| The largest
museum in Western Canada, some of the Glenbow’s permanent displays include
native history and culture, construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway
and European Settlement. Admission is $12 for adults.
Always a favorite
is a visit to the Calgary Zoo. Home to over 900 animals and 260 species,
you’re guaranteed to find something that you’ve never seen before. The
Zoo’s exhibits include many endangered animals which are part of the Species
Survival Plan – a population management program designed to preserve a
healthy and genetically diverse captive population.
With the approach
of Halloween, all minds turn to the scary and unknown. Why not check out
the Creatures of the Night exhibit? Bats, owls, and other nocturnal creatures
will delight your eyes - once they’ve adjusted to the dark setting. Boo
at the Zoo, a special Halloween themed visit, runs from October 22- October
30. Try the Simulator Thrill Ride or take the older kids through the Haunted
House. Younger children will enjoy walking through “Belly of the Beast”
and every child 12 and under receives a special treat.
Other exhibits
at the Calgary Zoo include Destination Africa – the only place in Canada
you feel like you’re on safari. In the zoo’s newest exhibit, giraffes crane
their long necks to chew at leaves on the tallest trees, lowland gorillas
lounge lazily on the grass, and hippos snort in the mud.
The Canadian
Wilds exhibit provides a hike through the Rocky Mountains without having
to leave the city. Powerful Grizzlies sleep curled up against each other,
rendering them cute rather than scary. Huge moose wander a mini woodland
and wolves dart silently behind trees. Bighorn Sheep, one of Canada’s most
majestic animals, munch tranquilly on grass, the male’s massive horns spiraling
backwards.
Eurasia’s animals
include commanding Siberian Tigers and beautiful snow leopards. Small red
pandas, looking more like a typical raccoon than an exotic animal, sleep
high on the branches of a tree, their long tails swishing indifferently.
My favorite
section is always the Primates. The monkey’s antics never fail to have
visitors dwelling a little longer than usual at each display. The Pygmy
Marmosets caused more than a few double takes. The smallest primate in
the world, the mini monkeys are only about five inches long. Their tails
can be up to eight inches long. A Pygmy Marmoset would easily fit in the
palm of a child’s hand.
Drumheller
I have to admit,
although I have lived a mere five hour drive from Drumheller, Alberta for
most of my life, it wasn’t until recently that I actually made my first
trip to this unique part of Canada. I’d heard as much about the area’s
distinctive landscape as I had about the remarkable fossil discoveries
made here. But I was still unprepared for how suddenly the terrain changed.
We had been driving along a fairly typical prairie road, when out of the
blue, the Canadian Badlands appeared.
Reminiscent
of the moon’s surface, the Badlands were formed in prehistoric times by
wind, water and ice. Alberta was once swampy, coastal lowland and the combination
of the remains of these ancient ocean floors and erosion created the geological
formations that we see today. Huge hills dot the roadside, their black,
brown and reddish layers visible to the naked eye. 70 million years of
geological history has been unearthed within these layers. It’s like going
back in time.
Upon arrival
in the center of Drumheller, 138 km northeast of Calgary, mouths gaping
at the strange land formations, we headed to the Visitor Information Center.
It’s easy to find as it’s right next to the World’s Largest Dinosaur. After
stacking up on brochures, we headed toward the World’s Largest Dinosaur
entrance. Approximately 4.5 times bigger than a life size Tyrannosaurus
Rex, we had to climb 106 stairs to reach the dinosaur’s mouth – 25 meters
from the ground. Walking out onto the T-Rex’s lower jaw gives you an unbeatable
view of the Canadian Badlands.
Millions and
millions of years ago, dinosaurs called the Badlands home. Their fossilized
remains have made the area famous - the Badlands have one of the most abundant
dinosaur fossil depositories in the world. The valley’s riverbeds were
thick with sediment that covered the carcasses of deceased dinosaurs and
preserved them. Considering that less than 1% of the dinosaur population
was preserved, it’s a spectacular discovery. It’s no surprise then that
The Royal Tyrrell Museum, the only Canadian institution devoted entirely
to paleontology, is located in Drumheller. To get to the museum, follow
Dinosaur Trail.
Open year round,
the Royal Tyrrell attracts 385,000 visitors from around the globe annually.
One of the largest exhibits of dinosaurs in the world, the museum displays
more than 35 dinosaur skeletons along with 10 full size models to help
you imagine what they actually looked like. A walk through the museum is
a fast forward journey through 3.5 billions years of life on Earth. You
don’t have to be Ross Geller to appreciate the Royal Tyrrell’s exhibits
– those who know nothing about the prehistoric creatures will enjoy the
museum as much as dinosaur fanatics. It’s truly fascinating.
