EXPLORE MORE #MyBanff Banff National Park has some of the most breathtaking landscapes in the world. Here you’ll find the Rocky
Mountains, 2,500 square miles of
protected wilderness and hundreds
of year-round activities. This summer we’re asking Albertans to get out and explore more of the World’s Finest National Park. Come visit and
discover our horseback riding tours. Banff LakeLouise.com
2
ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014 1817 10th Avenue SW Calgary, AB T3C 0K2 Telephone (403) 266-4094 Fax (403) 269-1140 Docket: 37549 Due Date: May.5.14 Client: Banff Lake Louise Tourism
Description: Summer – Let Buck Show You
MAP OF CONTENTS Wood Buffalo National Park High Level
page
13
Barkerville Peace River
page
4
2 2
2 2
Rocky Mountains
Grande Praire
Faust Valleyview
Slave Lake
Barrhead
page
St. Paul
Westlock
Fox Creek
page
7
Elk Island National Park
St. Albert
Jasper National Park
16
16
Edmonton
Hinton
27
Vegraville
Camrose
Glacier Skywalk
1 hr / 100km
2
3 hr / 300km
Red Deer
1
Banff National Park Lake Louise Banff
5 hr / 500km 2
Calgary
Dinosaur Provincial Park
1
Brooks 2
1
Medicine Hat Fort MacLeod
Lethbridge
Waterton National Park
Red Rock Coulee
page
14
PG 8
Great day trips Best of provincial parks
PG 11 Zen and the art of packing Books for the road PG 18 A road without regrets:
an interview with Grant Lawrence
PG 20 An oddity odyssey:
on Canada's roadside attractions
PG 22 Panther River Adventures: Where wild horses roam
PG 29 Breakin' it down:
Summer driving and safety tips
Cover photo: Red Rock Coulee Natural Area, south of Medicine hat / Travel Alberta.
ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014
3
WHERESOEVER THE ROAD GOES
/ Travel Alberta
E
ND OF THE ROAD. It’s a phrase that is ingrained in the North American cultural mindset as the place—literal or metaphorical—where all possibilities terminate. Go no further. But the boldest among us have long known that where the road ends, the adventure begins. And of anywhere in Canada, Alberta is a land that overflows with the possibility of adventure beyond roads. Float planes, packhorses and ice roads are ingrained in our DNA. Rough roads—permanent and temporary—have been hacked and hewn into the wilds of the province since its inception. It starts way back with the explorers. David Thompson, Anthony Henday, the coureur du bois, voyageurs, traders. In Edmonton, Wop May’s mercy flight of 1929, the building of the Alaska Highway in the 1940s and more recently, large-scale production at the Fort McMurray Oil Sands, cemented the city’s reputation as a gateway to the north. Today, there are few paths Albertans haven’t mapped, trampled and paved in the quest to master this landscape. But they are out there.
B
ONE BED 30 IS ONE OF THEM. Situated inside the protected environs of Dinosaur Provincial Park, there is only one road in. And only one way out: back the way you came. Here, like the first paleontologists who uncovered the remains of these spectacular creatures, visitors must leave behind their cars— those metal safety blankets—and confront a vast, ancient landscape once roamed by giant prehistoric reptiles. Yet until you’re almost right on top of it, you wouldn’t even know it’s there, says Brad
4
Tucker, head of visitor services for the park. “You’re going to wonder, am I in the right place? This feels like the middle of nowhere. Have I taken a wrong turn?” Which, Tucker notes, if you plugged Drumheller into your GPS or smart phone, you have. Although Drumheller and Dinosaur Provincial Park are two completely different places separated by over 200 kilometres, he explains, people often conflate the two. But if you do head the right way, east on the Trans Canada and then north just before Brooks, AB, on Highway 36, you’ll find yourself coasting through classic Alberta prairie and ranchland, with nothing along the horizon even vaguely resembling the mental image most people have of the cretaceous period. “Then you’ll start to see the badlands in front of you. Before you come down into the valley there’s this amazing viewpoint you have to stop at and what you’re looking over is Canada’s largest area of continuous badlands,” Tucker says.
ticipants out to a real, live dig site, where they engage in “citizen science” for up to three days. “It’s an authentic dig, so nothing planted. This is a real excavation. What the visitor will uncover will be something no other human eyes have ever seen. The work in Bone Bed 30 is generating data that is being used by the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology,” explains Tucker. “There is a real possibility that somebody on that program could be digging up a bone no one’s ever seen before and could be responsible for finding a new species of dinosaur.”
F
OR DINOSAUR BONES AND WILDFLOWERS alike, life on earth is a fragile thing. The crushing pressure of car tires on soft soil is too much to bear. The only way to experience such captivating natural phenomena close up is on foot. Where Highway AB-5 comes to an end in the tiny hamlet of Waterton, there isn’t much other choice. And that’s exactly as it should be when you enter one of nature’s great cathedrals.
“It’s an amazing landscape that’s never been touched by industry, and protected in many ways as a provincial park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site… what people have called Canada’s Grand Canyon.”
The last few kilometres’ drive into town set the tone, describes resident Holly Fausset, winding through alluvial sand down into the “alpine-looking town.”
The park’s UNESCO status is owing, in large part, to the fact that the protected area, which stretches some 80 square kilometres, is the “most continuous geologic record of the last 10 million years.” This, Tucker exclaims, is the best site for dinosaur study with the highest concentration of dinosaur bones in the world.
“You think you’re on the prairies and then wham, the mountains rise abruptly in front of you,” says Faucet. “It does feel like you’ve driven to the end of the road. When you step out of your car it feels like you’re stepping into a pure experience, you’re connecting with nature.”
Here, you can leave behind modern day trappings, dig into million-year-old dirt—maybe even unearth a fossil. One of the park’s popular interpretive programs for adults takes par-
Waterton’s permanent population of about 30 to 50 residents (swelling to an estimated 88 in summer) is dwarfed by its wildflowers, which grow in such abundance and
ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014
diversity that it claims the title of Wildflower Capital of Canada. The annual Wildflower Festival—running June 20 – 28 this year—is a highlight of the summer season. One of Waterton National Park’s signature hikes, Crypt Lake, is the kind of epic journey around which great road trips are built. From Waterton, hikers must disembark from their vehicles and board a ferry to transport them deep into the park, where a classic Rockies’ hike awaits. Another boat ferries travellers across the Canada-U.S. border into Glacier National Park in Montana, where they can collect a passport stamp and put even more distance between themselves and their vehicle.
D
ISTANCE GIVES A SENSE OF PERSPECTIVE. And it’s often perspective that we are searching for. The conflicting nature of modern life in a province underpinned by natural resources, wealthy in minerals and mountains, cleft between a new urbanism and traditional rural roots, defies easy resolution. The stories of this land go much farther back, before homesteads, farms, oil and industry, to a time when travel was simply part of life. Herds of bison roamed the prairies, and First Nations tribes wandered freely across a land undivided by roads. In the 1920s, wood bison were in decline in Alberta, owing to accelerated development, population growth and over-hunting. When a small but strong herd of around 1500 was found roaming in the northern part of the province, provincial leaders had the foresight to set out a conservation area for their protection. This area would become Wood Buffalo National Park—ground zero for saving and restoring the bison as a species in the province.
Continued on page 7
n! o i t a n i t es D n o i t yca a l P r u Yo
Overnight With Nature in the Northern Rockies.
COME AND EXPLORE THE RUGGED BEAUTY OF ALBERTA’S NORTHERN ROCKIES & FOOTHILLS.
