#5 best destination in the world

 

Dinosaur Provincial Park

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  • Located in a valley noted for its badland topography
  • The park is known for being one of the richest dinosaur fossil locales in the world
  • 58 dinosaur species have been discovered in the park
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site

 

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

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  • Buffalo jump located where the Rocky Mountains begin to rise from the prairie
  • Museum of Blackfoot culture
  • Dedicated to preserving Aboriginal culture and promoting relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site

 

Banff National Park

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  • Canada’s oldest national park established in 1885
  • Located in the Rocky Mountains with glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine landscapes
  • The mountains were formed from sedimentary rocks that were pushed over newer rock strata, between 80 and 55 million years ago
  • Erosion from water and ice have carved the mountains into their current shapes
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site

 

Jasper National Park

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  • Largest national park in the Canadian Rockies
  • The park includes glaciers, hot springs, lakes, waterfalls, and mountains
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site

 

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  • Park located in the Canadian Rocky Mountains
  • Name comes from the Cree word for awe and wonder
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site

 

Heritage Park Historical Village

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  • Historical park whose exhibits span western Canadian history from the 1860s to the 1950s
  • Many of the buildings are historical and were transported to the park to be placed on display
  • Others are re-creations of actual buildings
  • Most of the structures are furnished and decorated with genuine artifacts
  • Staff dress in historic costume, and antique automobiles and horse-drawn vehicles service the site
  • Opened in 1964
  • The Park has two operating seasons: the Historical Village is open from May to October, but Gasoline Alley Museum is open year-round

 

Banff Gondola

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  • Scenic cableway ride to viewing decks and hiking trails at the summit of Sulphur Mountain

 

West Edmonton Mall

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  • Largest shopping mall in North America
  • Was the world’s largest mall until 2004
  • Over 800 stores and services including nine attractions, two hotels and over 100 dining venues in the complex
  • More than 24,000 people are employed at the property
  • The mall attracts between 90,000 and 200,000 shoppers daily, depending on the day and season

 

Fort Edmonton Park

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  • Named for the first enduring European post in the area of modern-day Edmonton
  • Largest living history museum in Canada by area
  • It includes both original and rebuilt historical structures representing the history of Edmonton (including that of post-horse Indigenous people), and is staffed during the summer by costumed historical interpreters

 

Moraine Lake

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  • Glacially fed lake in Banff National Park,
  • Elevation 6,181 ft
  • The lake, being glacially fed, does not reach its crest until mid to late June. When it is full, it reflects a distinctive shade of azure blue
  • The unique colour is due to the refraction of light off the rock flour deposited in the lake on a continual basis by surrounding glaciers

 

Bankhead Ghost Town

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  • Once a bustling mining town operated by the Canadian Pacific Railroad, now abandoned up in the mountains of Banff National Park
  • Labor strikes and walkouts resulted in workers winning higher wages but exacerbated the coal rail company’s cashflow problems, which caused the company to close in 1922
  • Also called “the twenty year town”

 

Banff Springs Hotel

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  • Hotel that overlooks a valley towards Mount Rundle, both of which are situated within the Rocky Mountain mountain range
  • Opened in 1888 by the Canadian Pacific Railway, as one of the earliest of Canada’s grand railway hotels

 

The Vault

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  • Originally built into the side of a mountain in 1969 by Rocky Mountain Vaults and Archives, in order to protect the Royal Bank of Canada’s bank records, in the case of a theoretical apocalypse, due to heightened fears of the Cold War
  • Royal Bank of Canada pulled out of the negotiations, causing the company to go bankrupt, and abandoned the structure
  • Now a place for amateur hikers and cavers to explore

 

The Hoodoos of Drumheller

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  • Rocks naturally formed through erosion by wind and water
  • The formations can be up to 20 feet high

 

Banff Merman

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  • Indian Trading Company in Banff features many unusual finds for the eclectic shopper. Watching them all quietly is their oldest resident: Mr. Banff, the Merman
  • Acquired around 1915
  • There are conflicting stories as to the originals of the merman
  • Some say Luxton purchased the gaff from a mysterious Javanese salesman, other say the owner of the shop built it himself

 

 

Costs

Number of Days: 15 days

Best Time To Fly: June-Aug, Dec-March

Airline ticket: $282

Seattle -> Calgary (round trip)

Food: $46/day x 15 days = $690

Rental Car: $40/day x 15 days = $602

Gas: $139

Entertainment: $161

Airbnb: $164 x 14 days = $2,297

TOTAL: $4,171