Fun Friday
Good Morning we have made it through another week and now it's time to go on our weekly Friday adventure. Today we are going to go on another adventure to our next country. Can you guess where we are going? We are going to visit the lovely country of Canada and our stop this week will be the beautiful province of Alberta.
1.) Moraine Lake Known for its views of the Ten Peaks, this glacial lake is a stunning sight within Banff National Park. The hiking trails around the lake offer varying levels of difficulty, but the Rockpile Trail offers some of the best views. If you want to fully immerse yourself in the area, stay at the lakeside hotel and take an early morning canoe ride. The infrastructure here is basic, but that only adds to the natural beauty. Plan your visit from mid to late June to catch the incredible reflection of the mountains in the lake.
2.)Heritage Park Historical Village located in Calgary With more than 200 exhibits and attractions spread over 127 acres of lush parkland, Heritage Park Historical Village has a lot to offer both the history buff and the pleasure seeker. It’s the perfect balance between historical fact, adventure, discovery and fun that makes our take on the tale of Western Canada’s history so unique. Tour the Park on an antique steam train, set sail aboard Calgary's only paddlewheel ship, visit the farm animals at the ranch, learn about Blackfoot culture in the First Nations area, engage with Western Canada’s energy past, present and future at Prospect Ridge, explore a bustling young prairie town and discover one of the world’s largest public collections of antique vehicles at Gasoline Alley Museum. The Historical Village is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from the May long weekend until the first weekend in September, then open weekends until mid-October. Gasoline Alley Museum is open year-round.
3.) The Calgary Zoo hours of operation are daily 9-6pm From the splendor of the Rocky Mountains to the heart of Destination Africa, the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo takes you to see over 1,000 animals from around the world. Trek through the African Rainforest to see the gorilla troop, safari over the African Savannah to watch the hippos swim, or climb the Canadian Wilds to see grizzly bears! Cool off and practice your waddle with 4 species of penguins in our popular Penguin Plunge or visit endangered red pandas and Amur tigers in Exploration Asia! Wind down your trip with a walk through our fragrant Dorothy Harvie Gardens or sit with the butterflies (seasonal) in the ENMAX Conservatory. You'll love knowing that every visit helps protect endangered animals at home and in the wild. NEW in 2021 is the unique and immersive permanent Gateway to Asia building featuring Komodo dragons, white-handed gibbons, and a Malayan tapir. Coming in December 2023 is the return of an iconic Canadian species - polar bears!
4.) West Edmonton Mall hours of operation are Mon-Sat 10-9pm Sun 11-6pm The world's largest shopping and entertainment complex, with a roller coaster, tropical rainforest and an indoor bungee jump, in addition to the over 800 stores and 20 restaurants.
5.) Royal Tyrrell Museum located in Drumheller hours of operation are daily from 9-9pm Set in the rugged Alberta badlands, the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology displays one of the world's largest collections of dinosaurs. With ever-changing exhibits and self-guided experiences year-round, there is always something new to discover.
6.) Banff National Park It's hard to beat the breathtaking scenery and landscapes at Banff National Park, Canada's oldest national park. Here, you'll see pine forests, glaciers, snow-capped mountains, alpine lakes, and wildlife like grizzly bears, moose, and elks. If you love adventure, summer is ideal for stunning hikes up Banff's peaks, and winter is great for skiing against the backdrop of the Canadian Rockies. There are plenty of accommodation options for all kinds of travelers as well, from outdoor campgrounds to luxury hotels. Don't know where to start? You can tour Banff on a guided canoe, a horse-drawn wagon ride, or even on a multi-day adventure tour from Vancouver. While you're in town check out Banff Upper Hot Springs among other things
7.) Gasoline Alley Museum opened daily from 10-5pm price of admission is roughly 411 Gasoline Alley Museum is a celebration of industrial design illuminated by a storyline that follows the far-reaching social changes that resulted from the introduction and popularization of the automobile. The museum contains thousands of automobile memorabilia items, most dating from before the Second World War. Local businessman, Ron Carey, generously donated the items to Heritage Park so that they could be put on display for public enjoyment, while being properly maintained. The artifacts displayed at the museum date from the turn of the 20th century to the 1950s and include vintage vehicles, unique gasoline pumps and many products and signage from a host of petroleum companies. Most of the items on display in Gasoline Alley Museum were painstakingly restored by Mr. Carey and his staff.
