Dinosaur Capital of the World

Not only does Calgary have proximity to the Rocky Mountains in its favour, it's also close to one of the world's biggest discoveries of dinosaur bones. According to voters on Smithsonian.com, Drumheller, Alberta is the dinosaur capital of the world. The town is just 90 minutes drive northeast of Calgary and is a great day trip for kids of all ages. The Royal Tyrrell Museum is the star attraction. I took my two children (aged 4 and 1) a couple of months ago and spent the day at the museum enjoying the interactive exhibits, the roaring dinosaur (!), the inside look at a paleontology lab and much more. The weather wasn't great so we didn't hike the outdoor trail, but we did pack a picnic and enjoyed the gorgeous views of the badlands.

This weekend (September 18-20, 2009), the museum is celebrating Alberta Arts Days with free general admission and tons of kid-friendly activities scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

To find out how to get there click here. Want to get your little ones excited before you go? This site lists a big selection of kid-friendly dinosaur web sites.

Enjoy a cuppa on your travels!

I was born and raised in England so it goes without saying that I enjoy a nice cup of tea (or two). I can't stomach coffee at all, no matter how hard I try. When my husband and I first arrived in Canada 10 years ago, it wasn't easy to find a decent cuppa. But things have changed and now I regularly head out with my kids or with friends to my local tea house (we now have a few great tea shops in my Calgary neighborhood).

Edmonton author, Mary Oakwell, has written a book called "Tea Time in Alberta" detailing 54 great tea houses from Grand Prairie to Waterton Lakes. So next time you're on the road in Alberta and need a break, consider stopping at an old fashioned tea house for some old world hospitality. A few of the tea houses profiled by Oakwell are featured in this Travel Alberta article.

Summer in the Pass

Are you looking for a family friendly adventure this summer and want to try something new? Then head to the Crowsnest Pass -- I highly recommend it. My family has a cabin there and we escape south a couple of times a month to unwind away from the city.


I wrote about my top 10 favourite summer things to do in the Pass in the upcoming July/August edition of Calgary's Child. Here they are in short form. For the full text, pick up a Calgary's Child magazine.
- Tour the Bellevue Mine
- Visit the Hillcrest Mine disaster
- Walk the Frank Slide trail
- Hike the historic Miner's Path
- Cool off at the Flummerfelt water park
- Munch on a warm cinnamon bun at the Cinnamon Bear Cafe
- Go fly-fishing on the Crowsnest River
- Tour the Crowsnest Museum
- Picnic at Chinook Lake
- Enjoy Rum Runner Days from July 16 to 19

...and remember to pack the sunscreen!

Travel Alberta Family mag

If you are visiting Alberta this summer or live here and plan to take a vacation close to home, then take a peek at the new edition of Travel Alberta's STAY Family magazine. It's packed with great ideas for things to do with kids in southern Alberta.

Click here to download the pdf (it's a big file - about 11 mb - so may take a while).