Drumheller - Dino Central

After Fort MacLeod we hit the road north on HWY 2 through Calgary. It was fun to see the city, although we were a ways out from the city core itself.

The only tough part of our morning was when dad's rig overheated a couple times. Had to refill the water and let the engine cool off for a few minutes then we were on the road. Hopefully a call to Bickford tomorrow morning will shed some light on the mysterious excessive coolant consumption. Luckily it was not that big of deal but we hope tomorrow holds the same.

We arrived in Drumheller around 2:30 and checked into the Dinosaur RV Park on Dinosauer Trail Road. Yeah - this place is basically dino crazy. After setting up camp in our quaint park, we loaded into the Van and headed west. First stop was the Horse Thief canyon, a beautiful view of the Canadian badlands. In comparison to the Dakota badlands, the Canadian are less dramatic but still beautiful. It started to rain right when we got to the lookout so we didn't stay long but it was worth the drive.

We then hit the world famous Royal Tyrell Museum and it was truly amazing. Unfortunately, we walked into the first room with a gigantic T-Rex who growled right when Colby walked up to him. Needless to say, it took Steve 10 minutes to convince Colby to walk through the exhibits, he was so scared. Grady went with Papa and as long as he was carried he was OK (no small feat here). The museum was really cool - so worth the drive and the time, especially if you are at all interested in dinos. One room in particular, the Lord of the Land room was beautifully done - more like an art exhibit than an archaeological display. There were many exhibits that amazed me and it was a wonderfully done museum. The kids rushed us through a lot because of their perceived fear but by the end they were absorbed. Of course, they spent more time in the gift shop than anywhere else (Colby bought a saber-tooth tiger head on a stick and Grady bought a T-Rex mask).

After the museum we head east on HWY 10 past Rosedale to the Hoo Doo park. The Hoo Doos are sandstone creations with slate rock for bases and slabs of granite atop. They look sort of like rock mushrooms that are in the middle of the desert. One theory has it that the Hoo Doos are giants that were turned into slabs of rock when they did evil things. Interesting and beautiful formations.

We then headed back into Drumheller to visit the World's Largest Dino, who stand 85 feet above the parking lot. We had to pay $10 to get us all in and it took some convincing to get Colby up the stairs but we finally made it. Mom, our designated photographer, stayed at the bottom to snap some photos of all of us in the dino's mouth. It was cheesy but fun.

We cruised around downtown Drumheller and then came back to the campground for dinner. The weather is on and off - mostly sunny with the occasional summer storm blowing through.