8.) Fort Edmonton Park Fort Edmonton Park is nestled on 158 acres of wooded parkland along Edmonton’s River Valley and began as a Canada Centennial reconstruction project in 1967. Our expansive, multi-attraction space provides a community gathering place for guests, whether it be a park visit, a private function, or a special event. Every visit is a new adventure filled with immersive and unique experiences. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of the Rotary Club of Edmonton and the Fort Edmonton Foundation, the experience continues to expand upon Edmonton's story.
9.) The Military Museums open weekdays 9-5pm and weekends 9:30-4pm The Military Museums. Discover the victories, tragedies, and sacrifices of the Canadian Forces. Experience life at the helm in a Second World War ship's wheelhouse, walk through a First World War trench, and witness a bomber squadron's mission over enemy territory. The Military Museums is dedicated to representing Canada's navy, army, and air force, and educating the public, particularly youth, about Canada's military. Admission: Adults $10, Seniors $5, Youth 7-17 $4, Family $20, Children 6 and under are free. Free admission for veterans and Canadian Forces personnel. Hours: Weekdays 9:00 AM to 5 PM, Weekends & Statutory Holidays 9:30 AM to 4 PM. Closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's day. TMM is a Canadian Forces tri-service history, heritage, art, research, and educational institution. It is composed of the following organizations: * Naval Museum of Alberta * Army Museum of Alberta * Air Force Museum of Alberta * Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Museum * Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Museum and Archives * The King's Own Calgary Regiment (Royal Canadian Armoured Corps) Museum * The Calgary Highlanders Regimental Museum and Archives * The University of Calgary Military Museums Library and Archives. The Museum of the Regiments was officially opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 30 June 1990. The Queen Elizabeth II Atrium was dedicated to Her Majesty during the visit of Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh on 25 May 2005. The Military Museums was renamed “The Military Museums” (TMM) by Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex during the visit of Her Royal Highness on 3 June 2006.TMM’s $18.5 million capital expansion and renovation has seen the facility grow from 52,000 sq ft to 104,000 sq ft, making it the second largest military museum in Canada. The expanded facility is now tri-service and includes the relocated Naval Museum of Alberta and the newly-created Air Force Museum of Alberta.TMM’s education programs are tied in with Alberta’s provincial education curriculum and have won both provincial and national awards of excellence.
10.)Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre located in Calgaryopened daily from 10-5pm Explore five floors of exhibitions that tell the story of music in Canada, celebrate music icons at the Canadian Halls of Fame, rock out with our interactive instrument installations and experiment in Soundbox– a music workshop! Everyone is welcome to Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre.
11.) Muttart Conservatory located in EdmontonThe Muttart Conservatory is unique at first sight. This innovative botanical garden sets the pace for plant science in western Canada and defines Edmonton’s skyline with striking glass pyramids rising from the river valley.
12.) Miette Hot Springs You won’t soon forget the drive up the spectacular Fiddle Valley to the hottest mineral springs in the Rockies. Flowing from the mountain at 54ºC, the water is cooled to a comfortable temperature of 40ºC as it enters the pools. Peaceful surroundings with these services: two hot pools, two cool pools, wildlife viewing, superb hiking, and nearby accommodations and camping. Open Daily from 10:30 p.m. to 9:00 pm with the last entry 30 minutes before closing.
