Day 9 - Back to Prehistoric Times

When we wake we are sad to say goodbye.  We eat breakfast and pack up the car and we are on the road just after 9:15.

We do not have that far to travel today but we do have a full day planned.

First snag was the routing out of Calgary.  One of the roads was closed completely for road work (I am guessing) and we then had to figure out where we were and how to get where we wanted to go.  

Which was is North I say?  East?  West?  There are no landmarks to lead us in the right direction.  Well you can sometimes see the Rockies but can not see them from where we are.  

GPS keeps wanting us to turn around and go the route that is closed. Finally I pull out my phone and figure things out and get us going East.

We travel around 2 hours to Dinosaur Provincial Park.  

I had always wanted to see the Badlands and after some research we figured this would be a great spot to check them out and do some hiking.

The whole area is deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This is what I copied from the website about the area:

Dinosaurs

In the late Cretaceous Period (75 million years ago), the landscape was very different. The climate was subtropical, with lush forests covering a coastal plain. Rivers flowed east, across the plain into a warm inland sea.

• Tall cypress trees lined rivers teeming with fish, turtles, and crocodiles.
• Lush forests of sycamore and magnolia, along with ferns and mosses, provided food and homes for creatures including small mammals.
• About 100 kilometres east, the Bearpaw Sea's warm waters were filled with a variety of invertebrates, sharks, and marine reptiles.
• The skies were patrolled by flying reptiles, some with a wingspan wider than a small plane.
• An amazing group of animals called dinosaurs dominated the land.

The conditions were perfect for the preservation of dinosaurs' bones as fossils. After a century of excavations, over 150 complete dinosaur skeletons have been discovered.  Disorganized concentrations of bones, called "bone beds", have also been discovered.  Over 50 dinosaur species have been found here, joining a list of another 450 fossil organisms.

These ancient remains give us the world's most complete record of the late Cretaceous Period.  Dinosaur Provincial Park has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Badlands

• Great rivers that flowed here 75 million years ago left sand and mud deposits.
• These deposits make up the valley walls, hills and hoodoos of modern day Dinosaur Provincial Park. 
• At the end of the last ice age (about 13,000 years ago), water from melting ice carved the valley where the Red Deer River now flows.
• Today, water from prairie creeks and run-off continues to sculpt the layers of these badlands.

The area is beautiful with over 160 campgrounds and even some nice glam camping that we tried to book but could not reserve as it was completely sold out.

When we arrive we done the sunscreen - it is freaking hot and the sun is strong.  Temperatures were in the low 30s here.

Then I did not walk far when I was being eaten alive by gnats - who attached on to my leg and bit me twice before I was able to rub some inset repellent on.  

We walked the 3.5 kilometer loop road and along some trails.  

The whole park is well laid out and great signs.

Did you know that they discovered the largest number of dinosaur fossils in this park than anywhere else in the world.  In fact they discovered over 40 different types of dinosaurs here.

There are two Fossil digging sites you can visit and see the remains.  

We spot - I say we discovered - this lone shoe that must of been left here by the dinosaurs.  But really who leaves one shoe here - did they not notice when they were walking that they had only one shoe on? 

Dinosaur bones that have been dug here are in museums all over the world 

We see some very pretty birds!   But we are warned to stay clear of the Prairie Rattle snakes.  Also scorpions and black widow spiders - but normally these two are hiding in the heat of the sunny day. 

I take so many pictures. Enjoy.

After we leave the site we drive up to the lookout.  See how beautiful this area is.  And this area was all covered by glaciers at one point.

It is amazing what water can do and create.

Here is a video I took at the look out.

We are back in the car and making our way to the city of Brooks, Alberta.  It is not too far away.  Thank goodness as we are hot, tired, getting hungry and dirty from the hikes.

We arrive into the town of Brooks and it is not large but it does have the major amenities that we need.  

First stop is a grocery store for some essentials, mainly breakfast, snack and some toiletry items.  Right next store is a liquor store and we get two bottles of wine - priorities right?

Bernie is getting gas - it is the lowest we have paid so far $1.24 a liter!  

It is just before 3 pm and even though we are early for our check in at the Heritage Inn and Suites they have a room ready for us.

We are now settled in and I finally have internet so I can upload my blogs.

Tonight will be a restful one and I am sure an early night.

Thanks for following.

Here is the New Brunswick plate, and we also got Saskatchewan today but did not get a picture.

So here is our scavenger hunt list today:

• Moose
• Deer
• Hitchhiker
• Eagle/Hawk
• Licence plates from every Province in Canada - but you can not count the province you are in.  So if we see an Alberta plate in BC then it counts, but not if we are in Alberta.  British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Yukon, and North West Territory
• Skunk
• Sheep
• Beaver
• Goslings
• Buffalo
• Goat
• Owl
• Bear
• Loon
• Crane
• Prairie Dog
• Fisherman fishing
• Canoe
• Hummingbird
• Antique car on the road
• Old VW Bug
• Car broken down on the side of the road
• Helicopter on the ground
• Airplane on the ground
• Speeding ticket- hopefully not our own
• Ambulance with sirens on
• Dump truck
• Line painting crew at work
• Mail delivery person walking their route

If you have any items you think we should add to our scavenger hunt list, let us know.

So Today's Stats 
Driving distance today 262 km  
Total distance 1580 km