Westworld Alberta
Issue link: http://westworldmagazine.ama.ab.ca/i/68789
fishing, a bird sanctuary and log-walled Fort Normandeau. From downtown, head to the west end of 43 Street, which becomes Cronquist Drive, and check out the park's Heritage Ranch (403-347-4977; heritageranch.ca). Looking to emulate David Thompson and his wife Charlotte, who had 13 children together? Modern couples can spark romance with a horse-drawn carriage ride along a forested road. Follow the signs back to Hwy. 11 and continue 85 km west through a carpet of farmland and forest to the town of Rocky Mountain House, which was originally established in 1799 as a fur-trading post. Squeeze in a day-ending visit to the Rocky Museum (403- 845-2332; rockymuseum.com) at the town's visitor centre. It's easy to spot across the highway, LEG THREE: Rocky Mountain House to Saskatchewan River Crossing (Approx. 260 km) Take a quick morning stroll along Main Street's Walk of History, where titled plaques commemorate Thompson's anti-alcohol attitude ("Evil Spirits") and his wife's will- ingness to travel 25,000 km with him ("Unsung Heroine"), among other historic episodes and events. cloths and abandoned sweat lodges, this authentic backwoodsman spins tales of Sasquatch sightings and the Western out- fi tter lifestyle. Time permitting, detour to the stupendously deep Bighorn Canyon with its sandstone walls and gushing green river. The final 92-km stretch of the trip is pure, single-lane solitude amid snowcapped peaks. Continue west on Hwy. 11, curling majestically around the glacial blue waters of man-made Abra- ham Lake, beneath 2,545- metre- tall Mount Michener. For a bird's-eye perspective, try Ice- fi elds Helicopter Tours (888-844- 3514; icefi eldheli.com) at adjacent Cline River. The Kootenay Plains ecological reserve, with 76 spe- cies of birds and 49 types of mammals, is a worthwhile stop, long sacred to natives. When you reach Saskatchewan River Cross- ing and Hwy. 93, pick your Banff National Park pleasure: north to Jasper or south to Lake Louise and Banff. Next, turn left on 52 Avenue/ thanks to its forestry lookout tower. High- lights include counterfeit money plates, logging exhibits and a working 1916 player piano that rocks everything from the Beatles to "Blue Danube." Also, learn the story of the Trail Blazers, a group of Rocky Mountain House men who forded streams, chopped down trees and hauled their cars up a 305-metre-tall ridge in the 1930s and 1940s (to refute the Alberta gov- ernment's assertion that the terrain was impassable) while lobbying to extend Hwy. 11 west to Nordegg. Good eats: Grab a steak, or mix it up with teriyaki salmon and yam fries, at Grillers (403-844-4430). Good sleeps: Just south of town, serene isolation reigns at the Prairie Creek Inn (403-844-2672; prairiecreekinn.com), where sumptuous lodgings on 60 hectares reflect themes from fishing to western Canadian history. (horse-drawn carriage) Heritage Ranch, Travel Alberta Hwy. 11A and drive to Range Road 75, continuing to Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site (403- 845-2412). At the visitor centre, watch a fi lm on the archaeological remains of four fur trading posts, handle beaver and fox pelts and admire a native horse headstall made with dyed porcupine quills. Outside, a play fort beckons kids and adults with miniature gardens and a puppet theatre. Impassive bison roam near a Métis camp with a traditional Red River cart (a two- wheeled wooden cart used to transport furs and other goods of the time). Birds and mushrooms fl ourish on trails by the North Saskatchewan River. Questing onward, like Thompson him- self, return to Hwy. 11A. Head 2 km west before turning right to rejoin Hwy. 11 after 4.5 km. It's another 80 km west to Nordegg, a former coal mining town in the rugged foothills of the Rockies. Meet up here with Bear Baker, owner of Wild- horse Mountain Ranch (403-729-2910; wildhorsecamp.com), for horseback riding on wagon and game trails. Trotting through aspen clearings dotted with native prayer AMA MEMBERS SAVE MORE Before you go: Book ahead and save $5 on train rides with Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions in Stettler. Includes a buffet meal, entertainment and maybe a train robbery. 1-866-667-4777; AMATravel.ca While you're there: Save up to 20% on standard rates at Hertz Car Rental, plus earn CAA Dollars at Husky and Mohawk on gas, car washes and eligible conve- nience-store purchases, as well as at Husky House Restaurant. AMARewards.ca/SearchforDiscounts WESTWORLD >> JUNE 2012 19