S L L A F R E TIMB mer m u S s i th Coming
R! E T T E W ! R E T T E
!B BIGGER
SITES • • MOUNTAIN BIKING • CAMPIN G • HIKING • QUADD ING • HISTOR ICAL • ALKS • BOARDW RIDING ACK • HORSEB LS • • FISHING • CANOEI NG FESTIVA
Visit
www.tourhinton.ca or www.visit yellowheadcounty.com to plan your trip to the Alberta Northern Rockies.
s, t e k c i t n t o n i t u a o c m s r For di al park info , genereservations .com and r alawaypark visit c
Grande Prairie
Grande Cache Edmonton
Hinton
ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014
Yellowhead County / Hinton 2014 Great Outdoors - April 17, 2014 Vue Weekly Contact:
5
ADVERTORIAL
Golden gears up Big races, downhill thrills and family fun in BC bike mecca Imagine trail dust trickling away from between your toes as you soak your feet in the cool Kicking Horse River, the sun warming your skin as you reflect on one of the most exhilarating rides of your life. This, you smile, this is the good life. Just whisper the name “Golden” to any serious biker, and you’ll send chills down her spine. The BC interior is full of resort towns that boast great bike parks, cross-country trails and scenic road touring. But any serious aficionado will tell you, Golden is in a league of its own. Let’s take it from the top.
Black
diamond: screaming
downhill with top talent For downhill riders, the prestige of Golden began years ago with a race known as the Mt. Seven Psychosis. Sounds fun, right? Set at Mt. Seven, one of three mountain areas for downhill riding in Golden, the race wove its way down technical steeps and gnarly alpine terrain, testing many a rider to his limits. The legend lives on to this day. The jagged peaks of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort serve today as the rough-edged crown for the Western Open BC Provincial Cup. The provincial cup is the culmination of a season of downhill racing where the province’s best compete for top billing.
Blue square: enduring crosscountry challenge and singletrack satisfaction For the average rider who might tremble at the Mt. Seven race—and many wiser riders do—Golden’s scene has matured to accommodate so much more than in the heady, extreme days of downhill parks in the early 2000s. Over 100 kilometres of cross-country trails span the valley and mountainsides around town. “In the past, the biking was rough and raw,” says Andy Bostock, director of the Golden Cycling Club. “Now, it’s leaning towards building nice, smooth, easy-to-ride singletrack as well. Before Golden was known for extreme biking; now, there’s something for everybody.”
6
Canada’s biking community is recognizing it, too, with the selection of Golden as a prime destination for races of all types and skill levels. This summer, Golden will host not one, but two stages in the Transrockies Singletrack 6 race—the only destination to be chosen for such an honour. “Just because of the size of our trail network, we can accommodate two completely different courses,” explains Bostock. “Most places have a single trail network; we have two, three areas.” And for those whose stamina isn’t quite depleted, there’s the Kootenay Rockies Enduro Race, part of a popular series of regional long distance races.
Green
circle:
the Golden road to unlimited revolutions At long last, after twists, turns and tree roots, we reach the valley floor. The action here is just as exciting, unfolding over 300-plus kilometres of rolling highway, and flatter, friendlier town trails. The triathlete or expedition-hungry rider in the family will never tire of the road riding in the area. The Golden Triangle route, which loops 316 km through the Columbia Valley wetlands, Kootenay National Park and Yoho National Park, would be a prize jewel in any rider’s crown.
on the trails, the local Rotary trails around Golden offer shorter, gentler cruising alongside the Kicking Horse and Columbia Rivers. When it’s time for a rest, you can stop to throw stones into the bubbling current. The best way to cap a great day of biking? Grab a cool beverage on a downtown Golden patio, have dinner at one of the town’s top-notch restaurants, suggests Bostock, or just chill out by the water. After all, there’s nothing like dipping your toes in a mountain stream after a great ride.
When it’s time to slow down and enjoy family time
•
Kootenay Rockies Enduro 2014 – July 19, 20
•
Western Open BC Provincial Cup – July 25 – 27
•
Transrockies Singletrack 6 – July 29, 30
Or just come explore all Golden’s bountiful fun for bikers, any time from May through September. To help you get the most out of your biking holiday, get the 2014 Golden Bike Trail map, showing all the cross-country and downhill trails in the area—free! You can download or view it online, or request a copy mailed out to you. For more information visit www. tourismgolden.com/Bike.
ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014
Plan Your Trip Today! Phone 1(800) 622-GOLD Email info@tourismgolden.com Website www.tourismgolden.com/Bike
Continued from page 4 Without the intrusion of human beings, the dwindling bison resurged. Today’s herd numbers some 5000 free-roaming bison. Significantly, the herd is self-regulating, which means no vaccines and no interventions by man in general—a major accomplishment for park conservationists. (Once humans have intervened in species management, it can be extremely difficult to disentangle from the web.)
Brewster skywalk is open for business we do right away is we draw everybody’s attention to the dozens of waterfalls that are projecting into the canyon down below into the Sunwapta River.” Visitors will also learn about glaciology at that point, before they carry on to the next interpretation node, which is located in a bit of a cave, where they learn about “the pure geology of the area.”
To this day, the closest you can get by automobile to the Alberta park boundary in summer is the town of Fort McKay, roughly several hundred kilometres away. (In winter, an ice road closes the gap.)
“When you leave the geology area … you walk out from underneath the cave and then you’re walking along and you come to this big archway, and just before you get to it, you start seeing all of these paw prints embedded into the concrete.”
Travelers can still get in from the Alberta side to explore, but they must either adopt an alternate mode—for example, canoe or float plane—or circumnavigate the park, coming around via the Northwest Territories into the park. Once you’re into the park, describes Helen Panter, WBNP product development officer, you’ve truly distanced yourself from civilization. “You don’t have electricity in the middle of the park. If you see people you might be lucky because a lot of times you might not see anyone. “A lot of people who come… they want to connect more with themselves at the same time, and with nature… [they’ll say] I really want to feel it. I want to discover the park other than driving on the road and go past those boundaries.” One of the sensations that those explorers may experience is true darkness, something that is less and less common in our increasingly urbanized, artificially lit world. In fall 2013, Wood Buffalo National Park earned the designation of dark sky preserve, making it the world’s largest (Jasper, Alta, is second). Under such immense, dark skies, on a clear starry night, humanity’s significance within the infinite universe may yet yield.
Glacier Skywalk - Discovery Vista / Photo courtesy of Brewster Travel Canada
The new Glacier Skywalk—Alberta’s highest profile new attraction, and arguably the most controversial of the last decade—opened to visitors On May 1. The glass-floored walkway, which won an international architectural award in 2011, is located at the former Tangle Ridge viewpoint on the Icefields Parkway.
ronmental assessment.
The brand new attraction, built by Brewster Travel Canada, consists of a 400-metre interpretive boardwalk, with a glass-floored observation deck suspended 30 metres over the Sunwapta Valley, providing an opportunity for visitors to learn about geology, hydrology, glaciology, wildlife and architectural design.
He said with a first-hand experience on the Skywalk, many of their concerns will be resolved. They will see the in-depth interpretative materials that have been prepared; the thoughtfulness that was put into the construction materials that were used; the accessibility of the structure for people with all levels of mobility; and they’ll find out that the mountain goat study that’s been going on for the past three years will continue on for another five.
The project was approved by Parks Canada in 2012. Ahead of that decision, there was a significant outcry from critics both locally and nationally, who were concerned about the mountain goat and bighorn sheep populations in the area, as well as the privatization of a piece of Jasper National Park. More than 180,000 people signed a petition condemning the project on the online activist network Azaaz.org, and Parks Canada received more than 2000 comments on Brewster’s envi-
While describing the experience of walking through the attraction, which costs $24.95 for an adult and $12.50 for a child, McKenna noted that there are multiple “nodes” where visitors can stop and learn something about the area. These spots begin even before the visitor steps foot on the observation deck. “The overall theme is water, so one of the things
1an0nuthal
E
VERY ROAD IS A RICH METAPHOR. People and families, commerce, technology and history flow through Alberta’s many arteries and capillaries, circulating both good and ill. The annual pilgrimages that play out on the highways, the cultural rituals embedded in each successive generation’s psyche, are beyond simple comprehension. And so, we pack our bags, chart our course, fill up mugs, top up the gas, get lost, ask directions, find our way and continue towards our destination. Though we may know where the road begins, we often can’t predict where it will end. That’s just the nature of the adventure. Let’s embrace it.
Ahead of the opening of the Skywalk, Brewster’s interim president, David McKenna, said he hopes the project’s opponents will make the trek down the highway to check out the attraction for themselves.
