Alberta

It's beauty abound

~Banff National Park~
		(Click on picture to see more)
This beautiful scenery was designated as Canada's first national park in 1885. Located in the Rocky Mountains it's area covers over 6600Km² (2548 sq miles). Some of it's residents include bear, elk, bighorn sheep, mountain goats and deer. Tourists, worldwide, are drawn to it's many offerings: hiking, camping, skiing, natural hot springs, majestic mountains, deep valleys and emerald green lakes. Banff was named after Banff, Scotland.


~Drumheller (a.k.a. The Badlands)~
		(Click on the picture.)
An incredibly beautiful landscape that shows the different layers of sandstone and mudstone. Originally settled by ranchers, it was bought in 1910 by Colonel Samuel Drumheller for the purpose of mining. Drumheller lies in the heart of dinosaur country. Opening in 1985, the Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology has the largest display of complete dinosaur skeletons in the world.


~Jasper National Park~
		(Do you remember what to do???)
Named after a fur trader Jasper Hawes, the national park began as the Jasper Park Reserve in 1907. The town of Jasper originated as a fur-trade post in the early 1800's. Once fur-trading declined after 1850 there were few visitors to the area until the arrival of the railway in 1911. Located in the Rocky Mountains the park area cover's about 10, 878Km² (4200 sq miles). Wildlife includes elk, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat and grizzly bear. Like Banff, it is a mecca to tourists from all over the world.


~Prairies~
		(I know you can remember.)
Alberta is the most western 'prairie' province of Canada. Spreading far and wide across the central and western regions of the province you find a quilt of different grains.


~Boreal Plains~
		(Don't make me tell you again.)
Much of the upper half of Alberta is covered with rolling hills of forest. Timber is the only renewable resource in this area. Population is few and far between as huge areas are covered in muskeg and the soil is poor. The cool conditions here are the hot spot for mainly spruce and pine trees.


~Wood Buffalo National Park~
		(Hey! You're getting really good at this.)
Established in 1922 to preserve the remaining herd of wood bison, Canada's largest national park covers 44,807Km² (17,300 sq miles) and crosses the border of Alberta into the North West Territories. Most of the parks area lies in the Boreal region, but it also goes into what is called the Taiga Plains. An area that is low, waterlogged and has permafrost under much of it. What looks like snow in the photo is actually salt deposits.


~Waterton Lakes National Park~
		(I knew you could do it!)
Waterton Lakes National Park, Canada's 4th national park lies in the most southern part of the province on the US border. Although most of it's area of 505Km² (194 sq miles) is made up of mountains, the prairies are also a part of it. Unlike it's counterparts to the north, there are no foothills along this part of the mountains, so the prairie abruptly stops where the mountains start. In 1932 it was joined with Montana's Glacier Park forming the world's first international peace park.


~Aurora Borealis~

The Aurora Borealis aka The Northern Lights, certainly not limited to Alberta, but definitely one of the most beautiful of all natural wonders that we are allowed to experience. I'm not sure there are the words to describe this natural phenomenon. Ribbons of light dance across the sky to their own tune. If you can imagine millions of flames joined side by side flickering across a dark sky then perhaps you are able to grasp some small part of what it is like to watch this. The farther north you are, the more color you can see in them. It is almost remindful of a rainbow. I have no idea of how many times I have seen them, but I can tell you that each time is like seeing it for the very first time. The show is never the same.