Supper at the Footloose Caboose

If you’re seeking a unique and unusual dining experience, you have to visit the Footloose Caboose. It’s your chance to dine in a rail car without having to take a train trip.

Meals are actually served in the Mount Lefroy dining car built in 1909 by Canadian Pacific Railways. The cabooses on the property are used as rooms by overnight guests.

The dining car is spacious and simply furnished and the owners are down to earth people who want to make sure your visit is enjoyable. They offer ample portions of a range of main dish selections including beef, pork, chicken and fish. A variety of appetizers and deserts rounds out the menu.

In addition to the cabooses and historic dining car, a Grand Trunk Pacific Type E train station once located in Duffield stands on the property. The station has been restored and serves as the owners’ home.

A trip to the Footloose Caboose is an interesting break from the ho-hum. It’s been more than a year since I heard about the restaurant and I’m so glad I finally had the chance to visit. The Footloose Caboose is approximately half an hour from the eastern city limits of Edmonton just off Highway 14 near Tofield.

Alberta's Ghost Towns

What would Halloween be without a post about frightening things to do in Alberta? I’m taking a different spin on the scary season however and writing about Alberta ghost towns.

The Ghost Towns of Alberta website gives a comprehensive overview of many abandoned or slowly-dying towns.

The ghastly thing about many abandoned towns is that they were once thriving centres. A great many are old coal-mining towns such as Anthracite, Bankhead, Nacmine and Cadomin. Others like Bezanson City were abandoned because the railway never made it to the community or because of drought like Travers or Grantham.

Ghost towns appeal to me because I imagine what life was like when these towns were bustling and busy places. The bigger draw is the chance to photograph the remaining buildings without pesky people getting in the way.

Some ghost towns have restored or maintained many buildings and open their doors to the public. In Rowley, tourists can visit the Railway Museum, Prairie School Museum, Sam’s Saloon, Bank, and Pool Hall and in Wayne, visitors can still have a drink in the hotel’s Last Chance Saloon.

So this year, overcome your fears and explore Alberta’s ghost towns.

A-MAZE-ing Sunflowers

Corn mazes are a popular fall attraction, but a maze made of cheery sunflowers offers a delightful alternative.

From the moment you step into the Bowden SunMaze, you can’t help but be happy. Getting lost and turned around on the winding paths seems a lot more fun when surrounded by pretty yellow flowers.


The maze has just the right amount of challenge to keep adults interested while the opportunity to run wild and hide around corners keeps kids entertained.We were a little late to see the maze in its prime (although it was still impressive). The staff suggested that mid to late August is the best time to visit.


In addition to the sunflower maze, there are two corn mazes and other mazes suitable for small children. The kids will also like seeing seeing the pot belly pig, rabbits, donkeys and chickens.

The Bowden SunMaze is Alberta’s only sunflower maze. You can find it west of Bowden, about half an hour south of Red Deer.

Labour Day Food Festivals

Like squirrels storing up food for a long winter, Albertans will be stuffing their faces at many food festivals across the province next weekend. Here’s a lineup of some of the events happening on the Labour Day long weekend.

Fort McMurray's Fish Fry
September 4
Walleye, salads and blueberry pie. How can you beat that?

Calgary’s BBQ on the Bow Festival
September 4 and 5
Southern-style barbecue in southern Alberta. Chicken, pork ribs, pork butt and beef brisket grilling over slow burning wood or charcoal. What more needs to be said?

Glendon’s Annual Pyrogy Festival
September 4
The highlight of the festival has got to be the pyrogy eating contest. How many pyrogies would a pyrogy eater eat if a pyrogy eater could eat pyrogies?

What will you be stuffing your face with?

Park It

July 17 is Canada Parks Day and that got me thinking about Alberta’s many parks. Alberta has hundreds of parks and wilderness areas representing diverse landscapes and offering a variety of activities for people to enjoy.

The jaw-dropping scenery in Alberta’s wild spaces is a big attraction. Mountains, foothills, forests, grasslands, and strange rock formations – Alberta has it all. Even sand dunes! On the eastern side of the province is the Wainwright Dunes and in the northeast corner is the Athabasca Dunes Ecological Reserve which is part of the largest active sand dune system in Alberta.

