Destination:
Alberta

Glenbow Museum

Located in the heart of Calgary, opposite the tower, the Glenbow Museum is Canada's largest museum, with more than 93,000 square feet (8,640 sq metres) of exhibition space spread over three floors. It houses more than a million objects that fill up its 20 galleries and showcase the colourful history of Canada's West. Explore the exhibits to discover the people, stories and events that shaped the region from its First Nations to the arrival of the European settlers. There is a family-friendly Discovery Room, which is an open studio full of educational activities and crafts that bring the museum to life. A special feature is the Blackfoot Gallery, which tells the story of the Nitsitapi people through interactive displays, artefacts, a film and circular narrative path. There are also some 28,000 artworks dating from the 19th century to the present on display in the museum. Glenbow's library is a treasure trove of reference materials on western Canada and the Glenbow Archives are a major research centre for historians, writers, students and the media.

Calgary Zoo

Canada's second largest zoo is home to more than 1,000 animals from all over the world, as well as a variety of fish and insects in natural habitat enclosures. It also features a prehistoric park with 19 life-size animatronic dinosaurs on display. The botanic gardens include a 20,000 square foot (1,858 sq metre) conservatory and butterfly garden and a special Rocky Mountain exhibit featuring many indigenous Alberta animals, including the endangered Whooping Crane. The zoo is situated close to the downtown area, on St George's Island.

Fort Calgary

This historical site chronicles Calgary's history between 1875 and the 1940s and allows visitors to step back in time and explore the early days of the city through interactive exhibits, costumed interpreters, hands on activities, guided tours and an entertaining audio-visual presentation. Fort Calgary is situated on the site of an original North West Mounted Police Fort and is designed to preserve the history of the founding, development and growth of the city. The 40-acre riverside park includes the reconstructed 1875 fort, 1888 barracks, the interpretive centre and Deane House Historic Site and Restaurant.

Columbia Icefields

This massive field of ancient ice, made up of eight major glaciers, is situated near the town of Jasper in the middle of Jasper National Park. The icefield covers 125 square miles (325 sq km) and in places is estimated to be 1,270ft (385m) deep. The icefield feeds four of North America's major river systems, the Columbia, Fraser, Mackenzie and Saskatchewan and its meltwaters flow into three different oceans, the Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic. Tours of the glacier are offered on snowcoaches between April and October each year. Ice-walk tours are also offered by the Jasper Adventure Centre.

Jasper

Affectionately known as the 'little town in the big park', Jasper lies in the middle of Canada's largest mountain park, the Jasper National Park, and makes a delightful base from which to explore the lakes and mountains. The town of just over 4,000 people is 233 miles (373km) from Edmonton and lies among pristine wilderness, surrounded by a necklace of green lakes and majestic waterfalls. There are one or two attractions in the town itself, including the Jasper-Yellowhead Historical Society Museum, which features displays of early Canadian explorers; the 165 foot (55m) deep Maligne River Canyon; the longest and highest reversible tramway in Canada that transports passengers up Whistlers Mountain; and the Den Wildlife Museum that houses more than 100 animal specimens displayed in their natural habitat. Driving to Jasper is relatively simple, however harsh winter weather can sometimes make the roads impassible so check the weather reports before you go. In the surrounding areas there are many natural wonders to explore, and using Jasper as a base gives you the opportunity to try dogsledding, snowmobiling, cat-skiing, cross-country skiing, and ice climbing in the winter. Summer activities include white-water rafting, hiking, horseback riding, camping, rock climbing, mountain biking, and wildlife spotting.

West Edmonton Mall

The West Edmonton Mall is the largest in North America. With over 800 shops and other attractions, it hosts more than 28 million visitors every year. The mall boasts an ice skating rink, the world's largest indoor waterpark, the Galaxyland amusement park, a sea lion habitat, a petting zoo, an IMAX theater, an indoor skate park, and Ed's Recreation Centre, which encompasses a bowling alley, pool hall, music stage, arcade, and restaurant. It has several themed areas made to resemble Bourbon Street in New Orleans, China, and a European streetscape.

Moraine Lake

Located within Banff National Park, close to the popular resort towns of Lake Louise and Banff, Moraine is an utterly spectacular glacially-fed lake. Due to 'rock flour' - tiny particles of suspended sediment - the lake is a vivid turquoise colour, and on a clear day, reflects the surrounding mountains in its mirror-smooth surface. There is plenty to see and do in the snow-capped, pine-strewn 'Valley of the Ten Peaks' - including an assortment of scenic hiking trails, and kayaks can be rented from The Lodge, an on-site cafe that also serves wonderful food and refreshments. If you are without a car, getting to Moraine can be difficult, though not impossible: take a Greyhound bus to Banff station, and from there, you can either walk the nine miles (about 14km) to the Lake; rent a bicycle from Wilson's Bikes (C$40 for the day); take a taxi (about C$35); or, make use of the new Park-run Vista shuttle service, which departs every 30 minutes from the Lake Louise camp site.