By following the prints, the visitor is then met by life-sized cutouts of different animals that exist in the park, beginning with creatures as small as pikas and moving all the way up to the grizzly bear. “I think grizzly bears might surprise people just how big they are, and also cougars—they’re not the little house cats that people think they might be.” It’s at this point that visitors reach the glassfloored observation deck. Once there, people are welcome to stay as long as they like, taking in the sights and snapping photos, and when they are ready to carry on, they move to the last node: hydrology. It is there that people are connected to Jasper National Park in a deeper way. “It really doesn’t matter where you’re from, the water from this place does touch pretty much most of the globe on a molecular level,” he said, referring to the fact that water coming off the Columbia Icefield drains into the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans. “So if you’re on any coastal city on the Pacific, Atlantic or Arctic oceans you too are connected to this special place. “It’s sort of the exclamation point of why these are very special places and that we need to protect them.” Trevor Nichols/originally published in the Fitzhugh
International Chainsaw Carving Championship June 12-15, 2014
The Annual Chetwynd International Chainsaw Carving Championship has visually shaped Chetwynd into a one-of-a-kind locale. Artists from all over the world compete in this unique competition. ■
Spectators can watch the artists create their works of art over the three days from start to finish
■
Today, competitors come from as far as Wales and Japan to compete
■
Quick carve competition held on Sunday - your chance to bid on a piece at the auction!
■
Take a self-guided walking tour
■
Each intricately carved piece form the championships are placed throughout town
■
120 carvings and more added each year
Chetwynd Visitor Centre:
Tel: 250.788.1943 | tourist@gochetwynd.com snap & watch
Jeremy Derksen / jeremy@postvuepublishing.com bonus video content
Pick up a br ochure at the Visitor Centre and take a se lfguided tour of the carvings.
ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014
www.gochetwynd.com 7
The day tripper
A one-way ticket to summer adventure on Alberta’s roads With the short summer season in Alberta, having enough things to do is rarely the problem. It’s more deciding which of the many options you’re going to indulge in. Fortunately, most of these adventures can be done in a day, or at best, an overnight. Vintage experience If you’re going to cruise down memory lane, why not do it in Wetaskiwin? The town is famous for its Auto Mile and commercials advertising good deals on vehicles (“cars cost less in Wetaskiwin”), but it also hosts one of the largest classic car shows in Western Canada, with rare models from the Reynolds-Alberta Museum, and private car enthusiasts. This year’s event takes place June 14 – 15. Art en route The city of St. Albert abounds with public art. Over 34 public art installations are spread throughout the city, and that’s not counting the city’s many galleries. It’s worth the day trip to explore. Every first Thursday of the month you can join Art Walk St. Albert from 6 – 9 pm for a free tour of local art and art galleries. Additional entertainment will also be on hand, including buskers and food trucks. For more information check out artwalkstalbert.com. Hear that train a comin’
/ credit Jeremy Derksen
8
Spend a day on an old steam train and travel back in time—you may even find yourself in the middle of a train rob-
bery by the notorious gang, the Reynolds Raiders. Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions hosts travellers from May through September, on varying dates and special occasions. Trips depart from Stettler and end in Camrose, where a roast beef dinner is served before you are shuttled back to your departure point. Snacks, refreshments and licensed beverages are all served on board. Check absteamtrain. com for the departure schedule. Heli-high A bit of a stretch for a day trip, maybe, but it’s worth staying over a night to experience the high alpine ecstasy of a Rockies Heli Tours trip. A short, exhilarating flight whisks you up to a mountain top, where you can indulge in relaxing yoga, go for a hike or savour some extraordinarily good food made fresh by a local Canmore chef. Your helicopter awaits at rockiesheli. com. Farm family fun
Paradise by the dashboard Alberta has beautiful natural parks within easy driving distance Get out of the city for a day at the park—a provincial park, that is. There are some spectacular provincial parks within an easy drive of Edmonton. You can almost feel the Frisbee in your hand and taste the hotdogs (or veggie dogs) roasted over the coals. Here’s a roundup of local favourites.
Pembina River Provincial Park Sixty two-metre cliffs, an ambling riverbed carved out during the ice age, and 200 species of plants. All just one hour west of Edmonton.
The Kraay family in Lacombe holds the Guinness World Record for the largest ever QR code (29 000 square metres), which they ploughed into their field in For hikers, a six-kilometre trail 2012. Famous for their corn mazes, crosses Highway 16A to climb a the Kraay farm creates a new maze steep embankment, then enters each summer to entice and entwine your family in the twists and turns of an emerald forest of dogwood, the corn labyrinth. Other attractions poplar, and little low strawberinclude farm animals, pig races, mini ry plants. The trail plateaus for golf, gemstone mining and more at fantastic views of the Pembina kraayfamilyfarm.com. FF14VueAd.qxp_Layout 1 2014-05-01 9:18 AM Page 1
ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014
River meandering far below. A massive train bridge spans the upper banks. For something different, try Pembina River Tubing (pembinarivertubing.com). Meander along the curling waters and soak up the summer sun. A shuttle will be ready and waiting when the journey’s done.
Wabamun Lake Provincial Park
Ropes mark off the swimming area so splashing children and their parents don’t have to contend with boat traffic. The picnic area has barbeques, tables, and a playground for kids when they’ve tired from building sand castles. Enjoy boardwalk trails and blushing Alberta roses. And for those looking for a longer stay, the provincial park has 275 private campsites nestled in several well-treed loops.
Photo: www.AboriginalBC.com
Wabamun is Cree for ‘mirror.’ The park’s sheltered location in Moonlight Bay near the summer village of Kapasiwin allows for such reflection; there, just 45 minutes (60 km) west of Edmonton, is a tranquil spot perfect for sun worship and aquatic fun.
Miquelon Lake Provincial Park Hate weeds? You won’t have as many tickly encounters at Lake Miquelon because of its saline content, which keeps the underwater tendrils at bay. Kids won’t get grossed out, and the clarity of water is something that’s endeared this watery refuge to beachgoers for decades. The park has a 10km trail system with a series of loops allowing for shorter sojourns (the shortest being 1.7 km) depending on your energy. It’s 1299 hectares and lies at the south end of the Cooking Lake Moraine. Miquelon Lake Provincial Park attracts approximately 200 species of birds and has been a bird sanctuary since the 1920s.
Crimson Lake Bring the bikes and head west to Crimson Lake near Rocky Mountain House. The 10 km Amerada trail circumambulates its serene waters, threading through aspen stands and evergreens. After you’re hot and sweaty, take a dip. There’s nothing sludgy about Crimson Lake—it has a soft, sandy bottom kids will love. The park’s located at the base of the foothills amongst evergreen forests and parkland. Beautiful territory. Jane Marshall / seejanewrite.ca
EXPERIENCE THE LARGEST HISTORIC SITE
IN WESTERN NORTH AMERICA
BARKERVILLE G LD AND NEW SINCE 1862. 1-888-994-3332 • www.barkerville.ca • A NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE of CANADA ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014
9
75 Restaurants • 150 Shops • Only 4 Hours Away
tourismcanmore.com 10
ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014
Zen and the art of packing Tips, tricks and tools for the road tripping trade
Books on the road
A good book can alter the experience of travel and open your eyes to new possibilities. If it’s about the travel experience, even more so. Here are a few entertaining reads that you might want to stick in your glove box this season. This isn’t your conventional list of recent releases, just some dog-eared favourites that are worth the read.
American Gods by Neil Gaiman.
The smooth Alberta highway stretches out before you. Tires hum and heat waves shimmer on the horizon. Your favourite song reverberates through the speakers and the prairie sky caps the scene in gradients of blue. This is the freedom of the road. This is the classic Canadian road trip. As a travel writer, I’m often highway bound or in the sky and have worked for years perfecting the art of packing. When I’m solo, it’s easy—one bag, a small clothes sampling (carefully picked), and vegetarian snacks within arm’s reach of the steering wheel or stashed in my carry-on. When I’m with my husband and two kids, ages 10 and seven, well, let’s just say things expand. This is part of the challenge and part of the fun—seeing the mountain of summer clothes, bikes, helmets, the cooler, and imagining a way not only to fit it all into the vehicle, but to pack it in such a way that when the kids ask for a jacket I won’t have to dig for halfan-hour while littering the oncepeaceful car sanctuary with muttered curses. Pre-emptive planning helps. Here are tips to help you on your journey.
