Canadian Badlands

Leaving Fort MacLeod on Saturday morning, we drove 196 miles north and east to the small town of Drumheller, Alberta. As expected, we had a bit of a bother getting the motorhome out of Daisy May campground. We managed to get pointed in the correct direction to leave, only to find another motorhome coming in the opposite direction! Fortunately only the mirrors kissed, and we were able to squeeze past each other.

Happy to be done with Daisy May (with due respect to the Dukes of Hazzard), we revved up and stepped onto Alberta Highway 2, north. An easy drive through downtown Calgary set us on course for Drumheller. This small town was once a coal-mining center, but now subsists on tourist activities and agriculture. The fields hereabouts grow the most beautiful Canola crops!

The pics don't do the color any justice, so take my word: the fields are screaming yellow!

Alberta highway 9 drops into Drumheller on an 8% grade into the Red Deer River Canyon, known as Canada's Badlands. Thousands of dinosaur pieces and parts have been found in this area, exposed by the water washing away the sandstone layers laid down millions of years ago when this area was an inland sea with a warm, humid climate much like todays Florida.

Drumheller has taken advantage of the interest in Dinosaurs to promote a tourist industry. The Visitors Centre boasts:

The World's Largest Dinosaur!

We explored town a little after we set up, and on the way back to the rv park we're staying in (Dinosaur Trail RV Resort), we stopped at a country church. The picture was taken from a nearby hill, so the perspective is a bit off.

Of course, the overall size is unexpected, also!

The church seats six people, and was designed in conjunction with the local ministerial association as a place of worship. Even though it is unlocked and unattended, no damage has ever been done to the Little Church.

The Church's motto is: "Seating 10,000 people....six at a time".

Dinosaur Trail RV Park is a membership community, and as such, we were required to pay just over $72 per night for our two night stay. Well, ok, it's a location, location, location thing, but when we checked in, we found that the site we were assigned to was roughly two feet out of level front to back, and the electrical supply was not enough to operate our air conditioners. "Trainee issues" we were told....Hmmm, maybe "Trainer" issues also...In any case we were able to change sites so that we at least could climb into the motorhome without the use of a short ladder!

Nice weather allowed us to sit outside and enjoy the evening for one of the few times this trip. Nice place, this Drumheller!