A visit to
the museum begins with a series of interactive educational activities that
explain scientific topics such as earthquakes, reflexes and density. From
here, it’s on to the fossils. To be considered a fossil, an object must
be the remains of a living organism or traces of their activities (such
as footprints or droppings), and must be at least 10,000 years old.
Coprolites (dinosaur droppings) are considered important because they provide
the scientist with information on the feeding habits of the dinosaur.
An Albertosaur,
a small cousin of the T-Rex, with a strong but agile body, is one of the
first fossils that you’ll see. It’s still embedded in rock. His long neck
is curved up and bent over backwards, typical of many dinosaur skeletons
due to the drying and shortening of ligaments in the neck.
In the Prep
Lab section of the Royal Tyrrell you have the opportunity to watch technicians
working on genuine fossils. Behind a glass wall, they persistently chip
away at rock to reveal the fossil and the scientific information it possesses.
The Extreme Theropod (Beast Foot) Hall contains huge skeletons of dinosaurs
that you wouldn’t have wanted to encounter in the wild. Their huge bones
towered over me; my neck was stiff from craning upwards to see them.
Dinosaur Hall
is probably the highlight of the museum as it contains the most complete
skeletons housed in one place. An Albertosaur stands tall in one corner
with his blade like fangs and clawed hind feet. Ornitholestes proves that
not all dinosaurs were giants; this one is only about the size of an average
dog. Long Neck Plesiosaur is the most unbelievable. A water dweller, it
had up to 70 vertebrae in its neck, making a giraffe’s look puny in comparison.
This Plesiosaur had 3 times more neck vertebrae than any other animal.
The Royal Tyrrell
Museum goes beyond dinosaurs and touches on many aspects of prehistoric
life. A re-creation of a 375 million year old Devonian underwater community
illustrates what Alberta was like when it was covered in water. The final
exhibit, the Ice Ages, displays skeletons of a giant mammoth and saber
toothed cat.
After seeing
the type of creatures that inhabited the Earth millions of years ago, we
returned to the present and visited Reptile World. Displaying over 150
reptiles and amphibians, Reptile World will delight visitors of all ages.
I was surprised to learn that Alberta is home to a venomous snake – the
Prairie Rattlesnake. A smaller snake that’s a light shade of brown, the
rattlers would be easily camouflaged against the Badlands. The closest
den has been discovered only 80 kilometers from Drumheller, but don’t worry:
Prairie Rattlesnakes have one of the least toxic venoms, and their bites
aren’t fatal.
Also on display
are Red Eyed Tree Frogs, Asian Fire Bellied Toads, Saltwater Crocodiles
and Eastern Box Turtles. Canadian Snapping Turtles were also on display,
and although quite docile in the water, they can become agitated on land.
A variety of snakes coil behind thick glass – from boa constrictors, cobras
and pythons to the deadly Black Mamba.
If you’re really
brave, you can meet Brittany up close. Brittany, a young boa constrictor,
was born in captivity and is completely tame. Still, that didn’t calm my
fluttering nerves as the keeper placed her around my neck. He held her
head, and I stood still for a quick picture and promptly asked for her
to be removed. Having owned snakes all his life, the keeper was completely
comfortable with Brittany wrapped around his neck. Her tongue flicked in
and out of his ear and she probed his hair with her head while he nonchalantly
answered our endless questions. When my heart had returned to its normal
pace, I asked to try it again. This time, I held her myself and realized
how gentle and calm she really was. My own mini Fear Factor!
Once we’d fully
explored the museum, it was time to discover the Badlands. Two excellent
hiking locations are only minutes away from Drumheller and The Royal Tyrrell
Museum. About ten minutes farther along Dinosaur Trail lays Horse Thief
Canyon. This is a great viewpoint for observing the valleys and rock formations
of the Badlands. It’s a tough climb down so wear sturdy shoes.
Horseshoe Canyon,
17 km Southwest of Drumheller, has an easier walking trail. Referred to
as Canada’s Grand Canyon, the area is slightly flatter and makes for easier
exploration. It’s not unusual to come across fossils on your hike, but
be warned - Alberta law states that “all fossils in or on the ground
are owned by the province” as they provide valuable information about
ancient life.
Before you
leave, go east on Highway 10 until you get to the Hoodoos. Tall pillars
of sandstone capped by large boulders, the Hoodoos resemble natural rock
cigars. Just another of the area’s geological wonders.
City Passports
If you’re looking
for deals, check out City Passports. The Calgary Attractions Passport contains
coupons offering discounts and other deals such as or two for one offers.
www.citypassports.com The Calgary Tower, The Zoo and COP are just some
of the destinations covered in the Calgary edition.
The following
is a list of articles that Dawnelle has written for the magazine:
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