Brett, Sam, Ian, Awdal, all took it as their own personal responsibility to leave their mark on the environment. They all decided that their name was more important than anything "God" or "Mother Nature" had to offer.

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Good for them, after all it is not like I drove out of my way for 6 hours to see something spectacular. Sure I could have seen their names at home, but why bother, it is so much better to see their names on natural occurring surfaces like sandstone, even more so than seeing their names, tags, on buildings in the city, or train cars.

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Sandstone is a substance that takes forever to form, and gradually erodes with the help of wind and rain, and people carving their names, and possibly even dirty pictures, into its' soft surface. In the Alberta Badlands, near the city of Drumheller, there is a formation known as "The Hoodoos", these are really neat, natural features. Standing for hundreds of years, protected from erosion because of their "caps" the Hoodoos are being sacrificed to the Gods by people like Brett, Ian, and Sam.

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I guess they figured that when I want to take photographs of natural things, that I would want to include their names in my snap shot too. How wonderfully considerate of them. If I had known they were doing this I would have planned my trip at a different time of day, possibly to capture the light bouncing off their names from a different angle.
Are people so isolated and alone in a world of over 6 and a half million people, that they need to gain fame by carving their name into an ancient formation? Oh please let us hope Brett is not on a trip to Egypt to see the pyramids next. Let us pray Ian is not off to Machu Picchu, and forgive us if Sam is headed to Easter Island.

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But wait, let us not forget about other creative people like Awdal, who left his, or her, name on a rock in the Rocky Mountains. Along side of a bunch of other people, he, or she, defaced an entire lake by blotting out the foreground with their name on a rock. The taggers nearby are not much more important, only thing is, you cannot even read them. Defacing nature in this way clearly has one common outcome,it means every other person feels they have to do the same thing, or that they have the right to do the same thing. If people hate nature so much, why are they on vacation in a natural setting? Why didn't they just stay in the inner city?

Will Brett, Sam, Awdal, and Ian have fond memories of these natural spots and desire to bring their children to the same places? Will the places have anything natural left if they do? Is a name any more meaning full if it is carved into an ancient rock formation or painted on a boulder? Is a name any less important if it is written on paper? Is Brett going to know what an impact he made on our holiday?

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The area is famous for its dinosaur finds, and is currently home to the worlds largest Dinosaur, one you can actually go inside of to gain a better view of the city and surrounding area. However, todays trek will be on foot. At times you might think you are in "Bedrock" but no, you are in Drumheller.
Throughout downtown Drumheller there are several small, colorful, cement dinosaurs. The first one I encountered was a lovely little dinosaur painted bright blue, complete with a band aid on his back. Turns out the little fella was located in front of a Pharmacy. Nearby we spotted a spotted dinosaur. The pieces fell into place like prehistoric clues. The black and white spotted guy was outside a Fire Station, clearly he was a Dalmatian Dinosaur, the fire mascot for the Fire Station. I am sure he was housetrained.

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You get the idea. As you wander around you will see a theme, dinosaurs painted to match a storefront nearby, be it a biker shop, or garden. The brightly painted Stegosaurus is sure to delight not only you, but your children as well.
For safety reasons, and to keep the dinosaurs in good shape, it is not a good idea to allow your children to climb on them. All of these dinosaurs seem to have happy expressions on their vicious faces, let's keep it that way.

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I want to stress these dinosaurs are whimsical, comedic, they are not representations of actual dinosaurs, they are not life sized, or anatomically correct. There are many places in Drumheller where you can learn actual facts about actual dinosaurs, including the nearby, and very popular Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. There are plenty of fossil shops and educational experiences, but sometimes we need to just have fun and enjoy silly things.

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In truth we really don't know what color dinosaurs were, maybe Tyrannosaurus did have racing stripes, and maybe Triceratops was covered in rainbows. I encourage you to park your car, put on your walking shoes and take a jaunt around the city of Drumheller to see how many of these "terrible lizards" with cheerful colors you can find. As always wear sunscreen and bring your camera.

