As September rears it’s ugly back to school/work/real life head, embrace this final long weekend of summer. Do something awesome with what might be the last three warm, sunny days off before the frost arrives.
Here are some suggestions for great day or overnight trips you can take with some friends to make the most of the Labour Day weekend.
Drumheller
Who doesn’t love dinosaurs? Just over an hour outside of Calgary, this town is always reliably fun for a day trip. Brush up on your dino-facts at The Royal Tyrrell Museum, followed by lunch and a few beers at a pub on Main Street. Don’t forget to take instagram some ridiculous photos in front of the giant T-Rex that towers over the downtown park. It is almost like you’re starring in your own Jurassic Park movie… A really low budget, alcohol-fueled Jurassic Park.
Golden, BC and Kicking Horse Mountain
A 3.5 hour drive west of Calgary will bring you into the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Golden has some great restaurants and bars, but take a short drive over to Kicking Horse Mountain and have dinner at Eagle’s Eye, the highest altitude restaurant in North America. Situated on the top of the mountain, you’ll find that everything tastes better (and gets you drunker) when you’re on top of the world.
Ghost Lake
Less a lake and more of a dammed off part of the river (curse Alberta and its lack of lakes), you can still go boating, tubing, sailing or swimming. Although people do it frequently, I don’t recommend jumping off of the Ghost Lake Bridge into the water. There have been accidents, and friends are much cooler alive.
Turner Valley
South of Calgary, the landscapes are beautiful with great hiking and cycling paths. If you’re a burger lover, you are doing yourself a disservice if you don’t grab a bite at Chuckwagon Café, rumoured to have the best burger in all of Alberta.
——————–
Image courtesy of Travis S.
