On the May long weekend we took a drive south to Drumheller, which was a place that many Albertans have told us is a must do, especially with kids! Known as the dinosaur capital of the world, Drumheller had dinosaurs around every corner!

I heard a saying once that the times in your life when you know most about dinosaurs is; 1. When you are 4 years old, 2. When you are the parent of a 4 year old and 3. After you have completed a degree in paleontology! What better place to visit with a 4 year old in tow!

As a kid I loved learning about dinosaurs and I only wish I had my favourite dinosaur stories with us to read to the kids! (Michael Salmon’s dinosaur series, did anyone else have these as a kid of the 90’s?)

OUR TOP 3 ATTRACTIONS TO SEE ON A VISIT TO DRUMHELLER AND THE CANADIAN BADLANDS ARE:

1. Royal Tyrrell Museum

We arrived at the Royal Tyrrell Museum at midday to huge crowds, rookie mistake! We ventured through once and then decided that as the museum was open until 9pm over the summer season we would go explore outside and see if the crowds thinned out. The Museum had a café, a great playground with picnic area and a walk along the Badlands Interpretive Trail all on premises.

Best decision ever! After exploring outside we made our way back in at 4pm to find the museum almost empty! We discovered so many more corners to the museum this time that we missed in the crowds. This museum had the most epic displays of fossils and dinosaur skeletons and many interactive displays that the kids loved using! There were walks through different time periods and a favourite of the kids was seeing palaeontologists working on fossils on site.

2. Drumheller Hoodoos

Hoodoos are sandstone pillars on a base of shale that take millions of years to form and were a marvel to see. They can be found across the Canadian Badlands, although not unique only to this area. Stories from Blackfoot and Cree traditions tell of the Hoodoos being petrified giants who come alive at night and throw stones at trespassers to protect their land.

3. Horsethief Canyon

Horsethief Canyon was named after the thieves that used it as a spot to hide their stolen livestock. The lookout at the top of the canyon offered spectacular views of the striped rock layers illustrating centuries of time. We were feeling adventurous and made the hike all the way down the canyon to the Red Deer River.

Thanks for checking in!

Elyse

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