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Fly
or Drive to Alberta: So Many Worlds in One
ALBERTA'S FAMILY FAVOURITE Where is it written that adventures end when parenthood begins? Certainly not in Alberta. With the Rocky Mountains framing Alberta's western border, its five UNESCO World Heritage sites and five national parks - this province is an outdoor playground for not only adults, but for kids as well. In fact the very concept of "child friendly" was pioneered in Calgary eight years ago, when it became the first city in North America to wear that badge. Modelled in part after Edinburgh, "Child Friendly Calgary" not only has a team of "kid inspectors" that rate and rank attractions, sites, hotels and restaurants but they have youth volunteer teams and a voice in the community, often heard in the hallowed rooms of City Hall. You'll spy their whimsical blue and white logo on 84 establishments in Calgary they have accredited. Other provinces to follow suit in declaring their area to be "child friendly" are B.C., and the cities of Saskatoon, Ottawa, Victoria and, soon, Edmonton, Alberta's capital. So, come view Alberta with the wonder and enchantment that only a child possesses.  Here's what you'll find: Calgary's well-known crowd-pleasers among the small fry are its Zoo (second largest in Canada) where you can breakfast with the gorillas or even have a sleep-over in the large mammal enclosure. Just a stroll from the Zoo leads you to Fort Calgary, loaded with costumes (here's your chance to be a Mountie!) and hands-on displays. Then there's the Science Centre, an IMAX theatre, the 626 ft. tall Calgary Tower, Heritage Park (one of Canada's largest living museums), Bonker's and Calaway Park (rides galore). The unknown gems are the Police Interpretive Centre, KidsPort (at the airport), the Olympic Oval, four rock climbing walls and the Museum of the Regiments. If you are planning to write a story with kids or families as the angle try to attend either Calgary's International Children's Festival (May 23-27, 2000) or Edmonton's (May 30-June 3, 2000). In Edmonton you'll find a new IMAX 3D Theatre at the Edmonton Space and Science Centre as well as its famous Discovery Zone for little kids and the largest planetary dome in western Canada. Another hit for all generations is the Provincial Museum of Alberta, full of aboriginal artifacts, interactive exhibits and touring shows. Always a jaw-dropper here is the Bug Room. At Fort Edmonton Park, the province's history is relived between 1846 and 1920 - through architecture, games, festivals and special events. But the biggest draw of all is the West Edmonton Mall - a masterpiece of indoor shopping, complete with sports facilities, entertainment wonders and the world's largest indoor watermark. Spanning 48 city blocks and featuring seven world-class attractions, don't start your story here or you'll never pry those little ones away. Beyond the city limits lies adventure. From whitewater rafting trips for families to voyageur canoe trips to thousands of hikes, cycle opportunities and camping adventures - many of these excursions are available at all corners of the province. However, if you want to veer off the beaten path, snap on a headlamp and take your kids down a coal mine with the Bellevue Underground Mine Tours (from May through August). Also in the south, near Bellevue, is the Frank Slide where you can scramble through the 82 million tons of rock that slid down Turtle Mountain in 1903, or poke around its excellent interpretive centre. No "family friendly' story would be complete without mention of dinosaurs, and this province not only has the most extensive display of dinosaurs in the world but loads of activities. From sleep-overs at the Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller to dino-camps and day digs- families are invited to the bone beds in the Badlands as well as where dinosaur eggs were discovered in Devil's Coulee, near Warner, Alta. In Banff, the kid-pleasers are the Cave and Basin Museum, the Banff Park Museum, a gondola ride up Sulphur Mountain, a dip in the Upper Hot Springs and horseback riding. Then of course, we've got reptile museums, barn dances, the world's tallest tee pee, a doll palace, rockhounding, scuba diving . . . But don't take our word for it. Come see for yourself. Travel Alberta provides information, maps, travel guides to reservation services. Call 1-800-661-8888 toll-free Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m - 4:30 p.m. Mountain time zone or write Travel Alberta , Box 2500, Edmonton, Alberta, T5J 2Z4 , Fax: (780) 427-0867 http://www.gov.ab.ca/edt/tourinfo.htm 1-800-661-8888 in North America Travel Alberta Head Office
Airport Profiles to come: Calgary International, Springbank, Airdrie, High River, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Okotoks airports. Edmonton International and Municipal, Cooking Lake, Ponoka, Red Deer, St. Albert, Villeneuve and Wetaskiwin airports. Lethbridge, Red Deeer, Medicine Hat and Grande Prairie Airports. [Top of page] |
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