INSIDE with the Festival Nomad (No. 20)

 Over the years I have attended, worked with and organized hundreds of festivals and events. With this new series, "INSIDE with the Festival Nomad", I want to give you an "inside" look at some of the festivals and events that I have been involved with or that I have visited. Along the way, I have had a lot of fun and sometimes frustration, but I have never been bored!

ACROSS CANADA … The Surrounding Area

There are lots to do in Calgary, but there is even more to do in the surrounding areas. The trip from Calgary to the Rockies is spectacular. As you leave the city, you soon reach the foothills. From there, you slowly encounter the Rockies. The majesty of these magnificent wonders of nature is awe inspiring! Today we were headed for “beauty” and “charm”. The “beauty” was Lake Louise. If you travel in western Canada by car, this is a “must” visit. Lake Louise, a mountain fed lake, is framed by high mountains on three sides. On a clear still day you can see the reflections of the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise in the water. A postcard makers dream! The “charm” of this trip was Banff. Banff is a quaint village, set amongst the Rocky Mountains. In the winter, it is a skier’s paradise. We were there to visit the Friends of Banff National Park store and tell them about Michael Dumas's National Park program. Also, while we were in Banff, we had lunch at Joe Btfsplk's Diner.  This, if you are not aware, is a name taken from the Al Capp comic strip “Pogo”. Unfortunately, I understand that this great restaurant is now closed! The trip back to Calgary was just as exciting, especially if you keep your eyes open for wildlife. Along the way we saw Prong Horn Sheep grazing at the side of the road and a mule deer running through the tall grass! Like I mentioned, the surrounding area has much to see and experience. On another side trip from Calgary, we traveled south east towards Lethbridge. We were there to visit and meet with the volunteers at several historic sites. First there was “Head Smashed-in Buffalo Jump”. We visited the Interpretive Centre which tells the story of the "Jump" and its long and varied history. From there we traveled to Fort MacLeod and then on to Fort Whoop-up National Historic Site. It was originally called "Fort Hamilton" but later became known as "Fort Whoop-Up". The Fort is an interesting place to visit and learn about our country's wild history! Our next visited was the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre. This was the site of the 2003 Frank Slide rockslide-avalanche. After visiting these historic locations, we were off to Waterton Lakes National Park!