LUGGAGE AND ORGANIZATION Nearly 40 years ago the folks at Eagle Creek designed their first travel backpack. Since then they’ve been honing and expanding their gear. It’s well made, durable, and helps you keep your sanity when you’re far from home. I contacted Eagle Creek’s Alli Noland and Merle Ann May for road trip recommendations, and here’s what they said:
sweaty gear, from boots to wetsuits. Durable, stylish, and will even fit on the back of an animal if your road suddenly ends and a pack animal appears.” “For those who prefer traveling light, or perhaps on a more refined path, the Tarmac AWD is designed to be refined yet rug-
I felt like a nomad breaking down the village with each move. But I believe with little ones it’s more important to have fun than to be a packing authoritarian.
With its rollicking, mythological gods-at-war/crime-spree/travelogue noir, this is a great read any time, but above all when travelling. Gaiman’s take on the concept of roadside attractions and American spirituality is by turns humourous, cynical and profound. For more on roadside attractions and Gaiman, see pg. 20.
My kid-friendly tips:
On a Cold Road: Tales of Adventure in Canadian Rock
•
•
Individual packs. Let kids pack magnetic checkers, stuffies, their faves—and stick in a surprise (a new book, stickers, or beads for a destination project). Bring water bottles and a cooler they can reach, packed with homemade snacks like cut veggie sticks, yogurt, and fruit juice.
•
Audio books pass time without gluing kids to movies.
•
When back-seat arguments erupt, pull over and run free in the grass for 10 minutes.
Can’t fit it all inside? Try a Thule rack atop the vehicle. These are lockable and strong. ged. Built to last with durable construction and materials like Bi-Tech™ and Bi-Tech Armor™, the Tarmac AWD also features 360º spin wheels that glide effortlessly and make getting from the car to the hotel a breeze. Polycarbonate back for strength, and [a] lightweight, fabric front for a feature-rich bag—the best of both worlds.”
by Dave Bidini. Musicians are more familiar than most with the hardships of life on the road, and the famous and semi-famous Canadian musicians in Cold Road offer great insights into our national culture through the lens of the professional’s touring life. Eloquently narrated by Bidini, a graduate of the same school of hard knocks through his time in the Rheostatics.
Why I hate Canadians, and How to be a Canadian by Will Ferguson. Travel can bring out the best and worst in people. Will Ferguson knows how to turn frustration into humour in any typically Canadian moment. Reading Ferguson while meeting real fellow Canadians on the road will help soften the edges and shed perspective on the more surreal encounters.
The Lonely End of the Rink: Confessions of a Reluctant Goalie by Grant Lawrence. It’s not about the road, per se, but hockey is a game often played on the road (from amateur through to the professional level) and reflections on the game are often universal. Also, it just won the BC Book Prize for 2014 Book of the Year. For more Grant Lawrence, see our interview on p18. Got some faves of your own? Share them with us at #greatreads@hotsummerguide.
Jane Marshall / seejanewrite.ca
- PostVue staff
“For those who like to take all their gear, I'd recommend the ORV trunk,” says Noland. “It’s cavernous to hold all your multisport gear, your camping gear, practically everything but the kitchen sink. [The] waterproof compartment is perfect for wet, May uses Specter cubes for incar organization. “You can hang them in the car, making it easy to grab and run,” she says. And she knows. Travel’s a big part of her life and profession. Separate clothes and gear with these handy cubes and you’ll always know where things are.
KID FRIENDLY I might be crazy, but I’ve roadtripped with my kids since they were babies. When my son was three and my daughter just eight months, I packed our full-sized Ford van (the backseat folded into a bed), replaced one captain’s chair with a playpen, and the three of us drove to Invermere, BC, stopping at campgrounds along the way.
ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014
11
TRAVEL
FOOD
CONCERTS FESTIVALS
FAMILY
FUN 3
12
ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014
Barkerville brims with ghosts, gold rush lore On the chalk board menu at Wake Up Jake’s it says “Saturday, 1872.” The day of the week changes, but it’s always 1872 in Barkerville. In this beautifully preserved town the 1860s Cariboo Gold Rush is still underway and Barkerville is one of the most important places in western North America. Its population of 5000 makes it bigger than just about anything west of Chicago and north of San Francisco, its two long streets paralleling Williams Creek alive with prospectors, merchants, clergymen and housewives.
As a piece of living history, Barkerville is hard to beat. It was still a (barely) going concern in 1958 when the provincial government decided to preserve it as a historic site, moving out the last residents and restoring its homes, hotels, churches and shops. Its 125 buildings give a fair rendering of how the town would have looked in the late 1800s, and from May through September costumed interpreters and regular performances at the Theatre Royal keep the cobwebs away and make Barkerville still seem a vibrant place. But for those who like the ghost in their ghost towns, there’s a trail to follow that will take you more quietly back in time. It runs 800 metres from the north end of town to the Barkerville Cemetery. You can go on your own, but the free tour that leaves from St. Saviour Anglican Church will give you a lot more information. The path through the woods opens out onto a narrow hillside above Williams Creek. Here lies Janet Allen, “Scotch Jenny,” who kept a saloon and died when her carriage plunged down the bank into William Creek as she was driving to Dunbar Flats. When she died, wrote the Cariboo Sentinel, “all the flags in Barkerville were hung at half mast.” “When someone died, [the designated town mourner] would go through Here was John Fraser, fourth son of extown weeping and tearing his plorer Simon Fraser. He was a poet and clothes. For this he’d be paid $5 or a unlucky. He killed himself after a business bottle of whisky. Sometime he was deal and a love affair both came apart, and paid both, which, for some reason, the next day one of the gold claims he’d the local paper recorded.” invested heavily in struck paydirt. - Andrew Halladay, former chaplain, St. Saviour Anglican Church And here was T.W. Nordberg, a native of Russia. He was the town’s watchman and also the designated mourner for Chinese funerals. (Barkerville had a substantial Chinese population.)
“
“
The oldest marked grave was Peter Gibson’s, who succumbed to typhoid fever on July 24, 1863. He was 31. During the gold rush dying young wasn’t unusual. Heady days they were, but harsh—perhaps a challenge at times for those living at the time, but it sure makes for rich history to enjoy today. John Masters / Originally published in the Prince George Free Press
ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014
13
Going against the grain Drive east to discover the prairie’s hidden gems
coulee shares more characteristics with arid valleys further south, than other parts of Alberta. Across the valley are the Sweet Grass hills of Montana. “It’s got interesting wildflowers, birds and reptiles—there are rock wrens, rattlesnakes,” says Gardener. “One of the most spectacular visits I had was an evening in August. As the sun goes down, the lighting is just incredible, and nighthawks were playing in the wind. “The coulee has a lot of updrafts and different currents and the nighthawks were booming and playing. As the sun set, looking across the prairies and the Sweet Grass hills, it was just an incredible picture.”
