DINOSAUR HUNTING IN THE BADLANDS

It was 6 months into the various degrees of lockdowns and enough was enough. Virus be damned, we were going to do some illegal travelling. Against provincial guidelines I booked us a short flight to Calgary from Abbotsford. We also got a car rental so we could scoot down to Drumheller, Alberta.

This is such an easy flight with kids. The air time was a little over an hour. Abbotsford International Airport (YXX) is a breeze with lots of parking that won’t break the bank as bad as Vancouver. Security takes a few minutes. Arriving home is a simple process as well.

We picked up the rental and drove an hour to Horseshoe Canyon to show the kids some classic Albertan landscape. This attraction is on way to Drumheller, about 20 minutes out. We walked down the wooden staircase to the canyon floor and explored the badland trails. I had googled marmet food and strategically placed raisins in my pockets to bribe the little suckers out of their holes. It worked on a couple. When I visited as a kid I remember marmets being everywhere. And they were brave little bastards. I’m not sure if it is a seasonal or environmental thing, but this trip we only saw a few.

I chose the Best Western Drumheller because it had a full hot breakfast included and a waterslide. The beauty of travelling unlawfully during lockdowns is there is no line ups!! We never had to wait in the morning for bacon. The staff was desperate to work and overly friendly. We were the only people in the pool. As long as everyone gave each other space I felt totally comfortable while out and about.

The next day we did the illustrious Royal Tyrell Museum to check out the dinosaurs. I timed this trip to fall over Alberta Culture Days (late September in 2020) so our entrance was FREE!! It’s normally $20 for adults, and $10 for kids. We added on a guided badland outdoor walking tour that was led by an enthusiastic paleontologist grad who helped us discover fossils in the rocks and sand. Inside the museum the kids ran full tilt past some of the largest and most impressive dinosaur fossils on the planet. The world renowned exhibits and interactive displays of cretaceous Alberta kept the 4 and 6 year old’s attention for a good few minutes. We spent some time wandering near the Triassic giants and also outside on the interpretive trail and boardwalk. The kids highlight was the outdoor playground and the fact I actually caved for once and let them get something at the gift shop.

The hoodoos are a group of stone columns and white sandstone carpocks overlying dark brown marine shale that have been around for millions of years. It’s breathtaking. It looks like you are on another planet, which is probably why so many science fiction movies and shows (Lost in Space, Star Trek etc.) have been filmed here. Back in my day you could climb all over the actual hoodoos, but now they are fenced off. There is still miles of accessible clay mountains to explore and burn off some energy. We stopped here on the way to the Last Chance Saloon in the neighboring town of Wayne, Alberta. It’s a nostalgic pub full of 1900’s antiques and memorabilia from the coal mining days. The grub was really good. There is a hotel attached but book with caution as it is haunted. Jett asked the waitress and she assured him that was the case.

Our visit to the Dinosaur Capitol of the world wouldn’t be complete without climbing a million stairs up into the Largest Dinosaur in the World’s mouth and letting the kids pose on the cool prehistoric sculptures all over the town’s streets. We ate at O’Shea’s Irish pub (pretty decent) next to our hotel, Yavis Restaurant (great service, food was blah) and the Vintage Tap House (2 entrances, only one side allows kids). Everything was walkable which is lovely if you want to have a few drinks and not smash your rental car. I aim to try local and family run food joints when travelling.

My great grand father moved his family to Drumheller back in ancient times so I have my own family skeletons hidden in the Albertan badlands. We had visited with my cousins a few times when I was a kid. My grandfather told us stories growing up of his pet purple dinosaur, Dino, near Riverside Park. After a touristy afternoon Matt and I needed a couple day drinks so we stopped at the playground here. We hit the beer store and found a picnic table in the large lawn area while the kids made friends with the neighbors on the playground.