Rosedale Suspension Bridge

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A short 5 minute drive east of Drumheller on Highway 10, is the town of Rosedale. Not much of a town, but there is a nice treed picnic area, and a Suspension Bridge, which is a free tourist attraction. The Bridge is suspended over the Red Deer River, but isn't so high, or so wobbly to be intimidating to people of all ages. On the other side of the river is a very prehistoric looking area, but we must remember that although the land looks inhospitable, millions of years ago it was actually very lush. When the dinosaurs trod on this part of the earth, it did not resemble the desert it is today. Also, remember that it is a desert, do not stick your hands in holes, or places you cannot see. In this part of Canada, there are scorpions, black widow spiders, and rattle snakes.

The 11 Bridges of Wayne

You must drive off Highway 10 for a short distance south, to find this Guinness Record Book title holder, for "The Most Bridges in the Shortest Distance". Again this area is surrounded by the alien landscape that the area is so well known for. In fact, even if it were not for these other attractions, the landscape alone is worth the trip.

The Hoodoos

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About 15 minutes east of Drumheller, again on Highway 10, just beyond Rosedale, is an interesting geological feature, referred to as "The Hoodoos". These odd looking structures were formed when erosion removed softer bits of sandstone leaving some areas untouched due to the fact that they had harder stones protecting the sandstone beneath.

The whole area is fascinating, other worldly in appearance, and frequently used in movies about outer space. Unfortunately the Hoodoos have been somewhat destroyed by tourists who have carved their names into them, climbed on them, and basically tried to gain their 15 minutes of fame by destroying a feature that took thousands of years to form.

Other Information

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You may have noticed that I only referred to a few outdoor things, in reality there are plenty more things to see and do in the area, including the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, which is a wonderful museum for anyone interested in Dinosaurs. The city of Drumheller itself also has wonderful indoor, and outdoor points of interest, which I will talk about in other articles. This article was to feature a few of the sights and sites, outside the city, and basically outside. I hope you enjoy your trip to the Badlands region of Alberta, remember to bring your camera, sunscreen, and water bottle.

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When driving by Red Deer on Highway #2 you would not expect that it is cultured or has major public works of art. In fact you may think all Red Deer has to offer is fast food restaurants, gas stations, and RV sales lots. This is because Red Deer's city planners, to avoid downtown congestion, created an area called Gasoline Alley. This strip effectively keeps Highway traffic out of its' downtown area. However, if you take the time to venture into downtown Red Deer there is a thriving cultural community and the city has invested in public works of art.

What I refer to are the statues affectionately referred to as The Ghosts of Red Deer. These incredibly well detailed, life size, sculptures are scattered throughout down town Red Deer. All these ghosts are of real people, with a couple of exceptions, which are real animals. There are plaques explaining the stories behind the statues.

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The first Ghost I saw was an older gentleman sitting on a bench downtown, he had a briefcase and was remarkably well done, I admired the sculpture, but until I saw another, I had not realized that this was a special feature in the city. I soon discovered many more. I have not included a photo of this chap, you will have to discover him for yourself.

There are two sculptures that I was especially drawn to, one because of its magnificent size, attention to detail in an action pose, and the other because of the story behind it.

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The Ghost of a horse drawn fire wagon is truly impressive. The expression on the horses as well as the two human figures is very strong. No question about it, this is an intense moment caught in time. It is the largest Ghost Sculpture, complete with two frightened horses, one driver in the fire wagon, and a man who is trying to control the horses. A rein has broke and they are loosing control of the team, who typically are used to charging full speed to the fire.

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Francis the Pig is my other favorite. This little guy made an escape on route to the slaughter yard, he evaded capture for quite some time. During this time Francis made himself a town celebrity and earned this statue from his days on the run.

All in all, seeing these lovely works of art, in an unexpected location gave me quite an thrill. Red Deer is about one hour north of Calgary, and one and a half hours south of Edmonton, should you find yourself passing through Red Deer, I suggest you turn off the highway, and go into the downtown area and look for these ghosts yourself. Bring a camera.

The capital of Alberta, Edmonton's river valley offers the largest stretch of urban parkway at about 20 times the size of New York's Central Park. From late spring through summer Edmonton earns its reputation as festival city. Between art, theatre and night club venues, Edmonton has a thriving arts and culture scene. And there's plenty of shopping and sights to see that are actually fun.

