Drumheller (repeat performance 2023)
Started driving early and played UNO on the ferry with Benjamin and Alexander, then met up with Natalie’s dad Martin and his wife Diane while the kids had a bite to eat. Had a bit of a marathon drive to Hope for lunch, then on to Salmon Arm for the night. We stopped at a beautiful campsite (Yard Creek Loop in Sicamous) – until the mosquitos found us!!! They were so bad we ran back to the RV and locked ourselves in. To be fair, we were in the middle of the woods, but the swarms were intense!
We left first thing in the morning and went directly to ‘Three Valley Gap’. We had breakfast and coffee while we waited for the kids and Martin and Diane. It was a great stop – the kids absolutely loved it – especially the train ride! There was so much so see; they were running everywhere – ‘Look at this . . . and this . . . and this! Great fun! Adam let Ben use one of his smaller cameras, so the two of them took tons of pictures. Then on to Revelstoke for lunch. Afterwards, we stopped at a few scenic lookouts on our way to Canmore for the night. We spent the night at the Lac des Arcs campground – it was lovely (and no mosquitos).
https://www.3valley.com/heritage_resort/ghost_town.htm
Our next adventure started in Canmore with a lovely walk and taking photos of the Engineer’s Bridge then back to Banff National Park to visit the ‘Caves and Basin’. Alex and I filled in the scavenger hunt booklet they handed out; it was great to pay attention to details. Ben didn’t like the sulfur smell much when we went into the cave and again when we walked around the boardwalk to see the hot springs bubbling out. We had lunch in the camper before heading back to Canmore and popping into Safeway for a few more groceries. Our next campsite was the Bow River Campground, which we stayed at last year too. Another lovely scenic spot and bug free; Martin and Diane spent both nights there. The kids came out for supper – I made pancakes for the boys and Emma.
http://banffandbeyond.com/a-glimpse-into-the-historic-cave-and-basin/
We had a lovely walk in the morning as we were only heading as far as Calgary. We stopped at Cochrane for a walk through the beautiful Historic Downtown and had lunch before the kids joined us. I fed the boys while Adam, Natalie and Emma went with Martin and Diane for a walk into the old town. On to Calgary with a quick gas stop at Costco, then met the kids at Prince’s Island Park for a stroll and more photo ops for Adam at the Peace Bridge. Camping was at the South Centre Mall – actually pretty nice for a parking lot!
One advantage of the mall parking was that we got our groceries at 7am before heading to Heritage Park Historical Village. Another great excursion with the kids as they again ran pillar to post – mostly taking advantage of the amusement park – which they called a carnival. There was also a penny arcade ($3. Each kid) where they could fish for prizes and lots of heritage houses to explore and animals to visit. So, after 6 hours there, we headed to the Mountain View RV Park for supper and a shower. Thankfully it only rained (poured buckets) on our drive out.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heritage_Park_Historical_Village
Back to the Calgary Zoo once again – and of course to the dinosaur exhibit! The weather was great and lots of the animals were out enjoying it. After lunch we went to the TELUS Spark Science Center. There is so much to do and see there including a superb playground. Dale and I stayed on after the kids left to watch a couple of documentaries (Spirit Bears and Caves). We stopped by the kids’ hotel on our way out to Drumheller and are now tucked in at the Hoodoo RV campground.
Started our day at the Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Park and went on the train ride. It sure makes you appreciate the present. After lunch, we stopped at the Drumheller Information Centre and Benjamin and I climbed to the top of the dinosaur (106 stairs) – a great view! Then on to the pièce de résistance - the Royal Tyrrell Museum. What fun to share with the little ones. They were so excited!
https://www.todocanada.ca/city/calgary/listing/atlas-coal-mine-national-historic-site/
The kids returned to Calgary and we spent our 2nd night at the Hoodoo RV campground. They are heading for Cranbrook, while we are staying one more night in Drumheller to see the Passion Play. We spent the day doing chores and catching up on the computer.
We arrived at the amphitheater early and had a bite to eat in the camper. The weather was threatening, but they announced that the storm passed us by to the south, so we got to enjoy the play in comfort. It was very well done – we thoroughly enjoyed it.
https://badlandsamp.com/badlands-passion-play/
Meanwhile, the kids had a change of plans and decided to beeline it home. I guess the little ones had had enough fun and were getting a bit cranky. We changed our route slightly and as we were unable to catch up with them, we took our time. First stop - Vulcan - to take a picture of the Enterprise, of course. Then we stopped at ‘Head-smashed-in’ Buffalo Jump; there is a great museum there and we refreshed our memories of this amazing historic event. Then with a stop at picturesque Lundbreck Falls and a stop for supper, we finally made it to Cranbrook and the Regency RV Park.
https://headsmashedin.ca/about/360-degree-views-videos-photos
Instead of heading for Penticton, we decided to aim for Princeton. That meant a change in our route that took us to Trail, BC. With no cell coverage until Salmo, we only gave our friends Gerry and Ernie a half hour warning that we would be there. But as they are the consummate hosts, we were welcomed with open arms, fed a delicious lunch and were given a lovely tour of their town. It was a delightful visit and so wonderful to catch up with them. The Municipal RV Park in Princeton was lovely, and we parked right beside the river.
After a stop for gas and to pick up a cake (of course) we were back on the road. We had a lovely stop and walk at Bridal Veil Falls on our way to the Tsawwassen ferry. However, when we were ready to get back onto Hwy 1, the traffic was backed up as far as one could see – yikes! Thankfully, our GPS did it’s magic and we found an alternate route, bypassing the accident and all the traffic. There were a few bottlenecks and another accident along the way, but we made it early enough to catch the 4:30 ferry to Duke Point vs the 5:45 ferry that we had reserved – lucky!
All in all, a great trip and lots of fun with the kids. Still, it is good to be back home again, although the garden needs a bit of work and a few loads of laundry to be done!
Photos in no particular order!
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