Family-friendly fall road trips
Just because the once-warm temperatures are now beginning their descent to the sub-zero territory, that doesn’t mean your only option for a getaway is on a plane. With the best of nature accessible to us within a few hours’ drive, hop in your family car to rediscover and explore the delights of Alberta on these three road trips!
- Waterton Lakes National Park
Time from Airdrie: two hours, 50 minutes
A staggering natural beauty, Waterton is a fall destination for families who are looking for a quieter and less-crowded getaway. September and October are often unseasonably warm here. Enjoy a game of golf; do afternoon tea at the Prince of Wales Hotel; watch and track wildlife; hike to Cameron Falls, enjoy the views and have a picnic by Bertha Lake; and bike down Waterton Avenue.
- Drumheller
Time from Airdrie: one hour, 20 minutes
Be prepared to descend into Dinosaur Valley when you choose Drumheller as your next road trip destination. The town is home to the Royal Tyrrell Museum, the best place in the world for dinosaur fanatics of all ages. The museum features 10 signature galleries devoted to palaeontology, a collection of more than 110,000 fossil specimens and 40 dinosaur skeletons showcasing the last 20 million years that dinosaurs occupied the Earth. Starting October, the museum hosts “camp-ins,” which allow children ages five to 13 to spend the night at the museum – remember to pre-register!
- Jasper National Park
Time from Airdrie: three hours, 40 minutes
Take the Icefields Parkway to Jasper and enjoy the pristine mountain landscapes, Peyto Lake, Mistaya Canyon, Bow Pass, Sunwapta and Athabasca Falls on the way. The autumn months are also the best time to see wildlife such as the bighorn rams, mule deer bucks and large elk bulls. If you and your family love stargazing, plan your trip during Oct. 18-27 to attend the Jasper Dark Sky Festival.
Shaun Kos is general manager at Country Hills Nissan
Photo Credit: iStock
