Article Presented by:
Travel Alberta, All Rights Reserved Written by: Travel Alberta
This jaw-dropper of a scenic drive doesn't get near the Rockies instead it runs through Drumheller, Dinosaur Provincial Park, Medicine Hat, Cypress Hills Provincial Park, Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, then back up toward Calgary past too many other attractions to list.
The 43-km Drumheller Valley, of which Drumheller is the kingpin, is the centre of the richest deposit of dinosaur bones in the world. It's lunar in its stark beauty the product of wind, rain and the Red Deer River eating their way through layers of strata, leaving in their wake steep-walled coulees punctuated by the Badlands' defining characteristic, tall sandstone hoodoos. Through it all runs the peaceful Red Deer River.
Everyone who visits the Drumheller Valley everybody! has to visit the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. It's a real eye-opener for all ages, one that never fails to impress! If you're there on a family vacation, seek out the many multi-generational programs like a Dinosite! guided walk where you'll join an expert who makes the natural and geological history of the Canadian Badlands seem like it's happening right before your eyes!
Then, especially for the kids, walk up the staircase inside The World's Largest Dinosaur for a gander (from it's mouth, no less!) at the river valley, in central Drumheller.
Other family vacation attractions in the Drumheller area include the Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site and the tiny hamlet of Rosebud.
Next stop on this scenic drive is the one-of-a-kind Dinosaur Provincial Park site of the Tyrrell's field work. Drive northeast of Brooks through lush green, irrigated farmland and drop straight into a 75 million-year-old scene straight out of Star Trek it's an experience you'll never forget. Campers love the riverside, cottonwood-shaded campground, and visitors appreciate guided tours through the stark beauty of the world's richest dino bone bed. Don't miss sunset from atop one of the hills overlooking the campground.
From there, it's a short hop east to Medicine Hat, a clean, proud city on the South Saskatchewan River. Make sure to visit the Clay Industries National Historic District, which incorporates several historic sites including the world famous Medalta Potteries and Hycroft China within a nationally-designated historic district. A walk through downtown is a joy to those who long for the good 'ol days of owner-operated main street stores, and there are some very tiny-perfect tea houses and unique bistros where you can both rest your weary feet, and treat your hungry tummy.
You're in for an elevating experience on your cruise from Medicine Hat to Cypress Hills Provincial Park in the province's southeast corner. Somehow, ancient glaciers forgot to visit the park, so to get there, you climb several hundred metres up from the prairie to a whole new ecosystem the highest point between the Rocky mountains and the Atlantic.
Cypress Hills is an oasis of lodgepole pine, unique plant growth (14 different kinds of orchids!), lush flower meadows and quiet little lakes. Here, you can choose from motels and RV campgrounds to one of the most beautiful lodgepole pine campgrounds around. Perfect for a family vacation be sure to bring your bikes and boots as there are plenty of hiking trails. The wildlife viewing is also terrific! And don't miss the sunset from a cliff-side lookout from which you can see thousands of square miles of patchwork prairie stretch toward the eastern horizon.
There's another unique scenic drive in this neck of the woods - wedged between Cypress Hills and Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, home of the largest concentration of native rock paintings & carvings on the North American Plains. If you take the (gravel) scenic drive through Manyberries, you'll be surrounded by waving fields of grain, and nothing else (no fences, no power wires...really!) for miles.
About the Author:
Copyright © 2006 Travel Alberta, All Rights Reserved
Travel Alberta is the destination marketing organization for the Province of Alberta. Guided by the Strategic Tourism Marketing Council, Travel Alberta is the steward for the effective delivery of tourism marketing programs. For information about our organization, please visit our Travel Alberta industry web site at http://www.travelalberta.com