13.) Dinosaur Provincial Park Dinosaur Provincial Park UNESCO World Heritage Site is located 48 km northeast (1/2 hour drive) from Brooks, Alberta (NOT at or near Drumheller). There is a campground, picnic area, walking trails, Public Scenic Loop Road with 2 outdoor fossil displays and Visitor Centre with museum, theatre, giftshop. Concession (food services) from May to mid October. No entrance fee into the park. Small exhibit gallery/museum fee. Fees for guided bus tours and hikes.
14.) High Level Bridge Streetcar Open May Long weekend to October each year, the streetcar's views of the city and the river are absolutely amazing. This is also the best way to get from the farmer's market to downtown.
15.) Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park Created for the 1988 Winter Olympics, this ski area offers many expert trails.
16.) Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies located in Banff opened daily 10-5pm The Whyte Museum inspires discovery and wonder where people and the Rocky Mountains meet. The Museum's founders, Peter and Catharine Whyte, were local artists and philanthropists who wished to offer a place where people could gather and appreciate the culture and beauty of the area. Explore the culture shaped by this mountain landscape through our exhibitions, events, heritage homes, archives, library and museum shop. Our programming is made possible through generous support from you - the Museum's Members, donors and sponsors.
17.) Royal Alberta Museum hours of operation are Tue-Sun 10-4pm Welcome to the Royal Alberta Museum (RAM)! Our new museum is more than just a thoughtful, beautifully designed space. It's an authentic reflection of where Alberta is today and will be in the decades to come. It represents the new energy of Alberta, the diversity of our culture and tells our story with a new boldness and confidence. It's a place where you'll find 2.4 million uniquely Albertan stories just waiting to be told. Our gallery spaces include two 30,000 square foot history halls chronicling millions of years of Alberta's natural and cultural history; a 12,000 square foot feature gallery that will play host to touring exhibits from around the world; A 7,000 square foot Children's Gallery where hands-on play is found in every corner; and a 3,000 square foot Bug Gallery where visitors can have close encounters with live invertebrates. Feed your curiosity.
18.) Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump World Heritage Site located in Fort Macleod opened from 10-5pm closed on Mon Head-Smashed-In is one of the oldest, largest and best preserved Buffalo jumps in North America. The site has an archaeological record that goes back 6,000 years. This World Heritage Site is open year round and offers an Interpretive Centre and walking trails. Blackfoot Guides interpret the plains buffalo culture. Visit: www.headsmashedin.ca
19.) The Beaver Boardwalk Boardwalk with handicap access. The Beaver Boardwalk is a great place for a quiet reflective stroll or a great place to take a family to get the kids off their electronics. The industriousness of the beavers is easy to spot as they are constantly fortifying their dans and maintaining different water levels throughout the area.Well worth a visit. Ask a local for directions.
20.) Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden located in Lethbridge hours of operation Wed-Sun 10-5pm Peace, tranquility and friendship await you at the Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden. The gem of Southern Alberta is celebrating its 50th year with cultural activities and the very best omotenashi (hospitality) every day. Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden is open all year, with a variety of programming, experiences, and events. See our website for exact days and times.
22.) The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland hours of operation are Fri-Sun 10-5pm Like the Bow and Elbow rivers that meet here, so do countless stories. Some are as old as time. Some are forever intertwined. The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland is a destination for locals to find a sense of identity and connection to the land they live on, and where tourists can learn the stories and cultures of this special place. When you visit The Confluence, you stand on the traditional territory of the Blackfoot and the people of Treaty 7, including the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai; the Tsuut’ina; and the Bearspaw, Chiniki and Wesley Nations of the Stoney-Nakoda. This is also homeland to the historic Northwest Métis and to the Otipemisiwak Métis Government Nose Hill Métis District 5. This is where the North West Mounted Police arrived in 1875 and built the fort that became the foundation for the city of Calgary. It is where two worldviews collided, forever changing the people and the place.
24.) Buffalo Nations Museum located in Banff opened daily from 11-5pm Journey into the extraordinary heritage of the First Nations People of the Northern Plains and Canadian Rockies, at the Buffalo Nations Museum. Ask questions, learn and experience something truly Canadian.