For example, if you do want to shop, you should start in Old Strathcona. Voted one of the ten coolest places in Canada, Old Strathcona is about eight square blocks of dining, shopping and more centered around Whyte ave. and Calgary trail. www.oldstrathcona.ca will tell you all you need to know about this historic neighbourhood. For more shopping, dining, health and beauty needs, Kingsway mall will fit the bill nicely. www.kingswaymall.com will guide you to all your shopping needs.

If you're visiting anytime during the spring and summer Edmonton has plenty of activities to keep you out in the fresh air. The festival season kicks off on May 23rd with the rainmaker rodeo, so named because this rodeo has not been held without it raining. June brings us nextfest and the international jazz festival. Visit this site for all your festival needs.

All partied out at this week's festivals? Spend a Saturday at Fort Edmonton Park. For a $13.50 you get full access to North America's largest interactive historic park. At its heart is a full replica of the Hudson Bay fur trading post as it stood in 1845. Outside the fort is a small park and pond (stocked with fish for father's day) and a nearby amusement park. You'll also find three streets built to represent three eras in Edmonton's growth. And in case all that walking gets you tired you can take a load off in one of the restaurants or ride the streetcar, train, or one of many restored vehicles. This site will give you all the information you need.

Weather not so good? Get inside at the muttart conservatory. $9.00 buys you access to four glass pyramids featuring rare plants representing different ecosystems from around the world. The conservatory offers tours Sunday afternoons and behind the scenes tours at 1:00 pm the first Sunday of each month. Go to www.muttartconservatory.ca to find out more.

Come to the provincial museum to view impressive displays on aboriginal culture, Alberta's wilderness habitats and natural history dating back to the time of dinosaurs. Every season features new displays on a wide variety of subjects in science, nature and history. Admission to the museum is only $10.00. Go here to learn more.

Need more indoor fun? Visit the Telus World of Science for all sorts of science fun. The Art Gallery of Alberta has some beautiful exhibits by local and international artists and is located near downtown shopping and dining. Interested in aviation? Visit the Alberta Aviation Museum near Kingsway mall to see the history of aviation in Alberta.

I don't know about you, but all that walking around has made me hungry. One place I love to stop for lunch is Metro Billiards in downtown Edmonton. While on Whyte ave, the next act pub is one place I always like to go. Unfortunately, no website yet. If you're looking for more restaurant recommendations, go here.

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Let's Go!

There are lots of ways to get there, I am going to give you a nice circle route. Head south on Highway 2 to Highway 39, then West to Calmar. Calmar has a great little bakery on the north side of the road, and will make a nice stop to pick up a treat to eat in the car. Continue West, you will turn south at a point and pass through Thorsby. Continue south past the many farms and pastures. You will come to Highway 616, at which point you want to turn Right, or West. This will take you on a scenic trip around the lake and past some Bison farms. Unfortunately the roads were not designed with tourists in mind, and this will not be a completely lake shore drive. The 616 is a nice rolling drive, and you want to look for the South (left) turn to highway 771. Here is where you will get close to the lake and have a view. Follow the 717 as it heads south and eventually south east around the lake. At one point you will pass The Village Gardener Greenhouse on your left side. In the spring and summer this may make a nice place to get out and look around.
It is only a few more minutes south west on the 771 until you come to highway 13, turn left on this road, so you are headed east. In about 3 minutes time you will see "The Village at Pigeon Lake" on your left side. It is not a typical "village", nor is it on the lake, and by no means huge, although it is expanding. It is the name given to the development.

The Village

The Village consists of several stores, a grocery store, gas station and many others. The four most popular are in a row, starting with the Eco Cafe. This award winning restaurant is worth a stop just in time for lunch. The food is definitely high quality but not ridiculously priced. Their environmental philosophy, of buying local produce when available, shows in the freshness of the taste. Next is The Clothing Store, a place for womens fashions. The following store is very popular, The Country Sampler, an ever evolving store with pine furniture and home decor like you wont find many other places. Prices are excellent. The other noteworthy stop at the Village is Daisy McBeans, a good dessert stop before continuing on. They have ice cream and many other novelty treats, including home baked goods or incredible sandwiches. This is a good place to have a coffee and treat before heading onward. There is a Spa located in the Inn, and if you can get an appointment they are very good. If you visit the Village during the week, as opposed to a weekend, you should stop in to the ATB Bank to view their display of local artwork. In fact, I would say that coming during the week is better, since weekends are very crowded. The village is open year round, but no not expect late store hours in the winter.

