#34 May 2014 Dinosaurs

My Mother’s Day continued on Monday when we visited with our daughter Kari’s son Joey and his father. They live in Regina but were in Calgary for a few days. In the evening we had supper with our son Dave and his daughter Danica. A great start to get away from home and catch up with family and friends.

We stayed at Bow RiversEdge campground in Cochrane just west of Calgary. We parked beside Karen and Keith whom we have known since our kids were babies in Canmore. They have been full time RVers for over 3 years and have shared invaluable tips and ideas as our adventure has evolved.

In Calgary we visited two aunts who are almost 89 and 97 years old/young. Some days they feel their age and others not so much. Their lives remind us to enjoy our health and mobility while we can.

Thursday, May 15th we packed up and headed for Drumheller and setup in Dinosaur RV Park. Their portable firepits are quite unique.

In our earlier family camping times we spent many days in Drumheller and we all have fond memories of dinosaurs and fossils. We wanted to create similar memories with Danica and agreed to spend the May long weekend doing just that. Friday morning we returned to Calgary and picked up Danica for the weekend. Dave had a meeting in Edmonton and drove directly to Drumheller Friday evening.

We had a great drive back showing Danica the sheep and cows and answering questions about the fields and farm equipment.

Many parts of North America has a very unusual winter and spring and we were seeing first hand evidence. North of Calgary there were ditches with snow under the grass.

In Drumheller we walked across the Red Deer River on the Star Mine Suspension Bridge. The bridge was built to carry coal miners to the mine in all weather. That would have been an extreme walk in the cold, windy winters.

The Atlas Coal Mine was the last one to close when natural gas became cheaper and cleaner that coal to heat homes and businesses. It’s an historical site with several tours to understand the history of the valley.

We took the coal train tour with an excellent guide who provided real examples of the life he was describing. While the passengers waited these volunteers were switching the train tracks so we would not run off the rails.

In the washhouse we were able to use the pulleys to carry wet clothes to the rafters. The clothes would dry as the heat rose as well as leave more room on the floor.

This coal train engine was well named.

There were many posters reminding the men of the dangers of their jobs but still many people were injured and killed. The back breaking, manual equipment is hard to comprehend in today’s western world.

Royal Tyrell Museum is fascinating and sometimes overwhelming with the information and models of dinosaurs and their ancient environment. We will return another time in order to retain more info.

Horse Thief Canyon viewpoint put us on top of an incredible view of the layers of history carved by the Red Deer River over thousands of years.

This view from across the valley shows the dramatic drop from farmland into the Canyon and why rustlers could herd horses into the canyon and bring them out with a different brand.

There are creative dinosaurs everywhere in Drumheller.

This one has a staircase inside to get a dinosaur's eye view.

We have pictures of Dave and Kari in this stew pot many years ago.

Fossil World Dinosaur Discovery Centre has a great story to tell and many hands-on experiences. This very animated T Rex tries to intimidate people but some visitors talk back.

Kids can dig for fossils with the help of a staff person. They find real fossils and can keep their favorite – including a description of the fossil.