Riding calls for shrewd packing. If you’re
• Hiking Things to Know Before You Go Most of heading to the Rockies for any sort of
Must Photograph the nuts and bolts that go into planning outdoor adventure, dress in layers. Apart
• Lake Louise/Moraine Lake a vacation are on the previous page, from a handful of very formal urban
• Fringe Festival, Edmonton Travel Essentials. Prefer to call? Dial restaurants most dining establishments
• Glaciers, Icefields Parkway 1-800-ALBERTA (252-3782), only in in Alberta welcome casual attire.
• Calgary Stampede North America. Or meet an Alberta Always bring sunglasses and a hat to
• Sunset, Canadian Badlands Travel expert at one of our Visitor provide protection from strong sunlight.
• Northern lights Information Centres. With airlines tightening luggage
• You in Alberta restrictions, remember to leave all
More Siteful Information This Guide is
Must Know liquids and sharp objects in your piece
merely a starting point. Our newly
• Alberta population: 3.5 million of check-in baggage. Your carry-on bag
enhanced website has a wealth of
• Capital: Edmonton should contain valuables, medications,
information plus the ability to customize
• Size: 4th most popular reading materials and vital documents.
provincial destination your holiday so you can design a
• Provincial Flower: Wild Rose vacation where you truly get away from National Park Entry Permits are
• Highest Peak: Mt. Columbia it all. From budgetary matters to specific required for entry into any national park
3,747 m (12,294 ft)
interest areas, Travel Alberta will in Canada – and Alberta has five. You
• Canada’s oldest national
connect you to some of the planet’s can buy a day pass at a park gate but if
park: Banff
most beautiful wilderness areas and you’re intending to spend time in many
Must Eat
fascinating cultural escapes. Visit: of our parks consider an annual National
• Beef jerky
TravelAlberta.com. Parks of Canada Pass that’s good for one
Hot Air Ballooning, Grande Prairie
• Beef on a bun
year from the date of purchase and
• Cheemo’s perogies When to Go Alberta is a four-season
• Big Rock beer
comes with a booklet of discount
destination but most visitors plan their
• Bernard Callebaut chocolates coupons. National park fees have been
vacation around the summer or winter.
• Field Stone fruit wine waived until 2011 as have fees to
Summer holidays typically revolve
• Prairie oysters historic sites – more good news for
around outdoor activities such as hiking,
• Alberta game/wildmeats budget-minded travellers!
biking, fishing and golfing – or our
Key Destinations
and Driving Distances
For greater detail, please refer to
Alberta Map the Official Alberta Road Map.
Wood Buffalo
National Park
FORT Travel Alberta Visitor
RAINBOW LAKE CHIPEWYAN
138 km Information Centres
86 mi HIGH LEVEL
Canmore
Year Round
271 km Crowsnest Pass
168 mi May – September
6
296 km
184 mi Field, British Columbia
May – October
Grande Prairie
May – September
FORT McMURRAY
690 km
Hinton
439 mi May – October
PEACE RIVER Lloydminster
May – September
198 km Milk River
123 mi
May – October
GRANDE
456 km Oyen
283 mi
PRAIRIE May – September
488 km
303 mi Walsh
May – September
187 km 460 km
116 mi 286 mi
West Glacier, Montana
May – September
1
GRANDE
CACHE
146 km Elk Island Visitor Information Centre
91 mi HINTON National Park
3 UNESCO World Heritage Site
288 km
179 mi 250 km
EDMONTON 155 mi Airport
79 km
49 mi
LLOYDMINSTER
5
158 km
JASPER 98 mi
Jasper
IC
EF
National
IE
XX%
Columbia
LD
Park Icefield 276 km

S
PA
RED DEER 172 mi

RK
W
232 km
AY
144 mi Banff 145 km

National Park 90 mi
LAKE LOUISE DRUMHELLER Cert no. XXX-XXX-000

189 km OYEN
FIELD BANFF 118 mi
139 km
57 km CANMORE 86 mi
35 mi 104 km Dinosaur
65 mi CALGARY Provincial Park 188 km
26 km 117 mi
16 mi
1 Edmonton & Area