Alberta’s lakes, reservoirs and rivers provide prime water sport opportunities. Wabumun Lake, Cold Lake and Waterton Reservoir are known for sailing and the province’s waterways provide a variety of boating, canoeing and kayaking routes. Many of Alberta’s lakes and rivers have outstanding fishing. Bow Valley Provincial Park has world-renowned trout fishing and the Oldman River and Kootenay Plains Provincial Recreation Areas contain over 30 species of fish. Alberta’s many lakes also mean many beaches. Two of the best are the beach at Sylvan Lake and Devonshire Beach on Lesser Slave Lake where they hold the annual Alberta Open Sandsculpture Championships.

Parks all over the province offer an endless variety of hiking trails. From meandering rivers and prairie that seems to go on forever, to forests that blanket much of the province, to mountain views and waterfalls, Alberta’s trails pass through all kinds of terrain and offer activity levels ranging from easy to more challenging.

Alberta’s parks are also home to an abundance of wildlife. Northern Alberta is known for amazing bird watching opportunities. Of the approximately 330 bird species in Alberta, 224 have been seen in Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park, the threatened Trumpeter Swan can be found in Saskatoon Island Provincial Park and tiny songbirds migrate through the area around Lesser Slave Lake. Parks in the mountains, foothills, and prairies offer the chance to spy larger animals like bears, moose and cougars.

History can also be explored in Alberta’s parks. Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park contains hundreds of Aboriginal pictographs (paintings) and petroglyphs (carvings) and Dinosaur Provincial Park allows visitors to hike to world-famous dinosaur bonebeds and even participate in an authentic fossil dig.

When you want to escape to nature, where do you go? What are your favourite Alberta parks and wilderness areas? What is your favourite activity to do in Alberta’s parks? Let me know by making a comment at the bottom of the post.

Mundare's Other Attraction: The Basilian Fathers Museum

There’s more to Mundare than Stawnichy’s sausage. There’s also the surprisingly interesting Basilian Fathers Museum. The museum, established by Ukrainian Catholic priests of the Basilian order, showcases religious artifacts dating back hundreds of years as well as objects that are representative of the every day life of Ukrainian immigrants to Alberta.

Some of the every day items on display include blacksmith equipment, traditional clothing made of colourful embroidery and hand-woven material, and carpentry tools used to craft the beautiful interiors of many of the Ukrainian Catholic churches in the area. Even though these objects would have been commonplace to early settlers, they are interesting today because most people have no experience with them.

There is nothing commonplace about the museum’s religious collections. Crosses, icons, communion vessels and candlesticks used in services and rituals dazzle with their ornate decoration and intricate details. Maps, bibles and liturgical books that are hundreds of years old show the historical depth of the museum’s collections.

Basilian priests established printing presses in the areas they served and the museum also displays early printing related items such as photo negatives etched onto metal printing plates and hundreds of individually-cast metal letters that would have been typeset to make the words of the printed material.

Some of the quirkiest items were the ones from Father Jean’s private collection – beer steins, a sword and handcuffs allegedly worn by Louis Riel.

Even though there is no sausage tastier than Stawnichy’s, if you want to fill your mind rather than your belly, give the Basilian Fathers Museum a try.

Not So Secret Garden

I recently discovered the Olds College Botanic Garden. What a pleasant surprise!

Wide paved paths curve by specialty gardens such as the alpine, herb, water, rose and shade gardens. Flower beds are filled with annuals and perennials suited to Alberta’s climate and some beds are devoted to single flower varieties like lilies, irises, and delphiniums.

Small gravel and stone paths tempt visitors to explore hidden corners of the garden and allow for a closer look at some of the flowers. Most of the plants have labels so you can identify what you’re looking at which is useful if you’re looking for gardening ideas.

You can stroll throughout the garden or sit on one of the many benches and just admire the beauty.

Olds College welcomes the public to visit the Botanic Garden and they’ve created a printable map that shows the various specialty gardens and landmarks.

