Crowsnest Pass · via Vulcan and Fort Macleod
Day 1 · Thursday, Nov 12
Dark start. Coffee in the cupholders.
This town was named Vulcan after the Roman god of fire about 50 years before Star Trek gave Mr. Spock a home planet with the same name. Leonard Nimoy, who played Spock, came to visit in 2010.
About 30 minutes. Photo stop.
For about 6,000 years, Blackfoot hunters steered herds of bison over this cliff. The bones piled up more than 10 metres deep at the bottom, taller than a three-storey building.
Open 10–5. The café is closed, so pack lunch or eat in Fort Macleod.
UNESCO siteThis theatre is over 110 years old, and people say it has a ghost named Ed. He supposedly hides things, plays with the lights and watches shows from the balcony.
Bonus photo if you eat in town. 235 Main St.
OptionalEarly one morning in 1903, about 82 million tonnes of rock crashed off Turtle Mountain in roughly 90 seconds, less time than one song. Look up: you can still see the scar on the mountain.
Open 10–5. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours for the centre and the boulder field.
The destinationThis little engine once hauled coal out of the mines under Coleman. Now it's called the world's biggest piggy bank. Bring a coin for the slot in its side!
Flumerfelt Park. Get there before dark.
Bring a coinOvernight.
Day 2 · Friday, Nov 13
A big part of the zoo sits on an island in the middle of the Bow River, so you cross a bridge to go see the animals.
Opens at 9. Grey Cup discount on now.
Back roads northeast. About 45 minutes to Irricana.
This steel horse is a copy of a real horse named Smoky. His rider was a Calgary Stampede calf roper who rode him along the railway tracks right here.
Quick photo stop on Main Street.
Squirt is Beiseker's town mascot, and the town says he's the world's largest skunk. Good news: this one doesn't smell.
Quick photo stop, 15 minutes up the road.
This steel tee is 12 metres (40 feet) tall. Trochu won it in 2009, when more than two-thirds of the voters in a contest picked this town.
About an hour from Beiseker.
World's largestThis lamp is 42 feet tall, taller than two giraffes standing on each other's heads. It was first lit on Canada Day 2000 to welcome the new millennium.
After dark, so it should be lit. The museum closes at 5, so you'll miss going inside the base.
Last photoAbout 2 hours from Donalda.
Last shot of the trip
Donalda's lamp lights up as the sun goes down. Over 900 more lamps are inside the museum across the street.
Save every photo back to Photos, or send them to a parent.