Westworld Alberta
Issue link: http://westworldmagazine.ama.ab.ca/i/40418
minerly spooked parlour tracks (here) Stargazers at Icefi elds Parkway in Jasper; (below) an animatronic Parasaurolophus at Jurassic Forest in Gibbons; (right, top to bottom) guitarist Joel Fafard performing at a home in Coaldale; the spooky ride to Haunted Atlas Coal Mine; Aspen Crossing's Canadian Pacifi c Caboose Cabin. FORGET PACKED 30,000-SEAT ARENAS. The best place to get your music fi x is in a living room near you. As part of a growing trend across North America, homeowners are opening their doors to the public for musical perfor- mances. Here in Alberta, Home Routes folk music circuit and its diverse array of perform- ers pass through homes in Hinton, Three Hills, Coaldale and Lethbridge, among other stops, from late September to March 2012. The acts have included acclaimed artists such as Texas- based singer/songwriter Danny Schmidt and Canadian blues guitarist David Essig, as well as many up-and-coming artists. To keep the concerts intimate, attendance is lim- ited to around 30. Expect two 40-minute sets, comfy couches and, possibly, an intro- duction to a resi- dent cat. –T.H. homeroutes.ca GHOSTS AND GHOULS will be awaiting victims at Drumheller's last standing coal mine this Hallow- een. Enter if you dare. The Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site hosts its seventh annual Haunted Atlas Coal Mine event this October. "We knew our site was so scary that just being there after dark was scary enough, and with a few embellishments we would have a fun lit- tle event," says Linda Digby, executive director of the Atlas Coal Mine. There are actually two bone-chilling events; one for those who don't scare easily — Big Boo — and one for children under nine (and the faint of heart) — Little Boo. Big Boo is a spooky, after-dark fl ash- light tour of "an entire industrial site gone bad." Volunteers for the Big Boo tour, October 22 and 29, are instructed to "go ahead, make them cry," says Digby. Little Boo, running October 23 and 30 in the daylight hours, is a not-so-spooky event with games, face painting and a ride on a ghost train. —Matt Law atlascoalmine.ab.ca MUSEUM in Training PART RAILWAY EXHIBIT, part outdoor getaway, Aspen Crossing is a perfect destination for anyone interested in the rail-riveted roots of the Canadian West. What began in 2004 as a small, family-owned garden centre with one railcar on site to attract visitors has evolved into a popular tourist attraction with six restored railcars dating from 1887 to 1974. And the garden business is still thriving. Aspen Crossing owner Jason Thornhill says giving the garden centre a rail theme made sense because of the CPR's historic connection to horticulture — and because "people of all ages love trains." "The CPR would put nice gardens at train stations to encourage people to move west," he says. "A lot of the station agents were actually horticulturalists." Your fi rst stop at the Crossing is a century-old train station, which houses a gift shop and a train museum. Then sup in the famous Dining Car. Once Prime Minister Diefenbaker's private carriage, the 1887 Pullman railcar has since been transformed courtesy Atlas Coal Mine, Home Routes, Aspen Crossing into a quaint restaurant. Edmontonians will recognize the car from the now-closed Sidetrack Cafe. Try the Conductor's Chicken, a grilled chicken breast served with raspberry demi-glace, or the Prime Rib — both dishes worthy of a prime minister. Then spend the night in the Canadian Pacifi c Caboose Cabin, which is appointed with a kitchen, fi replace and queen-sized bed, to wind up your locomotive-themed getaway. —Christopher Yip aspencrossing.com WESTWORLD >> SEPTEMBER 201 1 11