2 4
MEDICINE HAT 54 km
223 km 33 mi
2 Calgary & Area 139 mi 169 km
3 Canadian Rockies Head-Smashed-In 105 mi
WALSH The Official Travel Alberta
Alberta South Buffalo Jump Vacation Guide is printed on
4 140 km LETHBRIDGE 239 km recycled, post-consumer waste
Alberta Central 87 mi
5 84 km
149 mi
certified by both the
CROWSNEST PASS 52 mi Rainforest Alliance and
6 Alberta North
Forest Stewardship Council.
Waterton Lakes MILK RIVER The 30% recycled content in
National Park
our pages translates into the
conservation of trees, energy,
WEST GLACIER and water as well as a
decrease in pollutants.
WIN A
Trip of a Lifetime!*
TRAVELALBERTA.COM
1-800-ALBERTA
We want to know how helpful this
Official Vacation Guide was in planning
your holiday. All you have to do is:
Fill out the survey at TravelAlberta.com/survey
You’ll automatically be entered into Travel Alberta’s
Trip of a Lifetime contest which will award some lucky
winner with a seven-day customized holiday for two.
This incredible $5,000 vacation for two includes
accommodations, airfare, car rental and activities for
an extraordinary holiday that only you could create.
* Some restrictions may apply.
Across the Bow River from The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel is a series of pocket beaches –
cool little spots to picnic or simply admire Bow Falls and iconic peaks such as Sulphur Mountain and
Mt. Rundle. The area is also a dream for rafters, trail runners, horseback riders, fishers and hikers.
TravelAlberta.com/Rockies

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2010 OFFICIAL

Whether you’re looking for inspiration, action or relaxation – explore Alberta

Cattle drive, south of Calgary

Edmonton & Area

Calgary & Area

Official Alberta Vacation Guide 1

Columbia Icefields, Jasper

Elk Island National Park

Big Horn Sheep, Kananaskis Country

Athabasca Falls, Jasper National Park

Mother Nature’s Frequent Flyers Hold a trained falcon, owl or eagle,

Head to a national park on Canada Day, July 1, and

Official Alberta Vacation Guide 5

Rock Lake, near Hinton

Lake Louise, Banff National Park

Rat’s Nest Cave, Canmore

Cox Hill, near Canmore

Don’t be shy – if you see a Parks Canada interpreter

Official Alberta Vacation Guide 7

western ways, volunteer at a farm Workers on Organic Farms (WWOOF)

Bow Falls, Banff National Park

The Lowdown on our Western Ways

Sleepover, Calgary Zoo

minister, alberta tourism, parks and recreation

Boredom Busters Starlabs, rooms of LEGO, hands-on galleries, special

Canada Olympic Park

If you’ve got a junior naturalist (aged 6-10) on your

In Calgary, take a trek through the you’ll stumble on life in Alberta,

Alberta Legislature Building, Edmonton

Calgary Flames, Pengrowth Saddledome

Cultural Capital Edmonton’s renowned as Canada’s Festival City. The biggest

Grande Prairie Provincial Building,

their western art collections as well as contemporary exhibits.

Buy an Experience Alberta’s History Pass and receive

In Edmonton, you’ll find more than 60 100-year-old sandstone banks and

Enjoying the Fountain, City Hall,

food activist and consultant

handmade shoes to Aboriginal art. If you’re hunting for an enormous bargain

Antique buffs should make a beeline to Inglewood, Calgary’s oldest

Calgary Farmers’ Market

Adventurous foodies can sample dozens of tasty morsels

Albertans know that when it comes to golf, far-away greens aren’t

With a backdrop of Rocky Mountain peaks, Silvertip is another big hitter,

On Par with Palace on Wheels On the roster of the ultra-luxurious railway

Want to squeeze as many rounds of golf into a long

Two Jack Lake, Banff National Park

Margaret Lake, northern Alberta

world champion waterskier

Wind/Kitesurfing Legendary winds can whip across Alberta’s all-star lakes

Wild and Woolly Whitewater Enjoy white-knuckle river rafting on the

ancient fossil beds amidst the hoodoos.

Tightwads know the cheapest dip in Banff is at the Banff

Willow Stream, The Fairmont Banff Springs

Bow Lake, Banff National Park

Spa, Grande Prairie

Destination Spas We mean overnight indulgences when we use this term,

Depending on the spa, Asian techniques may be emphasized or a clinical

approach such as at Calgary’s Santé Spa (Canada’s first medi-spa) may be

Om Sweet Om Whether you subscribe to Bikram or Ashtanga yoga – you will

Pop by a yoga shop and inquire about free classes.

The Lake Louise Ski Area, Banff National Park

Ice Fishing, Wabamun Lake

Olympic silver medalist cross country skiing

2 Follow the signs to nearby Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village. Costumed

4 Take a free tour of Alberta’s magnificent Legislature Building and marvel at