25.) Bow Habitat Station & Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery hours of operation are Tue-Sat 10-4pm Located along the Bow River 10-minutes east of downtown Calgary, Bow Habitat Station offers a unique learning experience that’s sure to be a splash. Investigate, explore and discover Alberta’s fish, wildlife, water and aquatic ecosystems through hands-on exhibits and freshwater aquariums in the Discovery Centre. Feed thousands of fish in the Fish Hatchery (Fridays and Saturdays) while you discover what it takes to raise over a million trout each year. Cast a line or join a program to Learn to Fish in the Trout Pond (seasonally May-September). Take a stroll along the trails of the Interpretive Wetlands. Open year-round, the facility is wheelchair accessible and fun for all ages. Limited free parking is available in the main lot for Pearce Estate Park. Please visit bowhabitat.alberta.ca for up-to-date hours.
26.) Inglewood Bird Sanctuary and Nature Centre One of my favorite places in Calgary. Lots of birds, good pathways. Well kept Nature Centre, with knowledgeable staff.
27.) Alberta Aviation Museum hours of operation are Tue-Fri 10-4pm weekends 10-5pm For more than 80 years, Edmonton’s Blatchford Field was the center of a bustling aviation community that spurred the growth of the city, the region, and the North. Hundreds of men and women let their dreams take flight from this historic airfield, flying everything from biplanes to bush planes, bombers to jets. The museum, located in the last remaining double-long, double-wide hangar from the World War II era, is committed to keeping that aviation heritage alive by sharing their stories, offering education programs, and providing new and exciting opportunities for families to explore Edmonton’s rich aviation history.
28.) Bar U Ranch National Historic Site located in Longview opened daily 10-5pm The Bar U Ranch is the only Parks Canada-administered National Historic Site that commemorates the importance of ranching to Canada. Founded in 1882 as the Northwest Cattle Company, the Bar U was one of the first and most enduring of the large corporate ranches established in southern Alberta. Three key personalities guided the ranch through seven decades of change up to 1950: Fred Stimson set the foundation and infrastructure for the Bar U Ranch, which under George Lane achieved international repute as a centre of breeding excellence for cattle and purebred Percheron horses. Patrick Burns and his company modernized the ranch by replacing horses with tractors and streamlined operations which took the Bar U through the depression and World War II. Explore one of the largest collections of original buildings in Canada. Treasures include the blacksmith shop, harness repair shop, roundup camp and saddle horse barn. Taste the freshly-baked cookies at the cookhouse, hear the clattering hooves of our Percheron team and smell the cowboy coffee roasting over an open fire. Experience life on the ranch from 100 years ago. On the doorstep of the Rocky Mountains, the Bar U Ranch National Historic
Site is only an hour’s drive from Calgary
29.) Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site located in Drumheller opens daily from 10-5pm The Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site is considered Canada's most complete historic coal mine. We offer a variety of tours and experiences, check our website for more information and to book!
30.) Lougheed House hours of operation are Wed-Fri 11-4pm weekends 10-4pm Lougheed House is a National & Provincial Historic site, Museum and gardens located in Calgary's Beltline community. This 14,000 sq.ft sandstone mansion was built in 1891 by Senator James Lougheed and his wife Lady Isabella Lougheed. Completely restored, today it is the Beltline community's hub of cultural happenings and programs offering preservation and interpretation of this home, the Lougheed family and early Calgary. We also offer spectacular flower and vegetable gardens (free), weddings and events, and indoors (with paid admission) we offer self-guided and audio tours, historic interpreters (if booked in advance) and year round revolving exhibits, concerts and happenings produced with our cultural collaborators.
I hope that you have enjoyed this week's tour and come back next week for another amazing adventure. Remember to always be kind as it costs nothing and if you see someone without a smile stop and give them yours a smile is contagious and you never know whose life you could save simply by being kind and when it comes to kindness sprinkle it everywhere the world needs more of it.
Written by: BeautifulChaos318