/ Travel Alberta
Alberta’s most famous tourist attractions are easy to find. Head west from one of the province’s major cities and drive until you hit the mountains. Tucked away in the far corners of the province, however, are some little hidden gems that rarely make the bucket list. Try driving southeast—the exact opposite of most vacationing Albertans—and you’ll find some remarkable spots worthy of the drive, like Red Rock Coulee Natural Area. “I try to get out a couple times a year. It’s a gorgeous area,” says Corlaine Gardener, chief interpreter at Police Point Park Nature Centre in nearby Medicine Hat. To date though, the coulee has remained a popular local secret, partly because until recently the route there
wasn’t well marked. “It’s kind of tucked away,” Gardener acknowledges. “A lot of people don’t know about it, or know how to get there. It is off a paved road but it’s a minor highway, so people have to go out of their way a bit.” “It hasn’t ever been really developed. Over the last 15 or 20 years, the signage has improved so you can find it now without a local guide. Thirty years ago people knew about it and talked about it but it wasn’t marked with highway signs.” Hidden in the far southeastern corner of the province, Red Rock Coulee is unlike other Alberta prairie landscapes. Round, red boulders reaching upwards of five feet tall occupy the rolling valley. These
boulders, or “concretions” as they’re known, create a vista that’s like little else in the country. The strange boulders have been nurtured through a unique process of erosion. Though much like sandstone elsewhere in Alberta, the rock formations here have been infiltrated by iron. The iron hardens the rock, allowing it to retain its circular form as well as giving it its red hue. Generally, sandstone erodes more quickly than these “concentrated spheres,” fortified as they are by the iron, Gardener explains. “As the surrounding rock erodes around it, the iron in the sandstone doesn’t erode as fast, leaving wonderful, huge red boulders strewn down the coulee,” she describes. Being at the southernmost part of the province also means the
Beyond natural beauty, the area also has a connection to Aboriginal history. Stone teepee rings scattered along the plains suggest that the area was frequented by First Nations tribes, although when, why and by whom is unknown. “It would have been a wonderful viewpoint or lookout to watch for bison herds, keeping track of the seasons, perhaps even a ceremonial site just because it is a heightened land and you can see all the way to the Sweet Grass hills,” Gardener ventures. The stone teepee rings left by these passing tribes now remain as artifacts for present-day visitors to discover. Like the rest of the area, the markings have been left the way they were found, leaving visitors to explore the natural area as they choose. “There’s no official trail,” says Gardener. “The parking lot is at the top of the coulee so people can go there for the views, have a picnic lunch and just enjoy it from the top.
Or, you can hike down into the coulee.” Gardener cautions visitors to come prepared for the elements, and natural conditions at the site, as there are no facilities at the location. Bentonite clay forms the foundation of the coulee, so hikers need to be cautious in rainy weather, as it can become quite slippery. Though the red rocks are a unique natural feature of the area, Red Rock Coulee is part of a continuous geological feature linking to the Alberta badlands and Dinosaur Provincial Park further north. Other picturesque areas nearby include Peigan Creek (an Alberta Conservation Association site), Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, a provincial conservation and recreation area shared by Alberta and Saskatchewan, and Writing-onStone Provincial Park. The nearest town is Medicine Hat, which boasts that it is Canada’s sunniest city with over 2500 hours of sunlight a year and average summer temperatures of 20 C. It’s also just 146 kilometres from the US border with Montana, for those who might want to explore a little farther south. It’s a corner of the province that is often overlooked, as the lure of the mountains and the more temperate climes of BC turn our eyes west. But that may change if better signage leads more visitors to stumble across the region’s hidden gems like Red Rock Coulee. For Corlaine Gardener, “It’s one of the very special corners of this corner of the province.”
Jeremy Derksen/ jeremy@postvuepublishing.com
Up from the clay In the early part of the 20th century, Medicine Hat grew into a major supplier of clay products. Today, the industrial area is designated a national historic site, featuring two working pottery factories. Medalta Potteries, founded in 1912, has one of the best warranties you’ll find on any product, anywhere—maybe the best in the world—at 3000 years. (No, that’s not a typo. Read the story for yourself, here: medalta.org/warranty.) The operation now hosts artists in residence, art exhibitions, pottery classes for both kids and adults, and also continues to churn out prized Medalta pottery, guaranteed until the year 5012.
Medicine Hat Potteries / credit Tom Hamilton
14
ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014
444612 vue road trip 14-04-22 10:25 AM Page 1
For more information on what awaits you in the Grande Prairie Region go to www.gptourism.ca or call 780.539.7688 or email info@gptourism.ca and receive a free copy of our visitor guide
ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014
15
This is the moment a lifetime of curiosity begins. You never know where they’ll find you — the perfect moments you’ll never forget. From incredible natural adventures to amazing attractions, events and festivals, Calgary will show you that right here is exactly where you need to be. Get started at visitcalgary.com #17 – New York Times Top 52 Places To Go In 2014
16
ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014
SAFARI SUNDAY BRUNCH Save
25% on admission and brunch combo before noon
HERITAGE PARK ADMISSION
MILLARVILLE FARMERS’ MARKET
2 for 1
only
Conditions apply
ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014
$3
parking/car
Every Saturday from 9 – 2, June 14 – October 11
17
A road without regrets: An interview with Grant Lawrence
Few Canadians are more intimately acquainted—or linked—to the notion of road tripping in Canada as Grant Lawrence. Since 2003, the CBC Radio host has been producing annual road trip playlists for Canada’s travelers to listen to as they make their journeys to and fro.
On touring with The Smugglers
On avoiding “road regrets”
The defroster broke on the inside of our VW van in a snowstorm in the Rockies. It got so cold that the inside of the windshield iced over.
Last summer, Lawrence upped the ante with The CBC Beetle Road Trip, an episodic, cross-country musical tour that he and his crew filmed and recorded for airing online. That series, which saw Lawrence ditch Hawksley Workman on the side of an Ottawa Road, sample Sam Roberts’ favourite poutine in Montreal, enjoy a campfire sing-along with Library Voices and barbecue with The Sheepdogs’ Ewan Currie, won a Canadian Screen Award for “Best Original Program or Series Produced for Digital Media” in March, 2014.
I leaned over from the passenger seat and I held a lighter up against the windshield and I melted a hole … in the windshield about the size of a hockey puck and the driver stuck one eye up to that hole and drove down the Yellowhead Highway in a whiteout blizzard.
One of the great things about the CBC Beetle Road Trip, we were able to make lots of stops. I know time is a premium for everybody but if you can fight that, somehow plan your road trip so that you do have time to literally stop and smell the wild roses of Alberta, that is how to fight off road regrets.
Not to mention, he’s interviewed countless touring Canadian musicians about their experiences on the road. PostVue caught up with Lawrence to draw from his vast well of experience and insights into the road trip, as well as—of course—get some playlist recommendations.
On taking risks Even though on the outside it looks like I live a fairly exciting life, I’m quite a scaredy cat. I don’t take a lot of risks, I’m not a daredevil. The CBC Beetle Road Trip really made me conquer a lot of fears. One of my favourites was going river rafting on the Elk River in Fernie, BC, with a great band, Shred Kelly. It was right out of Deliverance. We were going down a river, they were playing the banjo and singing. It was right around this time of year and it’s up in the Rockies so it still feels like it’s winter but it’s May, and at the end of the song, they quote ‘banjo’ me into the river— the headstock of the banjo smacks me in the face and I tumble back into the Elk River. You know, it’s a glacial river, it’s freezing cold. And the whole plan was this was going to happen… and they were going to rescue me with a throw line. Five years ago if someone said you’re going to do this, I would have told them you’re crazy but I was caught up in the spirit of the road trip and so I did it.
On jumping naked into Lake Louise Now that I had jumped into a river fully clothed, the camera guy dared me to jump into Lake Louise—naked—in front of thousands of tourists from all over the world. So again, craziness, but I was like, we’re on the road on a cross-Canada road trip. What is more Canadian than jumping into Lake Louise three days after the ice has melted, and doing it naked in front of tourists from Germany and Japan? That’s the great thing about a road trip, there’s just no chance to get bored because everything is changing, every day.
18
It was really stupid of us and I do not recommend it to anyone, but we had a credo in our band, which was “never miss a gig.” And in 17 years of touring, we never missed a gig.
On packing the essentials Even though the Lake Louise trip might not be evidence of this, one thing is a swimsuit, a towel and water shoes, like flip-flops or something like that. There are just so many great spots to stop along the way and jump in. Obviously, the other item is a camera because this is one of the most picturesque countries on the planet and there’s something to see and do every single day, whether it’s the Rockies… or the roadside attractions, like the giant Easter Egg, giant dueling sausages, dinosaurs… Other than that, I’ve got my bathing suit, I’ve got my towel, I’ve got my camera, my keys to the car, I’m pretty happy.
On the song of the road I’m biased because I broadcast on satellite, but satellite radio has kind of revolutionized the road trip in a lot of ways, because you never have to change your station. I’m from the era where if you’re sick of your tapes, you’re constantly searching the dial for whatever weird American station or weird campus station you can pick up, but with satellite radio you never have to change it.
