The Pilgrimage: TYRRELL MUSEUM OF PALEONTOLOGY, Alberta, Canada

Photo by Alexandra T.M.

Ah, yes, the big Dino's roar! 

Just about 30 years ago, our young family set out on a trip.
New to the country and curious about everything in it, we drove west; from the vast prairie of central Canada towards the Rockies and beyond, all the way to the coast of the mighty Pacific Ocean. Our first BIG trip! The kids, 2 boys, were 11 and 9 years of age.
The start of our journey across the prairie was FLAT and the joke of the day was " throw a brick on the gas pedal and take a snooze. It will take about 4 hours to reach the province of Alberta."
Even then, the roads always seemed to lead from "here" to the edge of Earth. Only after reaching Calgary did the scenery change - quite rapidly - as the Rockies rose towards the sky.

At that time we were only discovering Canada and had no idea that millions of years ago the flat parts of Alberta were actually the bottom of a shallow sea. 

The Internet was not born yet and, being new to Canada, and traveling just with a road map, we were in for more than one surprise.

Just about and hour and a half before reaching Calgary the flat land caved in and descended into the series of canyons. Quite steeply, the highway snaked down, and out of blue we were surrounded by picturesque deposits of clay and sedimentary rocks that have been carved by the glaciers and eroded by the elements into the most intriguing shapes.

We were in the Canadian Badlands, known for the fossils, coal, ammolite and oil.

And in the middle of the valley we found a small town of Drumheller. That happened 30 years ago.

This year, 2016, we are traveling the same route, but there are several changes there. 

My hair is gray and, though my companions are 11 and 9, they are the kids of our 

"then the11 years old"  of 30 years ago. I am taking my Grand-kids to the place of their father's youth.

A pilgrimage of sorts!

This time we know exactly what we are up to. The Dinosaur Museum, the Hoodoos, Horse-thief Canyon and if time permits we should explore some coal mines. 
Challenging itinerary for the two days ahead.

The town of Drumheller has changed. From a small Prairie town with one hotel it grew into a tourist centre with several major hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions. But overall it still is a small, hospitable town of about 9 000 residents where everything is easy to find and easy to get to.

And its greatest attraction is still the dinosaur museum. 
World class by now and a subject of: T-Rex - Back to the Cretaceous (IMAX).
.

So lets go in.

Photo by Lucas T.M.

When Albertosaurus roars, one does not say "Catch me if you can."

One hides and does not move and hopes and prays for the largest hunter that ever roamed the planet NOT to spot or sniff out the trembling piece of protein that one has become.

Being a visual type, I always had a problem remembering big names. so this Time Scale really makes sense for me (and the most people I know). 

The kids seem to enjoy it as well.

They also enjoy their walk through time; from the Big Bang theory to the formation of water and the first simple organisms.  Everything is well explained.

Photo by Lucas T.M.

Ammonite shells found in Alberta's Badlands became a source of beautiful gemstone and jewellery called ammolite. Click and check it out, for this one never ceases to dazzle me with an array of deep colours of the long-dead sea.

As we keep going the life on Earth becomes more and more complex until we reach the dinosaur room.

They watch the scientists at work and at one point I hear the 9-year old commenting into her video camera: "I will become a Scientist just like those people here."

Well, that is some achievement on the Museum's part, I think. And I am proud, of course.

Well over three hours later with their SDs loaded with pictures and videos they are still interested and asking questions.

Talk about time well spent.

Afternoon is dedicated to the World's Smallest Church and Horse-thief Canyon. But to strike a good balance we also give a try to Go-carts. Life should be diverse.

Horse-thief Canyon is deep and convoluted. No wonder the horse thieves used to take their stolen animals down to the hideouts to re-brand them. Before I can stop them, the kids are down at the bottom, checking out the sediments, discovering cacti and generally haveng a time of their lifetime.



But the skies on the horizon are turning their colour. The bright blue is being replaced by the threatening blue-gray and, from time to time, the canola fields are illuminated by a flash of lightning. It is time to return to town!



Rain hits Drumhellerat five P.M. It is cold and hard and lasts all night. 

No worries; we had an active evening using the humongous water slide at Ramada Hotel.

And the morning? It smiled with blue skies and fluffy cumulus clouds making us believe that the time at hoodoos will be just great.

Red River that runs through the dinosaur valley rose in the volume that night. Pregnant with tiny clay particles it surely looked true to its name. Red.

And as we stepped off the hanging bridge we made another scientific discovery. It was not related to the coal mine on the other side of the bridge. 
It was all about the most slippery substance (we felt) on Earth. The bentonite clay!

Because of the slippery terrain we gave up the idea of visiting the remains of a nearby coal mine and continued to the hoodoos.  There too we had a hard time walking about; the clay was more than treacherous. So, our trip of 2016 ended up on the exactly the same note as the trip of 30 years ago. With two kids, covered in mud from head to toe! 

It was time to return to the mountains. And so we drove back over the terrain that used to be the reign of the mighty creatures that roamed the edges of Bearpaw Sea so many millions of years ago.

Driving I cannot stop imagining: 

I see lush tropical forests and swampy edges of an ancient sea. I see shadows of the mighty lizards roaming the canola fields. 

And I am thinking: 

Would it not be nice for my son and his grandchildren of 11 and 9 to have a chance to return and explore this most amazing place?

Perhaps at almost 100, I would be able to join! See you there!

Now, this brought tears to my eyes. 
My Mom (in the photo), who lived in Czech Republic, is now gone, but my sister in law who lives in Italy sent these after reading this Canadian Pilgrimage entry. 

Thanks Lucia.