Nearby Gardens

• The Trochu Arboretum, about a half hour east Olds, is also a garden-lovers oasis.
• The heritage gardens at the Innisfail Historical Village contain cultivars/varieties of plants that Alberta pioneers would have planted, but that are no longer typically available.

The Domes of Lamont County

I’m not a regular church-goer, but I do appreciate ecclesiastical architecture. And there is a lot to appreciate on the Lamont County Church Tour.

Lamont County’s 47 churches add up to more churches per capita than anywhere else in North America. Denominations include Russo-Greek Orthodox, Lutheran, Moravian, Ukrainian Catholic, Ukrainian Orthodox, United, and Roman Catholic.

On the first weekend in June, many of the churches open their doors to allow the public a glimpse of the artistry within. From the architecture to the ornately-decorated interiors, there is much to admire.

The Ukrainian churches with their onion-shaped domes and elaborate interiors are my favourites. The walls and domes are often painted with icons and other religious decorations and a church’s intricate iconostasis is a work of art in itself. If you’ve never seen an iconostasis, you won’t believe the craftsmanship (see photos at the end of the post). Some churches have beautiful stained glass windows and enormous chandeliers that are unexpected elements in a country church. Many of the Ukrainian churches have bell towers separate from their church building. If you ask, you might be able to ring the church bells.

Volunteers are happy to tell you stories about their congregations, their churches and the symbolism and rituals of their religions.

Download a map of the participating churches and a brochure describing all the churches in Lamont County and hit the road on June 5 and 6 to explore the domes of Lamont County.

More photos of Lamont County churches can be found in the sidebar on the right side of the page.

Off to the Races: Horse Racing in Edmonton

What can you expect when you attend an afternoon of thoroughbred racing at Northlands Park? A little bit of excitement and a lot of atmosphere.

The Races
An afternoon of racing at Northlands Park usually consists of 10 races. You can watch the races from the outdoor grandstand, indoor seating or down by the rails at track level. “Down by the rail you can really appreciate the power and speed of the horses,” says my friend Terry, who enjoys attending the races at Northlands. “You can feel the vibration of the hooves pounding as the horses go past and it adds to the excitement.”

Betting
Betting on the races is an integral part of the action. For people serious about betting, racing forms give background on each horse such as performance record and jockey. Tip sheets prepared by professional handicappers are also available and list their top picks. Alberta’s racing website provides tips on types of bets and how to handicap (pick your horse).

Off Track Action
In between races there’s a lot going on. Spectators can visit the paddock to scope out the horses for the next race, get something to eat from the many restaurants, or watch races broadcast from other racing venues.

Atmosphere
Terry and his wife Megan love the atmosphere. “On a nice day there’s nothing like sitting in the stands, having a beer and hotdog, and enjoying a little excitement,” says Terry.

Whether you like the action or the atmosphere, I bet you’ll have fun checking out the horse races at Edmonton’s Northlands Park.

This weekend was the start of the thoroughbred racing season at Northlands Park in Edmonton. The Rocky Mountain Turf Club in Lethbridge, Evergreen Park in Grand Prairie and Alberta Downs in Lacombe also host thoroughbred events.

Oil City Derby Girls Rock...and Roll

Chicks wearing fishnet stockings, roller skates and elbow pads can mean only one thing… roller derby.

Edmonton’s Oil City Derby Girls deliver mix-em-up action with bad-ass attitude. From the minute you hear the pounding music as you walk through the front door you know you’re in for a raucous good time. And when you see the skaters bumping and grinding their way around the track, you can’t help but get drawn in to the action.

Even if you don’t fully understand roller derby rules you’ll still have a good time watching the teams battle it out. And you have to like a sport where competitors are required to show off their “don’t mess with me attitude” through names like Dizz Aster, Bamm Bamm, and Lethal Lyn Jection.

The following video was taken from the “suicide seating” section of the venue. Enjoy!

Upcoming Oil City Derby Girls home games are June 12, August 14, September 18, October 16, and November 20.

Other Alberta teams that belong to the Canadian Women’s Flat Track Roller Derby Association:

• Edmonton's E-Ville Roller Derby
• Calgary Roller Derby Association
• Red Deer Belladonnas
• Medicine Hat's Gas City Rollers
• Wetaskiwin Rez City Rollerz are just getting established.

