City of Calgary: We'll take a short drive to Calgary's birthplace, Fort Calgary, then up to Scotsman Hill for a panoramic view of the city, Calgary Stampede grounds and the majestic Rockies. Then a drive to the sites of the 1988 Winter Olympic venues such as the speed skating oval on the University of Calgary campus, and Canada Olympic Park where you can ride up to the top of the 90 metre ski jump tower. Drives along the Elbow and Bow Rivers will showcase some of Calgary's beautiful estate homes, followed by a trip to the world-class Spruce Meadows equestrian complex. All this and much more awaits your personal city tour.
Destinations
So where do you want to go? Here are a few ideas for one day trips …
So where do you want to go? Here are a few ideas for one day trips …
Drumheller area: East of Calgary, visit the Royal Tyrrell museum, world renowned for its work in palaeontology. The museum has 40 mounted dinosaur skeletons and over 125,000 fossil specimens plus many interactive displays. Experience the Badlands with their hoodoos where dinosaurs once roamed. Look into Horsethief Canyon to see lunar-like coulees and ancient bones. We'll drive the Hoodoo Trail to see Hoodoos, 5 to 7 metre sandstone pillars that stand on a base of shale capped by a large stone. And maybe a side trip to the Rosedale Suspension Bridge across the Red Deer River.
Lake Louise, Canada's "Diamond in the Wilderness", and the surrounding area are famous for their natural beauty, clear mountain lakes, numerous hiking opportunities and world class hotels and cuisine. Stop to relax in the famous Chateau Lake Louise or just take a stroll through the grounds breathing in that fresh mountain air.
Kananaskis Country: Located in the foothills and mountains of the Canadian Rockies west of Calgary, Kananaskis Country is a diverse landscape including outstanding scenery and a wide range of natural resources. Stops can include the Olympic downhill skiing site Nakiska, lunch at Kananaskis Lodge, plus other breath-taking views that make it an outdoor enthusiast's dream.
Highwood Pass: At 7,200 feet, this is the highest 'driveable' pass in Southern Alberta. It goes through Kananaskis Country and is always spectacular. Highwood Pass is closed in the winter months but a round trip to Canmore, via the Smith-Dorien Highway, is a good alternative.
Here are a few ideas for multiple day trips…
Jasper: This little resort town in the heart of the Canadian Rockies is a five hour drive from Calgary along the world famous Icefields Parkway. Stops along the way could include beautiful star-shaped Peyto Lake and the spectacular Columbia Icefield Glacier. In Jasper experience colourful lakes, canyons & waterfalls. Wildlife sightings are not uncommon.
Jasper: This little resort town in the heart of the Canadian Rockies is a five hour drive from Calgary along the world famous Icefields Parkway. Stops along the way could include beautiful star-shaped Peyto Lake and the spectacular Columbia Icefield Glacier. In Jasper experience colourful lakes, canyons & waterfalls. Wildlife sightings are not uncommon.
Southern Alberta: We'll drive you to the historic Bar U Ranch, one of the first corporate ranches of the west and a national historic site. Then its on to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo-Jump, used by aboriginal people of the plains for 6000 years. Drive further south to the Crowsnest Pass and the coal-mining town of Frank, which was buried by a landslide in 1903.
Wild horses still roam parts of Alberta. A little patience is worth the search for this memorable experience in the foothills of the Rockies.
Wild horses still roam parts of Alberta. A little patience is worth the search for this memorable experience in the foothills of the Rockies.
Waterton Glacier National Park: Tucked into the southwestern corner of Alberta, the park is bordered to south by the state of Montana and to the west by the continental divide. Waterton is the perfect place to view spectacular scenery and wildlife, spend the night in one of the fabulous hotels overlooking Waterton Lake, and experience a memorable lake cruise.
Roads Less Travelled...
Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park is a provincial historic resource and archaeological preserve. It preserves and protects hundreds of Aboriginal petroglyphs (rock carvings) and pictographs (rock paintings) on sandstone cliffs of the Milk River valley of Alberta. The park, a National Historic Site, protects the largest collection of native rock art found in North America, some of the largest blocks of native prairie in Alberta and a replica of the original North West Mounted Police outpost - an important symbol of Canadian history. Nearby is Red Rock Coulee with it's unusual round rock formations.
The Canadian Pacific Railway was instrumental in developing the west and there are numerous authentic train trips available. We can take you to Heritage Park in Calgary for a short train trip around the park or to Stettler, a 2 hour drive northeast of Calgary where you can board a steam driven train for a unique trip, replete with true western hospitality and entertainment, a great meal and a few surprises. If model trains are your interest, theres none better than the outdoor garden railway in , about an hour south of Calgary. And don't miss the Nanton Candy & Antique Store.
Banff: We'll drive you to the Sulphur Mountain hot springs that led to the formation of Banff National Park, and ride the gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain. Visit the world class Banff Springs Hotel and it's spectacular setting, then stop at the Cave and Basin, an original grand bathing pavilion and emerald coloured basin hot springs in the Cave. Cruise Lake Minnewanka, experiencing it's mysteries. The park is home to a variety of wildlife such as bear, elk, mountain sheep and moose.
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