On traveling safely The other thing I’m really big on these days, in my early 40s, is safety. I always bring along a phone, with a fully charged battery, just because you never know what’s going to happen out there. My new rule is no “deadhead” drives, nothing over six hours. Even six hours is long. If you do six hours in a day, that allows you to have a solid stop for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Anything over six hours, you’re skipping one of those meals, or you’re driving at night. The big killer on those roads is fatigue. Everyone can relate to being on a drive somewhere and maybe even shutting their eyes for half a second, and then popping awake, going “oh my god, oh my god.” Well, that is the big killer. I know bands that have gone off the road—one band, every band member except for one was killed. I urge now, don’t go on those long drives. Take it slow and live to remember it.
ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014
When I was in The Smugglers, we weren’t able to stop at a lot of the cool roadside attractions. I remember being in the badlands last year, just a little canyon off the side of the road and we stopped at the canyon. It was an absolutely spectacular view, there was no one around. And I know they are nuisances and totally normal to Albertans, and I know they were looking for a handout, but I was sitting and they crawled up onto my legs and my shoes and it was like this weird Dr. Doolittle moment that never would have happened had we not just stopped on a whim. So follow your fancy, follow your gut instincts, take the road less travelled. There’s a hell of a lot more highways in Canada than the Trans Canada. Grant Lawrence hits the road for the CBC Beetle Road Trip Sessions, round two, starting on June 16. You can follow his adventures at cbc.ca/beetleroadtrip. He’s also working on a book of stories from his tour diaries spanning 17 years with his band, The Smugglers.
Grant's 5 Few people have created as many road trip playlists as Grant Lawrence. We asked him for five quintessential tracks. • New Pornographers, Letter from an Occupant (from Mass Romantic) • Sam Roberts, Hard Road (from We Were Born in a Flame) • Japandroids, The House that Heaven Built (from Celebration Rock) • Jason Collett, Love Song to Canada (from To Wit to Woo) • Sloan, Money City Maniacs (from Navy Blues) What would you pick? Tell us at #roadspins @hotsummerguide.
Explore
BEAVER COUNTY
Just east of Edmonton on Highway 14
Black Nugget Lake
Camp Lake Park
15 min east of Tofield 780-663-2421
15 min east of Viking 780-336-3414 780-663-3730 1-866-663-1333 www.beaver.ab.ca
Camping • Beaches • Museums • Restaurants • Markets • Greenhouses • Festivals & Events • Rodeos • Art Galleries • Golf • Theatre • Outdoor Recreation • Bed & Breakfasts
RV OWNER COUPON
2 nights camping only $39.95* Up to a value of $150 *3 nights if arriving on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday.
Overnight With Nature
in the Northern Rockies.
w w w.htr.ca
Holiday Trails RV Resorts
Publisher Rob Lightfoot Editor Jeremy Derksen Sales Representatives Andy Cookson, James Jarvis, Dale Cory, Lauren Hyatt Creative & Design Charlie Biddiscombe Darla Gray Shawna Iwaniuk Curtis Hauser
Abundant camping choices along Highway 16 and 40 give visitors countless opportunities to explore the Canadian Rockies and the surrounding Northern Rockies Foothills. Visit www.tourhinton.ca
or www.visit yellowheadcounty.com to plan your trip to the Alberta Northern Rockies.
Grande Prairie
Grande Cache Edmonton
Hinton
© 2014 Postvue Publishing All Rights Reserved, Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without the written consent of the publisher.
Postvue Publishing #200, 11230 119 St. Edmonton, AB. • T5G 2X3 Ph: 780.426.1996 rob@postvuepublishing.com
ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014
Yellowhead County / Hinton 2014 CAmping Feature - April 17, 2014 Vue Weekly Contact:
19
An oddity odyssey For over 16 years, one man has been cataloguing Canada’s roadside attractions
In 1998, Ed Solonyka began cataloguing and recording these attractions on his website, roadsideattractions.ca, and he hasn’t stopped since. To date, he has over 1400 unique entries, representing what is likely the single largest repository of information on Canadian roadside attractions. Oddly enough, Solonyka isn’t particularly obsessed with roadside attractions. He was just looking for a good hobby project. “My first website was dedicated to a late uncle who was a poet. That kept me happy for a while, but I was looking for something else,” he recalls. “I came across a lady’s site from the States who had toured Canada, and she put a few pictures up—the Canada goose at Wawa, the Big Nickel and that—and I thought, I’ve driven that stretch from Winnipeg to Sudbury, maybe I’ll start that.” Initially, he collected about 50 photos,
20
which he put on the site. The site has since taken on a life of its own, with the help of contributors. “You know, some people that’s their hobby and they plan their vacations around that.”
deep mystical forces. Roadside attractions, explains the character Wednesday (AKA, the Norse god Odin), are “places of power.”
According to Wednesday, roadside atBut Solonyka confesses he isn’t one of tractions sprung up at places that channel some kind of magical spiritual power, them. “I’m more of a compiler; I’m always on the lookout when I travel but I don’t a kind of atheist, capitalist substitution for the religious plan my vacasites or cathedrals tions to visit the that would inhabit attractions. Well, “People feel themselves pulled to places these same places I’d like to but my where, in other parts of the world, they in the Old World. wife wouldn’t.” would recognize that part of themselves that is truly transcendent, and buy a hot For his part, SolLike any good dog, and walk around, feeling satisfied onyka thinks the mythological on a level they cannot truly describe, fascination comes creation, it’s and profoundly dissatisfied on a level from the rationale doubtful that beneath that.” behind why certain anyone knows symbols are chowhere exactly - from American Gods by Neil Gaiman sen. “It’s just the the first roaduniqueness, the side attraction reasons why varicame to be. But ous communities put up attractions. at some point in our history, they sprung into being across the countryside. And whether we admit it or not, they have “Some are a result of a community captivated our imagination ever since. name… sometimes it comes from an agricultural crop or industry in the area… They have even been treated in American sometimes they’re comical,” Solonyka literature. explains, offering as examples Canada’s largest turtle in Turtleford, Sask, the Van In his book American Gods, author Neil Gogh sunflower replica at Altona, Sask, Gaiman connects the phenomenon to
“
“
Roadside attractions are spread everywhere across Canada, ranging from historic memorials to corny, larger-than-life statues of food, beasts or folk heroes. Alberta is no different—there’s the world’s largest mushroom in Vilna, the largest beaver in Beaver Lodge and of course, the Ukrainian egg in Vegreville.
ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014
and Sioux Sault Marie’s caricature of a moose holding up a hunter. Being of Ukrainian descent, some of Solonyka’s favourites are right here in Alberta—the Pysanka at Vegreville, the largest sausage at Mundare and the largest pyrogy at Glendon. Most recently, Solonyka created Google map entries to help people navigate to the sites. So whether he’s been to the sites in person or not, he has seen pretty much all of them on the web search tool’s street view maps. But does the ability to mouse over to any site from the comfort of your own home diminish the appeal of visiting the sites themselves? Solonyka doesn’t think so. “A lot of people get a kick out of that. Families stop and get a picture beside them. And like I mentioned before, some people plan their trips around them.” Having collected and compiled roadside attractions for over 16 years now, Solonyka is still enjoying his hobby. He has no plans to stop any time soon. “I’ll do it as long as I can.” Jeremy Derksen/ jeremy@postvuepublishing.com
Summer travel must-see attractions There are far too many roadside attractions in Western Canada to list them all, but here are a few of the more unique ones that are worth keeping an eye out for on your summer travels, or, maybe making a special trip to see.
ALBERTA
SASKATCHEWAN
BRITISH COLUMBIA
French Mural Capital of Canada, Legal: the town boasts 35 large wall murals.
The Sukanen Ship, Moose Jaw: this seafaring ship was built on the prairies by Finn Tom Sukanen, who hoped to journey back to Finland via the South Saskatchewan River.
Sasquatch, Creston: an homage to the famed Kokanee sasquatch of TV ad fame. Oh, will that ranger ever catch him?
Henry Fuller “12-Foot” Davis, Peace River: this colourful prospector and trader became a legend in the Peace country and beyond. Korean Totem Poles, Airdrie: these poles donated by Airdrie’s Korean sister city, Gwacheon, are unlike any other totem poles Albertans are familiar with.