Ice Golf Baby

Golf on a frozen lake in the middle of winter. Can you say f-f-f-f-fore?

My friend Mike does the wackiest things. Last weekend he participated in an ice golf tournament on Pigeon Lake. When I asked him why he did it he replied, "Cuz it's crazy fun."

Golfers make their way around a course marked out by old Christmas trees and putting greens made of indoor/outdoor carpeting. I'm told you don't have to be an especially skilled golfer because you are only allowed to use two irons and a putter. You're not even required to have an eagle eye to spot the little white golf ball on the snow because coloured balls are used.

The tournament draws around 200 people for golf, dinner and a chance to thumb your nose at Old Man Winter. Are you game?

Check out some of the creative costumes and methods of transporting beverages around the course.

A Fruitful Endeavour: Alberta's Cottage Wineries

When people think of wine, they don’t usually think of Alberta. Two local cottage wineries are changing people’s minds using Alberta-grown organic fruit to craft a surprising range of fruit wine.

I think most people assume that wines made from fruit like wild cherries, apples, strawberries, and raspberries are sweet and syrupy dessert wines. Although many are fine examples of dessert wine, the surprise is that many of the wines are medium-dry or off-dry and pair nicely with meals of pasta, Asian food, pork, red meats and salad.

In central Alberta, Brosseau’s en Sante Winery is using some unusual ingredients to make their refreshing fruit wines. In addition to typical fruits like apples and saskatoons, they use rhubarb, honey and even alfalfa hay!

Lovers of port will appreciate the fortified dessert wines made by Strathmore’s Field Stone Fruit Wines. For tastings of their entire selection of wines, drop in to their on-site wine store between May and September or call during the off-season to make an appointment.

You can find these wines at some Alberta farmers’ markets and in select liquor stores. Vendor information is listed on each winery’s website.

Try Alberta’s fruit wines tonight and sample a taste of Alberta in a way you thought you never would.

Icons of the Prairies

The news that a historic grain elevator in Fleming, Saskatchewan was destroyed by fire this week made me wonder if Alberta has any iconic wooden grain elevators still around.

We do. And here is a list of communities with restored grain elevators that are now museums and/or are open for people to explore:

• Acadia Valley
• Alberta Central Railway Museum (near Wetaskiwin)
• Andrew
• Big Valley
• Heritage Park in Calgary
• Castor
• Heritage Acres Farm Museum (near Pincher Creek)
• Leduc
• Lougheed - Iron Creek Museum
• Mayerthorpe
• Meeting Creek
• Nanton - Canadian Grain Elevator Discovery Center
• Paradise Valley (near Wainwright) Climb Through Time Museum
• Radway
• Rowley
• Scandia
• St. Albert
• Stettler
• Spruce Grove
• Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village (near Edmonton)

Read the CBC news story about the Fleming, SK elevator.

Big Things are Popping up all Over Alberta

Roadside attractions are the giant cocktail swizzlesticks of travel tales. Use them to stir up conversation (“I peeked out of the T-Rex’s jaws just in time to see Bob disappear”) and as pokers to deflate your rival’s one-upmanship stories (“Look my sausage is 12.2-metres tall, yours is a cocktail weenie.”) Throw in having your photo taken with a giant gun-toting Pinto bean and how could you NOT want to check out Alberta’s weirdest roadside attractions? From Weapons of Mass Construction by Mike Ross.

I agree whole-heartedly. What’s not to love about these big and bold statements of a town’s community spirit? Grab your sense of adventure and explore the wacky side of small town Alberta.

Some of my favourites:

• Beaver (Beaverlodge) What’s not to love about a 3000 pound beaver?
• Golf Tee (Trochu) Trochu’s my home town. I’m a tad biased.
• Pysanka (Vegreville) So pretty… and turns in the wind like a weather vane.
• Sundial (Lloydminster) Wonderful simplicity. It reminds me a little of Stonehenge.

Check out the following links for more unique and oversized attractions:
Big Things
Large Canadian Roadside Attractions
Kalyna Country Western Canada’s Roadside Attractions Capital