Drumheller

For one more foray into the Alberta, CA area, we abandoned the flat, pasture and farm area outside Calgary and drove (lousy bike riding weather) 85 miles to the badlands and the town of Drumheller.  (named for Samuel Drumheller who came to the area in search of coal to mine). 

Just outside town is the Royal Tyrrell Museum, home of a world-class dinosaur museum.

The museum represented the prehistoric geological ages with in-situ displays, reassembled skeletons-some whole, some added to, fossils, and static displays created from fossil records.

Small

large,

ocean-dwelling,

land-dwelling

A 12x normal shallow ocean

a normal-sized coral reef

Since Duane and I explored the museum faster than Brock and Leola, we took advantage of the walking trail across the road from the museum.

The trail features a close view of the badlands formations such as hoo-doos

and this piece of petrified redwood tree, which help geologists determine what the area looked like when the dinosaurs lived here.

Before we went home we met up with Brock and Leola’s Canadian friends, Dave and Chris, for dinner.  On the way to the restaurant we stopped to view a couple of interesting displays.

 

 

 

I’m explaining how I ride sometimes.

We took Eleven-bridge Rd. to the only building left on the defunct coal mining town of Wayne. 

On this site in 2016 six people enjoyed each others’ company with a nice dinner and interesting conversation.

After dinner stop (across the road from the saloon) for a bit of Wayne history before we hit the road for home.

We had hoped to ride motorcycles in this area and to explore downtown Calgary, but the weather hasn’t cooperated.  Now we are hoping to stay dry during our final Stampede (Canadian for rodeo) on Sunday.

Louise and Duane