Red Paper Clip, Kipling: erected to recognize the true story of Kyle MacDonald, who started with one red paper clip and kept trading up until he eventually traded for a house in Kipling, Sask. Estevan, Leader: these two towns are deserving of mention for the many attractions each houses, too numerous to list.
The Glass House, Boswell: after retiring from the funeral business, David H. Brown built this house using half a million empty bottles of embalming fluid. The site has been well preserved. World’s Largest Burl, and World’s Second Largest Burl, Port McNeill: a rarity among roadside attractions, these are real burls cut from trees. And they’re gigantic.
CRUISE SPECIALS For Families & Photo Enthusiasts
Maligne Lake
Family of Explorers Cruise 2-Hours | Daily 1:30 pm July 2 to August 25 On-board & Spirit Island activities for children Tickle trunk, treasure hunt & solar power display Snacks on the boat | Lots of hands-on fun
Through the Lens Cruise 2.5 Hours | Daily 4:30 pm July 2 to August 25 Afternoon Tea with baked treats | Wildlife stops On-board photo expert | Photo & art commentary Spirit Island photography in the evening light
Our 90-minute narrated cruise to Spirit Island departs hourly June 3 to October 6
BOOK YOUR CRUISE NOW! MALIGNE LAKE DOWNTOWN ACTIVITY DESK 616 Patricia St • malignelake.com • 780.852.3370 • 1.866.625.4463 Or book online at WWW.MALIGNELAKE.COM ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014
21
Where wild horses roam but typically from early spring up until mid-august, big horn sheep frequent the area. Right across from the lodge area, on the river bank, there’s a natural salt lick there that the big horn sheep visit,” Saffron says. “They actually have their babies there. So you can spend a spectacular day just watching the newborns, 200 yards from where our lodge sits.” In 12 years of operations, that’s still some of the greatest satisfaction Saffron gets for his labours. That, and watching the joy on people’s faces when they discover the truly remote, natural beauty of the area. “For me it’s when they’re so overtaken by the beauty, the healing nature of the river right there, the quietness, just watching people enjoy it.”
/ Jeremy Derksen
Surveyors and explorers from Canada’s storied past would scoff at our inability to navigate these days. As soon as a destination can’t be Google mapped at whim, we get nervous. Fortunately, for technophiles, you can plug in the coordinates for Panther River Adventures and come up with reliable directions. But be forewarned, you can’t get the whole way there with consistent reception. Panther River is one of the only outfitters in Alberta to have an operating permit in the Ya Ha Tinda area on the eastern slopes of the Rockies, where wild horses still run free. The trails lead into the Ya Ha Tinda area of Banff National Park, but you can’t get to it from Banff’s tourist friendly Trans Canada corridor. You have to come at it from the east, making for a drive that truly sets the tone for a backcountry adventure. The amiable tour down secondary Highway 587, west of Sundre, leads to a turnoff, at which point you travel down range roads that fork and bend, each earning a new mention in the Google direction list to the point it is impossible to memorize. So when, about an hour down the backroads 3G suddenly drops off, uncertainty can quickly settle in. Occasional homesteads that might seem homey and welcoming in the daytime offer little welcome after the dinner hour. Wisps of smoke rise from old chimneys, while windows remain dark. Dusk settles in the forest. No traffic passes, with perhaps the exception of an old pickup rattling off to its undisclosed destination. There are no sidewalks, no towns, no
22
information centres. This is real, backroads Alberta. Then the road turns from old cracking pavement into gravel and dirt—nothing a sturdy truck or SUV can’t handle, but not the type of terrain for a sportier coupe or tinker toy hatchback. This is outfitters’ land. Along the road, countless deer, occasional osprey and stern adult black bears play sentinel whenever a lone vehicle passes. A couple of sport ranches dot the landscape, assurance that behind quiet log walls, there is still some small vestige of human presence here. Civilization is all but left behind by the time Panther River Adventure’s small claim, perched on a rocky river plateau next to its namesake, draws into view. By contrast, Panther River’s main cabin, a log yurt, exudes warmth, hominess and fresh baking. The guest cabins are of similar material, and just as sturdy and homey. No Ikea furniture here. Nightfall comes dark and still, unlike anything most city dwellers experience. “People can’t believe how quiet it is. You can sit on a log chair next to the river and not hear any other noises. The other thing is, people from the city don’t see the stars,” says Terry Saffron, who co-owns and operates the ranch with his wife, Laureen. “Here, it’s like you can reach out and touch them.” Daylight reveals a ranch caressed in golden sunlight lazily burning away the rising mist as horses stomp and whinny in morning revel. Instinctively, they seem to know which days they’ll be stretching their legs.
One more short drive down an old dirt forestry road, and a trailer full of restless animals shake themselves free, stomping hooves, shaking manes and swishing tails. Yellow grass sways on the gently ascending foothills, softening the looming, austere majesty of the Rocky Mountains in the distance. Thundering through the canyon to the west, Big Horn Falls lets off a cooling mist. From here the choices are almost endless. Panther River offers everything from two-hour daytrips to multi-day, alpine fishing trips by horseback where guests ride in to a luxurious top camp with all the fixings and gourmet meals prepared each day.
Wildlife is something the region has in abundance—elk, big horn sheep and bears, as well as birds and smaller prey species are commonly spotted. “We’re almost like the hidden Banff,” jokes Saffron. At full capacity, Saffron estimates that there may be as many as 300 people spread throughout the region’s handful of operators on a busy weekend. That’s enough to stay busy, he says, but not get crowded. Early in the season right from the day lodge at Panther River, Saffron especially enjoys watching big horn sheep. “Year-round
While it may seem like time stands still, though, it keeps creeping on and before you know it, it’s time to leave. In daylight, the return trip doesn’t seem nearly so daunting once the road is a little more familiar. The deeper foray into Panther River’s lease area—away from almost everything man-made—makes land with any settlement at all seem like a major centre. The twists and turns of range road to secondary highway return you quickly to normality, 3G pops up on the smart phone and once again, you are connected. Emails, texts and outside world data flood back in. Google maps is once again reliable, at your beck and call. And that’s the moment at which you may realize just how much you didn’t miss it.
“The camp is set right in the high mountains, up in the high rocks. Where you’re sitting in camp is less than 30 miles northeast of the town site of Banff.” “We get fly fishermen in there, and they can’t believe the unfished waters they can get, where they’re not fishing shoulder to shoulder with anyone else. They may not see anyone else all day,” Saffron says. The catch is generally bull trout and cutthroat. For an even higher vantage point, Saffron also takes guests up in his helicopter to about 7500 feet up, for close-ups of nearby peaks and “Legends of the Fall” style flyovers of the Ya Ha Tinda’s free roaming, wild horses. “In the immediate area, it would exceed over 100 [wild horses],” He counts. “During the winter you see them every day, in the summer they might move further back into the cut blocks but it’s still fairly often you’ll see them.”
ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014
/ Jeremy Derksen
Hey Edmonton, Drumheller is calling. (the heart of the badlands)
hike the badlands
see a dinosaur
visit a museum
experielntcuree our cu
traveldrumheller.com/Edmonton
ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014
23
IT’S AMAZING HOW NO ONE ASKS
Are we there yet? WHEN THERE’S WI-FI ON THE PLANE.
My Dallas/Fort Worth Adventure
24
ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014
TRIP OF A LIFETIME
flyeia.com
ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014
25
Come Golf With Us!
As Good As It Gets Bring All Your Clubs! Located at the Edmonton International Airport P.O. Box 1070 Nisku, Alberta T9E 8A8 Ph: 780.890.7888 • Fax: 780.890.7887 Golf@RedTailLanding.com Book Your Tee Time Online Now!
www.RedTailLanding.com 26
ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014
Charting a new course If you’re ready for a cosmic trip, check out Alberta’s UFO hotspots in 1967 as part of Canada’s centennial anniversary, it has drawn thousands of earthly visitors, as well as inquiries and reports from those who claim to have seen UFOs. There was enough demand that the town set up an info line, 1-888-SEEUFOS, to record strange sightings and unusual activity. In 1998 and 2000, the town hosted UFO conferences. Of course, the existence of extra-terrestrial beings is still disputed. But there are enough unsolved mysteries out there to make one consider the possibility of alien life, and one of them originates just three hours down the road in Duhamel, Alberta. Duhamel is a small village of about 30 people in the east central part of the province, where one of the first reported instances of crop circles was found and investigated. The mysterious 30-foot wide circles appeared on a local farmer’s field, coincidentally, in 1967, the same year St. Paul opened its space dock.
