After foraging for Saskatoon berries to add to my morning porridge, we packed everything up again, and started our travels towards Alberta at 8:47 a.m. – destination Dinosaur Provincial Park, mileage 2510 kilometres.
Before driving off to Alberta, we stopped at the Tourist Information in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.
The World’s Tallest Moose at the tourism office in Moose Jaw.
While in the tourist information centre, Matt met a couple who were carrying their pet parrot in a cat carrier case, they wanted to know the temperature for the day. They were concerned it would be too hot for the parrot. We thought this a bit odd since they were travelling in a trailer which most likely had a working air conditioner. The excitement for the morning.
Driving towards Alberta, the landscape of the prairies started to change. Instead of the beautiful canola, large white deposits were seen covering the ground – Potash.
As we got closer to Dinosaur Provincial Park, the landscape changed drastically. We had entered what is known as “the badlands“. You can read more about the Canadian Badlands on National Geographic. We reached Dinosaur Provincial Park at 3 p.m. on July 8th, kilometres driven 3403. We had an electrical site, site #75 with an unbelievable view, but not one tree for us. We were pretty exhausted after our day of sightseeing, driving, setting up the tent, cooking dinner, but we naturally found the energy for a walk before bedtime.
Waking up in Dinosaur Provincial Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site is like stepping back in time. Our alarm clock in the morning were the sounds of howling coyotes. The morning was spent walking as many of the trails possible before the heat really set in.
I don’t even know how to describe the landscape, it was just so different from anything I seen in Canada, having travelled much of the east coast, Ontario, and Manitoba. As we puttered around our campsite, and walked the trails we were warned to be on the look out for rattlesnakes, black window spiders, sinkholes, and oh scorpions! Sadly the only wildlife we did see were plenty of birds, and one deer.
On the day we were to leave for Calgary, Matt drove up to the camp office to purchase some ice for our cooler, only to have some old guy say to him “you know there is a shovel on your roof?” Matt’s reply “Again!”
It’s like another world. So beautiful. Thanks for sharing your photos.
Oh it is very much like another world, and thank you.
I’d love to do something like this. Irishman really enjoyed his time in living and working in Canada and speaks so fondly of the place. He went there years ago but I know he’d be back like a shot if our finances permitted!
You are more than welcome at our place, and I love showing people around southern Ontario. Canada is such a large place, to see it all in one visit is impossible. Driving out east from our place is only a couple of days, whereas driving out west and up north takes far longer if you want to play tourist such as we did.
You have logged many hours in the car. Cheers to your effort! … and that park is quite desolate … but beautiful.
Frank, the badlands, the park, it is like another world, it may appear desolate, but there are fossils everywhere, plus dinosaur bones, one is in awe every step!