First, visit the UNECSO World Heritage Site Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump, which is located 18 km northwest of Fort Macleod. This is a 5000 year old site of incredible historical and cultural significance.

Afterwards, head into the Town of Fort Macleod, the oldest town in Alberta, established in 1874 by the North West Mounted Police to allow for peaceful settlement of the west.

Take a walking tour of Fort Macleod. This is from an article from the Macleod Gazette, Fort Macleod’s local Newspaper which was founded in 1882, making it the longest running newspaper in Alberta. This tour includes the historic Empress Theatre. The Empress was built in 1912 and is Alberta’s oldest continually operating theatre and continues to offer a number of live musical and theatre acts, as well as movies, and claims to be haunted!

For lunch stay on Main Street and head over to either Johnny’s Café, whose Chef is formerly a Chef of the Banff Springs Hotel; or, The Silver Grill Café, located in a 1910 building which was the local saloon and poker house, and still houses the original bar and mirror, which contains a bullet hole from a wild west shootout!

Then wander over to The NWMP Fort Museum, a replica fort of the North West Mounted Police fort. The Fort has numerous displays of the life of the early western settlers as well as history of the local native groups.

Also located near town is the Northwest Mounted Police 1884 Barracks Provincial Historic Site, which has a number of reconstructed buildings from 1884, including the barrack, stable, prison, hospital and firearms displays.

Next take a walk along the Old Man River on many of its path ways or head over to The River Valley Wilderness Park and admire the unique and endangered ecosystem of this river valley. The forests along the river is one of the few places that the narrow-leaf cottonwood tree species still survives. To find the park, follow the 6^th Ave North (Highway 811) and go over the green bridge, and take the first left into the gravel parking lot. There is an extensive pathway system and a number of swimming holes and spots for great fishing!

River Valley (Town of Fort Macleod)

Perhaps also plan to play a round on the Fort Macleod Golf Course, the oldest Golf Course in Western Canada, founded by the original members of the NWMP in 1890.

Tess

To find out more about the history of Fort Macleod, check out these books from the library: Fort Macleod: Our Colourful Past or Ghost Towns of Southern Alberta Volume 2 which has a section on Old Fort Macleod. My favorite line in the latter book is Fort Macleod Hotel's Regulation #18: Guests are forbidden to strike matches or spit on the celing, or to sleep in bed with their boots on.

Last week I talked about our drive down the Cowboy Trail. Having arrived safely at Highway 3, we turned west for some unforgettable experiences in the Crowsnest Pass. Our first goal was to watch for the historic Burmis tree as we travelled west.

The Frank Slide is one of the most awe-inspiring sights that I have seen. There is an excellent interpretive centre where you can learn about the tragedy, the heroism and twists of fate that saved some and condemned others.

If you would like to read more, our library has some histories of the slide, such as The Frank Slide and The Frank Slide Story. You can relive the terror through the experiences of the heroine in a recent novel, The Outlander, by Gil Adamson.

We also visited the Bellevue Underground Mine, or I should say, my daughter, son and niece went underground while my sister and I guarded the car (I'm really not fond of dark, closed spaces). The kids were amazed at how dark it really was and intrigued by the fact that the walls of the tunnel were built on an angle. As well, the girls weren't sure about the fashion statement that the hard hats made.

We finished off our afternoon in the Crowsnest Pass by visiting beautiful Lundbreck Falls. I love waterfalls and would have been quite happy to just sit and watch the water for hours. This is a great place to picnic and there is a campground there as well.

There is a lot more to see and do in the Crowsnest Pass but that is all we had time for in the half-day we were there. Bill Corbett's Day Trips from Calgary has a good section on the Crowsnest Pass. You can also find more information at the Crowsnest Pass webpage.

THE COWBOY TRAIL

One of my favourite drives is the Cowboy Trail, which meanders through such small towns as Longview and Black Diamond, and wanders along beside the foothills, with great vistas across rolling fields to the mountains. The Cowboy Trail is actually Highway 22, tucked in between Highway 2 and the Rockies. We travelled south from 22X to the Crowsnest Pass.

For some great trivia on the Cowboy Trail, and off-the-beaten-path places to visit as well as suggested restaurants and accommodation, take a look at The Cowboy Trail by D. Larraine Andrews. For instance, did you know that the Sarcee name for Black Diamond is klas-hlath-tidi, meaning white mud, while the name, Black Diamond, refers to the abundant black coal found in the area? Or would you like a recipe for Bread Pudding and Whiskey Sauce from Memories Inn in Longview or perhaps Butterflied Prairie Oysters from Rusty Luca of Lucasis Ranch?