The St. Paul UFO landing pad features interpretive signs about UFO history, and the chance to have your picture taken with an alien. / Travel Alberta
Space tourism in Alberta Spock Days in Vulcan, June 13 – 15, 2014 The 22nd annual convention is coming up. For more info or to check out the interplanetary guest list, go to vulcantourism. com. A taste of space Vulcan Ale was concocted by a trio of Albertans in 2013, and is brewed in Montana by Harvest Moon Brewing (harvestmoonbrew.com). Arguably, Spock would drink this. If he was in Vulcan, Alberta. Dark sky preserves There’s only one place you can get ‘em: in Jasper, Alberta, during the annual Dark Sky Festival in October. But it’s worth the trip for a flavour that bottles the night sky.
Alberta’s prairie roads suggest the possibility of endless, wideopen space to explore. But at the end of some Alberta roads lies the possibility of a different kind of space exploration. If you’ve ever dreamed of boldly going where no man has gone before, you probably already know about the famous Starship Enterprise replica in Vulcan. But what you may not realize is that Alberta also has a reputation for close encounters of the extra-terrestrial kind, not just the Trekkie tourist variety. After Ontario and BC, Alberta ranks third in annual UFO sightings, year after year, according to the Canadian UFO report, which conducts an annual review on sightings across the country. Since 1989, when the report was first produced, Alberta has had 1496 recorded sightings, BC 3779 and Ontario 4428. So for anyone in the tourism industry that may be reading this,
ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014
there’s a niche here to exploit. Naturally, it may be tough to battle BC for more alien visitation, with its beaches and temperate climate clearly visible from space, but Alberta should be able to steal away some of those trips destined for Ontario. Oh wait, they probably have relatives there. At least one Alberta town is on the campaign. For the last 45 plus years, the town of St. Paul has actively welcomed alien visitors with a specially designed UFO landing pad. The pad is situated on land that has been designated as neutral, international territory, and is surrounded by a map of Canada, welcome signs and (of course) a UFO tourist information centre with an exhibit that features photos of UFOs, crop circles and more. Not to mention, those all important restroom facilities where every alien—and human—family occasionally needs to pull an emergency stop.
Space tourism back in those days was much simpler. Whether you wanted to attract aliens to earth or go to space yourself, the technology at hand was rather primitive. St. Paul’s site looks today much like you would imagine from space futurism in the 1960s, with a few upgrades along the way. Which, depending on how you look at it, doesn’t make it any less attractive. Duhamel’s crop circles have long since been replanted, harvested and replanted over. If you want to go to space now, it is actually possible to pay your way there provided you have enough dough. Enter Virgin Galactic, the global leader in space tourism, which is preselling seats at just around $250 000 a pop. As a prospective space traveller, you get to enjoy prestigious perks such as astronaut training and exclusive tropical island parties with Sir Richard Branson. For the majority of Albertans, however, short of a trip to Florida (NASA, Cape Canaveral), St. Paul is as close to space as most of us will get. But if you’re planning to try hitchhiking into the cosmos, don’t forget your white towel.
Jeremy Derksen/ jeremy@postvuepublishing.com
Since the site was first developed
27
28
ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014
Breakin’ it down Staying safe during a break down, and other summer driving tips Summer is almost here—and for many that means it’s time to switch out the winter tires, roll down the windows and hit the road.
an accident or a breakdown will happen no matter how much or how little we prepare. And that’s where the following tips come in.
However, though you might think driving is safer in the warmer months of spring and summer, the statistics tell a different story. “The reality is that almost half of road fatalities in Alberta occur between May long and Labour Day weekends,” says Don Szarko, road safety spokesman for the Alberta Motor Association. “It’s a bit contradictory that at a time when roads are bare and dry, we’re seeing fatalities.”
Pack a lunch
“We also travel longer distances, on new roads and unfamiliar terrain,” he points out. “This is the peak time for travel.” “[And with] RVs, cyclists, commercial vehicles, passenger vehicles... and even farm equipment—you have a greater mix of vehicles on the road during this period, so you have to pay more attention.” All that isn’t to suggest you should avoid travel— but maybe just a reminder to be aware and plan for the risks appropriately. Of course, sometimes
Phone it in Smart phones have become default car entertainment for many passengers. But your phone can also be a useful safety tool, if you haven’t drained the battery playing Angry Birds. If you do encounter an emergency, have a fully charged cell phone to call for help and get emergency services so you or others aren’t stranded.
Hit the road, jack A spare tire and jack can be very handy if you do blow a tire. But it’s good to check that your car’s spare is inflated and test the jack to ensure you know how it works, and all the pieces are intact.
Helpful links 511.alberta.ca saferoads.com ama.ab.ca
“
“Give yourself time. Especially on long weekends, we try to compress all we can into this short space of two or three days. Allow time to get from your origin to your destination.”
“
While weather doesn’t present as much of a challenge, Szarko explains, other things come into play. “Speed, distracted driving and alcohol tend to be the major factors.”
If you’re on a long highway journey, food and water are wise to pack in case you get stuck far from the nearest town or city. Obvious, but often forgotten.
- Don Szarko, AMA
Liam Crotty / Alberta Motor Association
ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014
29
Scooch over If you have to pull over, make sure you and your vehicle are as far from the driving lanes as possible. Even pulled over on the shoulder with hazard lights on, says Szarko, “We have had a few cases where people have been hit. It seems odd to talk about, but it is something we’re seeing more of.” “Stay away from the traffic side of the vehicle,” Szarko warns. “Stand off, away from your vehicle in the ditch.” Emergency or not, if you are pulled over, AMA recommends using hazard lights to increase your visibility to other drivers.
Kit up “We tend to talk about it in winter, but an emergency road kit in the summer is not a bad idea,” Szarko suggests. Some essentials for your kit: • reflective triangles • blanket • flashlight • reflective vest • first aid kit
Get a checkup The best way to avoid car troubles is preventive maintenance. Flat tires and dead batteries are common summer ailments, Szarko notes. Have both checked before you hit the road. “The draw from cooling your vehicle can be just as much as warming it up. So bataThe same goes for tires, especially year-round ones. If the tread is worn, consider replacing them—even if they don’t blow, they won’t provide much traction in rainy weather, Szarko points out.
30
This list is hardly exhaustive; add to your kit as you deem appropriate. You can also find ready-made kits from various retailers or the AMA.
ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014
ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014
31
|
Stay & ™
Package Includes: - Two nights’ accommodation in a Lodge room - Two rounds of golf per person (Saturday afternoon & Sunday morning) - A golf cart rental - Breakfast for two at Woods’ Pumphouse & Grill each morning - Admission to the Culinary Clinic with “Top Chef” participant Jamie Hertz (Saturday morning) - Attendance to the five-course Wine Tasting Dinner, featuring NK’MIP Wines (Friday evening)
32
INDULGE
July 4th to 6th, 2014
This special package is the perfect combination of award winning cuisine, fine wine & extraordinary golf. Indulge all of your senses at Kokanee Springs from July 4 – 6, 2014. Play on our 18-hole championship course. Learn culinary techniques from visiting Top Chef Canada participant Jamie Hertz. Then enjoy an incredible 5-course gourmet dinner that includes exclusive wine tasting that feature award winning wines from NK’MIP Cellars Winery. This indulgent package also includes breakfast each morning at Kokanee’s onsite restaurant, Woods’ Pumphouse & Grill!
* Cannot be combined with any other offer. Tee Times will be confirmed by Kokanee Springs Golf Course. Based on availability – limited seats available. Book until June 15 to stay between July 4 – 6, 2014. Starting from rate is per person, per night.
Starting from:
$195 pp
Call 1.800.979.7999 to reserve or visit www.kokaneesprings.com or www.bellstar.ca
ROAD TRIP MAY 15 – MAY 31, 2014