Alberta, Canada … again? Karen and I were asked if we wanted to join her brother Paul and his wife Jen for a trip out west. We initially said no but changed our minds after some thought. The trip will be basically the same as the trip we did in the summer but what will be different is the season. I think fall in the Rockies will be spectacular.
When we started planning/booking for this trip, I was not able to book the same flight to Calgary as Karen. But I was able to get a one-way flight through Flair Airlines ($169.57 CAD – $38.94 fare, $89.00 add-ons, $22.12 fees and $19.51 taxes). Karen flew out yesterday afternoon and spent the evening in Calgary.
Since my flight was leaving at 6:00am, Nana was kind enough to get up at 3:30am to drop me off at the Region of Waterloo International Airport. It did not take long to drop the bag off and get through security. Boy I love this airport.
I was surprised when shortly after 5:00am, they started boarding. I got settled into 14A and lucky for me there was no one in my row. Once we were up in the sky, a flight attendant came by and asked me if I wanted to sit in the exit row. Of course I said yes. I think it had to do with the box of Farm Boy cookies that I gave the flight attendants. The flight was great and I was even able to get a nap.
I landed at 7:45am and about twenty minutes later, I was sitting with Karen waiting for Paul and Jen to arrive. They landed around 9:00am and then we all headed over to Alamo (booked through Costco, $1091.01 CAD including taxes, 1500 kms driven) to pick up our 2021 Dodge Durango.
We left Calgary and headed east to the Badlands. We first stopped at Orkney Viewpoint which offers stunning views of the Red Deer River valley.
We had to get across the Red Deer River to the other side of the North Dinosaur Trail so we decided to take the Bleriot Ferry. It is a cable operated ferry which carries one crew member, up to ninety-nine passengers and thirteen mid-sized vehicles. During the three minute ride, the gentleman running the ferry kept us entertained.
Once we got to the other side, we checked out Horse Thief Canyon before heading into Drumheller. We stopped to see the World’s Largest Dinosaur and downtown Drumheller before leaving town. We made one last stop in the Badlands and that was at the Hoodoos.
We arrived at the Blackstone Mountain Lodge in Canmore after a two and a half hour drive. We dropped our stuff in Units 205A and 205B ($2153.40 CAD including taxes) then went out to get dinner and groceries. The evening ended with unpacking and planning our next four days of adventures.
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