Calgary, Nanton, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

Calgary and Day Trips

Calgary awaited us – a son daughter-in-law and 2 darling grandchildren. David had just turned 2 and Arianna was 9 months.

We visited for the first week, looking after the children each day while Garry and Karen worked. Arianna was not sure what to make of us at first. But she finally let me pick her up on the second day. However, it was not until the following Wednesday –almost a week- that she would let John hold her. She had never seen a moustache, and wondered who this strange man was! We had ‘talked to them’ on Skype, but it is not the same!  Since both Garry and Karen were off work the week after Karen’s mother died, we decided to go up to Edmonton to have a pleasant, but short visit with John’s Aunt.

John had not been to West Edmonton Mall, so while his Aunt went to a Birthday party, we made the trek to the Mall. It is HUGE, bigger than I remember it from the 80’s! We did get lost a couple of times, as there are several entrances to some of the bigger stores! There really is something for everyone, and for every pocketbook. For a while we watched the crowd of all ages enjoying the wave pool, the young figure skaters practising on the full-sized rink, while we sat and drank lattes, and families enjoying the water show. In between, we wandered in and out of stores, even finding a few bargains.

On the way home we took an alternate route south visiting Camrose and Red Deer.

Church across Mirror Lake in Camrose

 Since we were staying in Calgary longer, we took day trips on the weekends, Our first was South to Nanton, a traditional ranching community, which also has The Lancaster Air Museum. This is a 40,000 ft facility honouring the men and women associated with the bomber command in WWII.  

The Memorial contains the names of all Canadian men and women with the Bomber Command, who were killed from 1939 to 1945

 

A Lancaster - being restored- engines start and it will be able to taxi when complete

 

Nose-Art from the Bombers

We continued to head south to the World Heritage Site, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. Evidence indicates that this site had been used for over 6,000 years. However, there is evidence of Human activity in this region for at least 11,000 years. The Interpretive Centre has become known around the world as a remarkable site for teaching about the Plains Indian Culture.  The story goes that a young brave wanted to watch the buffalo tumbling past. So from under the shelter of a ledge, he watched the great beasts fall. However, he became trapped between the animals and the cliffs. When his people came to do the butchering of the herd, they found him with his skull crushed in, hence the name.

The Interpretive Center on the main level

The Buffalo Jump from the top Viewing Walk

The Explanation

Lookins SE from the top walk -that is the road about the middle of the picture

Looking up at the Buffalo Jump from about half way up, on the trail

Sunday, we decided to go North to Canmore and Banff, and check out the RV Parks at the same time. I will never tire of seeing the mountains rise out of the foothills, as we drive along the Trans Canada Hwy in Alberta. They are so majestic as they tower over the highway.

Approaching the Mountains smaller foothills then...

Approaching Canmore

More to come in the next post as we stay in Banff.