The Road Goes On…

2023 Western Canada

  • Calgary, AB

    Today was a shopping, swimming and movie day.

    After visiting Cabela’s in the morning, buying some hiking shoes and getting some great ideas for what to explore around Calgary from our salesperson John, we headed off to Sikome Aquatic Facility in the Fish Creek Provincial Park for a swim in their lagoon.

    A quick trip through Costco for the essentials and then off to next door Walmart to find a spot for the night. A beautiful rainbow was visible.

    After going for a walk we went to see Oppenheimer at the Cineplex theatre next door and didn’t get out until after midnight. Although the cinema had reclining seats it was not only the movie that keep us engaged but also the tremendous soundtrack.

  • Calgary, AB to Drumheller, AB

    Today was about the Royal Tyrrell Museum, a fabulous museum dedicated to fossils and the history of life on planet Earth. If you are in the area, make sure to visit!

    The museum has lots to take in – more than we could absorb in one visit. It showed the development of life over many millions of years. Alberta is very rich in well preserved fossils from many of the time periods.

    Scientists work tirelessly cleaning, identifying and preserving fossils that are discovered, many by construction and mining companies. An Alberta law requires that a palaeontologist examine any fossil found and larger construction and mining companies are even required to have one on staff.

    Tetrapod are jawed vertebrates with two pairs of limbs with digits (fingers and toes). They include amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals – even you! The body plan is successful, adaptable and has allowed tetrapods to thrive on land and in the water for the past 385 million years. This particular creature is a Tiktaalik and is one of a species of tetrapod-like fish from the later part of the Devonian Period. These transitional fossils had both internal gills and rudimentary lungs that allow them to survive equally well in oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor waters.

    The Dimetrodon were spiky and loved basking in the sun. It is possible that their sails were used for display to attract mates or to discourage competitors.

    Drumheller is located in the Canadian Badlands and has an impressive display of rock formations, canyons and hoodoos. These were formed by the effects of erosion caused by water, wind and frost.

  • Drumheller, AB to Manitou Beach, SK

    Today was mostly a driving day to get us to Manitou Beach were we will be spending a few days.

    The vast open landscapes let us see the changes of the weather patterns. Localized rain from tremendously large clouds moved by the winds were fascinating to see but also made the drive a bit more exciting.

    At one point we drove through some pretty severe rain and wind but it was over fairly quickly.

    Nevertheless we were really happy when we arrived at our campground. We walked through the town and along Little Manitou Lake and watched a spectacular sunset.

  • Manitou Beach, SK

    Manitou Beach hosted a three day Chainsaw Carving Festival with carvers from all over Canada. Each of the carvers made a large piece and a few smaller “quick carves”, mostly of animals. Quite a number of people came out to watch, cheer and buy some of the sculptures which sold for hundreds to thousands of dollars.

    We only saw the tail end of the festival when most of the carving was already complete. Mike Winia, of Bothwell, Ontario, was still working on a quick carve of a bald eagle and ended up finishing it in under 1.5 hours. Click on the video to see Mike at work.

    The main carvings were quite large and exquisite and the town had a number of sculptures from these yearly events at various intersections.

    Prizes were awarded, the top being $3000.

    Manitou’s mineral springs have a unique mineral concentration that is said to be unique in the western hemisphere. It is said that they possess natural therapeutic skin and body care properties found only at a few places in the world (Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic and The Dead Sea of Israel). The Manitou Springs Mineral Spa has a pool to enjoy this water. The water is so rich in salt that it is impossible to sink and we just lay there on our backs like otters in warm water for 1.5 hours.

    No map for today.

  • Manitou Beach, SK

    Can you believe it? Today was a day of rest, reading, talking to people and swimming in the pool at the mineral springs spa. Ok, we had ice cream too.

    No map for today.