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Continuing On...

From the Village head East, left, onto the Highway, about 1 mile down the road, on the right hand side, is Back Street Antiques, worth a stop, but I caution you that not everything is an antique and prices are a bit higher than in "The Village". Just ¼ mile south of Back Street is The Wilderness Store, another shop worth visiting as it has very unique wood furniture and other items. Phone ahead, often they are only open on Fridays and the weekends. Then head back on Highway 13, going east, which would be to the right. A turn north on Highway 13A will bring you to Ma-Me-O Beach, a man made beach where one can wade in knee deep water for ages. There is not much shopping in Ma-Me-O, but it is worth the stop if you have kids who want to play in the water, and they deserve it after allowing you to shop! You can follow Highway 13A which will loop back south to Highway 13, or can backtrack on Highway 13A to Highway 13, either way, continue East to Highway 2, where you can go North, back to Edmonton.

Trip Time

Traveling time from Edmonton to "The Village" is about one hour, I have suggested some good stops to break up the trip. There are a lot of people who have "cabins" at the lake, but a surprising number come as a day trip from the city. For those who don't know about this hidden treasure, I would like to encourage you to make a trip.

In the morning we had breakfast at my aunt and uncles, and then got back on the road to head on our way through Vernon, we stopped in Revelstoke to change and have a quick stop, then we drove through Golden and into Banff National Park. Finally we drove across into Alberta, Canada, Lake Louise is just 15 to 20 minutes away once you’ve crossed over into Alberta. The entire drive was beautiful, as driving through the Rocky Mountains always is; trees and mountains everywhere as far as the eye can see, it is absolutely breath taking.

Once we arrived in Lake Louise we made a couple quick stops (seeing as the legal age drops a year to 18 as you cross into Alberta) and off we went to find our campsite. Be careful to check both sides of the highway for the campground before moving on to search for other places you think it might be, because the map that I had looked as if it were on the opposite side of the highway. If you have stopped in the small mall as you enter Lake Louise, all you need to do is head away from highway 1 to the next intersection and turn left and follow that road straight to the ranger booth at the end.

Now, you can make your reservation online, and for the 3 nights that we stayed at the campsite it cost us about $80, but since it is a national park when you show up you will need to pay a Park Stopping Fee, the amount of this fee will vary depending on how long you will be staying, but mine was another $80, so if you are thinking of going just assume that the Park Stopping Fee will be just another payment of whatever you paid for the campsite.

There are a lot of wild animals in this area since you are surrounded by a national park and therefore you will need to be careful with discarding remainders of meals and cooking water, but you can sleep soundly at this campsite not worrying about bears or any other animals, because the campground is surrounded by an electrified fence to keep the large animals out of the campsite.

When you are staying at the campsite I recommend taking a couple quick trips to see the glacial lakes in the area. The closest lakes to you are Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, which are just up the road a few kilometres. These are the most amazing lakes I have ever seen, the pristine mountains and trees surrounding these beautiful lakes are just amazing, it’s something you need to see for yourself, because pictures just won’t do it justice (but if you’d like to see a good picture of Lake Louis then check out my picture “Glorious Day”).

If camping is not the outing for you though, there is a Fairmount Hotel right on the bank of Lake Louise that is extremely pretty, and I would assume very extravagant, but I wouldn’t know for sure since I’m the camping type.

We traveled into Banff on our first day there to take a look around at hotels and little shops. Banff has a very similar look and feel to it as Whistler Village, if you’ve been to Whistler that is. The second day we went on an outing to Lake Louise, and on the third we took a trip out to Moraine Lake. All of which had their own distinct adventure, and were all quite fun outings. I would recommend this trip to anyone who likes the outdoors, or if your not the outdoorsy type then reserve a room at the Fairmount and have the view of a lifetime just out your window as you wake up each morning.

It truly was an amazing trip in all aspects, both me and my girlfriend loved it, I’m sure you would too. Safe travels.