A tip from one of our CPL staff members - "We had dinner at the Longview Steakhouse a couple of weeks ago. My husband said the salmon was delicious. It is owned by the Belmoufid family and located at 102 Morisson Road, Longview, right beside the Esso. The phone number is 403-558-200. It is a bit pricey compared to stopping in for a burger at the hotel, but is good food. They let us in even after we were out in the woods for 4 - 5 days." And, of course, the restaurant is noted for its steak dinners.

Among the many places to visit along the trail is the historic Bar U Ranch. Some of the more well-known names associated with the Bar U are John Ware, the Sundance Kid, H.R.H. Edward Prince of Wales and two of the founders of the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede - George Lane and Patrick Burns.

Visit the Cowboy Trail Tourist Association site for more places to go, things to do and a map.

Marcin, a CPL staffer, suggests that the adventurous traveller take the Forestry Trunk Road from 22X to Coleman. (This is Highway 40). It's a maintained gravel road. Some sections are excellent (smooth,good visibility) and you can safely travel at 80 km/h. Some others are not as good (limited visibility, pot holes especially near the texas gates). The road condition also depends on the season. These roads tend to deteriorate in the fall and get fixed in the spring. It's a great access road to numerous hikes in the Highwood/Cataract area. (The same road also goes north towards Nordegg.)

Best of all, when you get to the Crowsnest Pass and Highway 3, there is lots more to see and do. More about that next time.

For books on exploring Southern Alberta, choose the tag, staycations.

Happy trails!

Southern Alberta for City Folks has just arrived on library shelves.

Caroline Steman, a city folk herself, shares some of her favorite hikes, drives and places to go in Calgary and Southern Alberta. Her choices require no special experience or equipment. This is a slim volume of 41 pages packed with beautiful colour photographs and lots of historical tidbits.

Another, slightly older, book which follows the road less travelled is Country Roads of Alberta (2007).

"This travel guide to the country roads of Alberta emphasizes locations that are "off the beaten track," offering plenty of color photography that should entice travelers to be more adventurous in their next Canadian sojourn. Bryan, a noted journalist and former co-founder of Western Living magazine, seasons this travelogue with historical facts and geological information while pointing out notable landmarks and wildlife. Detailed maps and driving directions enhance the stunning images, making this book a welcome traveling companion." (Book News Inc)

Other books that will help you explore Southern Alberta are:

West on one : the stories behind the scenery : fascinating facts, stories and pictures along the Trans-Canada Highway from Calgary to Lake Louise by Kathryn Manry (2010)

In plain sight : exploring the natural wonders of southern Alberta by Neil L. Jennings (2010)

And a couple of older titles that are still full of great information:

Alberta history along the highway [1996] : a traveler's guide to the fascinating facts, intriguing incidents and lively legends in Alberta's past by Ted Stone

Backroads of Southern Alberta by Joyce Donaldson Yarmey (1992)

Have fun exploring!!

A few weeks ago, I talked about our wonderful trip along the Icefields Parkway to Jasper. We have just received two new books which would have really enhanced our experience.

"Since moving to the Rockies of western Canada in 1984, Lynn Martel has spent countless hours and days exploring the mountain wilderness with her many experienced friends as well as some of the best known and well-informed professional guides in the outdoor adventure business...Her vast amount of experience and insight into the most popular activities available to tourists, locals and the most skilled and competent weekend warriors infuse this collection of 20 of her best adventure stories. Complete with colour photographs and maps, difficulty ratings, seasonal details and general information, these stories will inspire those seeking to experience adventures at their own level in and around Kananaskis Country, Canmore, Lake Louise and Banff, Yoho and Jasper national parks." (Syndetics)

"Canada's 42 National Parks are beautifully showcased in this first edition official guidebook for the 2011 100th anniversary of Parks Canada...this book will be a handy, practical, and extensively illustrated guide to help visitors plan and execute their trips to all the Canadian national parks. It also offers short excursions to 40 plus National Historical Sites and the four National Marine Conservation Areas. Written by authors who know Canada's national parks, this volume includes seasonal facts on these stunning and vital wilderness areas as well as guidance for getting there, when to go, how to visit, practical information on where to stay, and detailed descriptions of specific places within each park. Stunning photographs and custom, one-of-a-kind maps prepared by National Geographic cartographers enhance the entries." (Syndetics)