20 Itineraries Final

43 WILLMORE EDMONTON WILDERNESS 16 Alberta’s Dinosaur Trail PARK 16 LLOYDMINSTER Discover two-billion-year-old rocks plus the largest JASPER 2 JASPER NATIONAL 14 PARK collection of dinosaur skeletons in the world. 93 RED DEER BANFF 36 NATIONAL PARK 2 DRUMHELLER LAKE 9 LOUISE BANFF 10 EAST COULEE If Calgary is your gateway, of interest, the Little Church, often described as being able to seat 1 ROSEBUD DINOSAUR PROVINCIAL CALGARY 1 PARK head north toward Dinosaur thousands but only six at a time. The road then climbs steeply out KANANASKIS COUNTRY BROOKS Trail on Highway 2 to of the valley onto the prairie benchland. Take the first access road 2 1 MEDICINE Crossfield and then veer east on the left — it doubles back to Horsesthief Canyon Lookout from LETHBRIDGE HAT 41 on Highway 72 (which where there are spectacular views of the Badlands and the 4 becomes Highway 9) to multicoloured walls of the canyons. The trail’s halfway point is Drumheller where the Trail the crossing of the Red Deer River on the Bleriot Ferry, one of the begins. But before you few remaining cable ferries in Alberta. The road continues along venture out on this scenic loop the top of the valley to Orkney Hill Lookout for more panoramic Number of days: 4-5 through Alberta’s lunar-like views across the Badlands and the lush valley floor below. Tour distance: 771 km/480 mi Badlands, spend some time in the Day 1 Calgary to Drumheller 140 km/88 mi town of Drumheller where murals of After completing the loop take a little diversion south past the Day 2 Drumheller to Medicine Hat 247 km/155 mi Day 3 Medicine Hat to Lethbridge 168 km/105 mi dinosaurs decorate scores of historic Horseshoe Canyon to the tiny town of Rosebud, for a dinner Day 4 Lethbridge to Calgary 216 km/135mi buildings. At one end of Main Street, theatre performance. SPECIAL INTEREST ROUTE right on the banks of the Red Deer River, Calgary is the world’s largest fibreglass Serious ‘dinophiles’ can add another day to their trip by See Tour 4 Tyrannosaurus Rex, where 106 stairs lead heading south on Highway 56, then east on Highway 1, and Brooks you straight into the beast’s actual mouth. slightly north on Highway 36 to Dinosaur Provincial Park (a Dinosaur Provincial Park Drumheller and Area UNESCO World Heritage Site). Its focus is the Field Station, a World’s largest Dinosaur Just seven kilometres west of Drumheller, base for scientific research, but is also home to numerous Fossil Shops on North Dinosaur Trail, is the Royal dinosaur bone-beds, rivaled only by sites in China’s Gobi Desert. Drumheller Valley Historical Interpretive Centre Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, Most people come here for guided walks and the popular Splash Park/Centennial Park Reptile World arguably the finest dinosaur museum in Badlands bus tours, which take in parts of the park otherwise The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology the world. The Tyrrell is devoted to out of bounds to visitors. Not only is the diversity of specimens Dinosaur Trail dinosaurs and was named after Joseph great, but so is the sheer volume; more than 300 museum- Bleriot Ferry Tyrrell, who in 1884 discovered an quality specimens have been removed from bone-beds found Homestead Antique Museum Horseshoe Canyon Albertosaurus, the first of hundreds of here, and are exhibited in museums around the world. Horsethief Canyon complete dinosaur skeletons, since McMullen Island removed from Alberta’s Badlands. Today Back on Highway 1, continue heading east. Visit the city of Hoo Doo Drive Trail the museum has more than 80,000 Medicine Hat, described by Rudyard Kipling in 1907 as a city East Coulee “Big” School Museum Historic Atlas Coal Mine specimens and 35 complete skeletons, "with all hell for a basement" because of the huge gas fields Hoodoos more than any other museum in the under the city and this area. Today visitors flock to the world's Mining History Statues world. All are strikingly and imagina- tallest teepee, bask under Medicine Hat's endless skies or tour the Rosedale Suspension Bridge tively presented with the crowd-pleasers Clay Products Interpretive Centre and the Medalta Historic Site. Valley Historic Sites Lethbridge being the original Albertosaurus and Fort Whoop-Up Tyrannosaurus Rex, as well as more From Medicine Hat, head to the southwest corner of the province Indian Battle Park unusual creatures such as the on Highway 3 to the city of Lethbridge. On the way through visit Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens Xiphactinus. The museum alone is the Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens, Fort Whoop-Up and the Sir Sir Alexander Galt Museum Southern Alberta Art Gallery worth several hours but you can Alexander Galt Museum. Finish off the tour by heading back to University of Lethbridge spend a full day here by tacking on Calgary on Highway 2 and visiting points of interest along the way. High Level Bridge a short hike or guided jeep tour to Alberta Birds of Prey Centre, Coaldale some nearby bone-beds. Medicine Hat Clay Products Interpretive Centre & the Medalta Historic Site Throughout the summer the Cypress Hills Provincial Park museum hosts family Saamis Teepee sleepovers, Dino Camps and Milk River and Area full-day digs. Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park Devils Coulee Museum and Interpretive Centre (Warner) Village of Sterling National Historic Site (Sterling) Heading out on the Rosebud Dinosaur Trail, drive west Akokiniskway Gallery from Drumheller, along Akokiniskway Golf Course Centennial Museum the Red Deer River Rosebud Theatre Valley to the first point Dinosaur Dig, near Drumheller.

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